Yamaha Portasound electronic musical keyboards were produced by the Yamaha Corporation during the 1980s and 1990s. The name suggests the instruments' portability, with battery operation being a consistent feature across the line. Many of these keyboards were designed for children with small keys and simple preset functions suitable for educational use.^[1] In 1982 the line introduced a card reader system which allowed players to learn and play along with sequenced songs.^[2] The PSS line features mini keys and the PSR line features full size keys. Some of the higher-end keyboards have advanced features like programmable synthesizer controls, midi capability, and sampler functions.

Contemporary use

Electronic musicians and sound engineers have used these instruments to achieve an authentic lo-fi sound^[3] and some modify them with circuit bending to extend their sound palettes. As of 2015, musician Dan Friel continues to use a Portasound that he received as a gift in 1984.^[4] Circa 2017, Italian artist Modula released an EP called 780's Chronicles, recorded primarily using a Yamaha PSS780.^[5] Cyril Hahn uses a Yamaha PSS380 in his original compositions, and notes its noise profile as an endearing characteristic.^[6]

Unofficial software and VST plug-ins

In the 21st century, several independent software developers have produced additional tools to modify and store patches for midi-capable PSS keyboards, such as PSS Edit,^[7] PSS Wave Editor and CTRLR.^[8] VST plug-in soft-synth versions of some of these keyboards have also been released by various developers, including the Yamaha PSS-170 and PSS-480 by Audio Animals,^[9][10] GSS-370 (based on the PSS370 keyboard)^[11] and PortaFM.^[12][13]

References