What specifically is special about the DX100?

[Neonlights84]

Apparently a DX100 and a talkbox are the perfect combination. No idea why, but it certainly seems to be at least partially responsible for the price increase.

Heh Jambo, please tell me your avatar is because you love Fallout 3!

[killedaway]

Heh Jambo, please tell me your avatar is because you love Fallout 3!

yeah, he mentioned it in the "what's your avatar" thread.

best game of '08 if you ask me. i only wish i hadn't completed it so quickly! (1000/1000GS)

[Summa]

A bit of misinformation in this thread.

Firstly, LatelyBass and SolidBass are NOT the same sound. They're both great bass tones, but they're not the same.

The 21/27/100 had 8-bit DACs and the TX81Z had 12-bit DACs, like the original DX7. The DX7II had 16-bit DACs.

The synth engine in the DX21 is slightly enhanced over the the 27/100 in that it has a pitch envelope, split/layer modes, and a stereo chorus effect.

That TX81z is one of the first Yamaha FM-Synth using a 16Bit DAC, please compare.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Sep01/a ... ofmpt2.asp

The Lately Bass is pretty much identical (Algorithm, Operator Frequency and Level wise) to the Solid Bass except for using the additional Operator Waveforms of the TX81z, what generates slightly more beating. But since all Yamaha 4 Operator Synths (except FB01 and DX9) are patch compatible to each other it's no problem to load the DX100 Solid Bass or Talkbox patches in to any other Yamaha 4 Operator FM-Synth.

[solderguy]

There is some confusion on some websites about what FM chips were used in which synths.

Both of the DX21 synths I owned used the YM2164 chip - the FB01 also uses this chip. I do not know about the DX27 and DX100.

The TX81Z uses the YM2414B chip. Both the DX21 and the TX81Z use the same DAC chip - a YM3012. This is probably a 12-bit companded DAC rather than a true 16-bit DAC. To my ears , the TX81Z sounds cleaner than the DX21, more upper harmonics and less aliasing - this improvement in audio quality could be due to a higher sample rate.

The YM2151 chip was used in the CX5M music computer and some arcade games, definately not in the DX21.

[Summa]

According to the DATA Sheet (if my english don't fail me) the YM3012 is processing 16Bit, using a 10 Bit DAC and ignoring the first 3 MSB of the 16 Bit Data stream and using the following 3 bits as exponent for amplification. What makes it a

Hope this link works...

http://www.datasheetarchive.com/pdf-dat ... 151905.pdf

I know that the DX7II is using a PCM54HP (16Bit) like the Casio VZ1 and the Roland D550.

[solderguy]

Summa - THANKS, AND THANKS AGAIN !!!!
I have been trying to find the YM3012 datasheet for the past couple of years !!
This is wonderful.
It's a non-linear DAC ( companding DAC ) where the step size is variable - the step size becomes larger as the digital word becomes larger. 16-bit dynamic range although the signal/noise will not be as good as a true 16-bit linear DAC.
: )

[OriginalJambo]

Heh Jambo, please tell me your avatar is because you love Fallout 3!

Oh yes! And also the originals.

[redchapterjubilee]

I learn something new everyday. I always assumed Zapp & Roger used a vocoder, never realized it was a talkbox. Seems to me that pretty much any buzzy sawtooth synth sound would work to emulate it. On a side note I met Zapp Troutman once at the mall record store I worked at in college. He was having lunch with some scrawny old white dude who claimed to have co-written songs with Bill Withers.

[louisroman]

I can sit in my rooms for hours programming my dx 21 with joy.

I think the 21 should be 18278129736 €/$ and not the dx 100.

[Neonlights84]

Whats special? Outside of the size, nothing. Its a fairly crappy synth really. No need to spend that kind of money on a tinny sounding preset synth.

[Murderhausen]

You think so? I think it gives it a more raw sound. The DX21 gets my vote as the best 4 op. synth.

The Nord Lead 3 is my favorite 4 operator FM synth. Don't get me wrong; I have a DXIIFD and know what FM should sound like and think Clavia did an exceptional job with their rendition. Also, despite being able to use a warm sounding unison on my IIFD, the detune on the Nord is much cleaner when using FM synthesis. Also, the ability to layer VA and FM patches with such a good user interface makes the NL3 a sound designer's dream come true. I know Yamaha already put these two types of synthesis together (as well as PPG with the unrealized Realizer many moons ago), but the Nord Lead 3 makes the union of FM and VA so easy it should be considered a new type of hybrid.

[Pro5]

the union of FM and VA so easy it should be considered a new type of hybrid.

I know on future tracks I'll be layering my DX7 II-D with my AN1x for some crazeesweet™ sounds