Vintage Synth Explorer Forums

Since getting my DX7s recently I have spent many long nights with a downloaded copy of the DX7s manual that was so bad it told you nothing about what the parameters do learning FM synthesis.

Happily I am now more than proficient in this dark art and have created some pretty cool patches without anything happening by accident. Anyway I have started collecting old 80s synth songs (that I remember) things like Ultravox/pet shop boys/Visage etc.. and since getting a copy of 'cars' by gary newman have discovered a Jupiter 8 patch for the DX7s that sounds 98% the sound of the main rhythm and I am finding myself messing about with patches trying to get that slightly flangy lead synth sound.

What is a little scary is the fact people back away when I start talking about FM synthesis!I even find myself listening to old songs and trying to guess the synth used, does anyone else suffer from this affliction? Does anyone else rush home from work to see is adjusting the Pitch Envelope after note pitch will really produce a pseudo detuned chorus??

Is there any hope for me? or am I destined to spend the rest of my life listening to ordinary keyboard and going 'you see difference is with a synth you get proper treble response, hear how the highest note goes from a smooth to sawtooth wave?...."

I always wonder what synths were used in all sorts of things, from songs, to educational videos, to fake commercials for tv shows like the one in this saved by the bell episode.

mrfrisky330 wrote:Is there any hope for me? or am I destined to spend the rest of my life listening to ordinary keyboard and going 'you see difference is with a synth you get proper treble response, hear how the highest note goes from a smooth to sawtooth wave?

You're probably destined to spend the rest of your life as a virgin if you keep that. ZING! LOL.

The DX7 got around quite a bit in the 80s. Phil Collins, Miami Sound Machine, Madonna, etc. Probably the epiano patch got used more than anything, but also tines, bells, and that non-harmonic bass sound it does so well. I have a TX802 (rack version of the DX7 II) and use it all the time.

As far as being able to identify the DX7 in song, well it's going to be hard as it can produce so many different sounds. The epiano is quite distinctive, and so are the bells and tines, but it does so much more.

The DX7 hasn't stopped being used by any means. Madonna's Ray of Light used a TX802 throughout, and hip hop producers still use it routinely for high tines (about the only sound that's cuts through the heavy bass and drums.)

Here's one I did using several synths: Synchromash
The TX802 (DX7) comes in at 0:45. Its the high sound. During the break before the end (1:51) the echo bell sound is also from the TX802.

Another great FM synth is the Yamaha TX81Z module. It has a different architecture than the DX7 and sounds quite cool.