Yamaha DX7 Pt2 - Repairing the key contacts
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- This video shows my first impressions opening up the Synth and repairing the key contacts. I clean up with inside, removing 40 years of dust and start to rebuild the keybed. I start to realise the scale of work required to get this instrument back working.
Anyone know why the Yamaha chip has gold legs?
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...
Brilliant, can’t wait for part 3
Hi Dean, repaired a lot of keyboards but to my knowledge this key contact design is unique to the Yamaha DX7 and DX7 II. I haven't opened up a SY77 or SY85, but considering they were high end Yamahas, they may have this design too. I think its a durable design as long as you don't drop the keyboard.
Most modern keyboards since the 80s have that cheap rubber donut type design, which is simple and works well but is unrepairable when it wears out.
Thanks for the info! That's good to know.
I did similar "panel beating" on my DX7 MkII's key contacts. It's a very repairable design IMO.
They do seem rather robust - which is may be so many still exist.
Do you enjoy yours?
I owned mine about 20 years ago. I bought it for $150- it was in much better condition than yours, needing no spare parts or anything. I played mine for a couple of years, and sold it for about $800. I found the DX7 II to be very clean, kinda characterless compared to the MK I. There's a kind of noisyness in the original that's very unique. The MK II is very clean- so clean I just replaced it with software! These days I'm using Dexed.
going to have to give this another try. I was trying to bend them back into place with the board still attached. Think if you put the keys back in with this board removed it'll save you the headache of accidentally bending these when replacing keys.
It's a million times easier fully apart. Also don't put keys in and out with it assembled.
Hello how are you?
One of the keys on my keyboard (Bb in the central part of the keyboard) when pressed, it sounds much quieter than the others.
Would you help me ?
hello,
Is there an assembly order, contacts and keys on the base? I have a bad experience with this, because when I put the keys on the base, they end up bending the keybad's contact blades downwards. And that's terrible
Yes I found the same, that adding keys while the contacts are attached can bend the contacts.
So I removed all the contacts and set them all the same.
Then added all the keys, to board that holds them.
Then I add the contacts.
I found that to work best
I am sure there is a way to add a key without damaging the contacts, but I don't like the risk.
@@deancoyle
Perfect
I was thinking that I would be placing the keys incorrectly on the base.
so the most appropriate way is to mount the keys and then the contacts on the base.
I still have a small problem with two keys that sound a little quieter than the others,
I believe it is still an adjustment in their contact