“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

3 жыл бұрын

Nice attic

@dlol.

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t

@whitepeoplergullible9241

3 жыл бұрын

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

@mikaelangelosgarage

3 жыл бұрын

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

@djbarebear63

3 жыл бұрын

@@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"

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

The DX7 is part of an initiation ritual

@tylerevans1700

3 жыл бұрын

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

@gladtobeangry

3 жыл бұрын

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

@shaft9000

3 жыл бұрын

_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

Жыл бұрын

@@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.

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

@Leidon00

3 жыл бұрын

Holy gods, please make that an episode.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

@cleverhardy5230

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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? ;-)

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

3 жыл бұрын

Nice High School music room!

@regortex3364

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

2 жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

@SPAZZOID100

3 жыл бұрын

Terrible interface!!!

@andrewquicke1054

3 жыл бұрын

The dark chocolate brown colour clashes with my studio decor

@PyroSax

3 жыл бұрын

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.

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

The twisted ways of Bad Gear

@mikemeengs5720

3 жыл бұрын

Made me smile. Because it's true.

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

@solkatze5588

2 жыл бұрын

Synthwave definitely brought it back in to the limelight

@OscillatorCollective

2 жыл бұрын

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

2 жыл бұрын

@@OscillatorCollective it's a challenge alright

@dcdno_one2393

2 жыл бұрын

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.

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

@AudioPilz

2 жыл бұрын

True!!!

@Kung_Fu_Jesus

Жыл бұрын

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

@tebi1kurieudidon172

Жыл бұрын

@@Kung_Fu_Jesus lol

@ianalen1687

Жыл бұрын

kzread.info/dash/bejne/fJul2dykqLXTc5c.html what about this bell or xylo?

@rachelar

Жыл бұрын

Top Gun

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

3 жыл бұрын

The Mad Max Synth would have been an alternative title

@u4yk

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

@mossadon

3 жыл бұрын

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

@celticwinter

3 жыл бұрын

happy XJ600 revving in the distance

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

3 жыл бұрын

Haven't thought of that. Thanks for posting!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Wouldn't that be cheating ;)

@Mr_ToR

3 жыл бұрын

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

@henri-fillipbauer6579

Жыл бұрын

The sound is not the same

@agb222

Жыл бұрын

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

Жыл бұрын

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

You have brought your intro tune to another level!

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@thefoxfamily341

3 жыл бұрын

Every time to a next level.. Like it

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

3 жыл бұрын

That's a tough classroom regime

@stefan1024

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

@@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 :)

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

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

3 жыл бұрын

DEXED is the bomb!!!

@303machine

2 жыл бұрын

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

@PlasticCogLiquid

2 жыл бұрын

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

@soundlabsounddesign9392

2 жыл бұрын

@@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.

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Mega Drive FM was actually really nice

@SproutyPottedPlant

3 жыл бұрын

Yes! The MD is the best!!!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

We all know the feeling ;)

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

3 жыл бұрын

Great analogy!!!

@antoniobrajkovic1977

3 жыл бұрын

@@AudioPilz Thank you :)

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Respectful sh*tposting, of course;)

@thedoublek4816

3 жыл бұрын

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

@shaft9000

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

'like painting the hallway through the letterbox' lmfao dude

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

@Gazdatronik

3 жыл бұрын

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

@totallypixelated

3 жыл бұрын

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

@Matt_Aquila

3 жыл бұрын

an incredible analogy lol

@leftmono1016

3 жыл бұрын

totallypixelated - beat me to it.

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

3 жыл бұрын

So many cool FM synths!

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

3 жыл бұрын

I agree!

@rachelar

2 жыл бұрын

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

@treetopjones737

Жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! True that!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

@andrewquicke1054

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

@@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

3 жыл бұрын

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.

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

3 жыл бұрын

So true. Big FM revival!

@Roboprogs

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

@donaldpriola1807

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Besten Dank!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! Working on it!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

Good to know!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

@AudioPilz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!!!

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the input!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

@stealthinator00

Жыл бұрын

@@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

10 ай бұрын

Yeah but that experience may take decades

@Aristoper

9 ай бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

You brighten up my day in these depressing times.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

Great suggestions!

@playinmyblues

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

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! 🔥

The amount of quality content you put out is staggering.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Gern geschehen;)

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

3 жыл бұрын

That one is legend!

@scottcupp8129

2 жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

Well put!

@jml7916

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

@@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.

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks you so much!

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

3 жыл бұрын

The "life is too short" argument is definitively valid

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Agreed! Big revival!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Classic stage and studio keyboard!

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

2 жыл бұрын

Nice! Nothing better than the original!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Synth self help seminar, baby ;)

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! So true

These videos are always great! Love the DX7 too!

@AudioPilz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!

Never played the DX7, but this is probably my favorite episode so far next to the M-Audio Venom synth episode (you did it justice! The sound editor is a bit of a pain but powerful, same with the Alesis Micron which has some great VA presets). I appreciate your positivity. As another favorite KZreadr of mine would say, "Don't be scared to try it." Your singing is great, and I was blown away by the metalcore vocals in the Faking Metal Guitars video. Keep up the great work! Very high quality content, would like to know some of those video editing techniques ;)

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

@rachelar

2 жыл бұрын

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

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

@OttosTheName

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

3 жыл бұрын

Or maybe best gear has been done to death

@kenfusion

3 жыл бұрын

Without a doubt . THE best channel on KZread.

Your little dark demo reminds me of something between Depeche Mode and Bands like Camouflage who wants to sounds like them! Great stuff, like all your stuff by the way!👍🏼

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

Nice video. What I remember from programming one is that it isn’t FM synthesis itself that’s difficult (though knowing a bit of maths helps), it’s the complexity of the envelopes, response curves and so on. But those are what enable it to create such complex, evolving and responsive patches. It’s very much a keyboard player’s instrument, rather than one for synthesists: you get expressiveness through velocity, aftertouch, mod wheels and staccato vs legato playing styles, rather than through tweaking filter and envelope knobs. For most players, that meant relinquishing most sound design control to the preset creators, but that wasn’t an issue for the legions of session musos and gigging musicians who just wanted a wide range of decent sounds at an affordable price with lots of polyphony. At the other extreme you can quickly get some wild and filthy sounds out of it, but crafting unique but subtle sounds was, as you so aptly put it, like painting the house through the letterbox.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it was mostly for professional "painters" back then... ;)

I’m really digging the show... Keep it up !!! You should do an episode on the “ALESIS AIR EFFECTS”...lol

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Air FX is on the list!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

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

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

3 жыл бұрын

It's a psychological barrier, yes

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Have fun!

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

3 жыл бұрын

It's beyond 80s sexy😅

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

3 жыл бұрын

DEXED really surprised me, as well

@eldontyrellcorp

3 жыл бұрын

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

@MatthewChristianMurray

3 жыл бұрын

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

I always thought this channel was funny, fun and informative.... this episode was enlightened though, it reached higher ground. The underlying existential assertiveness challenging one's prowess disguised in irony is just brilliant. My life's DX7 is the Roland MC-909.... Thank you

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!!!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

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

3 жыл бұрын

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

Amazing advice, and SPICY JAMS! wow, sounding great!

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

One HECK of a great message by the end of this interesting video!! Well done!!! Let’s slay some DX7s!!!

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

HaHa, try out a Casio CZ3000..... Phase Distortion with multistage Envelopes (ADSDSDSDSR) :D would love to see your Review. Nice Content, by the way!!!

@earlsfield

3 жыл бұрын

PD actually make total sense if we look into retrospective of a synthesizer. Basically it is a same thing as phase modulation. I dont think it is harder to program than FM, although those envelopes are really tedious.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Never tried one of those. Sounds interesting!

@AntonNidhoggr

3 жыл бұрын

I don’t know about Casio itself, but I have an Arturia CZ vst and it’s quite cool I must admit.

@JackTheDeergal

3 жыл бұрын

Sold mine recently, massive synth that took up way too much room in my studio. Sounded good though

@reecedeyoung6595

3 жыл бұрын

@@earlsfield Frequency is the rate of change of phase with respect to time. They are similar but not quite the same. PM is more subtle. FM is like PM, but the change is exponential as opposesd to linear.

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

3 жыл бұрын

Cool monitoring system! Approved!

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

3 жыл бұрын

Cool! Eventide stuff is the perfect pairing

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

Жыл бұрын

Well, I like both quite a bit;)

@emnigmamachine

Жыл бұрын

@@AudioPilz why not both?

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Cool! Recently saw a CX5M in the local classifieds

So many musicians outside of the real of pop music used it too. It was used on much of Leather Strip’s earlier music and Skinny Puppy as well! It’s a beautiful synth but the problem with it is it’s programmability. There are so many functions and parameters to change that some don’t have a noticeable effect until others are changed... this is where it gets super confusing. On an analog synth you can jump around all over and very rarely run into a parameter that needs another to function. Also had the buttons and slider been replaced with knobs and operator select switches instead of trying to figure everything out on a tiny little screen it might have been a lot more functional. But the Dx7 in the realm of pop music was a preset machine. The developers spent a lot of time into making things sound a “real” as a synth could sound and that’s what the pop musicians went for in droves. They weren’t expecting so many hard headed gear tweekers to get a hold of it and just make mind bending sounds from other dimensions using one synth.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

That sums it up pretty nicely

Damn such insightful commentary at the end! Thank you :)

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Always a pleasure

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

4:09 I hope this gets released as a full song one day it’s so good

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Working on it but held back by sleep deprivation;)

@the_bunfi

3 жыл бұрын

@@AudioPilz Looping it for the last half an hour, did you managed to pull it of?

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Classic sounds;)

Its awesome cuz you pretty much never disregard the synths and your verdict is fair! Keep up the good work

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

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

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

My first synth. My dad brought one back from Japan when he was on tour there. I don’t think they were readily available in the states yet. This would have been in ‘84. I still have it (in a closet, though).

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Cool! Got quite some gear from my dad, as well

Superb video, I also liked the song very much

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!

I would be fascinated to see what you can create with the Korg DS-10. Love the bad gear episodes!

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Cool idea!

Once again AMAZING video! Keep it up cheif!

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much!

"We all have at least one DX7 in our lives, we should not be afraid to confront it" - LOL how unexpectedly deep :-) Nice singing voice BTW, Florian! My FM journey started back in the 80s with a DX21, that badly needed some reverb and chorus to be tolerable. Skipped the DX7 and all of its siblings and derivates till the TG77 came out. By the end of the 90s and in grandiose overconfidence, I stumbled over a Yamaha FS1R (8OP-FM synth with filters) and found the DXes &%$§"%& easy to program afterwards. My first FM synth that is a real pleasure to program is the OPsix. It may be missing a bit of the harshness of the DX7, but you get useful results in minutes without the cat meowing over the strange tones coming out of the speakers.

@AudioPilz

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!

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

3 жыл бұрын

It seems like roadies were cheap back then;)

Nice rev! You’re right about the fear thing, which keeps many away from mangling them. I had one 20 years ago for a band project and it took me half a year to get my own sounds out, but then - man, this machine can still produce incredible unheard sounds. Today much easier with software editors. Keep on trying, it’s eventually rewarding. The only FM-synth I find does as good or even better is the FM8.

@AudioPilz

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Always liked the FM8 but DEXED is really nice too

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

Жыл бұрын

Great master keyboard!!!