I bought a Yamaha DX7!

Say hello to the newest addition to my little Barcelona studio, the Yamaha DX7 digital programmable algorithm synthesizer. Thanks to a tip from fellow vintage synth enthusiast, Dmitry Ghost, I was able to pick it up at the local CashConverters for a reasonable price. All seems to be in good working order, so now I just have to figure out how to program the thing.

Vintage Synth Explorer describe it as,

One of the most popular digital synths ever was the DX7 from Yamaha, released in 1983. It featured a whole new type of synthesis called FM (Frequency Modulation). It certainly is not analog and it is difficult to program but can result in some excellent sounds! It is difficult because it is non-analog and thus, a whole new set of parameters are available for tweaking, many of which seemed counter-intuitive and unfamiliar. And programming had to be accomplished via membrane buttons, one data slider and a small LCD screen.

To get started, there is a wealth of DX7-related information at Dave Benson's DX7 Page and tons of preset voices at the DX7 Librarian Page. I bet if you check back here soon, you may just happen to find a couple of these oh-so-80's sounds in one of my tracks. Stay tuned!