Part Four: Getting Stuff for your SY99 

• ROM Updates (A4000)
• Analog Joysticks (A4100)
• SY99 Literature (A4200)
• SYEMB-05 Memory Expansions (A4300)
• MCD 64 Memory Cards (A4400)
• Wave Data Cards (A4500)
• Road Cases (A4600)
• Floppy Solutions (A4700)
• Misc (A4900)

*A4000: ROM Updates 

Yamaha Scandinavia sells SY99 ROM updates: 

PRG-ROM v1.4    2000:-
PRG-ROM v1.5    2000:-
CPU v1.4        1050:-
CPU v1.5         787:-
Voice-ROM v1.2   203:-
Lib-ROM v1.2     350:-
Seq-ROM v1.3     393:- 

*A4100: Analog Joysticks 

You may connect an analog joystick to your SY99. It works with a little rewiring, so maybe it won't work with your computer anymore. Both the SY pedals (not switch!) and the breath controller jacks work with an external poti as a voltage divider (is this the correct technical term?). 

In a similar vane.... can a breath controller be used with the foot controller or foot volume inputs on an SY85? 

Just in case someone wants to modify a joystick for the pedal inputs: to play it safe, try to get a joystick that allows trimming the zero-position. Otherwise you may have problems to get the full controller range (0-127). The trimming control on my joystick is via two small sliders besides the stick area. Thanks to Rheinhold reminding me of the problem. 

*A4200: Literature

Katamar sold a cookbook for the SY77 which was called "SY77 Cheaters Guide and Cookbook". The one for the SY99 got discontinued already long ago, it is therefore no longer available. However, here is the address (good luck): 

Katamar
718 Ruth Drive
Newbury Park
CA 91320 

(805)375-7388
Katamar@aol.com 

You may also want to read one of the following Keyboard Magazines: 

• Future Music (FM) is an English Music Magazine that comes with a CD
• Keyboards (german) discussed the Yamaha SY99 Music Synthesizer in a past issue:
• Keys (german) featured a ,Keys Essentials - SY99 Workshop' in the following issues:

  Erste Schritte (First Steps)
  Klanganalyse (Voice analysis)
  Hüllkurven (Envelopes) Issue 05/95, p.94
  Filter Issue 06/95, p.94
  Multimode
  Konzerteinsatz (use on stage)

• Workshop (german)

*A4300: SYEMB-05 Memory Expansions 

Yamaha Scandinavia: One SYEMB-05 SY99-memory-expansion-board is currently under (the awful) price of 3400:- swedish kronor 

*A4400: MCD 64 Memory Cards 

Aside Yamaha, the following stores might sell you MCD64 Memory Cards: 

• Thoroughbred Music
  Tampa, FL
  contact Rob Matson - keyboard manager
  phone 813-238-6485, fax 813-238-5443.
  
• Synthe Diffusion in France (address in ,future music magazine')
• Valhala Music, Inc.
  Box 20157-MO
  Ferndale MI 48220
  phone:(810)548-9360
  

  They're a little slow (not too) with the orders. I mailed my order on Sept 11; they cashed my check on Sept. 27, and my 2 cards came on Oct. 3. They sold MCD 64 Memory Card at US$34.95, The only problem for non-US residents is that they only take checks or money orders drawn on US banks. They did this to keep the prices low and to avoid the service charges from credit card companies. They a're getting out of the synth sound business are already gone. 

*A4500: Wave Data Cards 

We heard of the following Wave Data Cards: 

• String Section Set (S7705)
• Pop/Rock Set
• Jazz/Funk Set 

*A4600: Road Cases 

Yes, Road Cases... Anyone ? 

*A4700: Floppy Solutions 

We heard of the following floppy solutions: 

• Lion Tracks Megafloppy (A4710)

*A4710: Lion Tracks Megafloppy 

The following company from Italy

sells a product which is called MEGAFLOPPY. It's an external 120MB hard disk drive, accessable through 720K portions by a replacement for the built-in synthesizer floppy drive ("superslim floppy driver"). They used to have a nice homepage (used to be http://www.lionstracs.it/wwwlionfolder/0inglese/E-mf-index.html, now offline ) which listed a lot of synths supporting their extension. Please note that the SY99 Music Synthesizer is not listed on the site, but several people said that our synth is supported. Recent theory is that a customized version for the SY99 came later onto the market, when other synths were already listed. Anyway, you better check this before buying the drive.

The drive logic itself will be accessible through an additional floating display panel which needs to be connected to the front of the drive replacement. This display thing will let you choose the appropriate 720K part of the disk.
 

*A4900: Misc 

A few days ago Kaeng Kong Productions sent me some information material about their newest offers concerning the SY99. So, they are still existing, but they have moved to another location. Here it is: 

btw: They obviously want to offer an internal Hard-Disk-Drive (520 or 1000 MB) for the SY99 (price is about 1000 German D-Marks or lower) 

Hong-Kong 

Tom Lee Music (shops all around town) - bad sales service but large stock and sometimes very cheap prices (if you don't mind ex-demo and no warranty prices can be ridiculously cheap!) 

A very small shop called Haughtons which specialises mostly with EMU and Waldolf stuff. 

Tom Lee (make sure to go to the Tsim Tsa Tsui branch for information, then buy from the cheaper Wanchai Mariner's Club branch) if you want cheap DATs (how about USD$100 for a 2nd hand), check the electronic stores in MongKok. 
 

Musitronic

Somwhere, probably in Germany, there is (has been) a company called Musitronic which feature three kind of memory expansions:

First product is a double-the-internal-ROM expansion for the SY77 (TG-500) that also features four additional RAM memory banks for user voices.

Second product is the same as the first, but it was designed for the SY55 (TG55).

Third product is a sample RAM expansion for the SY99, which will add additional 5 MB of sample RAM to your synth.