The Yamaha PSS-110. Not the first PortaSound, as it was introduced in 1984 (the PS-1 in 1980), but an early model with an endearing look, and in the first wave of PSS models. Very simple miniature key music keyboard, with unusual chorus effect and arpeggiator [edit: wrong, no arp, no chorus]. Depeche Mode used one.
Anybody played this model? Or another PortaSound maybe?
Keyboards like the pss110 were seen as toys, and yamaha #PortaSound by extension was seen as not professional. But it doesnt mean they were not usable in a semi-pro or pro environment. Well perhaps not the 110, but the 140 and 170, and select pss from the 2,3,4,5 and 6 series. I’ll cover some of those perhaps in the future, with some soundcloud examples.
One reason for the “toy” perception was that #Yamaha kind of marketed the #PSS series to / for kids. Here is an advertisement from the mid 80s
I found a Yamaha PortaSound PSS-80 at Goodwill the other day for just a couple bucks and it can do all the amazing stuff THIS dude does with it in this video. 🤯