hey ppl. how you all doing. my friend here is all ticked because he thinks you guys think that the dx7 is an old, antiquated, piece of junk that no one in there right minds' would ever think of using for a gig. I was just wondering how many of you would like to shout out a resounding IT SUCKS or perhaps if anyone here does actually like it. The real reason i am writing is to ask if an alesis qs whatever or some sort of roland would better serve his non-lead needs, and which one that would be. thanks again for all youse wisdom and speak! Z

Zack, a great keyboard, in 1984..The DX tine pianos really did the job, as long as you had a Roland SH101 for bass and a Roland synth[JX10] for the fat sounds[color]...

Hey Zack, FYEO...

Manufacturer:
Yamaha

Model:
DX7

Production period:
1983-87

Quantity produced:
160,000


Also:
- Brian Riley's DX7ii,


Who played this instrument?

A-Ha, Andres Calamaro from Los Rodriguez, Tony Banks of Genesis, Karl Bartos of Kraftwerk, John Beck of It Bites, James Brown Band, Cabaret-Voltaire, Ray Charles, Coil, The Cure, Depeche Mode, George Duke, D:Ream, Electronic Dream Planet (with Yellinghouse DX-programmer), Brian Eno, Enya, Front 242, Herbie Handcock, James Ingram, Jens Johansson from Stratovarius, Michael Jackson - from 1983 to 1990, Al Jarreau, Kitaro, John Lord of Deep Purple, Chris Lowe, NIN Goldie and Rob Playford, Steve Porcaro and David Paich of TOTO, The Smiths, Stabbing-Westward, Talking Heads, Type O Negative, U2, Underworld, Eddie Van Halen - on "Love Walks In", Stevie Wonder - on "Ribbon in the Sky", Vangelis
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Seems to me if these guys played it then your friend should have no concern as to whether it will suit his needs or not. Those monster players should be all the endorsement he needs. Go for it! DX7, yeah baby!

Best regards,
Mike

The DX7 is a fine synth especially if you run it through an outboard FX module for reverb, chorus etc. It has its own character and can't be beaten for certain digital sounds.

But if your friend needs acoustic instrument emulations such as acoustic piano, strings, sax, trumpet etc. then a Roland or Alesis is certainly a better option. Just as with analog synths, a digital synth like the DX7 is best at creating unreal synthetic sounds.

You just mention non-lead, but what sort of sort of sounds is he going to be using ? Pads, synths or electric pianos or what ?? That would make it easier to decide what sort of keyboard would be better for him.

I'm with Nigel on this one!

Nigel is right.. That DX-7 is a Classic. Some of those sounds can only be found on the original.. Some have done a good job duplicating the DX sounds, but that synth alone was killer in its time, and you'd be surprised to see how many people still have them too. They sound great, and play nicely too. Soooo many bands used the DX in its day. It was quite popular. Of course it's not a synth for everyone.. If you're looking for the latest cutting edge sounds, then the DX-7 might not satisfy you. I think the DX-7 would be a great addition to anyones set up. You can get them for a good price on ebay too... Also if you like the DX-7, take a look at the monster DX-1.... Also the DX-7 does not suck at all. It's sound is classic and all its own....

Squeak

[This message has been edited by squeak_D (edited 06-04-2003).]

One big problem with the original DX-7: it was early in the days of midi when it came out so the velocity scale is only 1-100 instead of 1-127 as it should have been. So if you try to play external modules with it then they can't be played at their full volume using the DX-7 as a controller. Also the DX-7 is a very weighty instrument compared to newer keyboards and you'll likely never be able to get it repaired should it break.

Ah, the DX-7. Back in the day eveyone wanted one. I could only as close as the DX-100, a mini keyboard, 4 op. version, but good enough for my needs back then. Today, I would think twice before buying one unless I had a specila need for a sound or was a collector - too many better, cheaper boards offer the DX piano and other emulations. BUT, if your friend already has one, there's definitely nothing wrong with using it.

Cass

Still have a module version of it at the house. Comes in handy for certain classics where the DX7 was actualy used in the original recording.

Aww, FM!
I had a DX7, later a V-something-or-other. FBO-1 module, TX81Z module, and DX100.
I have a friend here (actually he is president of the Musicians' Union Local} who still uses two DX7s. He gets some very good E. Piano and organ sounds. Before them he hauled around a B3 and leslie.
DonM