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Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 8:28 pm
by swishniak
anybody human wrote:What are your impressions of the DX7 Librarian? Is it a decent editor? It looks like it's only $10 so I'd like to know what you guys think... The Doobie Brothers amongst others. .
hey anybody; doobies?! cool!

the dx7 librarian is actually free as an editor, it just costs money to access a database of patches, but you can open up the patches you have, or create as many new ones as you want. (just use "new" or "open".)

it seems to work ok, im just having some trouble with some elements like the LFO and the keyboard scale window. since ive never programmed a DX7 before, and im dealing the limited hardware interface of the TX7, so im not sure if its just weird implementation or my inexperience. but ive got it to make some nice, strange sounds already!

operator definitely prepared me a bit for the FM environment, i love the plug and use it in almost every session. unfortunately im not finding much online documentation that helps explicitly with FM programming (i get the "frequency modulation" concept :wink: ), but there are lots of old studio rats out there talking about the good old days of cartridges full of killer patches..

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:00 pm
by Usedtobe
i absolutely love my dx7! the keyboard is totally tits. i fly all over it, it's my midi controller for live and my sh-32 as well. i never really understood what people meant when they said it's hard to program fm. parameters change sounds, it's just like every other synth ever. it IS tedious to program from the machine though, and the free mac editor kinda blows (though i'm glad it's around!)

it can make such amazing sounds. ive yet to get it to reeeaally do analogish stuff, it wont sound like a mono/poly (my little brother has one. biiatch) or really any tasty analogpoly stuff, but I think that has more to do with saturation of filters and whatnot. I sometimes play mine through the electrix filter factory, analog 4 pole thang with envelope follow and lfos (but noisy as hell! grr) and it sounds freakin sweeeet. also im totally not one of those analog dudes, ive just been rockin the mono/poly and it's clear how ridiculously different these types of synthesis are.

usually benefits from some sort of widening since it's hella mono. i almost always use some chorus (advice on a nicer chorus than live's btw?) straight up though, dx7 is so freakin lovely. wouldn't ever give it up. i always end up using terrible fake piano patches on it too, shit's hilarious.

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:24 pm
by swishniak
are there any good forums / databases for good info and patch swapping anywhere else here on this internet thing?

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:31 pm
by SWAN808
I use DX7 Librarian with my TX7 - its great so many patches...I dont intend on programming it myself tbh because there are so many patches and I use the TX7 for DX style sounds sparsely in my tracks so dont think there is much need to pretend to be Mr Sound designer with it...I just use it for basic stuff when I want that DX bass/bell/chime sound...

FWIW so much more raw powerful tone than any FM soft synth...IMO

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:06 am
by 3phase
just remeberd one real advantage of the tx7..it safes the function settings with the patch data..

on the old dx7 they act globaly.. so the TX7 is not only more mobile than the keyboard version..

BUt.. i just played the dx7 keyboard again.. its actually really good,, i think i will nail it somahow onto the mixing desk 8)

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 2:26 pm
by MacGuffin
3phase wrote:just remeberd one real advantage of the tx7..it safes the function settings with the patch data..

on the old dx7 they act globaly.. so the TX7 is not only more mobile than the keyboard version..

BUt.. i just played the dx7 keyboard again.. its actually really good,, i think i will nail it somahow onto the mixing desk 8)
:lol: be sure to remove the cement they put in there to make it more heavy. I think the DX7's designer hated roadies :D

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:19 pm
by 3phase
MacGuffin wrote:
3phase wrote:just remeberd one real advantage of the tx7..it safes the function settings with the patch data..

on the old dx7 they act globaly.. so the TX7 is not only more mobile than the keyboard version..

BUt.. i just played the dx7 keyboard again.. its actually really good,, i think i will nail it somahow onto the mixing desk 8)
:lol: be sure to remove the cement they put in there to make it more heavy. I think the DX7's designer hated roadies :D

there is cement inside? ups thats intersting too.. i do syntheziser repairs and mods.. and in all this years..i never had a look inside a dx 7... wow...they last
Probably anyway not much to see.. but i could give it an illuminated display one day. ;-)


i really like to know about the cement and need a reason to open it. however,. the weight is actually pretty good on the stand..and it probably makes the sound more bass heavy :-)

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:08 pm
by crumhorn
My trusty old DX7 - cost about £1100 in 1984 - is currently on long term loan to a friend's son, who is putting it to pretty good use, he's only 21 so the sounds are all new to him.

One thing to know about the DX7 is that the keyboard doesn't generate the full range of MIDI note velocity values - maxing out at around 96 - which limits it's use as a controller.

If you want to hear the patches as the sound designers intended them you should keep the velocity below that level. On the other hand you can take the sounds to new levels by playing it from another keyboard.

Back in the day I wrote a couple of Atari ST programs for it. One was a basic patch librarian that let you reorganise patch banks and back up to disk, The other let you combine operators from different patches to create new sounds.

My favourite DX patches are the ones that use a subsonic fixed frequency carrier in a 2 or 3 operator stack to produce really subtle, breathy, flute like tones.


edit: I've had my DX7 mk1 open to replace the mains cable. Never found any cement in it though ??? !!!

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:45 pm
by MacGuffin
@3phase: I was just kidding, I don't think there really is cement inside, but that beast definitely is heavier than it looks so that was always a running gag among the musicians I know. ;)

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 5:22 pm
by 3phase
MacGuffin wrote:@3phase: I was just kidding, I don't think there really is cement inside, but that beast definitely is heavier than it looks so that was always a running gag among the musicians I know. ;)
actually its really heavy for the amount of elctronics it includes.. there might be really some extra wight inside,,,
it actually weights way more than a jupiter 6..

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:33 pm
by WaveRider
TX802!!!!!


:P

a beast... I send it into a lexicon. I wold love having access to more real-time parameters on the TX, like assigning CCs to synth parameters, but it's impossible.

Those older yamaha sound better than most other fm done by them later

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:46 pm
by MacGuffin
3phase wrote:
MacGuffin wrote:@3phase: I was just kidding, I don't think there really is cement inside, but that beast definitely is heavier than it looks so that was always a running gag among the musicians I know. ;)
actually its really heavy for the amount of elctronics it includes.. there might be really some extra wight inside,,,
it actually weights way more than a jupiter 6..

that's what I was implying :mrgreen:

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 6:52 pm
by 3phase
MacGuffin wrote: that's what I was implying :mrgreen:
yamaha knows how to deal with digital audio..the extra weight is needed to ground the bytes

its really strange..now where i ve nailed it before the desk ive to admit that its designewise a real beauty..and with this talks here we probably bring the ebay price up by 100%

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:06 pm
by MacGuffin
The weight also makes it feel more pro. "This keyboard weighs almost as much as a real piano, it must sound really good!"

Re: any DX7 / TX7 users out there? (hardware!)

Posted: Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:24 pm
by 3phase
MacGuffin wrote:The weight also makes it feel more pro. "This keyboard weighs almost as much as a real piano, it must sound really good!"

it sits actually pretty comfortable on your legs.. the weight is not too much that it hurts but gives it stability when playing it hard... but ok.. that would work with a few kilo less aswell ...or?

however,.i will leave the cement inside.. i actually start to belive that this is no running gag.. or they have one of theese pricy dark matter dejitter units inside that was elliminated during the economy optimisations wars in the late 80´s