Softube’s Model 77 might be the most impressive Yamaha CS emulation out there€159 (€99 in the current sale), softube.com
The Model 77 is the latest member of Softube’s Model series of classic synth recreations. When one considers the many developers creating plugin versions of iconic vintage synths, Softube tends to be among the best in the game.

READ MORE: Best free plugins 2024: 15 of the best free synthesizer plugins

In creating the Model 77, Softube takes inspiration from three legendary Yamaha polysynths: The 4-voice CS-50, the 8-voice CS-60, and the 8-voice dual-layer CS-80 with polyphonic aftertouch. Rather than throwing a myriad of modern gimmicks into the mix, Softube has captured the essence of the polyphonic synthesis platform of the CS series in a plugin format and even maintained some of its idiosyncrasies.
If you’re new to synths, the interface of the CS-80 – or any of its modern alternatives – can be rather intimidating, which can slow down your creative progress. Even once you’ve grasped the basics of subtractive synthesis, a jam-packed dual-layer synth can come across as a rather ungainly beast.
Luckily for most of us, Softube has considered these factors in designing the Model 77. It’s a classically styled dual-layer soft synth that encourages creating your own sounds but doesn’t require lots of prior experience with synths.
The Model 77’s expansion panel
How do I use the Softube Model 77?
For starters, you’re going to need a MIDI keyboard for this, and preferably an aftertouch compatible one. Like the CS-80, the Model 77 is the type of instrument that prefers to be played rather than sequenced. So, if you aren’t much of a keyboard player, learning a few basic chord progressions could be the difference between having loads of fun with the Model 77 and getting bored rather quickly.
The patch library is relatively modest, with just over 110 presets. However, the browser is easy to navigate and there is a healthy balance of usable modern and vintage sounds, giving you an overall sense of the Model 77’s capabilities. Unlike the CS-80 and many of its recreations, the Model 77 has a relatively straightforward interface.
The two layers are colour-coded, making it easy to differentiate between them. All layer-specific controls can be found on the first row and the expansion panel below the tone selector section. Meanwhile, all other controls are global, as they affect both layers.
The Model 77’s upper layer
With the Model 77 interface design, Softube has made every effort to build a platform that gets you into the CS-80’s unique way of creating sounds. While cornerstone elements like the tone selector and the distinctive envelopes have been preserved, the archaic 1970s terms like ‘Brilliance’ (filter frequency), ‘Touch Response’ (aftertouch), and ‘Sub Oscillator’ (LFO) from the CS-80 have been replaced by appropriate modern terms to avoid confusion.
Very few of us will ever get to play a real CS-80, so to get the most from Model 77, the best we can do is to try and understand its architecture. The approach to programming sounds far more dynamic and open-ended than a simple synth like the Roland SH-101 for instance. Instead of trying to create a finite sound, we are setting the rules for the way the synth interacts with the keyboard.
The use of synthesizers within recorded music was still relatively sparse at the time Yamaha undertook the development of the massive GX-1 and its subsequent CS series. At this time, synths were still seen through a rather limiting lens as tools to imitate existing instruments, like strings and guitars and so on. With this in mind, we can get our heads around the inclusion of the tone selector section. Although it could seem redundant by modern standards, it’s nevertheless a tool to help us get into ‘CS-80 mode’ as it were.

How do I build sounds using the Softube Model 77?
What surprised us more than anything about the Model 77, is how fast and easy it is to create your own sounds from scratch. We start by initialising the two layers in the tone selector and moving our mix slider to focus on the upper layer. To create a monstrous EDM lead, we activate unison mode and set the layer mix back to zero. Any settings can be copied across both layers, so you can quickly duplicate changes you make when stacking sounds.
Once we’re happy with the basic character of the sound, we start experimenting with the different glide modes and adjusting the glide time to add more expression and edge. Also, sounds can be widened with the Pan Spread slider in the Expansion Panel, while the Pitch Bend range and Unison controls allow even more dynamism.
Reverb is the finishing touch to any sound you create, and Model 77’s reverb sounds phenomenal. It might only have a single slider, but this controls the decay time and wet/dry mix all at once, so it’s easy to find a sweet spot. Finally, the Age slider helps add characteristics relevant to a particular era or genre. As this affects the intonation as well as adding subtle variances to the filters, pulse-width modulation, and envelope controls, we keep it at zero for modern EDM-style sounds. However, if we’re trying to create synth wave sounds à la Com Truise, the Age control can give these a more authentic feel.
Another wonderful aspect of the CS-80 that the Model 77 carries is, of course, the aftertouch feature. This adds another expressive avenue to the ways you can play chords and melodies. As you exert pressure on any key played, you engage the aftertouch modulation bus.
The Ring Mod section is also a great tool for giving sounds a retro sci-fi feel with the almost metallic texture imparted onto the sound. With the two sustain modes, you can choose whether you want overlapping notes to decay or be cut off with a last-note priority and you have a choice of portamento or glissando as you move between notes.
The Model 77’s lower layer
Should I buy the Softube Model 77?
The Model 77 is a truly spectacular-sounding synth plugin that is incredibly easy to program. Once you understand the basics of its dual-layer interface, you can dive right into creating authentic sounds with depth and unique textures. But if you’re a non-keyboard player, this isn’t the type of synth plugin that does the work for you.
Don’t expect a wealth of rhythmic sound presets that you can quickly trigger with a single note and layer as you would on Pigments or Omnisphere. Instead, if you approach the Model 77 as more of a traditional musical instrument, you can get an unfathomable amount of expression and detail while playing even the most basic of chords.
For this reason, a decent-quality MIDI keyboard is essential, as we’ve discussed earlier. Instead of watching Bladerunner for the 1400th time, try learning a little about the Yamaha CS-80 and what sets it apart from the other legendary analogue polysynths like the OB-X, the Prophet 5, the Jupiter 8, and the MemoryMoog.
If you’re a synth purist with keyboard-playing ability, you’re in for a real treat. Expect to be blown away by the sheer sonic scope of the Model 77 and its powerful modules for Softube Modular and Amp Room. At the same time, you have an incredible instrument that is compatible with standard aftertouch and polyphonic aftertouch, presenting a vintage approach to synthesis that doesn’t feel clunky or overwhelming.
As we’ve come to expect, Softube’s developers have done extensive research in creating the Model 77. As a result, it not only sounds authentic but delivers a user experience that is relevant both to professional music producers and complete beginners.
Is it better than the other CS-80 plugin options available? That depends — if you’re looking for a plugin that taps into the very source code of the CS-80 and makes it accessible to modern DAW users, the answer is a resounding yes.
Copying layers in the Model 77
Key features

Meticulously modelled on the Yamaha CS-50, CS-60, and CS-80
Dual-layer interface with a straightforward workflow and modern DAW-friendly features
Careful recreation of Voice allocation, Polyphonic aftertouch, Ring modulation, Glide, and Sustain modes
Excellent additions like Unison mode and Reverb
Additional modules for Softube Modular and Amp Room

The post Softube’s Model 77 might be the most impressive Yamaha CS emulation out there appeared first on MusicTech.