Yamaha DX7 Pt4 - Future Proofing - Battery Update
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- I am still waiting for keys...
But while they come I decide to add a better better battery solution to the unit. The battery is required to allow the memory to retain patches. These get old and need to replacing. To change the battery a significant amount of the synth needs to be removed - as this is 40 years old the wires and circuit boards are getting old, I don't want to move them. So a solution to this is having a battery not soldered to the board, but on leads.
I really love the music of the 70s and the sounds of electric pianos. Though after a decade of musicians giving themselves hernias from lifting their own weight. That era had to end.
In the 1980s keyboards and synths became much more popular due to the lightweight, increased reliability and huge range of possible sounds. Oh did I mention that these had effect built into the synth also?
In 1983 Yamaha released the DX7 this showed off FM synthesis. To be honest I don't understand how FMS works, but I do understand that previous synths used subtractive synthesis. FMS created these brand new glassly bright sounds - similar to the bright brightness of an electric piano.
In 1984 it is estimated that approximately half the top 40 songs that year featured a DX7. The unit was sold unit 1989 and is one of the best selling synthesizers of all time if not the best.
Now when technology is this old, does it still serve a purpose today? It has a 16 note polyphony, after touch, 61 full sized keys - Yes absolutely. It is crazy to think a computer this old would still be useful compared to todays computers.
Though there is a free VST based on the DX7, so dont feel left out if you cant get your hands on a unit, you still can have a play with this synth.
asb2m10.github...
The sounds - well any synth after so much use will be called cheesy. And is did have so much use 80s pop synth music. I think enough time has passed that these sounds are now nostalgic - combined with new recording techniques really gives this synth a new lease of life.
This year was the 40th anniversary of the DX7 release and there was a talk about it at Synth Fest 2023 (Sheffield, UK).
• SFUK 2023 - From DX7 t...
Someday I'll get around to changing my battery to a replaceable one. It's about 40 years old and still doing it's thing lol
Tbf this battery was still working, but I figured it would be wise to upgrade it now while I had it open. Make sure you have your patches backed up though ! I doubt my replacement will last as long haha