Yamaha DX7 Wikipedia. The Yamaha DX7 is an FM synthesis based digital synthesizer and electronic keyboard manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. The DX7 was the moderately priced model of the DX series keyboard synthesizers that included the larger and more elaborate DX1 and DX5 the feature reduced DX9 and the smaller and not directly compatible DX1. DX2. 7, DX1. 1, and DX2. Over 2. 00,0. 00 of the original DX7 were made,456 and it remains one of the best selling synthesizers of all time. The DX7 was MIDI compatible, which meant that it could be connected to other MIDI compatible synth modules, drum machines, audio sequencers and computers. Its distinctive sound can be heard on many recordings, especially pop music and dance music from the 1. S Synth Patch' title='80S Synth Patch' />I have been working with those circuits since the 80s, and was even offered the Moog name, copyrights and patents in 1978 by the then owner, EJE, for 20,000. S Synth Patch' title='80S Synth Patch' />Its preset sounds were particularly popular due to the difficulty of FM synthesis programming combined with the immediacy of the stock preset DX7 sounds, meaning that players tended to perform and record with the sounds they had at their fingertips. These stock sounds ultimately proliferated to the point that they were regarded as clichd by the end of the 1. Synthesis engineeditTone generation in the DX7 is based on frequency modulation synthesis, which was developed based upon research bylicensed from John Chowning at Stanford University. This uses multiple sine wave oscillators, which can modulate each other in various configurations offered as 3. The DX7 was known for the precision and flexibility of its bright, digital sounds, which could be clearer and less linear than those of the subtractiveanalog synthesizers that preceded it. The DX7 is well known for its emulation of percussive instruments, such as electric piano, bells, and other struck and plucked sounds which emphasize complex attack transients, which most analog synthesizers of the time could not produce. Phase modulation as used in this and later synthesisers is capable of generating a wide range of both imitative like acoustic instruments, such as flute, violin, etc. ProgrammingeditThe DX7s voices synthesizer sounds can be programmed by the user, and stored into a 3. RAM internal memory, or corresponding 3. DX7 RAM cartridge inserted into a port on the front of the unit. Disney`S Math Quest With Aladdin. Pre programmed ROM cartridges could also be inserted, and the original DX7 shipped with two of these cartridges with two banks of 3. Several computer applications were available for various operating systems Atari, Mac OS, and Windows that could enable a user to load different presets into the keyboard from a computer via MIDI most computer based MIDI recording software could also load to or save from the DX7. Because of the complexity of FM synthesis, and the almost limitless possibilities of sounds, many users considered the DX7 difficult to program. A particular challenge was that Yamahas DX synth envelopes were very different than the Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release ADSR envelope methods used to create sounds in older synths. With ASDR synth envelopes, which were familiar to most synth players in the early 1. Another difficulty was that programming the DX7 required the manual entry of numbers for parameter values, rather than the simple turning of a knob. As a result, many musicians did not get far with programming and instead tended use Yamahas factory preset voices. However, a few musicians who were skilled at programming the DX7 found employment creating new DX7 sounds for other bands, creating the synthesizer programmer as a new entry in music production credits and a new musical occupation. Breath controllereditThe Yamaha DX7 came with a minijack connection for an optional breath controller, which sensed the air pressure inside the players mouth and sent an analog output voltage to the DX7. S Synth Patch' title='80S Synth Patch' />
The Yamaha BC1 breath controller, first developed for the Yamaha CS0. DX7, was gripped by the teeth of the player while the later BC2 and BC3 were supported at mouth level by a headset. With one of these, the player could use breath pressure to modulate vibrato, tremolo, dynamics loudness or softness, harmonic brilliance or any other programmable value in the DX7. The breath controller allowed the DX7 to be used to produce sounds similar to a wind instrument but with a piano keyboard for note selection. This could enable a synthesizer player to produce a more vocal like performance of a melody, as it overcame one of the limitations of keyboard controllers, namely that the note is only triggered, and then either decays as with a piano sound, or is sustained at the same volume with a pipe organ sound. In contrast, with a breath controller, a synthesizer player could imitate a singer or a flute players performance of a melody, swelling notes with crescendos. Many of the preset Yamaha voices allowed for breath controlled modulation, and such modulation could be programmed into any other voice. However, pop musicians performing on stage did not usually want to put a breath controller in their mouth, for visual reasons. Yamaha also produced the WX series of dedicated wind controllers which emulated familiar wind instruments. The MIDI ports on the rear of the instrument. The three jacks are, from left to right, Thru, Out and In. What is it about vintage analogue synthesizers of the 70s and 80s that engenders such passion in musicians Why the love affair with those quirky contraptionsThe MIDI out jack can be used to send the players keyboard presses to another MIDI compatible instrument or computer. The MIDI in jack can be used to send an external MIDI controllers instructions to the DX7. The DX7 includes Musical Instrument Digital Interface MIDI ports, so it can be plugged into external MIDI compatible devices, such as synth modules or electronic drum machines. However, it was released shortly before the specification was completed, and indeed, MIDI was added very late in its development. Thus, its MIDI implementation is quite modest It only transmits information on MIDI channel 1 and, although it can be set to receive information on any one of the sixteen MIDI channels, it lacks the Omni feature of the MIDI standard that enabled later MIDI equipped instruments, including ones by Yamaha, to receive on any of the 1. MIDI channels simultaneously. Additionally, the maximum MIDI velocity value that the DX7 will transmit is limited to approximately 1. The DX7 will, however, respond to the full range of velocity values when sent from an outside MIDI source. This means that when using the DX7 as a MIDI controller to play external sound modules, the patches on these modules will have to be adjusted to be more sensitive to velocity. It also means that when playing the DX7s own sounds using an external MIDI controller or sequencer, the velocity values will have to be rescaled before input to the DX7, or the DX7 patches would have to be adjusted to be less sensitive to velocity. Other jackseditAt the rear of the DX7 is a small patch bay providing various input and output jacks.