This the cheapest synth I ever had, got it of gumtree for 45 quid, but there is few faults with it.
3 Keys are not working and the contact board is cracked (just got new one of ebay :)), so only midi control at the moment.
here is few words about the unit from Vintage synth explorer.
The Yamaha SY35 is a bit unique in that it is a Vector Synthesis system, combining FM and AWM sample playback voices to create sounds suitable for virtually all kinds of music. It features significantly expanded memory capabilities over the SY-22. It has an extremely large database of over 128 AWM sampled sounds (you cannot add more) and around 256 FM waves. Waves and samples are combined and edited with a roller/joystick (the vector wheel). At a time when Yamaha was making the switch from FM synthesis, which ruled their synths of the eighties, to AWM and AWM2 synthesis in the nineties, the SY-35 represents a model that was on the cusp, having one foot (or pair of oscillators actually) in each world.
| Atmospheric pad modulated by the vector joystick | |
| Rhythmic onboard wave and noisey sound on opposite vectors | |
| Multi patches (fat, wide and atmospheric pads and fx) | |
| WOW there are also cool drum sounds on board, here is an example + few of the effects |