Yamaha DX9 Vs DX7s comparison | How much difference is there really?

Unlike all the other 4-operator FM synths from Yamaha, from the 80s, the DX9 IS really a DX7, it's just a 4-operator DX7.
It even saves its patches in a DX7 format and no patches from the DX9 will load up on the other 4-operator FX synths without converting.
What I was interested in was how DX9 patches sounds on a DX7, or vice versa.
I deliberately chose the last DX7 Yamaha made, the DX7s, to test this. The 1987 DX7s has better converters (but still a mono output) than the 1983 DX9.
External reverb used: Valhalla VintageVerb
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[@RUHDD4HVN]

Espen, True story, my mentor/fellow coworker and I was sent to a Portland Oregon Yamaha training session back when they first introduced Yamahas DX series FM technology & midi in the early 80s. We were given some free time to mess around with the synths at one point and were trying to make a violin sound of all things. Instead of violins, what came out was the sound of a realistic funny little "Toy Piano" sound that they then saved on the spot and included it in their original ROM Set of sounds. It's like the last sound possible on all the original ROM sound banks but it's there just as we programmed it back then. Just a bit of DX7 trivia/history..... strange but true.

[@EspenKraft]

Interesting story! Thanks for sharing. Must have been exciting to know you did one of the iconic factory presets!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Any chance you and yours have been receiving residuals for creating that patch?

[@RUHDD4HVN]

@@Shred_The_Weapon I wish (cha ching!!!$$$).... They just made their rounds about the room we were all in after asking if anyone came up with anything and clicked it into a RAM cartridge "SAVED" then ran off. The sound itself was pretty incredible for what it was, but really we were going for a simple violin sound and goofed up with something more rare it seems. It was all new to us at the time... we didn't know just how groundbreaking the DXs were going to become even price wise... classics. Our store couldn't keep em in stock for years to come.

[@midimoog]

"I love the distinct oscillators and warm filters on my DX" funny that sometimes it really feels this way (and of course many times it doesn't)

[@ErikHawk]

Wow, the DX9 sounds really nice. Thanks for doing this comparison. Cool!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@m77studio64]

thank you very much for this interesting comparison. I've never had the chance to try a DX9, but despite the 4-operator limit, sound-wise it remains anchored to the MKI tradition

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@DestroyER82]

I think the most imporant thing to mention inbetween those two - is the performace options. DX9 has no velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, DX7 have both. Soundwise, it is very very close. Thanks for review, all the best!

[@midimoog]

Some minor ? differences are: DX9 has a 8 stage envelope while the other 4op models have a 5 stage envelope. DX9 has 16 voices while the other 4op models have 8 voices. DX9 has no ROM/RAM slot, but has a cassette tape interface instead.

[@johnnymorgansynthdreams]

I love that DX9 and it's MK1 FM sound. If you are going for that FM flavor it's a great synth to keep in your rig. Thanks Espen!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@FLH3official]

Realy intersting video, Thank you Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@kfirtsairi3986]

Thank you dear espen It’s always great to see your videos and knowledge Kfir🎹🏆💯🌸😊👍🏅❤️

[@mapache_al_ataque]

Great demo! Love my DX9. Kinda want a DX7II also but have the Korg OPSIX ( not the same but versatile and fun ).

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@timweinheimer1]

Thanks for explaining the DX9 and DX7 the difference

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@theoriginaldanalogue]

Thanks for the vid. To my ears, the DX9 with the earlier lower res converters, sounds so much nicer. Punchier bass and more open mids.

[@thefumigator]

Nice video. I had a Yamaha reface DX and despite having 4 operators, feedback won't take away an extra operator, as it happens with these DX synths. Nevertheless, crippled or not, DX9 sounds majestic. Both sound majestic

[@adamharris7775]

The Yamaha DX9 bell patch was heard in the song "Two of Hearts" (1986).

[@rachelar]

"DX9 is a crippled DX7" . Seems to have entered the vernacular since I and others have been commenting thus 😂

[@josejuan4405]

Interesting comparision, thanks. I can pretty imagine that waveforms graphics compared in a modern audio editor may show minimal differences, receiving both models the same midi data when recording.

[@josejuan4405]

And you want me to believe that you are really Espen Kraft. Someday you will have to front God face to face and in the final trial you will have to explain why you did tricks and fakes against others. Bye bye, scammer from h e l l . ➡️💩

[@DonnDeVoreMusic]

Now I want a DX7.

[@TheFellerHasAChannelGodDamnIt]

I legitimately thought the DX9 was the DX7 until I looked at the logos more closely. Guess I don't need to spend a ridiculous amount of money after all.

[@TM-sn1cm]

1:42 i love this chord progression 😍 !!!

[@EspenKraft]

If you check out my track "Nothing better to do" from my latest album "Dreams" you will find that this is it. ;-)

[@oriomenoni7651]

They sound nearly identical

[@rachelar]

I think to make any lush atmospheric sounds, the extra two operators are kind of essential if there are only sine waves

[@BRIGGS2710]

you had me at DX7 : )

[@danselmix]

Hi Espen, nice video, but for a valid comparison you have to compare a DX-9 to a first generation DX-7. Most of the differences are due to the differences between the two generations rather than the 6 or 4 carrier architecture. There are some videos that pit the two generations of DX-7 against each other and the tone differences are the same that you noticed here. I hope this makes sense.

[@EspenKraft]

I think this test is much more interesting as even with the newer DX7 the sound is almost identical. That's what I wanted to show.

[@klaassiersma4892]

I love my dx7 mk1, set up in the living room that one.

[@bradleylinemihler]

My first synth was a DX21 when I was 19..4 Op but You could split and dual and it even had an analog chorus!...the only of the DX range to have one? correct me if Im wrong

[@GlenJDiamond]

yes - I think they did that because the Rolands at that time had chorus in-built. The DX21 also had a unique pitch bend assignment for only bending one note from a chord, pity it had such low polyphony in dual mode only get 4 notes and in split if you had a mono patch for bass you could only get 1 note in the left and 4 notes in the right (it wouldn't give you the extra 7 notes for the right!) - the A/B slider was great on the DX21 for balancing the dual sounds.

[@samplehunter]

I think the DX9 can't do fixed frequencies for the oscillators like the DX7. Not sure if it could swith off oscillator key sync or if it has the pitch EG. It's ceartainly the only 4OP DX with 16 Voices, DX7 style 4R/4L envelopes and oscillator fine tune in 100 steps. Sounds much warmer to me than the later OPM based native 4OP DXes. Guess on a DX7 Mk1 you couldn't hear any differences at all from imported DX9 patches.

[@texacomann]

Nice comparision, it would be interesting how big the differences are between DX9 and the Korg DS-8 or Korg 707.....

[@gackooDuz]

i have all my DX9 Sound covertet to my DX7IIFD+E... then i convertet to my SY99. This was my first digital Synth. Unfortunatly without Velocity and Aftertouch

[@oupahens9219]

The way to go.

[@jacquesmertens3369]

I still prefer the 12-bit DX7 over the DX7S or DX9. But it doesn't matter because I can't afford any of them.

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

The last sound has Level 42's 'Lessons in Love' written all over it. I believe they had a DX with some sort of upgrade that introduced an arpeggiator.

[@rachelar]

Level 42 used a Prophet T8 live on that song

[@MrVinylistic]

Very nice Rhodes sound with a sweat reverb effect. If I may ask...does this effect comes from a PCM-81?

[@EspenKraft]

I sold the PCM-81 years ago. I use Valhalla VintageVerb on this. My own custom programs.

[@MrVinylistic]

@@EspenKraft Ahh ok, yes... Valhalla Vintage Reverb has this Lexicon like chorusing sound as well.

[@EspenKraft]

Yes, some of the algos has the modulated reverb tail if you want.

[@kemek3000]

Now I want a DX9.

[@dicknawson]

Love both but to my ears the DX9 has more character

[@kefmif]

Will we ever get a video on the FM workstation? The Yamaha V50.

[@EspenKraft]

Sure, but not from me.

[@kefmif]

@@EspenKraft Why tho? It's a proper synth worth a share to wider audience. A DX without the DX in its name 😂

[@EspenKraft]

I don't have any interest in the V50. That's it. I only make videos that are interesting for ME to make, not what others want me to do. I've never done that here and definitely not in life. ;-)

[@ytpremium7649]

DX9 looks so similar to DX7

[@amonster8mymother]

I used a dx9 on my first EP.

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

Meh, not much in it at my end. But what was that gorgeous reverb?

[@EspenKraft]

Valhalla VintageVerb

[@6581punk]

I guess DX1 vs DX5 wasn't really an option :)

[@EspenKraft]

Sure it is, just don't like either of them. Rubbish.

[@rachelar]

​@@EspenKraft well the DX7ii kinda makes a DX5 redundant

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

A friend is making me a 50 knob controller for my TX 802. I love old Yamahas

[@leepshin]

I've just taken delivery of a DX9 after learing that there's now a sysex patch to switch the other two operators back on. Just about to search for the patch to install it so here's hoping it works.

[@GlenJDiamond]

never heard of that! guess that was an April Fool!!

[@EgoShredder]

I wonder if the Yamaha DX9 can be upgraded to be a fully fledged DX7, by adding extra components or updating the firmware etc?

[@EspenKraft]

There are hardware differences as well as the firmware. The latter should fix most of the differences, but I don't have enough technical details to know if the hardware differences are purely in terms of DAC or if it involves the hardware as well.

[@renemunkthalund3581]

Remarkable, imo the DX9 sounds better, especially the first EP patches and the Bell patch. it's like the DX9 has a tiny chorus, not resembled on the DX7. But I guess it's the excact same FM ICs in them, so maybe the converters…

[@enphour7960]

I played my friends DX9 in the mid 80s. But what stood out to me was the lack of velocity sensitive keyboard (or key velocity sensitivity via MIDI).

[@6581punk]

DX27 was the same, but the DX100 is an even cheaper version of the DX27 which is very sought after because of it's use by many electronic music pioneers.

[@RUHDD4HVN]

Remember the DX keyboards were the first to have midi (or M1D1 as people mistakenly called it) so they didn't include what you'd think was a standard feature by todays technology. But yeah, it was sorely missed and shoulda been included.... midi was brand new then.

[@cortical1]

@@RUHDD4HVN Actually the Sequential Prophet 600 was the first to have MIDI. I'm sure the early DXes were soon after.

[@RUHDD4HVN]

@@cortical1 You're likely right on that now looking back at the time. We had a SC Prophet 5 and a Pro 1 in the band and no midi or kit for it then just cv. Oh the fun of live players. I stand corrected...... thank you!!

[@cortical1]

@@RUHDD4HVN Wasn't trying to be a tool or nitpick. Cheers. 👍🏻

[@juno6]

Yamaha DXs... the older, the better...

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

How can the DX9 patches be compatible with a DX7 or DX7 MkII but not (something like) an FB-01 module? I always assumed the 9 was assembled simply without those two extra operators in its architecture. Could somebody purchase one and simply have a technician activate the vestigial operators? That bass/clavichord tone at 2:58 seems like it could replace every electric bass in somebody’s gigging arsenal, the way it is even making my iPad speakers shake. Didn’t Stevie Wonder include it on “Skeletons” for example?

[@EspenKraft]

Because, like I say, the DX9 IS a DX7, it's just crippled in hardware and firmware. It is not patch compatible with any of the other 4-operator FM synths from Yamaha, as these are not DX7s. ;-)

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

That’s too simple an explanation to disregard. Thank you @@EspenKraft.

[@GlenJDiamond]

@@Shred_The_Weapon the newer 4-op DX's had even more crippled envelopes in my opinion that the DX9 and Mk1 DX7. But... the TX81Z/DX11 has the extra wave forms like the DX7IIFD and multi timbral.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Wow!

[@noventasmusic]

Hola..La diferencia que escucho en algunos sonidos de esta comparacion, es que en el DX9 se escuchan los sonidos con mas peso, ,probablemente es porque el DX7 es el modelo mas nuevo...

[@gcoudert]

I have owned several incarnations of the DX7 (DX7 Mk 1, DX7S, TX7, TX802, NI FM7, Dexed, Arturia DX7 V and even my Korg Kronos reads its sysex) and I played a friend's DX9 for a while back in the 80s. I must say the DX9 sounds a lot better than I remembered! I also had a 4-op TX81Z for a while but I didn't like it much, for some reason.

[@GlenJDiamond]

have you tried the Plogue Chipsynth OPS7? It's a dead ringer for the original DX7 Mk1 sound... and has two engines making it a bit like a DX1 without the fancy aftertouch.

[@fhedcuenco]

what reverb use in it

[@TheOrganist007]

no velocity ?

[@danielortizdecaracas]

DX7 kicks all of them DX9, DX11, FB-01, TX81Z, DX21 and similars sounds in PSS series

[@Miicrowahvei]

More DX videos please.

[@EspenKraft]

Got plenty of DX videos on my channel. Have you seen them all?

[@heebie9174]

1:42 / 1:59 / 2:21

[@mrz80]

One wonders if Yamaha did something destructive on the DX7 to make the DX9, or if it was something as simple as a solder bridge or jumper (or lack thereof) that nuked those first two operators. Or, heaven forfend, just a different OS ROM. Maybe a 9 could be converted into a full-up 7 with enough hardware hackery?

[@FoxerTails]

According to one Yamaha Musicians forum post about this exact topic, it's possible, but would require a bit of a rewrite to the firmware due to how things are routed for each synth and a few other minor changes in hardware. Unfortunately, I don't know if anyone has actually successfully done it or tested it for that matter.

[@GlenJDiamond]

there's a lack of buttons on the DX9 for all of the extra parameters that are missing from the DX7 - the DX9 saves and reads 20 patches at a time whereas the DX7 reads and saves 32 patches.

[@rolandserna7805]

I almost bought a DX9 once. Some scammer told me it was even better than the DX7

[@rachelar]

Lol😂

[@starsky101]

Close enough and will make near as no difference in the mix.

[@Byron101_]

the old Gen 1 of DX9 and DX7 sounds much better than DX7 II Gen... smoother, warmer, and nicer fast envelopes without this sterile "clicky" in it.

[@gilwe]

First-generation DX7/9 sound way better than MKII/7s. Something seems to get lost with those 16 bits.

[@user-xv8yg1li2t]

Dx7 souns closer

[@wallyelectronicsformusicia8646]

i d't heard nothing difference....

[@TheJesterboy1969]

Not much different.

[@ZapAndersson]

All this video does is underline my absolute and total hate for FM. Seriously, does ANYONE like any of these sounds?

[@electronicsoundfactory8528]

As a synth KZbinr (AudioPilz) once said; Tastes differ and not everyone likes the sound of for example the bagpipes or a banjo

[@EspenKraft]

If your main goal is to make 80s pop music you have to use these sounds. I happen to love them myself, hence why this channel exists. ;-)

[@ZapAndersson]

@@EspenKraftmy goal is to make Synth music. The DX7 doesn't fit for me. It's cold, metallic, harsh, and the presets are overused a gazillion times over. I know you love it. And I love you. I just don't share your love in it...

[@BellXllebMusic]

@@ZapAndersson It's clear you don't like industrial or noise if those descriptions are negative in any way

[@EspenKraft]

Absolutely, no harm in having different opinions. To me, it's an essential synth (DX7) as so much 80s pop have that sound embedded in some ways.