Yamaha TX-816 MONSTER DX/FM multi-module

[@mootbooxle]

The TX816 is the crown jewel of my Yamaha setup :)

[@plateoshrimp9685]

Pretty sweet piece of gear for sure

[@plateoshrimp9685]

Love the super realistic sound possibilities of fm synthesis!

[@sauermusicDE]

They also offered a "budget-friendly" TX216 back in the days...which could be upgraded with up to six additional TF1 modules to a complete TX816.

[@NeilVanceNeilVance]

Thank you for uploading! this was perhapes 1985, I have heard a demo of the patches here on an old tape from a magazine called 'Electronic soundmaker and computer music'. lol my 816 is gatherin dust. Wish I had time to fire it up.

[@rusekamppelli4519]

Thanks for sharing this. Always nice to see more videos of the TX816, it seems to be a pretty rare synth. Listening to this I'm really impressed by the sound, even in fuzzy VHS mono! Layered FM is definitely a wonderful thing. I remember especially Wally Badarou used the TX816 to great effect on some of his albums. VST emulators like Dexed and FM7 can reach the TX-816 beastliness, in theory at least, if you can just put in the time and effort in programming 8 instances to work together... Programming the actual hardware synth must've been pretty time consuming as well!

[@annother3350]

Programming used to be a profession. Big studios would pay good money for a programmer

[@annother3350]

Perhaps there are some TX-816 presets available to construct in Dexed?>

[@PorchBass]

With a synth this powerful, one player could run the world

[@Ciopekwah]

5:22 WTF WOW i had no idea it was actually possible to make a good sounding piano with only FM synthesis o-O i mean yeah with 8 layers of DX7 but still impressive as fuck ofc it's still synthetic and uncanny but in the coolest way possible

[@CentralScruteniser]

For Purists, I would say that Physical Modelling is really the way to go - but the fact is that the DXes were ground breaking at the time - no one had heard sounds like them before, and given all those OPs AND multiply by 8 - then there is STILL stuff in them that has never been heard. The DX just keeps on giving - provided you have the skill and patience 😊

[@glenesis]

Miracles of Microtechnology :)

[@legionnairegonk4425]

When one DX7 that is something that mostly nobody knows how or bothers to learn how to program, then clearly the answer to help everyone out is to put 8 of them together in a box! 😂 Only Yamaha would do this😃. But aren't we all glad they did... Qudos to them.

[@pennywiser9607]

Module 7 already sounds like an amazing piano

[@CentralScruteniser]

I think synthesising a Steinway would be a formidable task, despite the 48 ops . . . . So much easier to Sample - although, if truth be told, Physical Modelling is really the way to go these days . . . .I DID actually meet John Chowning about 15 years ago - amazing guy . . .

[@pennywiser9607]

@@CentralScruteniser Wasn’t he responsible for making FM famous?

[@CentralScruteniser]

@@pennywiser9607 Yes, he was the inventor of FM Synthesis. There is a book called "FM Theory and Applications, by Musicians for Musicians, written by him and David Bristow, published by Yamaha - ISBN 4-636-17482--8 COOO73 It is largely centred around the DX7

[@5argetech56]

Yamaha TX-816 = 8 DX-7's in one box!

[@JoelEverettComposer]

This is awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@Swanlord05]

This thing sounds better than stuff out there in 2022

[@ytpremium7649]

From far it sounds like a great ol' acoustic lounge piano FM IS FANTASTIC

[@neonvoid]

This is as good as FM gets.

[@davetbassbos]

Oh man, those graphics, lol! Despite that very interesting, I was an original DX7 owner, thanks!

[@xp50player]

10:17 sounds like Go West “Call Me”.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

I have long harbored a weird fantasy. I’ve imagined pairing the 816 with an SY-22 or -35, calling up a tone with 32-note polyphony and 4-part multitimbral functionality and being able to switch between the 4 tones by using the vector controller. I’ve been informed something like that isn’t doable, but it still makes for a fun fantasy.

[@rickmay1188]

It should be doable via crossfade mixing, using a touchpad controller, or a Korg kaosilator. Basically all the vector controller is doing is raising and lowering the overall level of each patch, which should be assignable to any good joystick. It may also control things like envelope, mod, etc, but if you get something that can crap out midi control, you can assign it to do the thing. I recently fell into the rabbit hole that is iPad music creation, and found several midi mapping programs that could do it. MIDI Designer Pro comes to mind. It lets you add virtual sliders, knobbers, Touch controls, x/y axis pads, buttons, etc. Just drag and drop, then tell it which CC you want it to control, on what channel, or give it a line of sysex, and you're golden. I got it specifically so I could use my iPad as a programmer for an M-audio Venom.

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

Better be careful, @@rickmay1188. You’ll convince me to get into that game too.

[@Swanlord05]

Incredible

[@Eldanoth]

Awesome!😻

[@neilmacmusic]

"cormposite sones compeeled sones nd splut sones"

[@CKT1138]

I recently got a free KX88, and it's stupidest keyboard ever made. I love it but Yamaha was snorting epic coke in 1984 to make an 88 key, 63lb, aftertouch+velocity keyboard that's over five feet long, and is literally just a MIDI controller, and THEN only gave it one MIDI in and one MIDI out, and no thru lol

[@oholm09]

Snorting coke lol

[@AndrewTSq]

On many midi devices from the early days the thru added lots of latency for me. Better using a separate thru box then :)

[@alanredversangel]

Crazy that a Raspberry Pi can run 8 DX7s without breaking a sweat. I mean, if multi outputs were important to you you could still use 4 or 8 smaller raspberry pis and not break the bank.

[@sajp8859]

Just sold mine for $600. 😃

[@deetgeluid]

Why not to me!😢

[@alinbate4580]

Where i can find that strings sound? :D

[@CentralScruteniser]

The DX7 - remember the 816 is just 8 x DX7s . . . .

[@ReznaQay]

why does he keep putting that thing in his mouth

[@CentralScruteniser]

Its a BC1 Breath controller

[@scottloiselle248]

That was Joe's first confrontation with.....THE LAW. Naturally, we were easy on him. One of our friendly counselors gave him a donut, and told him to stick closer to church...oriented.....social......activities.....

[@CentralScruteniser]

Well spotted . . . . . .

[@burns46824]

suxxxxxxxx

[@djjuno106]

i didnt know giraffes could play synths

[@vheezaue9720]

Whats in his mouth?

[@CentralScruteniser]

I suspect its the BC1 Breath controller. There was also a BC2 and BC3 - all now (sadly) long gone - very rare, and hard to find these days . . . . Many of the earlier Yamaha Synths had a socket for these.

[@rmo52]

BC1, yes. Fun little accessory. I did a ton of demos on the whole YCAMS system for the company when it was all new. Sure was hard work but much fun.

[@therealniksongs]

@@CentralScruteniser Even synths as recent as the Motif series still had the breath controller jack. Very useful if you had a Motif or a Motif ES with a VL card for those physically modeled horn sounds. I still have a BC3.

[@cdwhiley]

Is part 2 of this video available?

[@CentralScruteniser]

Part 2 is here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rqSrpoxpmLZ7g9E - sadly it's more of a demo than an in-depth description of the IN/OUT/MIDI Conectivity . . . . .

[@chloedevereaux1801]

nope, sounds like an out of tune upright...