Dave Bristow: Programming the first DX7 Presets

www.cult-sounds.com

[@dvamateur]

This is such a wonderful synthesizer the DX7. I could talk about it forever. Mr. Dave Bristow is such a lucky guy. He made history. He truly change the world for a better place.

[@powerdx7383]

Yes, I will keep my DX7 until I die...

[@pennywiser9607]

I want to buy 100 DX7’s My favorite FM synth of all time

[@ZombieTactics]

I love this bit of history. I was a frequent visitor to the "upstairs" room at Leuenberger Yamaha in San Francisco. Gary had all these prototypes of stuff from Yamaha just out there on the floor ... no security or anything, lol. I was fortunate enough to have Gary teach me a LOT about FM synthesis ... such a stroke of luck.

[@fallingmanuk]

Great to see this - I always remember Dave Crombie's extensive review of the DX7 in Electronics & Music Maker magazine in the UK in July 1985.

[@emptyvesselnz]

it makes me happy to see someone talking with such passion and excitement about FM, DX21 was my 2nd synth when I was a kid and working with FM has been a lifelong passion. Thanks for sharing this.

[@Einnor084]

Empty Vessel Whut wuz ur 1st synth? DX-27, wuz my 1st

[@emptyvesselnz]

@@Einnor084 I had a Yamaha organ for many years and then my first synth in the early 80s was a Siel Opera 6 - an Italian analog polysynth. I think I had that for a year or two before getting the DX21. I've had many FM synths since then! :)

[@chinossynthesizer705]

​@@emptyvesselnz. You know sega genesis used fm Synth chip called the ym2612 their are a couple soundtracks with good fm sounds only using 4 operators and amazing composers.

[@gimmietheprize]

Very true, the DX can be very warm. Such a versatile synth.

[@senfboy7687]

Hi, this is an interesting statement for me. I own an dx7 but in my opinion it can create nice crispy, punchy, sounds. But which kind of sounds do mean when you talk about warm sounds? For me the warmest sound the dx7 can produce is the sine wave :-)

[@Coowallsky]

@@senfboy7687 Several KZbin videos show warm sounds.

[@bonuscreature]

Management: making their lack of planning an engineer's emergency since the beginning of time.

[@ABEHR]

Loved this inside perspective on an important moment in music history. Thanks!

[@HuguesLemoine]

Dave Bristow ... my music Guru some years ago : i went in Paris ( i don't like the Paris stress ...) only for to be present on yours tX816 démos. Great emotionals music moments for me. !!

[@markwyer3161]

I remember him coming to Sydney, Australia and presenting the tX816 also. His "Bolero" programming was mind-blowing for those days. Swear I was listening to a real orchestra. Such a nice guy to talk with also.

[@SiBJazzNSounds]

So inspiring, thanks for the upload!

[@iixorb]

Great interview with Dave Bristow! I managed to interview him (via a few emails) about 20 years ago I guess, for my old DX7 Resource Centre website. That site’s long gone now, though 🤷‍♂️. He truly does have a fascinating insight into one of my all time favourite keyboards 👍

[@powerdx7383]

8:40, yes the DX7 MK1 is a very warm instrument. Thick and analog-like sounds, tick! Yamaha CS-80, Prophet - 5, Oberheim, ticked! Here is an example, kzbin.info/aero/PLS1dRgO-URAN0LG_3j-39mvnaAlymYLue

[@automaticgainsay]

This was fascinating!

[@ZombieTactics]

Absolutely. I love these little bits of history!

[@powerdx7383]

Yes, a great story of the history of the DX7.

[@powerdx7383]

A great story! I wouldn't be able to create 128 patches in a few days!!!

[@DonSolaris]

48. They already made 32. That means 96 left to do / 2 = 48.

[@marcelmaes5275]

I saw mr. Bristow demonstrate a brand new DX7 in Roermond. That is over 40 years ago, and what a fascinating sound it had so, Bristow looked like some wizard. In the same store there was the Roland Jupiter. A dream monster today, but when I played some presets, it sounded so flat and uninteresting compared to the DX7. The Jupiter lame ?!... can you believe that? But that's what happened. Lets me think of a Buggles-song "Digital killed the analog Stuff" But analog rose from the dead: good to see.

[@YotamPiano]

Will Never sell my dx7II.. best synth for life!!

[@powerdx7383]

Yes, never let it go. It's capability and versatility is just astonishing!

[@Coowallsky]

Sounds great!

[@LukaRay]

Such a versatile synth!

[@edwinkeys]

That was GREAT..!!! Did you do any work wit the Yamaha TX816? And if so where can I locate sounds for that Device..I have a TX816 and trying to locate sounds for it..Thank you for any Help you can offer..

[@LFOVCF]

That bass patch though!

[@uhoh007]

Thank You!

[@ChristopheArribat]

Weird sound problem, the phase of both channels is reversed. Easy to fix with a monitor controller but ... most people don't have one at hand.

[@hammondeggsmusic]

Aha - this unfortunately makes listening on an iPhone speaker impossible as it sums the two channels out the single speaker.

[@ezekb3]

I'm listening on a phone and since it has a mono speaker it reproduces the sum, so all I can hear is compression error and noise. 😞

[@slimphill8217]

I think that video editor is probably deaf :D But hey! At least we can put these compresion errors and noises into wavetable and make something warmer than DX7 :D

[@tarekith]

Yeah, this is doing my head in.

[@ChrisLeeW00]

Headphones work, but yeah it should have been tested for the mono mix too

[@rordrom3234]

WOW!

[@zackhartmann]

just copped a dx7iiD for cheap - its great

[@mrduckbutt]

Fantastic video / interview! I wish he had specifically mentioned REFS WHISL .. I can understand the deadline pressures and having to rush out a lot of sounds at the last minute .. but really? A fixed pitch referee whistle? ;)

[@Coowallsky]

Yamaha asked them to do some specific sounds on top of the ones Gary & Dave already had in mind.

[@CRITTERBUSTERS]

What’s wrong with the sound on this video?

[@SiBJazzNSounds]

The channels are out of phase. Flipping one of them should do the trick.

[@SebCo77]

Listening to a mono sum, I first didn't hear anything but mp3 artefacts - until I pulled the stereo plug halfway.

[@kayvon_is_likes]

'finding voices for Hermeto Pascoal' :thu

[@scottyj737]

ok but give us some programs.

[@alphabeets]

The sound is out of phase. I always get a laugh finding videos on audio subjects and the sound is crap. Too bad. It’s easy to fix and reup…

[@davegetsspam]

sound is shit ; the leavels are too low

[@karlhaese7183]

WRONG!!!! Dave, 4:53. I programmed a SUPERBLY realistic grand pno on my DX11 using only 4 operators and all sine waves(none of the other 7). My own Fender Rhodes sound, has the EXACT bell frequencies of my Real Rhodes as well. None of the presetes even came close. That "DX7EP" (which was so overused) was supposed to sound like a Rhodes. So not!

[@longde]

Karl Haese please upload a video of it!!

[@ScottWozniak]

Video or it never happened.

[@Finetales]

I'm glad the E.PIANO 1 doesn't sound like a Rhodes...it's its own sound and a very beautiful one at that.

[@brainac0cult]

its like we got the 70s electric piano and then we've got an 80s electric piano. and tbh i prefer the 80s one. its more epic

[@senfboy7687]

I never heard a good fm-acoustic-piano-sound. if it exists i would love to have it. can u upload it?

[@amonster8mymother]

Fm brass 🤮

[@amonster8mymother]

Electric piano 🤮