Bad Gear - Yamaha DX7 - Synth Of Fear???

In this episode of Bad Gear, the show about the world's most hated audio tools, we are going to talk about the legendary Yamaha DX7 digital FM synthesizer. Is it the Synth Of Fear?

[@supremelc3667]

“We all have at least one DX7 in our lives...”. I didn’t believe you... but then i checked the attic and boom! You’re right!

[@AudioPilz]

Nice attic

[@dlol.]

I don’t

[@whitepeoplergullible9241]

I woke up this morning and there was one with a similarly broken cheek in my living room, praise jexus.

[@mikaelangelosgarage]

I HAD a DX9 which is similar and I regret selling it. Bought it for €40 back then and sold for €110

[@djbarebear63]

@@AudioPilz I jumped ship on analoges right into the Ensoniq Mirage then the DX21 was oddly my second synth I could program pretty well - the horror was getting the DX7 and feeling like it was the hardest to understand in creating. Then I learned a little secret. As it goes being 14 when the DX ruled the in the 80's - most " synth players "never went full out sound creation but simply bought cartridges from many "sound designers" back then ( most adverts in the major mag at the time - who was pretty guilt and shame on you - if you did not own one dx board then -) and tweaked them. ANTONE remember buying stacks of carts with little flip switches from mail out catalogs and back page dealers? Much like Arturia now the sounds were worded in a manner like "Pet Grooming Styles" in a sheet with that wink and a nod. "Frankie Relaxing"

[@SuperSharkattacks]

Best life advice: We all have at least one DX7 in our lives, and we should not be afraid to confront it

[@AudioPilz]

The DX7 is part of an initiation ritual

[@tylerevans1700]

This is how I feel about the microkorg as a starter synth..

[@gladtobeangry]

@@AudioPilz Does a love/hate relationship with our bass player's DX21, combined with a current FM8 addiction count?

[@shaft9000]

_My DX-Wife was a top model, however untrue_ _two years of glory , then frustration later_ _she'd become another's DX-Wife mk ii._ [ plz pardon the Bad Haiku ; ]

[@treetopjones737]

@@tylerevans1700 Turn the big switch, set-up that section, throw the switch again, set up the next section... but still better than the DX's.

[@kenthejanitor3134]

There was a DX7 in my high school’s band room. This was in the late ‘90s. I learned how to program it from its user manual during lunch periods, and it was the first synth that I ever programmed. A bit like learning how to swim by jumping straight in to the deep end of the pool! I personally have a soft spot for FM synthesis.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice High School music room!

[@regortex3364]

Yeah there’s a neighbourhood high schools name engraved on the bottom of mine. I bought it for $200.00 (Canadian) in an anvil flight case.

[@regortex3364]

AudioPilz - it’s sad the defunding that’s gone on in recent years. All the high schools in my town had Fender Silverface Twins, Bassmans, Rhodes, DX-7 etc., that was the ordinary stuff back then. The bass that the bass player in the jazz band was given for the year was a sunburst 1959 Precision, lol. That one did get retired and replaced when I was there but my friend had it the last year before it was retired.

[@shaft9000]

Hey, you had some serious patience...with perhaps a smidge of desperation, too. "Patieration."...hmmm, is that already a term in the vernacular? Dubya would think so, so fekk it! I'm saying it anyway.

[@mrz80]

@@regortex3364 200 clams in an *ANVIL* case? Jeeze, neighbor, just the CASE is worth $200! :D

[@Taschenschieber]

The DX7 now is considered bad gear? What's next - "Bad Gear: Stratocaster"?

[@Leidon00]

Holy gods, please make that an episode.

[@AudioPilz]

You know the drill: a lot of people hate it, i put it on the show.

[@AudioPilz]

Bad Gear - Fender Stratocaster - 50s Design Mistake???

[@cleverhardy5230]

Mostly has been. After all, if you found the synth hard to program, and you heard its sounds too many times on 80's radio, you'd hate it too.

[@meneerjansen00]

You obviously weren't around in the 80's. A DX tune or two may be a guilty pleasure for millennial hipsters nowadays, but I had to live through a decadent decade of non-stop DX7 tunes. By the time the Berlin wall fell I was ready to move behind it, had it not fallen. The 80's were like a lab experiment on rats: how crazy can you make living beings with a constant hum of the same noise everyday? ;-)

[@xmadrugadaxeternax]

It is amazing how fast opinions change. Ten years ago, the DX7 was treated very dubiously, and a decade before that was outright hated, and now so many commentators (who have definitely never tried to program one) are confident that it's a perpetually-beloved instrument that nobody could ever have had negative opinions about.

[@AudioPilz]

I agree it was kind of romanticized since the last FM rennaissance

[@solkatze5588]

Synthwave definitely brought it back in to the limelight

[@OscillatorCollective]

When I hear that piano preset my bowls clench up…that bass too…I hate so many sounds on this machine…but I still want to dive into it to try and pull a decent sound out of it.

[@rachelar]

@@OscillatorCollective it's a challenge alright

[@dcdno_one2393]

I owed one as a 12 year old kid. I hated it at the time. I desperately wanted it to be like Roland D-50. I think it would have been fine if it had built in effects and was stereo because I had a YS100 which is a 4-op synth (with effects built in) and it was pretty decent.

[@churricardo1457]

L for even mentioning the words “bad gear” in the same sentence as “dx7”

[@AudioPilz]

You know the drill: people hate it, I put it on the show ;)

[@SPAZZOID100]

Terrible interface!!!

[@andrewquicke1054]

The dark chocolate brown colour clashes with my studio decor

[@PyroSax]

AGREED!! Not only do I use mine DAILY, and not only are people always askintg me 'How did you get that sound??!!" - also the modern Hipsters have been - since 2017 - using DX7s!!!!!! I'd LOVE to throw THAT in the faces of the "bad gear" authors!!! I could see "legend", but if this is "bad gear", the Author is a "defective human" - no matter how "perfect" s/he thinks s/he is.

[@kalenbaker7901]

One thing I've realized since I recently got my DX7 is you can use the mod wheel to simulate a cutoff knob by setting the Mod Amplitude Sensitivity on your modulators or sometimes a carrier as well. Takes a bit of trial and error to dial it in the way you want it but I find it helps make any patch way more dynamic and fun to play. Just remember to make sure Mod Wheel pitch is turned off so you don't throw a bunch of vibrato in... unless you want that.

[@AudioPilz]

Haven't thought of that. Thanks for posting!

[@bouncytrapbeats]

Started like a gear review, ended like a life-affirming self-help seminar.

[@AudioPilz]

The twisted ways of Bad Gear

[@mikemeengs5720]

Made me smile. Because it's true.

[@MattGreerMusic]

After the world is destroyed and Ragnarok has killed all, the DX7's will still be alive and well because you simply cannot kill old Yamahas.

[@AudioPilz]

The Mad Max Synth would have been an alternative title

[@u4yk]

There are tanks in the US Army with worse build quality than the DX7. I'm certain that synth can withstand the direct impact of a 500 megaton blast.

[@Kattywampus]

It's true. I am like the crazy cat lady of yamaha keyboards..

[@mossadon]

Post apocalypse .... the wasteland.... Cockroaches playing DX7s.. . . .

[@celticwinter]

happy XJ600 revving in the distance

[@FatNorthernBigot]

Everyone remembers the first time they heard an FM bell sound. It was like magic.

[@AudioPilz]

True!!!

[@Kung_Fu_Jesus]

It made me shudder just like most DX sounds. Horrible week machine.

[@tebi1kurieudidon172]

@@Kung_Fu_Jesus lol

[@ianalen1687]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJjUqK2hrbegeZY what about this bell or xylo?

[@rachelar]

Top Gun

[@earlsfield]

I got a DX7, and JV 1080, back in 1996, and i used DX only for the keyboard! and then, DX7 was my first synth in university - I was in the synthesis programme, and I was given blank DX7 (not only me, but my peers as well). There were guidelines how to program it, but we sucked....until we didnt. After that programming any synth feels like a breeze. But this was late 90 ties, i guess no one would do that to the students.

[@AudioPilz]

That's a tough classroom regime

[@stefan1024]

What kind of awesome university gives their students DX7s? All I got was math homework ...

[@danieluecker477]

The Dx7 in my life currently sits in the basement of a good friend and I am working every day on convincing them to sell it to me! 🔥

[@nauhkw]

Bringing one the all time great synths into a "bad gear" episode is probably one of the most ice cap melting hot takes of 2020.

[@AudioPilz]

You know the drill: a lot of people don't like it, I put it on the show. The DX 7 is of course a total classic

[@nauhkw]

@@AudioPilz I want to be clear, I love the video and agree with what you said. Hell, even with the extensive UI of the Dexed VST its probably one of the most difficult synths to use. Btw, being a synth hobbyist at best and much younger than the DX7, that likely shapes my perspective a lot especially on what professionals feel are overused sounds :)

[@vibe010]

"programming one is like painting the hall through the letter box " lol!!

[@AudioPilz]

We all know the feeling ;)

[@antoniobrajkovic1977]

You're totally right. Fear was the only problem. It's not an easy thing to program, especially for ones who know only how to turn knobs and move sliders. 20 years ago a friend of mine lent it for a whole month. It was very difficult but after reading the manual and already excelled in phisics, I could recreate the sound of a pipe organ even included the click produced by the solenoid valve and the slow attack LFO. Understanding the operators is like learning colours for the first time and the codependency in creating every colour you see.

[@AudioPilz]

Great analogy!!!

[@antoniobrajkovic1977]

@@AudioPilz Thank you :)

[@greatheightsu]

Legendary gear, definitely pop heritage. Such a classic sound that I can't help feel nostalgic over and people got so much variation out of it still. Loved the intro on this episode with it and the jams.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@philmason9653]

Playing Mega Drive compilations taught me to finally love FM synthesis.

[@AudioPilz]

Mega Drive FM was actually really nice

[@SproutyPottedPlant]

Yes! The MD is the best!!!

[@TheBBQify]

despite being literally the best selling synth of all time, the dx7 is still tragic to me. given the renowned keybed quality, aftertouch, and break point and velocity control independent for every operator; it has the potential to be extremely beautiful and expressive. but its such a shame that its difficulty to program held it back, and left almost every one of its users basically stuck with the same 32 sounds; leaving listeners to get tired of them very quickly. i highly recommend downloading dexed, or oxe fm, as they make fm synthesis much more intuitive and fully realized

[@AudioPilz]

DEXED is the bomb!!!

[@303machine]

@@AudioPilz OPS 7 is even better, although commercial. The best DX 7 VST in terms of sound.

[@PlasticCogLiquid]

@@AudioPilz DEXED IS THE BOMB! :D I've got the hugest library of cartridges for it too

[@soundlabsounddesign9392]

@@AudioPilz I use a DX7, DX200, Dexed and a Behringer BCR2000, all interconnected as a 6op FM Lab. The DX7 is the master Keyboard and main DX interface (12 bit sound), the BCR handles the realtime knobs, Dexed is the librarian and display and the DX200 (16 bit) is there to store the patches that I REALLY like, handle the realtime knob twisting and finally to be a portable DX7IIs. Took me a while to figure it out, but it works great! For recording and in the studio, the DX7 is a monster, but for live a sequenced DX200 will suffice, because of portability.

[@NarZuhl]

You have brought your intro tune to another level!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@thefoxfamily341]

Every time to a next level.. Like it

[@vampolascott36]

I own a Montage since 2016 and I've worked with FM sound design for a few years now. The truth is, FM is unpredictable. It's good to understand the basics of FM so you aren't completely lost when you start programming, but in the end, I can only experiment until I hear something I like.

[@AudioPilz]

So many cool FM synths!

[@Mr_ToR]

dexed is an awesome editor. it's so awesome, it does not only eliminate editing on the synth, it eliminates the whole synth as well🤣🤣

[@AudioPilz]

Wouldn't that be cheating ;)

[@Mr_ToR]

@@AudioPilz Just like Nordlead 2 and the Discovery plugin by DiscoDSP.

[@henri-fillipbauer6579]

The sound is not the same

[@agb222]

the sound in the DX7 is 10000 timeS better than any plugin.I use dexed just to export sounds to the DX7. I compared the sound and the DX7 Win!

[@thurstonmurru]

@@agb222 I agree… the DX7 sounds almost tridimensional to my ears. Very pleased with it

[@thewhomby6268]

'painting the hallway through the letterbox' - love your metaphor! The synth that shaped an era : )

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! True that!

[@DerAykac]

The fact you showed us a clip from archer while talking about Dangerzone shows me that you definetely are a man of culture

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@CRITTERBUSTERS]

The DX7 is a fantastic synth, I wasn’t even born when it came out but I always liked the sounds it produced. I picked up a DX7 MK2 4 years ago and within a month I was able to program it to a decent level. the DX7 MK2 has a better LCD screen, it’s 4 times larger and backlit which makes it easier to navigate and see what you’re doing. I would recommend this model over the MK1 any day, it also sounds cleaner, has stereo sound, Dual timbre layering and unison mode for fatter sounds. The DX7 may not produce the warmest analogue sounds on its own, but with some careful programming and added FX processors it’s perfectly serviceable. However when it comes to bright pop sounds, sharp metallic sounds, glassy textures, gritty textures and ambient sounds it’s a beast of a machine.

[@AudioPilz]

I agree!

[@rachelar]

Amazing someone now says it can do ambient sounds which certainly weren't included in the 32 presets!

[@treetopjones737]

@@rachelar Which reminds me, the hidden presets, you have to read the manual to find them ( at least the DX-21 ).

[@ikilledmytoe8361]

no ones talking about how good a singer this dude is tho?

[@AudioPilz]

I'll take this as a compliment 😉 thank you so much

[@YourIdeologyIsDelusional]

The DX7 would really benefit from a hardware accurate reissue with a vastly improved interface full of pads sliders and knobs.

[@AudioPilz]

Hardware accurate, OK. But maybe a bit lighter. It's soooooo heavy

[@andrewquicke1054]

With a huge touchscreen you could use a drag-and-drop interface to rearrange the operators, then have a few knobs to adjust the envelopes'n'stuff for selected operators.

[@GlenBerry]

I think you might actually be wanting an affordable reissue of the DX1? I know, I am! 🙂 Maybe Behringer will clone a DX1 for us, if all petition for it?

[@YourIdeologyIsDelusional]

@@GlenBerry Sadly I likely wouldn't be able to afford any sort of reissue personally, and even if I could, I'd have nowhere to put it. I live in a garbage apartment, I don't get to enjoy any of this stuff, I just appreciate it anyway.

[@rm2kmidi]

FM Synth is a bit different from subtractive synth, it would be hard to control It with nobs and sliders. A lot of the settings would just be non functional.

[@huemungus69]

PLEASE post all your songs you make with the Bad Gear!! The Change song gives me chills! Love your sound bro!!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks. Will try to squeeze it in over the next weeks

[@ruigen8046]

I purchased a DX7 on EBAY 4 years ago for £130 - its in full working order and even had the music stand attachment...it was a good day

[@sentient8653]

DX7 trick: fixed subsonic operators aren’t just for vibrato. You can apply a normal tracking operator to a subsonic carrier and get a warm shimmery sound. Also, any interesting thing you can do on the DX7 becomes more interesting with feedback.

[@AudioPilz]

Good to know!

[@donaldpriola1807]

What's funny is that FM is really beautiful when programmed well (the Digitone and even Reface DX show us that). Producers just didn't know the synth, or want to take the time to know it. I find it compelling that hatred of the DX7 sound could have led to synths in general disappearing from music, but thankfully, Aphex Twin, Eno, Reznnor and others reminded people that synths create new musical worlds. The last ten years has been a renaissance of sorts for synths.

[@AudioPilz]

So true. Big FM revival!

[@Roboprogs]

And the Digitone has the filter built in, if you want that. It costs more than twice as much as my Reface, though, which I guess is why I don’t have a DN. At least not yet?

[@chriswareham]

FM can also be nasty - in a good way - which is why people like Trent Reznor used the DX series. There's also the fantastic Twisted Electrons MEGAfm that makes a virtue of the grittier, harsher possibilities of FM synthesis.

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@Roboprogs I have a Digitone. It is wonderful to program. They can be found used for good prices, I've found.

[@donaldpriola1807]

@@chriswareham Totally agree. I've made some wonderfully harsh patches on the Digitone. And I like that they can morph back and forth from soft to harsh.

[@jiproijackers7595]

I don't know if I am more impressed by the effort you have put into this clip or the contents of your bookshelves. And thanks for the Falco flashback. I forgot all about Jeanny and Rock me Amadeus.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! These days it's more about the contents of my ebook reader ;) As an Austrian, Falco is one of the most important artists to me

[@mattb154]

I've just discovered synth shitposting, and I'm in love.

[@AudioPilz]

Respectful sh*tposting, of course;)

[@thedoublek4816]

Wait until you get into one of those Synth Memes FB groups...

[@shaft9000]

Hey, now. This goes deeper than just deep shit, maaaan. (whatever that means)

[@rwdplz1]

3:42 This might be the best DX7 programming tutorial on KZbin

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@emilyschmanks]

'like painting the hallway through the letterbox' lmfao dude

[@AudioPilz]

...there's a whole universe in that hallway, too

[@Gazdatronik]

I have said "like viewing a museum through the keyhole."

[@totallypixelated]

It's a quote I first read in Sound On Sound magazine, the best part of 30 years ago.

[@Matt_Aquila]

an incredible analogy lol

[@leftmono1016]

totallypixelated - beat me to it.

[@VexylObby]

The little life lesson at the end really makes the video. Thanks!

[@retrotune4565]

I got myself a DX7 for Christmas. I got some experience programming FM synthesis because I own a Reface DX. I’m in for a big big treat.

[@AudioPilz]

Nice! Nothing better than the original!

[@robertschumann9059]

the "Stranger Things" soundtrack made the DX-7 precious and a masterpiece of present culture. The sound is what it is - unique. I love it.

[@AudioPilz]

Agreed! Big revival!

[@PeterPlanker]

Die Qualität, der Humor, der Schnitt - alles deutet auf die 10-fache Abozahl in 2021 hin. Mach unbedingt weiter so!

[@AudioPilz]

Besten Dank!

[@emnigmamachine]

Being surrounded by all the analog juice that's popular today and programming up something clear and sharp on my DX7 is like opening the window and letting a fresh breeze in.

[@AudioPilz]

Well, I like both quite a bit;)

[@emnigmamachine]

@@AudioPilz why not both?

[@ChristianFuchsBlues]

What a great channel! I had a DX7-II-FD and it helped me greatly to return to my primary instrument, the piano.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!!!

[@jaroslavhorak2299]

I continue to be amazed by the quality of your content, your sense of humor and most of all, your musical skills you use to demo the instruments. Well done, this is one of the best channels I have discovered to date. And very underrated unfortunately. :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much! Working on it!

[@foxholeartist]

Your best episode so far. You dive deeper and deeper, and this show become more of a chronicle. With greatest ever Simpsons style intros.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@RudyAdrian]

On a DX7 you'll get oodles of filter-like timbral variation by turning on the "EG Bias" for the modulation wheel (found among the brown, "Function" parameters) and turning up the Amplitude Modulation Sensitivity for the modulators (the operators higher up the algorithm tree) (found among the purple "Edit" parameters) - it's actually quite easy and straight forward :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the heads up!!!

[@thefool2007]

Love the humor and art that you add to your videos. Excellent channel and a lot of fun.

[@GNeuman]

You brighten up my day in these depressing times.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching, we all need something to brighten up our days from time to time

[@TokyoScarab]

The DX7 is honestly a great synth and very powerful. Anyone who actually hates the "sound" of it have either not explored FM or isn't very experienced in it.

[@AudioPilz]

There are many bad examples in 80s pop music so I kinda understand the critizism to a certain degree

[@stealthinator00]

@@AudioPilz I may not have a DX7, At least I have Dexed and the operator synth in Ableton live. Even though the operator synth has 4 operator in its synth but at least it covers the basic of Fm synth.

[@rachelar]

Yeah but that experience may take decades

[@Aristoper]

FM hate is probably why Sega had to drop out of the console business...nothing personal SEGA.

[@elsongs]

After 34 1/2 years, an E! Expansion Board, two internal battery changes, a lighted LCD screen upgrade and a new front panel membrane switch sticker installed, my 1985 DX7 is still running strong! I now run mine through an Eventide H9 effects pedal and it sounds like a million bucks.

[@AudioPilz]

Cool! Eventide stuff is the perfect pairing

[@jamessisson3703]

Missed this one. Very glad it popped up and thanks for making these videos.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!

[@midiminion6580]

These vids are the best. Great mix of knowledge and wit. I always look forward to these even if I don’t know the gear.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@Skootavision]

I still remember hearing a DX7 for the first time, from a flexi disk off the front of Electronics and Music Maker. Alien first contact sums it up. The same freebie also showcased the Rhodes Chroma Macintosh interface and multi timbral sequencing. Good times. They are worth the effort. I got rid of mine to make some space, and kept a TX7 is there is zero benefit of onboard editing versus using Dexed. I love it, and also use it with an analogue filter (was Akai MFC, now Fluctuations Magnetiques in my modular). It really does play nice as an FM 'oscillator' in a modern setup.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, the DX7 has a great keyboard but it's HUGE (and heavy)

[@beaticulous]

I dabbled with FM synthesis with the "Surprise! AdLib Tracker" on a 386 IBM PC in the late 90's and I'm very confident that I will never dip my finger into that hot sauce ever again. There are easier things than FM and life is short. That "at least one DX7" kind of resonated in me. I cannot sleep for another week... or the Frequency Mutilator comes into my dreams and kills me.

[@AudioPilz]

TBH, FM completely lost its horror to me. I still suck at it ;)

[@louiseaugust3898]

The DX7... I was 13 years old when it came out! I wanted one but... no money for that... Sooooo I finally get a little Yamaha PSS-580 when I was 20 years old. (That was my very first keyboard.) The DX7 came into my life in 2004... Mine is in good condition: not damaged at all. It has all the documentation and the original cartridges! By the way, a good idea for one of the next Bad Gear can be the FM Expander the TX7. It's the module version of the DX7 with almost no way of programming. I use the DX7 in tandem with the TX7 in order to create a FM stereo. Works nicely! Thanks for this review.

[@AudioPilz]

Great input, I'll take a closer look. THX!

[@KozmykJ]

I had, still have, a Yamaha CX5M MSX music computer. It uses a 4 Operator Yamaha FM system internally but one of the plugin cartridges turned it into a DX-7 Programmer. Having those Graphics really helped to understand what was going on. 'Dexed' does a fine job these days, with or without the DX-7 physical presence.

[@AudioPilz]

That one is legend!

[@scottcupp8129]

I have DEXED and I have to agree with you, it's great. But I also have a DX7 and DX7S present :)

[@SRDhain]

Many years ago (we're talking around the time i went out and bought an Amiga A600 for sequencing use, and yes i used Octamed as my first sequencer), I'd avidly go with friends into the town centre on a saturday afternoon, just to visit music shops (records, CDs etc) and musical instrument stores (you name it, they had them). And I'd always see a DX7 on display in the used sections. No one wanted them. The dance music scene of the early 90s (and onward) meant that a second hand DX100 was the synth to get, mostly for the bass (orbital had or have one still) & this organ sound that got used on a lot of tracks. It was smaller, and still packed a punch. Ironically it had the same programming issues (i.e. No one wanted to go there), but it seemed less of a burden, due to the size/price/power ratio. I used both and can (just about) remember that the original DX7 was incredibly noisy. I studied maths to an advanced level, but i found the display, plus the constant tedium of one slider and a few buttons to make noticeable pleasing aural changes (making a racket is easy) a chore akin to cooking with a blindfold on; you'll only make something edible, providing you keep the ingredients & methodology simple (i.e. by staying away from turning the hob on). Many people (well, at least 2) made programmers for them. Jellinghaus & (i think) Behringer's BCR2000 are the known ones. But even a good modern controller could allow.you to do the business. All will require you to input your own macros to some level, but that's par for the course. The real point is, that the oldest ones are probably towards the end of their lifespan, and they're not to my knowledge as easily fixable as analog synths (unless someone has obtained a licence to reproduce the PCB et al). If you want that sound in a keyboard format, I'd wait for Behringer or Korg to make their own versions at a more wallet friendly price. There's other alternatives, such as software based iterations and those in smaller grooveboxes, but whilst you'll gain in sonic clarity (and cleanliness), you'll lose the feel of the instrument. The DX7; A breakthrough that facilitated multiple industries due to it's success. And like most retro things, its gone full circle in the love-hate equation. As one of Dick Emery's characters once said; 'ooh you are awful, but i like you!'

[@AudioPilz]

Well put!

[@jml7916]

Take a look at the MODX. It has a super DX7+++ with a nice touchscreen interface. I can load all of the original DX7 patches and can make much more complex ones and it can be used in combination with AWM2 sounds.

[@SRDhain]

@@jml7916 i know. Trouble is the modx range doesn't have aftertouch, which the DX7 has/had. The ModX is based on the Montage, which in turn has elements (e.g. the awm2 s&s engine and later, some of the sequencing) of the exceptional Motif range. They're all beautiful instruments.

[@AutPen38]

Back when the DX7 was launched, a guy from a local music shop did a demo of it in our school assembly that blew my mind (the guy played a preset that sounded like an actual earthquake) but then my school's music department didn't have the budget for it, so the school bought a Juno 60 to go with a TR-808. At the time all the kids (including me) thought the Juno was rubbish because it didn't sound like real instruments, or anything revolutionary like the DX7, so we more or less ignored it and then I stopped taking music lessons. I shudder to think that my school had a Juno and 808 and I could have invented house music as a 12-year old, but I ignored them because they didn't sound as "good" as a DX7! These days, the Juno is my favourite thing, and I can't believe it was just sitting there in my school music room being ignored.

[@ianalen1687]

cold sound of DX7 ruined 80s' music for me. And ballads were really painfull to listen to on radios.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, I know that "it doesn't have a real piano sound" stuff;)

[@AutPen38]

@@AudioPilz It's kind of crazy how the synth market (in the past at least) was all based on the realism of the presets. Products like the Juno, the 808, 909, and 303 were dismissed because they didn't sound like the "real" instruments they were designed to replace, but they ultimately got repurposed for whole new 'synthetic' genres. The Korg M1 probably would have been a failure if it didn't have a "realistic" piano, so it's kind of ironic that its less realistic "Dance piano" presets ultimately became one of its most identifiable sounds and a unique selling point. It's also kind of weird how the DX lately bass and solid bass somehow fitted perfectly with '90s eurodance, but they sounded naff in the '80s, and pretty crappy in any other genre.

[@playinmyblues]

Two resources that can help most learn how to use a DX7 with competence: 1) Sound on Sound's Synth Secrets. If you do not know why, you need to read the series. 2) "The Complete DX7" which can be found online. This is a great book for learning how to program an fm synth and specifically targets the DX7. You can used Dexed though with some reference to a DX7 top view such as in the Yamaha DX7 brochure. I am currently using the Arturia DX7 V and it is actually fun learning how to do this.

[@AudioPilz]

Great suggestions!

[@playinmyblues]

@@AudioPilz I just broke out my Volca FM again. I never really got much use out of it as I did not understand how to program it or how to use the controls. I have a ways to go with it yet as there are a couple of things that it does differently, I think. But it is now quite fun. It is maybe not quite as hard to program as the DX7? Maybe you can check out the FM to see how it compares. There is some menu diving but it goes pretty quickly.

[@ClarenceHell]

People no longer will say „this is my Everrest“, they’re gonna say „this is my dx7“!

[@AudioPilz]

Synth self help seminar, baby ;)

[@SamChaneyProductions]

I bring the gospel of FM synthesis wherever I go. This I think was the best episode so far. The music you made in this one was incredible and I love the moral takeaway at the end. Keep up the great work!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@atpdx]

And to top it off, the keys just feel so nice and buttery smooth. I just love mine and use it to play everything.

[@AudioPilz]

Great master keyboard!!!

[@Johan-fw8re]

I miss my DX7 so much, i must have sold it over 15 years ago. Awesome video! Please keep em coming :D

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@bubbleandsquawk]

The real magic of the DX7 is in it’s expressive capabilities. Aftertouch, EG Bias, Mod Sensitivity, and Keyboard Level Scaling make it a real joy to play. Strangely, this is usually overlooked.

[@AudioPilz]

Classic stage and studio keyboard!

[@HurricaneRvd9]

oh my god i've been waiting for this video for so long DANKE !

[@AudioPilz]

Gern geschehen;)

[@mintsaucemilitia]

"Like painting a hallway through the letterbox" 🤣🤣🤣 Wish I still had my DX-7, was one of my all time favs.

[@AudioPilz]

😀

[@actualkevin]

The DX-7 was like a starship landed in 1983 at Hollywood Boulevard and Vine St near the Capitol Records building and in all that time nobody has yet figured out how to fly it let alone get the doors open, so they just built another theme park around it and started charging admission.

[@iNuchalHead]

There's more to this video than a trite review of an old synth. Well done.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much

[@RANDOMLOOPGENERATOR]

Excellent video. I picked up a DX100 for under £20, had it for around 20 years before letting it go. Couple of years ago I found a DX-21 for £80. I've been a fan of these synths for a long time and truly wish everyone could embrace the complexities of programming them. I don't think it helps that pretty much every video on them makes a point of how difficult they are to use, they're not, at all. It just takes a moment to assess the best approach, once you've got familiar with the settings you can have a lot of fun isolating operators and really listening to the changes each parameter makes.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks you so much!

[@numberknower]

I honestly love the musical interludes you do on a couple of these vids, I'd love to see more of them (the songs with lyrics!)! I still think the "Bad gear" anthem you sing on the Microkorg episode bangs :)

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! There are multiple Bad Gear song versions out there. My fav is the TR-505 one

[@jansenwilder1335]

It was a great sounding synth during 1983 onwards, tricky to program due to its front panel layout but I got the MODX6 now, thanks Yamaha. Life goes forward with technology and love for synth sounds. Amen.

[@AudioPilz]

May the Moog be with you🙏

[@ZZEROO99]

Yamaha FM will forever be the sound of my childhood Sega and Sound Blaster 16 from my 486.

[@AudioPilz]

Yeah, Soundblaster FM was great

[@danforesman2627]

for the record: Reface DX, 4 operators, go get the Dtronics Knob interface, boom! FM with lotsa knobs. I had no idea how crazy deep of evolving pads FM does too... it's not just that first little crystal crack everyone keeps smoking. And FM operators make for wild organs with fritzed out transistor tone, the sliders on a Hammond are on training wheel rails compared to the way FM can blast off from safely tuned notes. I run a Reface DX, Reface CS and Polaris and Obscura in a chain. It's an unstoppable jam system. You will need a bass amp to have any idea at all of what's going on "down there." I run an eden Nemesis on the right and a Jbl eon on the left, sounds wierd but it's heavenly to be sandwiched between them.

[@AudioPilz]

Cool monitoring system! Approved!

[@nesfrk]

Your intro song never sounded this good, I need this sonng in a Sega Mega Drive game!

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@kramskee]

FM! something so Atmospheric about it, I had A Kawai K1r nowhere near as complex as that but man the sounds that came out of that thing were something, an uncle of mine had this very DX7 V1 back in the late 80's I remember running through the factory patches and being mesmerised! it still holds it's own today, no doubt. I can bet most romplers from the 90's had some DX related samples in them too, it's everywhere!

[@AudioPilz]

👍

[@Spherical_El]

Best demo of FM design I've ever seen - yes the 1min one 👍

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@Rompler_Rocco]

That "Archetype of a Synthesizer" recommendation which never goes away even though we've all seen it twice.. Would love to go "full-on Trent Reznor" on THAT ;)

[@AudioPilz]

But that's the old Trent. The new Trent is working out and dating supermodels. I like them both😅

[@torstenjensen4708]

Great series! Would love to see a longer-form video of your experience with the gear and how you'd use it in the compositional process. That would really scratch the curiosity itch about what it's like to use these things.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for the input!

[@thegraceandpaulpottscast9462]

I really enjoyed this video. I was in college when the DX-7 came out and one of the music faculty members got one, and played a concert. My friend and I got permission to go into his office after hours and mess with it. He was a piano player and I was a computer nerd. I messed with the operators (and yes, it IS hard and un-intuitive to program, although if you start with presets and modify them, you can start to get a sense of it), and my friend improvised on the keyboard. We did a few all-nighters this way and recorded some improvised ambient songs... I still have the cassette! And yes, I still have a DX-7 in my life... not the same one of course. It's in my basement! In excellent working condition, waiting for the day that I have more time to play with it. That's the thing about this beast -- it is very well-built, so as long as you keep it dry and maybe replace the backup battery, it will patiently wait for you to be ready to come back to it!

[@AudioPilz]

Colleges should still provide DX-7s

[@elekktrikk_home_video]

Just discovered that mini-how-to-dx-bass-tutorial in the middle. That's (erm, uh, .. i'll write the word): *awesome*! So much "Erkenntnis" (none of the many english translations fit), so condensed. Instant enlightenment. Thank you so much.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@instantknut]

DX7 is amazing. Modulating elemental Sine waves is very philosophically and never get's old. User interface is also not as bad as people say. There are shortcuts to mute the operators and you can very quickly copy/paste entire envelopes. This video shows where the DX7 shines sound wise, nicely done!

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks! So true

[@SparklesofGold]

I'm actually happy you don't have a Spotify account. They are the poison of the music industry. Thanks for another incredible video.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks for watching!

[@danielbarry5547]

Things will get better.....

[@funkenschuster9102]

Actually Spotify and other streaming services made the music industry earn more money than before, because less people are pirating. Not saying, that it's a good thing, what they pay the artists is a sad joke, even compared to other streaming services. But it was more of a response to the ruin of the music industry, not it's ruin itself.

[@danielbarry5547]

@@funkenschuster9102 agreed my only issue is what they pay artist smh...

[@8-BitHeart79]

Daniel Barry getting better representation is key. Labels like DistroKid and several others are using Spotify and other streaming platforms to make independent artists a lot of money. But like anything it’s all about the work you put in.

[@Roboprogs]

We had a DX7ii in the studio at college in the late 80s for our electronic music class. We also had a Commodore 64 attached to edit it, to avoid most of the madness. The trick to programming it is learning what a modulator (operator type) is. Instead of a Low Frequency Oscillator, it’s a High Frequency Oscillator (modulating pitch)😁 So? Use the modulators to emulate analog/subtractive synths, initially. Using a modulator with the same frequency as the carrier gets you a sawtooth type sound. Using a modulator with double the frequency of the carrier gets you a square wave type sound. Adjusting the modulator output level acts like setting a filter level, and the modulator envelope acts like a filter sweep. Using “non integer” frequency ratios gets you bell, tine, and “scraping” noises, unlike an analog synth.

[@AudioPilz]

C64, nice. Didn't know there was a DX editor for it

[@CaidicusProductions]

That short little song clip you made is addictive.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@StevenSclafani]

If you want to go deeper into programming the DX7, consider watching madFame's videos. He's an FM guru.

[@AudioPilz]

Watched some of his videos while doing research for the episode. Great guy!

[@ironinquisitor3656]

I love this synth.I love that cheesy fm electric piano sound too. That FM EP makes me want to slowdance with someone every time it's played just right.

[@AudioPilz]

It's beyond 80s sexy😅

[@AngryPhotoGuy]

The amount of quality content you put out is staggering.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@AceGarpTruckingCo]

Opening intro: one of the best. Actual singing: unexpected and a bit of a delight.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!!!

[@Individual_two]

Good video! I still wonder why the DX7 gets slagged for being difficult to program when the Roland D-50, which is almost as hard to program as the DX7, is beloved. We are lucky these days that Yamaha has the excellent Montage and MODX synths around to keep the home fires burning for FM.

[@AudioPilz]

DEXED really surprised me, as well

[@eldontyrellcorp]

And let's not forget the excellent elektron digitone which brought fm sounds to new grounds.

[@MatthewChristianMurray]

AudioPilz - Yeah, Dexed basically IS a DX7, for free, that you don’t have to lug around. Pretty cool.

[@marcbrasse747]

In short: At the time I went really deep into it but in the end it still did not deliver the sounds I was after. After filling 128 preset positions with my own stuff I had managed to create only a handfull of sounds I really loved and I DO insist this had little to do with my programming. Everyhting with long envelope times always seemed to reduce itself to something with a siny buzz. To really make it sound good you have to layer stuff, use a DX-1 / 5 or choose a later incarnation. Otherwise life is just too short.

[@AudioPilz]

The "life is too short" argument is definitively valid

[@einsteinx2]

Wow those visuals explaining what was happening with the operators and envelope were fantastic! Very intuitive to understand.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@Tony_Tyson]

This is your best video yet! I don't have a DX7 in my life.. but I do have a Digitone. It has zero sliders but a bunch of knobs and it makes FM synthesis almost comprehensible. But perhaps, like you, I am just trying to avoid the inevitable confrontation with a DX7..

[@AudioPilz]

It's a psychological barrier, yes

[@12opsynths]

It's such a capable synth despite being cold. You might like the II better as it has a much larger and back-lit display. I got really used to programming it via the front panel. Also understanding how the algorithms work is key.

[@AudioPilz]

Totally agree. As a non-keyboard playing person I am lusting for a DX200

[@rachelar]

@@AudioPilz check out the Dx200 sounds on that Richard Barbieri sampling CD "Cosmic Prophets"

[@stuffnuns]

The dx7 is truly a tank. Yamaha made that thing for the road. Not a pretty instrument, but an often under appreciated musical necessity. And, as you can tell by the label on the front, it’s an FM synth, hench, algorithms. I used to program sounds on the instrument, with that One slider. . .oh dear. Thank the Gawds for Arturia’s DX7 emulator. The GUI tone editing screens make it almost as easy as subtractive synthesis. Somehow, it sounds warmer than original, or maybe my audio equipment nowadays is better.

[@AudioPilz]

It seems like roadies were cheap back then;)

[@moogdome2562]

Anyone else addicted to this channel?, even though I could cry like a baby at the thousands of UK pounds over the years on so much bad gear. I love this guy, despite my bad gear shame.

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!!!

[@MarkBayfieldvillageidiot]

Painting the hallway through the letterbox 😂🤣😂 great video, great effort. You the man 👍

[@AudioPilz]

Thanks!

[@cresshead]

back in the 80\s o had a yamaha cx5m MSX music computer, then an FB01 and later a SY77

[@AudioPilz]

Cool! Recently saw a CX5M in the local classifieds

[@mooremaceo]

Not sure why people say it’s horrible, I love the sound!

[@AudioPilz]

Many people seem to be traumatized as it was all over the charts for years and it's not easy to program

[@pierrefeuilherade3225]

As a starter producer your videos is so cool to discover ! all the different gear that i would really like to own, even if it's bad 😉

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you so much!

[@markbleakley7815]

Brilliant Gear more like it. I had analogue synths then bought the DX7 in 1983, sure it was a different way to do things but I dug into reprogramming it with no problem at all, the beautiful gritty ness of the sounds especially when using pressure sensitivity to invigorate the sound was literally out of this world, I really can’t understand anyone having problems making their own sounds, true you didn’t know what you was gonna get when altering the Operators, but gave immense excitement as well as gritting of teeth sometimes, but as a reward gave sounds until then unimaginable. My gripe is with synths like the Virus, brilliant sounding synth, but I can’t get my head around editing a synth that has only one oscillator, filter & envelope on show, with the others accessible only by multiple menu diving. I have the Novation Nova synth, same set-up as the Virus, the Nova scares the hell out of me, I can’t edit it at all, I waist hours with no joy, I gave up a few years ago. Now there’s the Novation Peak, haven’t got one, but that would be a joy to own & easy to program.

[@AudioPilz]

FM synthesis is a bit like chemistry ;)

[@MouldySoul]

I'll just say it; this is best channel on KZbin.

[@AudioPilz]

Thank you!

[@OttosTheName]

Only downside is that it's such a new channel that after a day of bingewatching you're done and you're life is empty again.

[@MouldySoul]

I don't want to diminish your point, but given enough time the dominance will be felt, and penultimately we will leave for overstauration, and the final reconciliation as he wins back over his fans with a triumphant resolution with the next show... Best Gear. Or maybe that's the middle section, I need to read the tea leaves again.

[@MouldySoul]

Or maybe best gear has been done to death

[@kenfusion]

Without a doubt . THE best channel on KZbin.

[@petertauscher316]

4:04 never played one, but i imagine this is what the earliest MMORPGs sounded like ^^

[@AudioPilz]

Classic sounds;)

[@SiliconBassist]

The DX7 does indeed become a lot more fun once you figure out how to bring the best out of it.

[@AudioPilz]

You have to become one with the DX-7 ;)

[@tears_of_heck]

Dude this was great. I just picked up a DX7S yesterday for super cheap and I’m gonna spend today programming with it.

[@AudioPilz]

Have fun!