YAMAHA DX7【DEMO】

[fender1000100]

The DX7 MK II in all its incarnations perfected FM synthesis by adding the POLY UNISON MODE. You now had a synth that has the clarity of the original and the ability to sound as fat and warm as any analogue synth. The myth about analogue being fatter than a DX7 is rubbish. The lower end analogue synths sound weedy aswell as boring.

The JUNO LO6 and JUPITER 8 only sound good because A. They have unison detune PLUS they have chorus. The DX7 MK 2 only has unison detune and it sounds fatter.

[XcesMusic]

Beautiful, what a masterpiece almost gave me a tear in my eye for the amazing pads that it has, I will own one sometime

[fender1000100]

Anybody who thinks that obviously doesnt know the DX7. Go and listen to Robert Parkers demo 100% DX7 on this site. It will astound you. He has made the complete track including percssion from a MK 1 DX7. Its has one of the warmest pads I have ever heard. Just by assing some chorus.

The Jupiter 8 and Juno 106 wouldnt sound half as good without their chorus feature always keep that in mind analogue purists.

[marcmistermarc]

hi - good demo - what is the sound called at 1:20? is that a factory or library sound?

[24014dp]

DX7 is better than sex.

[rushbury]

Great pads! Well done...

[onnyang]

That was incredible!!!

[Montin83]

God Damn. I want this synth so bad. Sex with the synth. Now.

[Argiflex]

Makes me want one even more...

[garty22]

Funny, I can't programme a pad on a DX7 to save my life. Any tips?

[kingofkeyboards]

@garty22 keep trying, trust me you'll get there eventually. the more you play around with it the more you'll learn how to use it to it's full extent and indeed you will be able to program whatever sound you desire sooner or later. just takes patience ;)

[arcthelad209]

beautiful pads dude. i make a lot of pads on the Dx7, but i mainly use native instruments fm8 now

[styx49]

Sweet pads! kinda reminds me of the Tangram/Hyperborea era of Tangerine Dream

[DorvellTStewart]

I love love love these sounds!

[dvamateur]

i 100% agree with the caption for this video. I'd also say, that if you can't make the DX7 sound good, you probably won't make anything else sound good.

[GCom67]

The DX7 could make amazing pad sounds..It's still a monster!!!

I waved goodbye to my DX7s in the early 90's Bad mistake!

[zedster911]

I remember in those hey days of the late 80s buying a DX7 IIFD along with a new car and a 3 week holiday to the States all at the same time..... oh happy days....

[zaphid]

Great programming! *****

[Contrapunctus1]

The Mark II sounds are much better than the original. I really like the pads in the mark II

[Moroder1984]

stop playing pads!

play music!

[SynthWho]

There is something that is so nice sounding about the DX7, probably the glossy feeling on the lush pads. Awesome :D

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

@SynthWho

The DX7 is one of the most 'glassy' sounding synths....and thats the reason I love it so much. I love layering the classix DX bass with an analog sine/tri wave for low end ommph and warmth. Seriously, the DX7 sounds amazing when gently layered with analog.

[maccagrabme]

Digitalscreams: I really feel for you having to give up these wonderful machines and the condition is outstanding, did you buy them from new or as a collector? A quick question, would a hardware DX7 give me anything that the software version wouldn't? I used to own the real thing but that was yonks ago and to my ears the software sounds as good. Thank you.

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

Bought all my synths as a collector - im a synth enthusiast...with perfectionist/obsessive tendancies...oh lordy lord what a frustrating combination! I can only buy the best....and often pay £££.

Yes, there is a difference in sound between the hardware DX and FM7/8 versions - the original DX sounds alot edgier, dirty and raw. Its pure industrial - the software equivilents are fine but definitely more laid back to my ears.

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

FM8 is a good comprimise....

However, I've relisted my DX on eBay....and would much prefer you to buy that. Check it out...

[maccagrabme]

@DIGITALSCREAMS Hey is this back on sospubs? I thought it sold on Ebay? Listen what other kit do you have for sale, I'm looking for a MKS70 or Alpha Juno in excellent condition.

Cheers

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

@maccagrabme

Hi - yes it did 'sell' on eBay - but yet again, I was let down by a total noob who didnt want to follow through. Its the second time its happened (same guy did it on the JSQ60 I was selling - so I did a second chance offer). I tried doing a second chance offer on the DX but not luck - to answer your question, yes its listed on SOS - although I may relist on eBay one last time.....perhaps in a few weeks.

[arpquadra]

gorgeous sounds I would love some of those patches.Well done.

[MirazMusik]

Great Job.

[Microsloth]

Very unique dream-like pads. Great job.

[DubsMood]

Eno  ;)

[herpybobo]

These are great sounds.

Do you have any suggestions for how I could start learning to create custom sounds for the DX7? I just recently obtained one and have no trouble navigating the menus and options, but I'm find that actually learning how FM synthesis works is a very daunting thing to learn. I've tried picking apart existing sounds, but I'm failing to grasp how the options create the whole or what options do what for the matter. I didn't find the manual for it very helpful at all.

[strabbs1]

i got one of these in 1988 must dig it out and give it a spin

[cubdukat]

I absolutely agree with the author here. Yamaha should have really created a more user-friendly method to program the DX series, and it could also have been helped if they introduced the multi-wave operators a lot sooner than they did. True, it's good at screechy clangy sounds, but it's capable of so much more. Kinda makes me wanna break out my copy of FM8...

[Vondur]

Me too. I've been on such an FM kick lately. Does anyone know if a DX-7 is capable of anything that FM8 is not? I currently own FM8 and I'm wondering if there would be any advantage to owning a real DX-7.

[cubdukat]

Not that I can see. The first-generation DX7's were notorious for being very noisy. The DX7II's improved that, but you're on the winning end of things with the FM8. Admittedly there's nothing like vintage hardware, but the FM8 has multi-wave operators and can load any DX/TX patch out there--even the 4-op ones.

[Pepsifx357]

Analog quality sound. Beats digital any day!

[EFKA526]

ahem, the DX7 is fully digital. One of the first of its kind. Nothing analog in this lady.

[Pepsifx357]

I was talking the difference between software and analog, not electrical and analog.

[EFKA526]

looks like you do not know the difference between analog electric circuits and digital circuits. But you are right. The "analog" aka real synth always sounds better than the emulation as a vsti or rtas plugin. Especially in the case of the DX7 because it has a very raw sound due to the limited technics of the early 80s (noisy). Same with Vinyl for example. Because of the limit between 20hz and 18khz and other factors vinyl sounds warm and raw and better than CD.

[Pepsifx357]

I was under the impression that the DX7 was a computer controlled ANALOG wave modulator. Meaning, i guess, that the on board computer controlled its many analog oscillators. I must really not know this machine.

[Vondur]

@Pepsifx357 They both have their uses. There are plenty of situations where digital is more appropriate.

[OZilla612]

rofl fail

[EFKA526]

the feeling, the touch, the smell and the weight (it weights tons). A real dx7 is a very very very nice keyboard and synth for any studio. and the keys are still very good to play with.

[zslivonj]

i couldnt agreee more.....like it gives you motive to play on it all day....truly beautiful instrument..

[Pepsifx357]

You yunguns and your MP3s. Analog really does sound better.

[impoliterobot]

Great sounds man.I love FM sounds.I'm getting my DX 7 tomorrow I cannot wait to start programing my own sounds.Thanks for posting.

[cubdukat]

I was actually looking for a used DX7s on eBay earlier today, but I think I'll settle for a used TX802 instead. I already have a pretty decent MIDI controller, so I don't necessarily need a keyboard.

[MARANTZamp]

good for presets...not for programming.

Programming was (and is) a nightmare.

[kaneel]

I completly agree with you. The problem is that a few people only can program a dx7 from scratches.

[SpacehotelMusic]

I agree with the potential of FM (once through a reverb to level the playing field) - even though I love my Roland D-50 also.

FM has a lot to offer, the DX7 II-D and later FM has the added advantage of layering and other modes but they are all good (6 op +)

Check my vids for a DX7 II-D demo (lead/solo/bass mode rather than pads on mine - I do have a lot of pad sounds though also.. textures as I call them on the Dx ;) )

[DonJuanDeMarco2]

DX7 crap at pad sounds ?

Try taking a look at probably every movie made in the 80's ! love it.

[midishine]

O my God, I love that glassy kind of digital pads. Man, Youre awsome!!!!

[newtheatron]

Yep, great. I always used to tell people that what sold the D-50 was the monstrous reverb built in on top of the pads.

Even a tx-81z with a GREAT reverb / FX box can produce mind blowing pads.

One thing I always prefer about well made FM pads, is that they sound "classy" and "mature" as opposed to analog or romplers which are always one notch away or past in sounding childish or stale.

Thanks for the vid.

~NT:)

[MARANTZamp]

analog as childish and stale?

How about warm and thick?

Reeno

[MARANTZamp]

Analog is warmer and more expressive.

FM is hard to program, and very static and boring.

[FurGryphon]

wow that is very beautiful,

[gothicsakura82]

this was good , only for the materials it was built with , roland saw this lack and came up with the aluminum d50 , built to last

[xoio]

Stretch out the Attack + release, voila a Pad ;-D

FM is superb for creating that 'glassy' sound,

I used to own a DX11 - Quirly DX7 brother, except 8 VOICE multi-timbral!!! but only 8 note poly. Layer 4 separate 'voices' you could only play 4 notes at a time... 8 different voices layered = THINK sound, but only one note at a time.... Strange but Versatile.

No Filters :-( - but you could 'sweep' in & out of a sound using PEG tied to LFO i think?

Superb sounds though, thankyou for sharing.

[locobeis]

are you using some fx processing?

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

Some of the sounds had abit of Cubase SL3 chorus and reverb added. Other than that.....its a pretty untreated sound your listening to.

[MickMoye]

What about the VST (Virtual Studio Technology) PC versions by Native Instruments - FM8 (previously FM7) ??

Mike.

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

In my opinion, after extensive testing I came to the conclusion the hardware DX7 (FM synths) sounded superior to that of their software counterparts. The software sounds fine, but it lacks something...it lacks the hardware convertors, it lacks the analog cabling....software sounds too perfect. The software versions are far too polite.

[PilferMusic]

Well stated... I find VST's to be quite nice and very similar to (analogy ahead) a very well done painting of a subject... and hardware more like the actual subject. or 2D vs. 3D or near beer and beer. Ok I'm getting silly. The fact is, when you use a PC/MAC and all your sounds come out of one D/A converter they all bear this genesis and subsequently have a similarity to the sound.

Not so with hardware.

[h792]

I read somewhere that a DX11 is, despite having fewer operators, better due to multitimbrality and other things. Is this true?

[locobeis]

please please could you share the sysex?

[thesnake383]

I agree. Share the sysex!!!

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

I will endevour to dump the sysex files and make them available soon.

Please feel free to remind me if I have not done this by the end of the year. Im very busy atm ;)

Cheers

Jago aka DS

[Dioxaz]

Those pads are clearly one of the best I heard from a DX7. You're a damn good programmer for FM sounds. Even with a good knowledge of FM synthsis I don't think I could able to reproduce these.

This also prove that dual and layer modes can change an FM sound completely.

[forestfamilies]

now that's how beautiful FM can be. amazing sounds, well done! i wonder if these sounds could be programmed on my origional DX7 as well?

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

I strongly recommend the MKII over the MKI....all of these sounds are using dual layer mode with a bit of detune.....you wouldnt get this kind of sound on the original DX. But dont let that put you off ;). BTW thanks for the comments all...glad you liked the sounds

[donpepperoni0]

Hi, do you think that these sounds can be achieved on DX7-S? Amazing pads by the way!

[DIGITALSCREAMS]

I believe the DX7 S has unison + layer + split capabilities. Some of the sounds in this clip use the layer function which provides you with 8 note polyphony.

Seriously, FM sounds in unison/layer mode do sound amazing.

Im going to try and dig these patches out and dump them on the net.

Thanks for listening

[Nishiki2407]

I never understand why people say the DX7s sound thin, and cold, or dismiss them as crap for FM pianos it has a very organic flavor to it's sound it can do cutting lead sounds to, not fat sounding but warm I see people using them just as controllers for a crappy sound module to get a garbage sounding lead,they would be better off learning to program the DX instead.

[Edward3D]

When people say that, they are probably thinking of the DX7 mk 1, which can't make any of the sounds to the level that we hear in this video because it can't layer patches or use detuned unison.

[MARANTZamp]

good for presets...not for programming.

Programming was (and is) a nightmare.

[rezisehtnys]

Always wanted to get one of these but the programming method keeps turning me away from it. Maybe I should just brace myself get one and fight through it. Beautiful pads you've created. Keep up the good work. :)

[dietfried2]

the last patch reminds me of some tunes from an italian splatter movie called zombie holocaust...

[retrosound72]

Cool sounds!

The DX-7 II ist a great synth.

[locobeis]

y almost cried when y heard the second patch.

[p3c3]

00:31 WOW - this pad doesn't sound like FM synthesis. I _love_ harsh FM sounds but this one is very warm and clean. Great job!

[strangenono]

Oh yes please share it, they sound so great !!! Congratulations

[fischek]

those are amazing pads! would you share those if I got one? :)