Yamaha TG33 Vector Synthesizer

In 1992, I bought my first professional synthesizer. Already having a Casio keyboard I could use to control it, and a computer based sequencer on my Amiga 500 computer (long live Bars & Pipes!!), I decided that I’d get the most for my money by going with a sound module rather than a full keyboard. For whatever reason that I can’t remember now, I settled on the Yamaha TG33 Vector synthesizer.

Little did I know that I’d jumped head first into the realm of FM synthesis, and had bought a pretty specialized sort of sound making device. For what I wanted to do at the time (basically, I wanted to be Nine Inch Nails) this box was almost perfect! It had a very nice digital quality with aggressive bass and lead sounds that you’d expect from FM synthesis. It also had a sample based engine that was somewhat low-fi sounding (AWM used 12 bit samples). The two engines came together with 4 layers (two of each) that could be cross faded and detuned using the Vector joystick and envelopes. There was a lot going on here, even if it didn’t have full editing of the FM parameters, resonant filters or FX that were worth anything (the effects bypass button is key to it sounding good).

A few years after I got it, I purchased my first full fledged workstation keyboard, a Yamaha SY85, and I turned all of my attention to that device. Being skint of cash, I didn’t keep the TG33. I almost immediately regretted this choice since the SY85 had no FM synthesis engine in it, nor did it have the Vector synthesis engine that I’d cut my teeth on. I always missed it a little bit.

A few months ago, a friend posted the one you see pictured hear for sale on Facebook. Being not as skint as I was in those days and deeply set in a cycle of pandemic retail therapy, I had to have it. Playing it again has brought back all sorts of memories! Its entire ROM and operating system were familiar to me and I was immediately able to get in and start creating sounds with it. It benefits greatly from the outboard FX I now have, and makes an excellent source of raw samples for other synthesizers, which brings me to why you’re actually here…

Below you will find sample packs of this TG33 recorded in far more detail than is probably necessary given the sound quality of the instrument. Using SampleRobot, I recorded all of the raw sample and FM waves using variable lengths and key ranges based on the material. So far I have loaded these maps into my Korg Kronos, Wavestate, Akai Force and Waldorf Iridium synthesizers and had great success with them.

Please feel free to download them and use them as you wish. They are provided with absolutely no warranty or guarantee to be suitable for any purpose. I have not checked every single sample for errors and you may run across glitchy sample loops or errors made by SampleRobot in the export (it occasionally seems to forget to trim the front of samples, or will loop one shot’s its not supposed to…be warned). Remember, you get what you pay for and this is free!
The only use that I expressly forbid is use as source material for commercial sample libraries of your own. If you wish to turn these into real presets for an instrument and charge others, please contact me (tony@noisetheorem.com) and we can work out an appropriate licensing fee (don’t worry..I’m a cheap date).

THIS IS NOT A COLLECTION OF THE TG33 PRESETS. IT IS A CONSTRUCTION KIT INTENDED FOR YOUR USE IN CREATING NEW SOUNDS! HAVE FUN WITH THEM AND BE CREATIVE!

If you’d like what I have done and would like to support my continued work financially, the simplest way to do so is to go to my BandCamp page and purchase any of my music there. I guarantee every dime goes into buying more noise makers for me to sample and share.

Happy synthing!