I cannot believe no one mentioned the YS models yet... :-) They are 4OP FM synths with a pretty ugly look, but that might be cool on an EDM stage... and the YS200 even has an 8track sequencer!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_YS200

Just googled TX7 buy, nothing in the $130U.S. range.

right so i just received a Volca FM at last. been
curious about it for a long time.

thing is, i've had a tx802 sitting around i've not used,
and a tx81z forever.

mm. shame they didn't give it sysex editing...
edit: yezzz it can :o)))

You can edit it via sysex.

er yeah i rephrased that.

it can? was getting the impression it could
only receive complete patches as sysex dumps.

sounds good.

If you have an iPad get the "Patchbase" App. It is an amazing editor for the Volca FM, I also use it for my TX7, FB-01, and DX100 as well as a bunch of other things

no iPad. starting to come round to the idea though.
was thinking of oldergearguys's tx802 Remote mapping.

Lemur -for iPad and Android- has a really nice TX81z editor template that can be edited even further to your liking. I think they have others for the DX/TX series, I know I also have one for my Reface DX. The one for the TX81z has really opened up that synth for me.

TX81z


Reface DX

seen ridiculously cheap Android tablets the other day
(never bothered looking before)
Patch Base seems to support a long list of devices.

I would spend the extra money for an iPad. It's a little backwards compared to the comparable Android tablets but there are far more music gear manufacturers that code their editing software and add-ons for iOS. Why??? I don't f'n know, but I bought one kicking and screaming and at this point I can't believe I went this long without.

One thing I can tell you, a lot of apps like these hardly use any resources so if you find a deal on an older used model you won't really skip a beat -no pun-.

I assume it’s because Android has always been total trash when it comes to audio latency and therefore iOS is really the only game in town for mobile realtime audio apps. Doesn’t matter for MIDI editors, but iOS has the audio/synth userbase sewn up so it’s natural the devs would make apps for the platform those people already use.

Yes it does and all of them are top notch, I use it for Yamaha DX100, FB-01, TX7. Roland D550, D-05, JV1080, JV 1010, DSI Mopho, Casio CZ-101, Korg Microkorg and Volca FM

If they had a M1 editor I would not have sold my M1r rack, but I have the iM1 and that sounds exactly the same

I have a tx81z & an ipad. I like the tx, but mine is noisy, need to try using an editor. For the price its hard to beat. There are some great fm softsynths on iOS, I like Phrasemaker & DXi.

I dunno if you'll be able to beat the TX81Z or TX802 (rackmount DX7II) in price... all the modules with a similar sound (tg77, casio vz-10m and vz-8m, kawai k5) seem to be selling for twice the price if not more (fs1r)... like 300+$ or something.

Used Nord Rack 3 would be perfect except the price which is ~$1000.

remember deciding that Yamaha FM has a finer sound than Casio VZ,
and a better voice structure. also, this is about small and portable.

small and cheap and portable

Collecting Nords seems to be my new hobby. First, I have to admit I have a problem.

just thought: if korg wanted to do another Volca,
with early 80s heritage, the Poly800?

this thing is excellent.

wondering if there's more to know about this sequencer?
seems it's just 16ths for 1bar, ?8ths for 4?, ..
what is Warp Active Step ? (rtfm..)

shame you can't just dial in quantize resolution with the
arp rate control

edit: aha, pattern chaining... have to try that.

What about the Yamaha V50? Seems like it was the best 4 OP FM synth yamaha has made. I just found one for $100 but that might be cheaper than you'd find in the USA. What do you guys think about 4OP synths vs 6OP synths?

Ignore the volca fm imo, fm without velocity sensitivity.. the expressiveness of fm via velocity is one of fm’s strongpoints and they left that out to a large extent. Weird!!

tx18z, despite being 4 op, in some ways has more features and possibilities than tx7 but also vice versa, so try reading into those and pick which one is best for you, either is a nice buy in terms of what you are looking for.

You have a problem with sexy?

Because Nords are sexy.

**** rehab.

updated thoughts on this. ok i agree about the velocity on the volca.
but you can still have it as a MIDI CC (which isn't the same as playability,
i know) - it is still a good way to have FM sound in an easy compact
portable form. c'mon; a little portable FM box with a software editor?(Dexed)

there's a slight issue with long releases and clicks from notestealing,
but there's still a lot you can do with it.

so that tells me: noooo do not let go of the TX802 - which is the
'proper' 6-op version: 8 parts, 8 outs

but then, comparing 6-op with TX81z 4-op, i realise that the extra
waveforms on the 81z give you an easy non-destructive way to
switch through harmonic content - or 'brightness'. i'm new to 6-op
and i'm noticing that editing is maybe easier on the 81z.

so there's a choice there, with portability, or multi-outs, or more
immediate editing.

(edit: if i had to choose one...?? still the first one i got: TX81z
cheaper and more available. bearing in mind my use is
more in a house/acid/techno etc. context, not as a 'keyboardist'.
-but it's the volca i'm using at the moment. a combination of
81z and volca could be good, if you want the 2nd part you tend
to want when you've just got the 81z)

DX-1 on Craigslist now, if you have $9k to spare.

Treating the Volca as a typical FM synth will lead to disappointment.

The Volca FM is a performance sequencer with an FM sound engine attached. That's why velocity is designed to be played with a slider instead of from a keyboard.

With the Volca FM's sequencer, the velocity slider acts like a filter knob on a subtractive synth on patches that have velocity-enabled modulators.

Volca FM is actually an ingenious design but people don't see it for what it is. They think of it as a pint-size DX7. The Volca FM was not made for those people.[/QUOTE]

If you don't have an iPad get dx manager for pc to edit your dx synths. Even if you do have an iPad it's still worth checking out.

I prefer tx7 and tx802 to tx81z.

lol that's why i'm hanging onto all 3 at the moment.