website/content/museum/yamaha-c1.md

---
title: Yamaha C1
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Portable
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1987'
cpus:
- Intel 80286
params:
  name: C1
  image: /media/museum/photos/yamaha_c1_system_s1.jpg
  company: /companies/yamaha
  company_name: Yamaha
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: C1
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Yamaha
  - label: TYPE
    value: Portable
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1987'
  - label: BUILT IN LANGUAGE
    value: None
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: 88 keys with numeric keypad and arrow keys
  - label: CPU
    value: Intel 80286
  - label: SPEED
    value: switchable clock 10/8 MHz
  - label: RAM
    value: 640 Kbytes main, 512 Kbytes extension
  - label: ROM
    value: 64 Kbytes
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 or 80 columns x 25 lines
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: CGA, 640 x 400
  - label: COLORS
    value: Monochrome blueish LCD display
  - label: SOUND
    value: Buzzer
  - label: SIZE / WEIGHT
    value: 394(W) x 382(D) x 82(H) mm / 8.2 kg (18 lb 2 oz)
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Time Code In, Time Code Out (both via RCA ports), 2 x serial ports, Expansion Card Slot, 8 x MIDI OUT ports, 2 x MIDI IN ports, 1 x MIDI THRU port, Digital RGB out port, CGA or Monochrome (Hercules compatible) mode
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 3.5'' Floppy disc drive (1.44 MB) + 20 MB hard disk
  - label: OS
    value: MS-DOS 3.3
  - label: POWER SUPPLY
    value: Built-in power supply
  - label: PRICE
    value: Unknown
  tabs:
  - photos
  - docs
  photos:
  - title: LARGE VIEW
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/yamaha_c1_system_s2.jpg
  - title: C1 BAG & ORIGINAL DISKETTES
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: /media/museum/photos/yamaha_c1_bag_s1.jpg
  docs:
  - title: USER'S MANUAL
    url: http://www.yamaha.co.jp/manual/english/index.php
    cover: /media/museum/docs/couvs/yamaha_c1_usersmanual_s1.jpg
    text: |-
      [**USER'S MANUAL**](http://www.yamaha.co.jp/manual/english/index.php)written by Yamaha

       compiled/archived by Yamaha\
       type of document : PDF\
       source : [Yamaha C1](http://www.yamaha.co.jp)
  comments:
  - author: Ted
    date: Tuesday 8th February 2011
    text: |-
      The day my C1 died was a sad one indeed. Loved the ease of the Voyetra sequencing software, and not having to use an outboard midi patchbay back then was awesome. With 8 outs and 2 ins I easily ran my entire studio, including:

      Juno 106\
      Cheetah MS-6\
      Cheetah MS800\
      Oberheim Matrix 6R\
      Roland D110\
      Yamaha SPX-900\
      ART SGX2000\
      \+ a pair of midi-CV boxes to drive older analogs.

      Would love to have that rig again...
  - author: Gmez
    date: Wednesday 5th May 2010
    text: Kraftwerk''s Electric Cafe was recorded during 83-86 with the Synclavier. Two C1 machines were used on stage in late 90''s only
  - author: Joseph Monzo (United States)
    date: Monday 16th May 2022
    text: I got a C1 around 1990 and loved it. Only was able to use it for a few years and then something went wrong with it, I don''t remember what it was now, probably the screen. I kept it anyway for a long time, and remember very clearly how painful it felt when I moved and decided to throw it away, just put it in the trash. Now I''ve become a collector of vintage computers and really would love to have one again, that''s in working condition. If anyone has one to donate or sell, search for me on Facebook and send a message.
  - author: Bravine (United States)
    date: Monday 17th May 2021
    text: 'How does the Yamaha C1 Music Computer ''''die''''? Mine works just fine. Had display issues, certainly... in the 90''''s Yamaha was gracious to supply a replacement screen, but that failed eventually. Next step: find the proper monitor! Found one, then the computer ''''expert'''' insisted on testing his own way... long story short: the ''''expert'''' destroyed his own monitor by not setting the monitor to the proper setting as I instructed. If anyone here can supply such a monitor for the C1, please reply! I find this situation similar to monitors for Akai samplers. However, note: the C1 monitor spec and early akai (up to 3000xl, at least) are entirely different.'
  - author: Fionn (Ireland) (Ireland)
    date: Saturday 2nd December 2017
    text: Hi Steve (USA) , I''d love the Yamaha C1, how can I get in contact to talk ?
  - author: Steve (USA)
    date: Tuesday 19th September 2017
    text: Does anyone want a Yamaha C1 music computer? It runs, crt display seems a little flaky. It''s been in storage for 20 years.
  - author: kihyun Moon (south korea)
    date: Thursday 24th August 2017
    text: |-
      You have run a sequencer with a 3.5 inch d diskette to run the sequencer program.(Added on August 24 \~ 2017), we copied the diskette capacity over the diskette capacity to the diskette capacity, and then copied it into two chapters.(Hard Installator) has copied the files from the Dosbox program to the hard disk.However, the program was able to copy the program to the second bootable disk, but it was repeated repeatedly and tried to succeed several times before attempting to succeed. Maybe it''s because the floppy disk is all about the same errors, so it might be stale old, and it might have been stale or broken. $$12640$$$12640$\
      Anyway, I tried to play a song called Minute, but I was only able to install a vapi driver, and it was impossible for me to play the violin. $$12640$$$12640$\
      However, you could not run the drive.bat file with a diskette error. Maybe it''s a driver setup file ...
  - author: Ethan (Virginia, USA)
    date: Saturday 3rd October 2015
    text: |-
      I''m trying to repair a C1 that starts up with the external display LED always on. No disk seeking or anything, and the dip switch for display on the back does nothing. The screen does not light up.

      I did a dump of the BIOS EPROMs from the machine and it looks like they''re corrupt, a sign of "bitrot." The letter P for Pheonix is corrupted in the dump, and I looked at dumps of another Phoenix BIOS and it looked proper.

      I''m looking for someone with a working machine to run a dos utility to dump the BIOS. There is a 3rd EPROM in the machines, not sure what it does $ but the BIOS dump utilities will not be able to dump it. I am going to re-read my EPROMs to make sure it wasn''t a bad read. I''m interested in how other people''s units are failing, and I think it would be a good thing to get the EPROMs from a working unit saved off.

      I have a good amount of documentation and original disks, I will put them all online. I''m putting all my notes with regards to repair online as well.
  - author: PJ
    date: Thursday 3rd May 2012
    text: Hey ''cram (bedroom)'' did you ever get them Yamaha C1 disks?
  - author: cram (bedroom)
    date: Sunday 27th May 2007
    text: |-
      "but in monochro(or)me blue," he says. like that's not the cool part.

      anyway i'm trying to get mine going after 9 years in storage, no disks. who got da disks?
  - author: Adrian (Earth)
    date: Friday 26th January 2007
    text: I used to own one of these machines back in 1993. It had a CGA display, but in monochorme blue. It also had a 20mb H.D. and a 740K floppy disk as far as I remember. I mostly used it for learning to type. Eventually selling it to somebody who wanted it for music mixing.
  oc_id: 1176
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230306003717/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=1176
    date: '2023-03-06'
---

The Yamaha C1 was released in 1987 and is basically a 80286 processor based PC with 8 built in MIDI ports for use in applications where there are many MIDI instruments to address.

By 1987 some machines which were capable of responding on multiple MIDI channels were appearing, and some earlier machines could only function in "omni" mode which meant that they needed a whole 16 channel port to themselves or they would play every time a note intended for another instrument was sent.

Since MIDI information is fairly 'slow' in respect to what even a about 10Mhz computer can handle 8 output ports with buffers wasn't a difficult thing to pull off for even an old 286 apparently.

Various DOS applications were included, among them the Voyetra Sequencer which was set up to run all 8 ports.

---

**Contributors** : Bob Weigel (picture, info), Gareth Qually (info, specs)

**Javier Z.** reports:\
Yamaha C1 Music Computer was used by Kraftwerk in "Electric Cafe".

<table> <tr> <td></td> <td>We need more info about this computer ! If you designed, used, or have more info about this system, please send us pictures or anything you might find useful.</td> <td></td> </tr> </table>