Unboxing a 1984 Yamaha DX7 in 2020
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- čas přidán 27. 05. 2020
- #yamahadx7 #fmsynthesis #vintagesynth
We found a 1984 Yamaha DX7 and ADX-10 Accessory Kit sitting in their original boxes in a lady's basement in 2020. Here's what was inside, including a quick listen to all 32 presets loaded in the Internal Memory.
The Yamaha DX7 is the best selling digital synthesizer in history, introduced FM synthesis to the world, and was subsequently used on countless 80s hits by Tina Turner, Ah-ha, Kenny Loggins, Whitney Houston, and movie soundtracks.
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Got mine around 1994 or so. One corner is crumpled a bit, like it took a long fall to a hard floor, but it's a go-er, not a show-er. Replaced a few keys and springs over the years, no problem, I have a donor SY-99 up in the attic. Original battery, dated 1984 finally needed replacing around 2013, still going strong. I love the feel of the keybed, and some of the patches are very useful still. It lives in my studio rack, but MIDI'd to my Kurzweil K2000 which is my main MIDI controller. For those who want to explore the possibilities, there is a free VST called DEXED which is a lot of fun, and can be used as a a patch editor and librarian for the original. Program? Who has time for that when there's music to be made. Fortunately, there's a small army of basement boys who've created thousands of patches over the long decades, and they're all out there waiting to be downloaded.
Crazy to see a DX7 complete in the box in 2020. Such an amazing and versatile synth!
The DX7 IS the sound of the 80’s, used by countless artists. That thing is MINT.
Liar! I am not buying your story about finding this in a basement. Clearly, sir, you own a time machine. I will keep your secret if you meet my demands: The next time you go back to 1983, I want shares in Apple, my own DX7, and a McRib. Thanks for this great video, what a dream of a find!
can you make a trip to 1987 to get RAM cartridges for the dx7ii?
Mc Rib is back lol
I was with you until you mentioned the McRib, yikes. We get it from time to time here in Australia as a special item. Hotdog style meat in the shape of ribs and rib sauce, what is there not to love? (A: a lot!).
Haha the McRib always returns and so does the DX7 (reface Lol) I have the 1983 DX7 and a reface.
No synth memory battery lasts that long... I bought a D-50 in mid 1989 and, the battery died in early 2020... it leaked :/
Hard to believe the backup battery still has juice after 36 years.
Mine still has the fist battery
@@Johnsormani Ah yes! The fist batteries always lasted longer than ordinary batteries, since the fist is raw power!
Its like Synthesizer archeology, fantastic! I wanted a DX7 as nerdy ten year
old, but I did not even have enough money for a home keyboard!
Imagine an original Minimoog being found in its original box, Roland Jupiter 8, Sequential Prophet 5 and Oberheim OB8? The stuff of synth dreams!
I just bought one for my inner-child-actually inner-teen, I was 16 when I started drooling over the DX7. I have several synths, including a refaceDX, but this is the first I’ve bought just for the sheer collectibility of a synth. Hopefully it won’t be the last.
No keyboard is more famous and more played than the Yamaha DX7. Is absolutely majestic. This keyboard now lives in my Yamaha modx
Find of the century.
Beautiful synth.
Thank you for your feedback and support, it's greatly appreciated! Cheers!
I have one,brand new,only played once to see if it was still playable,even videoed it for selling it,found it in a storage locker,Looking to sell
@@jakeschlegel4803 Hello friend , may i know your selling price for it
@@jakeschlegel4803 Please Sir'
Sold about 2 months ago
The only thing I hate, the DX7 got a bad rap because people never learn to program it. They used the original sounds, this machine could make lots of wonderful sounds, if only they did this and the 80s music would of been something else. Great synth that changed everything.
You have to really study how to use the operators and algorithms. Most don’t want to take the time, because it differed from the usual synth.
Great point! It is the same case with Roland's JV-1080 or other JV/XP synthesizers.
I bought that thick book and learned to program it. Awesome instrument
@@ShotecMusic love Roland synths, the Jupiter and Juno’s love them sounds.
It was crap. Unfortunately.
Excuse my language but...
HOLY SHIT!!! What an amazing find! Every DX7 I've come across has some kind of damage or problem with it... man this is awesome!!!
Try not to faint but I bought one recently that has cosmetic marks on it but is otherwise in perfect working order. No kidding, everything works. It's an OG like this one, so has the membrane keys, and I will say that number 21 is a little temperamental and will no doubt require attention before too much longer because I do program the thing, but otherwise zero issues. This one, in box, is an absolutely incredible find though, and especially with the pedals. When does that ever happen?
I've still got my DX7 that I bought new in 84. It's pristine, except for a small scratch on the front below the keys. Never had a problem with it and it's never required servicing, but has only ever been in my various home studios. Says a lot for the Yamaha brand. Also have an original Korg Mono/Poly that I bought bought around the same time. Unfortunately, it requires a doctor at the moment.
@@wildbluesea1 I had mine too since it came out. It has some scratches on the bottom from the keyboard rack I used at that time, but besides that it never had issues. It sure is a quality instrument. I recently put a Supermax expander in that gives it 256 internal memories and some extra functionality ( arpeggiator, multisound etc) and I have some 128 patch ram cartridges as well. Hard to find these days
Wow, you got it in the original packaging as well as the add ons. Great!
Was meant to be.
Incredible, possibly the most iconic synth of all time, to find one mint is amazing
Just bought an '84 DX7. In damn good condition for a well used machine. Not really my kind of synth so it's going to a collector. But the keyboard is really nice to play.
Damn!😳
It's unbelievable! You are the luckiest guy in the world! For me it seems like you have won a 1 million-dollar lottery even better! Keep this piece of treasure in the safe 😉!
The cassettes are actually the preset voice cartridges that were programmed by Yamaha sound engineers. You can also use an empty cartridge and program your own sounds. You can save up to 32 or 64 if it has an a/b switch located on the top of the cartridge
It's amazing to see unboxing the Yamaha DX7 in the original box
Wow🤯
Nice find, Bought mine new in January 86, it came with a breath control, had a string to hang it around your neck, there was a headband one that was separate. Demo tapes that came with it are fun to listen too.
Enjoy
I don't have video to my DX7 unboxing, but you pretty much re-enacted my Christmas morning 1985, minus the "WOW!" and "OMG!" part.
Must have been the best Christmas ever for you that year. I bet you didn't stop smiling all day?
Bet you had so much fun on the magical keyboard?
This takes me back. I learned Midi back in 1986 on a DX7, and I remembering hearing it for the first time in the electronic music classroom. Knocked my socks off. Impossible to program, though.
It’s not, just takes some time get into, but believe me! Then the real fun begins, when you suddenly discover there is no end to new sounds...
Great to see a mint model like this go to an enthusiast like yourself who’ll no doubt keep it immaculate for another 36 years, and not some punk who will just let it end up like most other DX7’s !!! I’m lucky enough to have a few MK1 DX7’s, ranging from tortured ( NIN style ) to one which I rebuilt 25 years ago with completely new external parts sourced from Yamaha when they were still available. That one remains in time-warp condition, just like your one. Thanks for the MONTAGE / MODX tips, too :-)
FM sound makes me quiver and shiver. Not everyone appreciates them...I drove myself and everyone crazy until I got one. Then I heard the SY99 and completely lost my mind. I still have the SY99... it’s beautiful. It weighs 70 lbs at least. It’s all Steel.
I was considering a MODX , because it has more operators than the SY99. I found someone that has both. We determined that the SY99 beats the MODX in FM by a little. I wonder why 🤨🤨🤨. Anyway I’d still love a MODX too.
That's really amazing, tks for sharing! I have one myself since 1987 and still very happy with it. Bit weird to see one without any scratches...
An amazing find on Craigslist, something you don't see everyday, thanks for sharing. 🎹👍🎶
The legendary DX7...Still one of my favorite synth keyboards of all time.
Once in a lifetime experience right there, I can only wish! Awesome
I wanted one of these SOOO bad as a 16 year old kid... but I couldn't justify buying it even when I had the money because I just didn't know how to play well enough to do it justice. Fast forward to now, I own an ASM Hydrasynth, still can't play worth a dang, but I'm having fun learning. :) Amazing that you found one in near mint condition.
Wow, thats so cool to see. The best condition DX7 I have seen or will see !
Crazy! You lucky devil, dx7 is one of my dream synths!
Jealous is an understatement; I want this thing so bad.... I can't believe you got a hold of a mint gem like that, holy crap.
Of all the things I never expected to see in my life...wow, dude!
legendary, how many people dreamt about this around 1985...could not afford it..but Phil Collins...
I own a well preserved one too, beautifull synthesizer's, Congratulations with youre find.
congrats! this DX7 seems to be in very good conditions, although i do not think it has never been unboxed and used before since 1984. 1. you can clearly see some fingerprints etc. 2. the internal patches seem to have been changed/re-arranged .. (the famous e-piano 1 is supposed to be on int. 11, not 8.. ) and 3. i doubt the internal battery will still work after 36 years. afaik they last for 5-10 years or so .... at least, that was what i experienced when i got my DX7 in the early 2000's. i saw it in a local music shop, they always had some used instruments, and i just had to have it. 100 bucks or so. but, maybe on the first test everything was ok, very soon all the memory was lost. when selecting patches, it just showed total nonsense in the display and so was the sound. just some very weird noise. BUT!!!! and there is were MIDI came in very handy and just saved the life of this keyboard (one of the FIRST to have MIDI) .. you can restore all the factory patches via sysex midi dump from your pc. the patch libraries are all over the place in the internet (and thousands of user libraries), and with the appropriate software (e.g. MIDIox) it is just a matter of very few mouse clicks to get all the original sounds back. (or whatever sound library you want.)
but you definitely have to change the battery if the sounds get lost. (you can also check the battery voltage within the DX7 menu - but it might show higher-than-normal values instead of low when it is actually low.) it is a standard CR2032, but not so standard as it is directly soldered to the PCB. so i recommend to install i battery holder instead, which you can attach to a suitable location in the DX7 cabinet with a piece of double sided tape for example (at least this should be no problem if the instrument stays at home / in the studio). this will make further battery replacements a lot easier! :)
You’re right!
It has definitely been used before cuz who buys an high end synth that probably must have cost over 1000€ and then leave it unboxed in the basement for decades?
Even if it was unboxed this guy could get a fortune for it in this condition and trying to find another on in the same condition is like digging for diamonds
Sorry but you are wrong. The E Piano 1 is Preset #8 IN THE USA release of the DX7.
@@Rhezoloution hey thanks, i didn't know that the usa version had the presets arranged differently, that's interesting!
Wow what a find! Love dx7. I dont have it (just in vst) but still love it. Amazing sounds most def ; D
I bought a used DX7 a year ago and have been exercising my Chicago and DeBarge muscles lately. Came with a chipped key but everything was working properly and still works. Love these keyboards. Bought its competitor, a Roland D50, a few months ago. Terrific equipment.
Same here! I also bought the DX7 and the D50 after. They truly are amazing synths!
@@LukaRay me2 lol
I had a Roland D70, I STILL kick my ass for selling that
@@deafmusician2 i have one in a very good condition. Love it 😉
D50 is an absolutely stunning instrument. Nothing else sounds like it.
Ahh, what a find!. I still have an original TX81z I bought not long after they came out. It's sitting in a rack and I control it with my Montage 7. Still relevant sounds in a high tech era. Woulda thunk it :)
Ahhhhh! Lately Bass forever :-)
Wow it is in AMAZING condition. No visible scratches (in the video). It looks like it's new! Also that harpsichord sounds like it could be on "House of Fun" by Madness.
omg gold the hits of the 80s was done with this
Call me nutz, but it's my favorite synth out of all the synths I've owned.
I have an SY99, try one. You’ll loose your mind !
Crazy great find!
What an amazing find!!
Damn, what a find. Nice! Need to get a dx on my rig soon. As much as I like VST, can't beat having the original equipment.
Hear hear
Great review and unboxing👍
BEAUTIFUL!!!
Gorgeous find man! I have one of the earliest 1983 models and it’s a GEM .. it is the eighties. I also recommend the DX reface. With yours being unused for 35 years, you may want to replace the battery. Pretty easy if you are decent w soldering. Cheers!
Found some time ago a DX-7 in pretty much the same condition, albeit without the box, for 180 euro. Well, it was just a bit dirty, but after cleaning up the layer of dust&dirt that was on it it turned out to be nearly mint.
Mid 1990s used to work in a music shop in Notting Hill and a certain Brian Eno regularly popping in buying every DX7!
Hardly used I would say,some light scratches on the screen and dusty slider corners,a beauty
“Sinth a sisser digi tal “ great vid !
Look at the condition of that box! Super clean! Way before the days of modern day UPS and FedEx dropping and throwing your synths around all day!
OMG ! 😳 a dx7 ❤️ in perfect condition !?
Love this synth, mine is good but not like yours. Lucky Guy ! 😉
The Yamaha DX7 ROM-1A patch "Refs. Whisl." was heard in the 1st season 1 of Dilbert episode.
Amazing!
Very Nice! I got the opportunity to buy a Yamaha TX81Z in the box, same situation :)
WOW what a FIND!!!
Wow you found GOLD
What a find, wow
Amazing find. This never happens to me.
I own a DX7 with very low hours use on it, still like new and works prefect not a single mark on it. Still smells new too.
Would you sell it?
This keyboard sound has made so many hit songs.
Holy shit that thing looks fucking beautiful in its clean original condition
Next imagine finding a barn find jupiter 8 ❤
Wow, that story definitely has some holes in it. I remember the price being $2000 and that was a lot of money in '84 just to store it away like that. Unless she had a GS-1 from 1980 this was the first FM synth made for the public. I don't see how she could have taught FM synthesis to kids when most professionals used the stock patches, because of the extreme learning curve. Just sayin... Great find none the less.
I mean, for a computer programmer the menu system would be a pain but hardly any more than dealing with the programming languages and hardware of the 80s itself. It's not like one can't persist if they have the technical mind of a programmer and get somewhere, and if they work as a music lessons teacher they can technically guide children in experimenting with synthesis to help make sure not all of the results are crap.
The manual gave very good instructions on how to create FM Tones and how to configure the operators. IIRC there were about 10 pages of clear instructions.
Very Nice! Thanks!
Fantastic , to have 36y old legend as new , right from factory !
The Ref's Whistle was used by Eurythmics - Right by your side
Great observation! I just went and listened to it and it's unmistakeable, plus they REALLY used the sound quite a bit in the intro. You can tell they liked it!!!
wow! beautiful!
My dream keyboard when growing up.
Please let me unbox a Yamaha CS 80...!
I can still remember unboxing my DX7 in 1984. Love it...
Yeah those software simulations really take the joy out of that classic 'unboxing' experience!!!
a similar, really very well-preserved piece, I bought half a year ago on ebay for 465 euros (I didn't enjoy looking for and negotiating any super-advantageous prices), Important Note - The tool has no effects, for a full experience it will be needed - compression, reverb, chorus... you can list your device, users, I haven't bought yet
you can tell me if I can get the same patches to put on the dx7 that I have because I don't have the cartridges. I would like to have the same patches that you have a friend. I would also like to know if you know if you could keep these patches on the dx7 ll FD.
NEW?!!!)This Very COOL!!!
GREAT!!! AMAZING!!!
It has a cool look to it and they were hugely popular when I started playing synths in the mid 80s, but I don't miss mine (TX-7 tabletop version of DX-7). Since you have a Yamaha MODX as I do, they can replicate all these sounds, and much more. The MODX/Montage can load DX7 sounds (as well as TX-816, TX-802 & MOTIF series sounds, but these synths have a way better touch screen user interface, built in effects processor, far more storage space for patches, more advanced FM synthesis engine for additional features, and much more. With a MODX or Montage, I see little reason to own an original DX7. The reason is purely for the nostalgia and physical attributes, not the actual sound of it.
It is kind of neat seeing the original again, even if hearing it isn't among the better reasons to collect them now when other synths can produce these sounds fine.
I have a modx and no it cannot sound as good as the dx7
@@Swanlord05 Did you load any sysex patches?
I had no problems getting back all my favorite DX7 patches.
I don't miss my original.
@@Swanlord05 Nope. It can sound...just like it and is fully compatible with the sound patches you can load in via sysex, or you can use it to sound even better with the "FM-X" engine that goes beyond the DX-7, plus a great multi-effects engine.
Other than the nostalgia of the physical presence of the DX-7, I'm not sure why anyone wouldn't rather have a Montage or MODX. I don't miss my DX-7 at all. My MODX can make all of those sounds, and do a ton of other things.
The Kronos can load DX7 patches into the MOD-7 engine and can sound exactly like it, especially if you apply the bit crusher effect.
@@jgh548 The Kronos can also load them. I'm not too sure how the MOD-7 engine is vs FM-X for adding new features, but we hear a lot more about the FM-X engine of the Montage/MODX.
It's too bad Korg didn't think to make the Kronos compatible with their famous digital synths like the Triton, M1 or Wavestation. But they do offer VST's for that.
One of the best things about the Montage/MODX platform is the ability to retain compatibility with sound collections for 20 years.
I hope the Kronos replacement, which I'd expect soon, gave me thought to backwards compatibility. Not only should it offer those engines I mentioned, but also some ARP's now that Korg owns the rights and has produced VST's of ARP's.
We have an old saying here in Australia… “you bloody lucky bastard”
Beautiful machine ❤🙏
That is mint. OMG. So weird seeing such a good condition DX7. 'Tub Erupt' is Tube Erupt, as in Tubular Bells.
HOLY SHIT! Nice snag!
There's definitely a buyer out there for a MINT DX 7 like that one, if you ever want to sell it. Like most keyboardists of the 80s, I lusted after the DX 7 and couldn't afford one. Now it's a free plugin. Tech is great... but I would still like to own a real DX 7.
I doesn't look like its never been opened but its in mint condition I must admit !
Details on plugging the DX7 into the MODX is in this follow-up video if you'd like more background on the production used in this video: czcams.com/video/Tyf0JOtkZ-s/video.html
This is incredible, what an opportunity!! Thanks so much for sharing the experience with us! I was lucky enough to acquire my II-D from the original owner, so it's in the same impeccable condition... Never occurred to me that the "BC" in the factory patches stood for breath control, always just assumed it was the initials of the patch programmer lol. Out of curiosity, what's on the cassettes? Sound demos?
Melvin Hawkins the cassettes prolly have factory patch data on them. My Juno had this. You can restore the factory patch bank with the cassettes.
Hey man glad you learned something from my DX7 discovery vid, thanks for watching! As for these odd cassettes: one's titled "The DX Zone" -- programming instructions done in a campy Twilight Zone style parody(!), full recording here czcams.com/video/ZcGfASGwskM/video.html
The other cassette is DX7 and DX9 performances -- and one of the players on this cassette is Steve Porcaro of TOTO! Full recording found here: czcams.com/video/MiqJ_tfT5lY/video.html
DX7 and DX9 Performance Demos (w/ Steve Porcaro) czcams.com/video/MiqJ_tfT5lY/video.html
MarkOfTheNorth the DX7 doesn’t have the capability to load sounds via data cassette. The cassettes are narrated audio recordings of the sounds and how the DX7 works etc. They are posted on CZcams and worth a listen for sure.
Wow ... in addition to some other synths I can mention ... the Juno-106, for example ... the DX7 is also one of those synths where if I found one in new condition like this, I'd probably wet myself. (Sorry for that mental image.)
🤣🤣🤣
Muy bueno!! Saludos desde Ecuador!!
Esse teclado é demais uma lenda viva!!!
Awesome man!!!! Why does she have an unused DX7 in her basement? That's pretty unusual and awesome at the same time . :D
With regards with the AD/in fxs, was the Chorus and Reverb fx on while doing the demo?
Oh, last question,
What interface did you plug the modx with while recording this video? Are you using the Zoom H6?
Thanks for the feedback! It was a sad story the lady told me: she bought this synth in '84 with all kinds of dreams and aspirations, but mostly she wanted to teach kids about FM synthesis and programming, but "life got in the way"...
Anyway, the dream continues here for sure!
As for the MODX A/D input, yes the Chorus, Reverb and Compression were on the entire way through, all at the same levels.
And while I usually use a Zoom H4n, in this video I routed the final stereo mix from the MODX to my Roland BK-5 and recorded directly to USB stick.
Thanks again for watching and subbing!
Whoa! Man, that is sad. She could've been an awesome synth teacher. I'm sure she is very happy that her DX7 is in good hands, and best of all, it's being used to educate the viewers here in CZcams. That is awesome man!
With regards to the FX and recording. Yeah, it's really cool how the Modx is giving the DX7 a really tight sound.
I personally think that recording with synthesizers or any instruments using an actual recorder (Zoom, roland) is wayyyy better than a DAW, computer. My entire creative ideas are all wasted during the process of turning on the computer, interface software, DAW program, setting up the tracks, etc., by the time I hit the "record" button, my minds a blank. Hahahaha but that's just me. Maybe I get to distracted too easily.
You're videos are awesome man! Cheers!
@@misterpigman Totally with you on the DAW sucking creativity! I just uploaded a EZ Step by Step of the process I used to plug the DX7 into the MODX and make this video czcams.com/video/Tyf0JOtkZ-s/video.html
Thank you so much for your support and kind words about these vids!
I keep my two Mk1 DX7’s in mint condition
I’ve told my wife to never go near them as she has the habit of moving my things around to “clean up”
I had a nightmare that my wife moved one of them and scratched and banged off the edge and that I kept looking for her to give her the riot act
Thank goodness it was just a nightmare
You are a lucky guy :D
Can you use any sustain pedal?
cool had a DX 7 my self got it second hand in 88 never got on with it
Wow!!! Wow!!! Wow!!!
pristine giant vintage, you are a lucky person ...
Great find. Doesn`t it say "Battery Low" when you power it on? This thing is nearly 40 years old.
Can you show how you set up your yamaha? I'm having trouble connecting it to my computer / speakers
Oh my God😱😍🎹🎶👏👏👏.. beautiful. Greeting for 🇧🇷 radio station😊
Wow. Looks like new.
Una Joya, posiblemente el último DX7 completamente nuevo en el planeta
OMG...what a lucky man you are..I envy you now..?? a unused DX 7 in original box and condition..!! 😎😥🎵 you lucky cheese. I had a Dx 2 once..but Actually had a second one years later on..And some of my songcovers Ive done is with the DX 7.!
3:06 Wow what is the name of that patch, I been looking for that kind of sound for a long time. Thank you
What keyboard are you using as a table...?