S90 History — Yamaha

S90

TheYamahaMusic SynthesizerS90is asynthesizerand aMIDI controllerin one unit, released in 2002 to supersede theS80.As such, it is part of the S seriestogether with the S03 and S08. It was superseded by the S90ES in 2005, itself superseded by the S90XS in 2009. The S90 provides 88 fully weighted keys, the number equivalent to a standardpiano, emulating the pianistic mechanism.The keyboard naturally provides initial touch, but alsoaftertouchresponse and has a 64-notepolyphonywith 16multitimbralparts providing a maximum of 4 performance parts.

OverviewThe Yamaha S90, released in 2002, was a professional stage piano and synthesizer workstation. This 88-key weighted instrument featured Yamaha's Motif sound engine, extensive polyphony, and a comprehensive control interface for live performance.
The S90 offered piano, electric piano, orchestral, and synthesizer sounds with real-time control. The weighted keyboard provided authentic piano feel. The instrument targeted gigging keyboardists requiring professional sounds and reliability.
The S90 established Yamaha's S-series as professional stage instruments, competing with Roland's RD-series and Korg's Tritons.