Hello,

I have noticed that in many discussions about the sound quality,word Yamaha DX7 is used a lot, at least as a reference.
Also, one of the expansion boards for 9Kpro
is the DX7.
Why is such old keyboard still so popular ?
Are there any "unique" fetures in DX7
which can not be found in other keyboards ?

Just wondering ... :-)

Denis

The Yamaha DX7 was the first popular FM (frequency modulation) synthesis keyboard. The FM sounds have been widely available (sometimes in scaled down form) in subsequent Yamaha synths. Smpled versions of the sounds are also widely available, but they lose the dynamic quality of FM synthesis. FM has given way largely to sample-based synthesis and, to a lesser extent, to physical modeling. However, there is always a market for old sounds, and if you want to sound FM, the best way is to use an FM synth. The old DX7 piano has approached the status of the Rhodes piano--they do not sound much like pianos, but they have been classic sounds in their own rights.

I think FM synthesis is very inexpensive to implement, so that is another reason it remains available.

Hi Denis

My group still have a old and good DX7 with original case and we are pride of it.I think that DX7 success was the incredible FM synthesis and a fantastic key taste.
When I received my 9000 pro, I put DX and 9000Pro face to face.
The 9000Pro was better in ALL similar voices.
However I can to sell my 9000 but the DX...

Brasilian regards,
Chico

Hmmmm....WHY is it special..........why.....?
.
.
.
.
.
Sorry, can't think of a single thing.

In it's day (15 years ago) it was a better alternative than carrying a Fender Rhodes around, but look at the resurgance of the Rhodes today...the prices are going through the roof ! FM is bright, and thin - it was a refreshing change from the word of dark, muffled analog of the 70's and 80's. The DX really cut through a mix, but there are so many improvements today .... I honestly can't imagine playing one again. I used to like "one" electric piano, "one" bass and "one" organ...and except for that cool locomotive... there was nothing else that caught my ear.
All three of those sounds are readily available in today's synth engines.

[This message has been edited by Uncle Dave (edited 01-09-2002).]

The original patches that came on the DX-7 ROM cards weren't at all inspiring but over the years some great patches were developed that were much improved and help establish the DX-7 as a classic.

The keyboard responsiveness of many FM sounds is still hard to find in many modern keyboards. The DX-7 had some great pluk and synth brass sounds. And later versions of FM (AFM) in the SY-77 and SY-99 provided even more programming features plus onboard effects which of course weren't available when the DX-7 was designed. Effects really make a big difference to FM sounds. It can often be very revealing when you switch the effects off on sample playback synths and hear how raw some of the samples actually are.

Like any era of synthesis each technology has its own characteristic sound quality and the DX-7 was the first digital synth to be mass marketed so will always have a legendary status.

Besides if you can pick up a DX-7 or TX-7 dirt cheap it makes a great addition to your studio sound arsenal. And there are plenty of sounds freely available online for it. I still use a Yamaha SY-77 and TX-802.

DX ROM Cards? My memory must be failing! I thought the DX7 had to be programmed on the front panel or over MIDI. Or maybe there was a cassette interface. Was there a ROM card slot? I know that, eventually, there was a DX7IIFD that had a floppy drive.

Sure - remember those little boxes that plugged in on top? Up in the left hand corner? It came with a few, and there were more that followed. They were not the credit-card type that is popular now.

Clif,
Nigel is actually referring to the original DX 7 (the brown one, while the DX 7 II was almost black), which had a slot for inserting cards on the top. I remember buying a card programmed by Toto, with some really cool sounds (for the time); I traded that one for a DX 7 II FD, with the E! expansion, and I traded the DX 7 II FD for a SY 77 and I traded the SY 77......well, you know the story.....

Cliff
Yes the original DX7 did have ROM facility
but it was not a card but a matchbox sized cassette, the slot for it had a sprung hinged
flap and it can been seen to the right of the
32 programming/memory membrane switches above the last 3 octaves of the keyboard.
Pasa.
http://code404.com/synths/images/yamaha_dx7.jpg

Thank you, Pasadoble (shouldn't that be "Paso Doble", by the way?), for making me jump backward in time almost twenty years!

Thanks everyone for straightening me out. I lent my DX7 to my sister many years ago and have little inclination to reclaim it. I never grew fond of FM synthesis, although I think FM sounds can be layered effectively with.

Hi Dreamer,
The 'Pasadoble' handle goes back a couple of years ago when I first went on the net and I wanted a music based email address, well I entered all sorts of names on Yahoo.com and everything I tried was already taken so in my frustration I put in 'Pasa Doble' but Yahoo did'nt like the gap so I joined it together and it stuck, hope thats put your mind at rest, wouldn't want you losing any sleep over it
Incidentally, I hated the sound of the original DX7 when it came out but the sound did grow on me and I ended up getting one in 1987 and had it for a few years. In 1989
my on-stage keyboard rig comprised of an Ensoniq ESQ 1....a Korg DW8000 and the DX7, unfortunately my DX7 fell backwards off the top of my 1980's A-frame type keyboard stand when the holding lugs gave way, much to the amusement of about 400 people watching my performance, well the DX7 landed on its back edge totally wrecking the audio/midi/power output cicuit boards, I must admit I had tears in my eyes that night, dont know whether it was through embarrassment or losing my my cherished DX7
Pasa