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The Yamaha Playcardsystem is amethodof storing musicinformation, rather like modern-day MIDI files,ona magnetic stripe along the edge of a large (a little smaller thanA4-sized)card. The card is swiped through a slot on compatible Yamaha keyboards,which read the music data from the magnetic stripe into RAM ready forplayback.
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The UltraLite-MK3 is one of the best sound cards for music production primarily designed to be very rugged and easy to carry anywhere without damaging the product. The MK3 has 10 individual inputs and 14 outputs that should be ample for most scenarios. The Yamaha YM3812, also known as the OPL2, is a sound chip created by Yamaha Corporation in 1985 and famous for its wide use in IBM PC -based sound cards such as the AdLib, Sound Blaster and Pro AudioSpectrum (8bit), as well as several arcade games by Nichibutsu, Toaplan and others.
The format firstappeared around 1982, probably just before the CasioROMPack feature appeared, but seemed to disappear only two yearslater, while Casio's system was still alive into the early 1990s.SeveralPlaycard-compatible keyboard models were made, but far fewer than therewere Casio models supporting ROM Packs; the Playcard format seemed tohave been much more short-lived. The Playcard technology was neverlicensed to any other manufacturer.
As well as justlistening to the music, Playcard keyboards had various training modesto teach you to play the tunes, using flashing LEDs above each keyto guide you - very similar to the Casio ROM Packtraining modes.
The orchestration of the Playcard music is also very similar to that ofthe Casio system, consisting of a monophonic melody channel and aso-called 'obbligato' channel (providing a counter-melody or harmony),both of which play simultaneously with the keyboard's built-in rhythmand auto-accompaniment, with programmed chord changes, fill-ins etc.This makes Playcard music sound very much like Casio ROM Pack music.
According to the PC-100's User Manual,Playcards can be double sided,with two magnetic stripes, one on each side of the card. After thefirst side is swiped, the keyboard's indicator light flashes rapidly toshow that the other side should now be swiped to load the remainder ofthe tune into memory. This permits longer tunes to be stored in RAMthan will fit on a single magnetic stripe. While I have some Playcardsthat are physically double-sided, each side of these cards is scannedand played separately as if it were a separate card. I don't know ifthe actual 'double-sided' feature for long tunes was ever used.
Unlike the Casio system, there was no recordable equivalent of thePlaycard - they were a read-only medium.
What Keyboardssupport Playcards?
The followingYamaha keyboard models are known to support Playcards: PC-50, PC-100, PC-1000, PCS-30, PCS-500 and PCR-800. TheCN-1000 and MR-1 organs also support Playcards. There may be others as well. Only the PC-100 is relatively common, and appears quite frequently oneBay. Other models seem quite rare and only crop up on eBay veryoccasionally - another indicator that the Playcard system may not havebeen as successful as the rival Casio system, even though it probablycame out first.
The Playcard system should not be confused withsimilarly-named systems found on other Yamaha keyboards. See Other Keyboard Media for details.
Yamaha Sound Cards Drivers
PlaycardReader for MSX Computer System
Yamaha Sound Cards & Media Devices Drivers
Yamaha also madea Playcard system for the MSX computer. This consisted of a Programcartridge, to which a separate Playcard Reader module was connected viaa short wire. When used with a standard MSX computer, the MSX'sinternal AY-3-891x three-channel sound chip was used to play thePlaycard music, offering only the melody, obbligato and bass channels.The basic 'Playcard Set' contained only the UPA-01
Yamaha Sound Cards & Media Devices Driver
Program cartridge andCR-01 Playcard Reader, but an optional FM Sound Synthesizer unit couldbe added, which would give a fully-orchestrated 5-channel performance,similar to that given by a keyboard. Yamaha's own CX5M MSX computer(and later derivatives) contained a built-in FM Synthesizer unit whichworked in the sameway.It was also possible to add the optional YK-01 Keyboard to the system,which enabled the usual set of Playcard training modes, exactly asfound on stand-alone keyboards, and also turned the MSX system into afull-featured manual keyboard, complete with auto accompaniment. Theseapparently used a proprietary interface to connect to the SynthesizerUnit, and standard MIDI keyboards could not be used.
The system allows a number of Playcards to be scanned and stored inRAM, then played sequentially as a kind of Playcard Jukebox - somethingthat is not possible with stand-alone keyboards. An MSX with 16KB canstore two tunes at once, while a 32KB model can store an additional 16tunes, so a total of 18 tunes can be stored. This suggests that eachPlaycard holds up to 1KB of music data.
The MSX Playcard Set is very scarce. If you do find one on eBay youwill need a fat wallet.
Although Casio did make several MSX computers, I know of no similarsystem for reading ROM Packs on the MSX, or any other computersystem.
WhatPlaycards were available?
Yamaha Sound Card Drivers
The set supplied with the PC-100 contains 12 cards: 9 to 5 (Morning Train), Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, Aloha Oe, Greensleeves, Cielito Lindo, Summertime, Night Fever, When the Saints go Marching In, Killing Me Softly With His Song, I Could have Danced All Night, Take the 'A' Train.The PCS-30 was also supplied with 12 cards: Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, Aloha Oe, Green Sleeves, Nocturne Op.9-2, Summertime, When The Saints Go Marching In, I Could Have Danced All Night, Take The 'A' Train, Memory, We're All Alone and Aquarela Do Brazil. These were housed in a green cardboard sleeve, and although many of the titles are the same as those supplied with the PC-100, the musical arrangements are quite different.
Some (later?) PCS-30 keyboards were supplied with a reduced set of only 6 cards: Do-Re-Mi, Edelweiss, Summertime, When the Saints Go Marching In, I Could Have Danced All Night and Memory. These came in a blue cardboard sleeve rather than a green one, but the six cards are identical to those from the set of 12.
The keyboards were also supplied with a Head Cleaning card, which had a strip of fabric in place of the magnetic tape. It seems unlikely that the head would ever become dirty enough to require this, though.
AdditionalPlaycards were sold in sets of six, and at least 40 such sets were made, plus at least three 'Step-By-Step Learning' sets.
One of my sets of Playcards still has its original price stickerattached; it sold for £4.95 in Fox's Music Centre in Nottingham,UK - a shop which still exists at the time of writing.
Some examples are listed below. I have also seen a reference to a set entitled 'Popular Hits 6' on eBay, but I am not sure whether this was a typo or not, so this set may or may not have existed. If you can fill in any missinginformation, please let me know. (Pleasenote that I do not own all of the Playcard sets on this list):
| Ref. No. | Set Title | Tunes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17-541 | Playcard 1: The Best of The Beatles | Let It Be Michelle Here, There and Everywhere Hey Jude The Long And Winding Road Lady Madonna | |
| 17-542 | Playcard 2: Abba Songs | Dancing Queen One Of Us That's Me Summer Night City The Winner Takes It All Tiger | |
| 17-543 | Playcard 3: The Best of Richard Clayderman | Ballade Pour Adeline Lyphard Melodie Concerto Pour Une Jeune Fille Nommee 'Je T'aime' Souvenirs D'enfance Voyage a Venise Serenade de L'etoile | |
| 17-544 | Playcard 4: The Screen Themes | Star Trek Love Story Moon River Theme from The Godfather Ready To Take A Chance Again A Time For Us | |
| 17-545 | Playcard 5: Great Standards 1 | Night And Day Days of Wine and Roses As Time Goes By Softly As In A Morning Sunrise 'Round Midnight The Summer Knows (Theme from Summer of '42) | |
| 17-546 | Playcard 6: Great Standards 2 | Ebb Tide Over The Rainbow The Shadow Of Your Smile Singin' In The Rain Somewhere My Love It Was A Good Time | |
| 17-547 | Playcard 7: Popular Hits 1 | Arthur's Theme Antonio's Song Him Upside Down Can't Smile Without You Good-Bye Girl | |
| 17-548 | Playcard 8: Latin Favorites 1 | La Cucaracha La Chapanecas Maria Elena Aquarela Do Brasil Besame Mucho La Paloma | |
| 17-549 | Playcard 9: Latin Favorites 2 | El Reloj Adoro La Bamba Quien Sara La Cumparasita El Choclo | |
| 17-550 | Playcard 10: Favorite Disney Songs | Someday My Price Will Come It's A Small World Feed The Birds Chim Chim Cheree Mickey Mouse March When You Wish Upon A Star | |
| 17-551 | Playcard 11: Easy Classics 1 | On The Beautiful Blue Danube Dance Of The Hours Symphony No. 40, G min, K550 Swan Lake Minuet Cradle Song | |
| 17-552 | Playcard 12: Popular Hits 2 | Bette Davis Eyes Guilty You Needed Me Breezin' Feel Like Makin' Love I Write The Songs | |
| 17-553 | Playcard 13: Popular Hits 3 | Don't Cry Out Loud Heartbreaker Making Love Modern Girl Shadows In The Moonlight Woman In Love | |
| 17-554 | Playcard 14: Popular Hits 4 | Endless Love For Your Eyes Only This Masquerade Just The Way You Are Physical Private Eyes | |
| 17-555 | Playcard 15: Great Standards 3 | In The Mood Charade Fly Me To The Moon This Guy's In Love With You Jambalaya By The Time I Get To Phoenix | |
| 17-556 | Playcard 16: Easy Classics 2 | Ode to Joy The Waves of the Danube Nocturne Air From Orchestral Suite No. 3 Plume in the Summer Wind Slavonic March | |
| 17-557 | Playcard 17: Christmas Songs 1 | Silent Night Jingle Bells Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town Joy To The World O Come All Ye Faithful | |
| 17-558 | Playcard 18: The Best of John Denver | Back Home Again Follow Me Leaving On A Jet Plane Rocky Mountain High Sunshine On My Shoulders Take Me Home (Country Roads) | |
| 17-559 | Playcard 19: The Best of Paul McCartney | Band On The Run Ebony and Ivory Jet Listen To What The Man Said My Love Silly Love Songs | |
| 17-560 | Playcard 20: Jazz Standards | Tenderly Body And Soul My Funny Valentine I Left My Heart In San Francisco You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves) | |
| 17-561 | Playcard 21: Christmas Songs 2 | The Christmas Song Frosty The Snowman Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas Here Comes Santa Claus Les Anges Dans Nos Campagne O Tannenbaum | |
| 17-562 | Playcard 22: Great Standards 4 | Sunny Love Is Blue People The Third Man Theme Till Try To Remember | |
| 17-563 | Playcard 23: The Best of Elvis Presley | All Shook Up Can't Help Falling In Love Crying in the Chapel I Want You, I Need You, I Love You Jailhouse Rock Love Me Tender | |
| 17-564 | Playcard 24: The Best of The Beach Boys 1 | California Girls Fun, Fun, Fun Good Vibrations Help Me Rhonda I Get Around Wouldn't It Be Nice | |
| 17-565 | Playcard 25: The Best of The Carpenters | I Won't Last Another Day Without You Only Yesterday Rainy Days and Mondays Top Of The World We've Only Just Begun Yesterday Once More | |
| 17-566 | Playcard 26: Broadway Musical 1 (My Fair Lady) | Get Me To The Church On Time The Rain in Spain I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face On The Street Where You Live With A Little Bit Of Luck Wouldn't It Be Lovely | |
| 17-567 | Playcard 27: Broadway Musical 2 (Annie) | Easy Street I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here It's The Hard-Knock Life Maybe Tomorrow You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile | |
| 17-568 | Playcard 28: The Best of Barry Manilow | Copacabana Even Now I Made It Through The Rain Ships Weekend in New England When I Wanted You | |
| 17-569 | Playcard 29: The Best of Billy Joel | Don't Ask Me Why Honestly It's Still Rock and Roll To Me My Life Piano Man She's Always A Woman | |
| 17-570 | Playcard 30: Mixed Pops 1 | The Dock Of The Bay Give Me The Night I Am A Woman I Go To Rio An Old Fashioned Love Song Windy | |
| 17-571 | Playcard 31: Sing Along Favorites | Brother John Auld Lang Syne Happy Birthday To You You Are My Sunshine Michael, Row The Boat Ashore Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home | |
| 17-572 | Playcard 32: Gospel 1 | Peace In The Valley He Turn Your Radio On Wings of a Dove How Great Thou Art Whither Thou Goest | |
| 17-573 | Playcard 33: Country & Western 1 | Nobody Likes Sad Songs Release Me Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town Little Green Apples Crazy Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue | |
| 17-574 | Playcard 34: The Best of Hank Williams | Cold, Cold Heart I Saw The Light I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry Hey, Good Lookin' You Win Again Your Cheatin' Heart | |
| 17-575 | Playcard 35: Swing Time 1 | Honeysuckle Rose I'm Beginning To See The Light It's Only A Paper Moon All Of Me Moonglow You Turned The Tables On Me | |
| 17-576 | Playcard 36: Hawaiian Favorites 1 | Now Is The Hour The Hawaiian Wedding Song Sleepy Lagoon Pearly Shells Tiny Bubbles Quiet Village | |
| 17-577 | Playcard 37: Country & Western 2 | Any Time Bouquet of Roses Candy Kisses Detour I Really Don't Want to Know Green Green Grass of Home | |
| 17-578 | Playcard 38: Polka 1 | Lichtensteiner Polka There Is A Tavern In The Town Pennsylvania Polka Peanuts Polka Beer Barrel Polka Village Tavern Polka | |
| 17-579 | Playcard 39: Female Vocalist's [sic] Hits 1 | Blessed Are The Believers / Anne Murray Deja Vu / Dionne Warwick Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress) / Helen Reddy Somebody's Knockin' / Terry Gibbs What Kind Of Fool / Barbra Streisand My Heart Belongs To Me / Barbra Streisand | |
| 17-581 | Playcard 41: Screen Themes 2 | Far From Over Maniac Star Trek III - the Search for Spock Terms of Endearment The Summer Knows Up Where We Belong | Thanks to Susan Herrera for the information about this set. |
| 17-583 | Playcard 43: Children's Songs | Der Fuchs Sur Le Pont d'Avignon Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star Swanee River Yankee Doodle Camptown Races | |
| 17-584 | Playcard 44: Popular Standards 2 | Autumn In New York It's Only a Paper Moon Misty Someone To Watch Over Me Stella by Starlight Wives and Lovers | |
| 17-614 | Easy Playcard | Chim Chim Cheree Little Brown Jug Moon River When The Saints Go Marchin' In Dancing Queen Londonderry Air | |
| 17-674 | Step-By-Step Learning Playcard 1 | Exercise 1 - Up and Down Exercise 2 - Skip Exercise 3 - For Both Hands 1 Exercise 4 - For Both Hands 2 Exercise 5 - Short Scale Exercise 6 - A Melody | Each card is double-sided, but the sides are used independently. |
| 17-675 | Step-By-Step Learning Playcard 2 | Exercise 1 / Finger Drill Exercise 2 / Waltz Exercise 3 / London Bridge Exercise 4 / Michael Row the Boat Exercise 5 / Jingle Bells Exercise 6 / Ode to Joy Auto Bass Chord System Guide | Set apparently contains seven cards: six exercise cards, and an Auto Bass Chord System Guide card. Thanks to Susan Herrera for the additional information on this set. |
| 17-688 | Step-By-Step Learning Playcard 3 | Exercise 1 / Daisy's Waltz Exercise 2 / Long Long Ago Exercise 3 / Ghost Samba Exercise 4 / The Covered Wagon is Coming Exercise 5 / Walking Cat Blues Exercise 6 / Gavotte | Thanks to Susan Herrera for the additional information on this set. |
| 17-691 | Deutsche Stimmungslieder | Schützenliesl Anuschka Auf der Reeperbahn nachts um halb eins Ja, mir san mit'n Radl da So ein Tag, so wunderschön wie heute Eviva España | Probably available only in Germany. Thanks to Sascha Heiland for the information. |
| 34-100 | Yamaha PCS-30 Lesson and Learning Pack [Japanese] | Step 1 - How to Use Your Fingers Step 2 - Melody Parade Step 3 - Little Brown Jug Step 4 - Sazaesan Step 5 - Do-Re-Mi Step 6 - Lover's Concerto Step 7 - Sound of Music Step 8 - Shiretoko Ryojyou Step 9 - Namida no Request Step 10 - Iihi Tabidachi Step 11 - Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da Step 12 - Sweet Memory | 12 single-sided Playcards and a head-cleaning card in a booklet. Probably supplied with the PCS-30 Keyboard in Japan. |
| 34-051 | Playcard 51: [Japanese] | no Bara no Echiyudo Invitation Second Love Kohaku Iro no Omoide Koibito mo Nureru Machikado Long Distance Call | Packaged in a booklet. Set title unknown. |
| 34-010 | Playcard 10: Popular 3 [Japanese] | Ballade Pour Adeline Nocturne Penelope Souvenirs D'enfance Music Box Dancer 13 Jours En France | |
| ------ | Matsuda Seiko [Japanese] | Garasu no Ringo Sweet Memories Rock'n Rouge Jikan no Kuni no Alice Tengoku no Kiss Hitomi Ha Diamond | 6 Matsuda Seiko songs. Original set title unknown. |