Keyboard Piano

The S80 is a weighty instrument in every sense of the word. This serious synth offers an expandable palette of tone colours, initially based on Yamaha's AWM2 technology; full onboard sound programming with visually satisfying editing software; and a wealth of controller capabilities that are beautifully thought out. Kin to Yamaha's dance-oriented CS6x/6R, the S80 uses the same sound engine as the CS but is oriented toward pianists, offering more piano sounds, a weighted action, and a more conservative look. On the other hand, the S80 lacks the CS's sample-loading Phrase Clip feature-not to mention its techno attitude.