AWM playbackers
YAMAHA used AWM 12-bit PCM playback engine in various low-end synths and keyboards in early 90s.
YAMAHA's earliest 12-bit sampler TX16W is also called AWM, but it has some unpopular filters and is much different from AWM playbackers.
Among the simple AWM playbackers, TG100 is the most advanced synth that allows deepest editing.
The GM module MU5 is YAMAHA's last AWM playbacker.
It's a retrograde version of TG100 without Voice-editability.
Most QY sequencers and some Portasounds/Portatones at around that time used this 28-poly 12-bit AWM engine.
YAMAHA MU5 (1994)
Below is the related AWM playback models with more unique features.
DASS synthesizers
YAMAHA's DASS (Dual Architectural Synthesis System) uses 12-bit AWM combined with FM synth.
Dynamic Vector Synthesizer SY22/SY35 and TG33 are advanced versions of DASS.
TG100 and SY35's PCM section have 2MB ROM, and sounds much better than SY22 and TG33 (1MB).
TG100 has mainly waves for accoustic emulation while SY35 has more for synthetic material.
YAMAHA SY35 (1992)
Most of YAMAHA's RY Drum Machine series - RY8/9/10 and RY20 - uses 12-bit AWM.
(The high-end RY30 uses 16-bit AWM2 with multi-mode filters, so it's way different.)
Low-end RYs seem to use the same synthesis engine as TG100 -
They are 28 voice polyphonic, which is the same as TG100,
and RY10/RY20 uses one or two Elements layered without a filter, to create various drum sounds.
They are not deeply editable.
Compared to pitched instrument sounds, drums and percussions can be effectively synthesized even without a filter.
If deeply editable, they could have been unique percussion synthesizers.
YAMAHA RY20 (1994)
Sampler
Sampler function is added to some AWM playbackers.
PSR2700 can save the samples in floppies,
and QR10 can transmit the sample data via MIDI SysEx.
YAMAHA PSR2700 (1993)
YAMAHA QR10 (1993)
Vectorized Portasound
Portasound is YAMAHA's pop keyboard series with mini-sized keys.
YAMAHA had often implemented some synthesizing function in Portasounds from late 80s to early 90s.
Among them, PSS790 can layer 4 sounds and mix them with a Vector Controller.
YAMAHA PSS790 (1990)
SY and TG
Unlike most other TGs that are module versions of SY synths, TG100 and TG300 have no counterpart in SY.
If YAMAHA had made an SY version of TG100 - maybe named as SY100, SY11 or something -
with full editability, more ROM, RY's Drum Kit, QR10's sampler and SY22/PSS790's Vector, it could have been a cheap but interesting synthesizer.
But as YAMAHA had to fight against the rise of Roland SoundCanvas,
they soon turned to XG, leaving behind the 12-bit AWM architecture together with their strange features.
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Updated 2. 18. 2003
1. 14. 2003