Yamaha PSS-170

[beatpoet]

So, I'm pretty new to bending, working on a Speak & Spell bend right now, but I found an old Yamaha PSS-170 that had been sitting in storage since I moved to Cincinnati about 10 years ago.  Anyone bent one of these before?  Suggestions? 

[Circuitbenders]

At a guess i'd say the data line cut mod might be your best bet, unless it can't be done on a PSS-170. take a look at the other threads on Yamaha PSS's on this forum for details.

I would tell you to look at the Warranty Void site but it appears to have vanished 

[kb]

First time post.

At the risk of blogwhoring, the 170 handles the data line cut mod very nicely.

This was my crack at it:

http://home.earthlink.net/~kerrybradley/id3.html

kb

[Griffin]

This right here mentions cutting the data lines can be done on a pss-170, but I have no clue what the IC looks like or where the data lines and chips are.
But yes, It can be done!

[beatpoet]

Cool, I'll definitely be trying that. Just need to finish up my speak & Spell and then its time to take a crack at this...

[beatpoet]

OK, just opened the thing up today.  Here are some photos of the board...I'll post more once I poke around a bit in there.

[Circuitbenders]

i'd be guessing that the chip to the right of the huge chip on the lower photo is the FM synth chip. It looks like it says yamaha on it but i can't quite tell as its a bit blurred. The chip above the huge chip looks like it says SANYO on it so that won't be the one.

Google the serial number on the yamaha chip and try find a datasheet. There will probably be pins labelled D0 to D7. Those are the dataline pins.

[beatpoet]

Will do, thanks for the tips, I'll look up that chip and see what I can find.   Got some time off work next week and my goal is to work on this and a couple other bending projects as well...

[MagpieIndustries]

I've a bent PSS-170 at home. I really thought I'd replied already to this thread. Must have dreamt it.
Oh well, it's possible to bend it. I didnt find a pitch mod, but as mentioned already, it's possible to mess with the lines between the chips, there are about 5 of them if memory serves correctly. I've just shorted out mine to each other and ground, and it's working sweet, I'll have a go at cutting the lines and trying a little patch bay next. But even without doing that, just by shorting the pins together you get a lot of crisp high pitched bleeps, clicks and toots, and occasionally some suprisingly deep bass aswell. Although the tones are not as mindblowing and weird as say a speak and spell, they are quite stable and predictable, which makes it overall a very useful instrument. I'll take some pics of the inside this weekend when I do the trace cutting and patch bay mod. Stay tuned.

[gmeredith]

I would tell you to look at the Warranty Void site but it appears to have vanished

Someone has archived the Tablehooters site here:

http://web.archive.org/web/20050103090712/users.informatik.haw-hamburg.de/~windle_c/TableHooters/instruments.html

Cheers, Graham

[AttDestroyers]

you don't even know how grateful i am for that link to the archived tablehooters site...I've missed it so much!

[egr]

I picked up one of these last weekend (my sisters and I had one when we were little, too).  Building up to do the data cut mod and see what else I can find.  Anyone have any additional info for me?