Yamaha DX7
The
Yamaha DX7 was a
synthesizer manufactured by the
Yamaha Corporation from
1983 to
1986, based on
FM synthesis. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer, with its sound included in many recordings from the
1980s. The DX7 was the moderate priced model of the DX series of FM keyboards that included the smaller DX9, DX100, and the larger DX5 and DX1.
One major reason for the success was the precision and flexibility of digital sounds. Although the DX7 was not a
sampler, its bright sounds were much clearer than the
analog synthesizers that preceded it. Although the DX7 claimed to use FM, it actually implemented
phase modulation synthesis, an 'upgrade' on the FM technique. The DX7 is well-known for its electric piano, bells, and other "metal striking metal" sounds. It was
monotimbral and capable of 16-note polyphony.
The synthesizer included
MIDI ports, but was released shortly before the specification was completed, and has incomplete support for the standard.
Several improved models were released in later years, most notably the DX7IID which improved sound quality and allowed bi-timbrality. Third-party products for the DX7 also flourished in the 1980s, including Grey Matter Response's E! expansion board, which added
sequencer functions to the keyboard. The DX7 family remains popular to this day with many recording and performing artists. A software synthesizer from
Native Instruments called the FM7 is also now available which emulates the DX7's digital circuitry and can use original DX7 patches. Rackmount versions of the DX7 also exist, ranging from the TX7 (a simple desktop DX7 unit, with limited editing abilities) to the TX802 (a DX7II in a 2-unit rack mount unit, with 8 outputs) and even the TX816 (eight DX7s in a large rack unit, with individual MIDI ports and balanced outputs for each module (via an
XLR connector), giving the musician a massive 128 notes of polyphony).
In
1988, in celebration of the company's 100-year anniversary, Yamaha released the DX7II Centennial. It was a DX7IID with a silver case, gold painted buttons and sliders, and 76 glow-in-the-dark keys. Only 300 were made and were priced at US$3995.
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DX7 page on Vintage Synth Museum A photograph, samples of DX7 sounds and a few technical details.
*
Dave Benson's DX7 Page A huge DX7 resource, with service manuals, circuit diagrams, and auxillary software.
