Saving DX9

Saving a Yamaha DX9. Turning some junk into a usable studio synth once again.

[@TryptychUK]

Hi Johnny, nice to put a face to a name at last. A quick tip, if you get really yellowed keys, remove them from the keybed and use a toothbrush to apply cream peroxide hair bleach, and then cover with clingfilm/wrap and leave out in the sun for a day. You might need to do it more than once to get it perfect. Oh, and wear gloves, that stuff's nasty.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Oh ya - retrobrite - I could try that process on these - they are a bit yellow. Good call!

[@delscoville]

I used to have a DX100 which had a very similar sound to the DX9, but unfortunately it didn't have key velocity. But can connect it to a MIDI controller that had velocity. I now have a MODX+ which reasonably covers most of Yamaha FM synths, Including the rare DX1, because of the Polyphony, it can do eight 8-operator sounds at the same time, which is amazing. The DX1 was like two DX7s in the same package. Basically the Montage/MODX(+) can do what a TX802 can do. More because it has more operators, with 88 algorymths. Then there's also the AWM2 engine that gives it the power of trhe Motif series as well. About the only thing it can't do is CS80, but there's plenty of CS80 stuff that's sampled in AWM2. Just can't edit it much.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

I know I really should check out the Montage / MODX synths - I've heard nothing but good things.

[@JonnyRoket]

Good year to you !!!!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Chaill!

[@PWMaarten]

Great work!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks!

[@juno6]

I *love* your channel!

[@unlikelycontender2229]

I'm really enjoying this, I love that you're taking it all apart and refurbishing it. I would not be brave enough to do that!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks - it's not too hard actually - just remember where all the screws go - lol

[@tonyavila4780]

Solid video, and great save!

[@mapache_al_ataque]

DX7 and the DX9 ( which I own ) both have the same audio converters ( as far as I know ). Both have that crunch .😎

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Yeah totally - I just love the sound of the Early DX's

[@kaitlyn__L]

Yeah it’s the DXii which is smoother

[@oupahens9219]

The DX9 sounds were designed later, maybe because of that they were a bit more "out" there. The single rail contact strip did not allow for velocity control, so the designers really had to come up with something "captivating". I do like these sounds. You can load them into DX7 or Dexed as well.

[@Aidan_Dissonance]

Thanks Johnny! love the Synth History videos too! keep it up :)

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Dissonance - More to come!

[@jdkoftinoff]

Excellent work on the cleanup and video!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Jeff!

[@thesynthguy_1428]

i just joined this channel but the videos you make are top notch, keep being awesome!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks - lots of good content coming.

[@b.j.surfdog3724]

Johnny, I hope you know you have a very specialized skill set in being able to repair these Vintage boards. I can see many musicians beating a path to your door for your Doctor skills!

[@davewilk7165]

Have you thought about doing a video on PIAI Electronics?.....those products/"projects" were real motivators for so many of us studying Electronics at the time !

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

I should - I actually built a Paia Fatman back in the 90s.

[@SpikesStudio3]

Hey bro, love what you do. Thanks for great content. Listening to you do synths seems like a natural thing. Hope the new year is good and fruitful. Love your work.❤️👍

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks Michael - much appreciated and I hope you have a great year in 2023 as well.

[@kevinhuman6275]

Wow that synth has seen a lot. They don’t make em like they used to

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

It's a road warrior for sure.

[@unlikelycontender2229]

You have such a good video voice, man :)

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Thanks 🙂

[@ZeroGrav1984]

Those sweet FM sounds tho.

[@SirNotAppearing]

You had R2-D2 trapped inside, it seems!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Totally - thats a common sound when the patch data is scrambled apparently.

[@Denvermorgan2000]

I saw somebody released a rom that removes the 4 operator limit and lets it use dx7 patches.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

No way - that''s pretty cool. I like the limitations on the DX9 though.

[@issambennino1763]

Tengo mismo problema como récupérar los sonidos

[@michaelkeefer4293]

I still have a DX21 that I bought new back in the 80s. It works and is in much better shape than that DX9, but still could use some restoration as the last time I played it some of the buttons didn't work.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Totally fix it up!

[@mattbornn5790]

what was the company you ordered the wood panels from?

[@issambennino1763]

Ola amigo el patch del Yamaha dx7 compatible con dx9 c'est ou no muchas gracias

[@_P_M_]

Very nice. My first synth was a DX27. I don't remember the difference between that and the DX9. If you ever decide to do a video on recapping power supplies I'd be very interested.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Great idea on the re-capping PM - I'll do a deeper dive on that for sure. I think DX27 and the DX9 are essentially the same, but the Output section on the DX9 is not as smooth. As well the OS on the DX27 is much better - the DX9 is very basic - you can't even name patches.

[@TryptychUK]

The DX9 was basically a scaled down DX7, first generation synth. The DX27 was second generation, but much the same, but I believe the DX9 has 16 voices, whereas the DX27 only has 8

[@oupahens9219]

@@TryptychUK Yes, one main difference between DX9 and second generation ones is, that the DX9 still had the same envelop parameters like the DX7, so you can play DX9 sounds on a DX7 or Dexed just less 2 operators. However the second generation had simplified envelops, not compatible with DX7. Interesting in this video for me is that the keybed is so simple, just one strip to make contact. On/Off.

[@tommyboy9998]

It's a 4-op engine? right? So DX100, DX27 style, but bigger form factor? got to love that grainy sound.. Does it have the same idle noise the original DX7 had?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Yeah - it's a 4 op DX7 basically. The DX9 is much more bare bones in a lot of ways - you can tell MIDI was very much an afterthought - even the connectors were not on the main board - they look like they were put in after the board design was done. Lots of other simplifications - the OS is much more basic. I hear the Output section is the same as the early DX7's which makes them sound very 'Crunchy' and not as smooth as later DX models.

[@ZeroGrav1984]

Wow. That’s been through its paces. You don’t know anything about its backstory, do you?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

No - not at all unfortunately. The guy I bought it from found it in a storage locker. It's been through a war, I love to know it's story.

[@cmeremortal]

Hey … thanks for the vid. I’ve owned my DX9 since mid 90s … it suddenly quit working. Replaced the battery and it appeared to be the needed fix. However the synth only makes sounds similar to yours in the video prior to battery replacement. Did you do anything else to begin getting actual keyboard sounds? Love your vids btw!

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

Hi Russ - you're almost there - you just have to load on new sounds. Use the cassette interface to load on new sounds. You can download the factory patch on the internet easily.

[@cmeremortal]

@@johnnymorgansynthdreams Johnny - I actually have the cassette (and a cassette player) . . . do you know what connectors I need to have (mainly on the DX9; the cassette player connectors are apparent)?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

@@cmeremortal Yes - it's super easy - you just need a 1/8 mono cable - so if you have a cassette deck, you would need rca male to 1/8" mono.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

you can actually use an rca to 1/8 stereo as well - that worked for me also.

[@callumcoates-keddy9107]

Was it soldering the caps which essentially fixed it or the clean and battery change?

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

It was just a battery change and then the patches needed to be reloaded.