DX-7 or DX-7 II...??? - Page 3

asbak · 5th January 2021

Years ago I bought a battered DX7 IIFD on the cheap. Bizarrely, externally it looked OK'ish but internally it was a mess.

Anyway, one problem I ran into was with the micro-switches for the buttons. Many of them didn't work well. I don't know whether I was particularly unlucky or whether Yamaha used switches that were prone to failing on this model but either way, I ended up desoldering and replacing all of them. That took a while.

Works great now.

When buying a series II you may want to test each button to be sure it works well and you don't have to push a hole in the synth to get it to register.

Deleted 4d80fd1 · 5th January 2021

I had the IIFD and had a few buttons going bad. I sold it when I moved and ended up picking up a mint OG DX7 a couple of years later. It's a hard one for me I like both sounds very much and of course they are very much alike but at the same time they are different. The IIFD has more of a 3d sound and layering capabilities. The original isn't nearly as dynamic but definitely has a sound in its favor as well.

robotunes · 14th January 2021

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcppp ➡️

Was there ever a rack version of the DX7 II-d made?
Am working on my brother's DX7 (battery replacement) and heard some great sounds out of the DX7-IId on Youtube,
but no space for a full keybed. (His keys are being worked on in the breezeway, no room for a 5 octave synth in my lab)

No big woop if there isn't.

thanks

The TX802 is pretty much 8 DX7IIs, each with 2 voices. Put them on the same MIDI channel, press some buttons and you’ve got a 16-voice synth. Doesn’t have the keyboards assignable dual sliders or unison mode (you’ll have to detune each of the 8 synths yourself; no big deal) but it’s pretty much the same. A bit noisier in my experience because you’re summing the outputs of 8 synths, but it’s not horrible for those of us used to older gear.

I sold my DX7IIfd to get it for lack of space.

naos · 20th April 2022

My advice would be don't bother and buy a Volca FM rev2. Better sound and 1% of the desk space.

Breaks Dude · 20th April 2022

I have a IIFD and a TX81Z but tend to use Arturia's DX7 mostly these days. But if I see a MK I I'll grab it as well just to have around.

PrismSynthesis · 20th April 2022

Now that OPS7 offers the functionality and sound of the DX7, DX5 and DX1, it seems like the best option. It can give you the realtime UI of the Opsix if you match it with the right controller.

CJ1973 · 26th December 2023

Great topic and thread. Anyone know if the DX7II will take the same cartridges from the original DX7? Thx

PolyMTL · 26th December 2023

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ1973 ➡️

Great topic and thread. Anyone know if the DX7II will take the same cartridges from the original DX7? Thx

It won’t. The DX7II’s are wider.

SidneySheldon · 26th December 2023

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Man Micron ➡️

I'd hate to start a rumour, but do all original DX7 sound the same?

I've had two. My first had an early serial number and I remember it sounding nice and grungy but with a lot of background noise (very annoying).

My second, which I have now, has a much higher serial no, seems much cleaner and is a lot more punchy. It sounds really "3D" and I don't find background noise to be an issue at all with this one.

I didn't have them at the same time so couldn't directly compare. Could my memory be deceiving me or could my first have been faulty? Or could Yamaha have changed the convertors or something else?

I also used FM7 for a while which made some nice pads, but sounded flat compared to either of my hardware units. I've never used FM8 or a DX7II.

pure truth

SidneySheldon · 26th December 2023

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachel ➡️

The original DX7 is an 16 voice monotimbral synth.
The DX7-II is bitimbral and can produce layers and splits.

The DX7 has a pretty poor MIDI implementation but the MK-II has
an excellent MIDI spec. The DX has a 12bit DAC and the II has a 16bit
DAC.

All round, the II is a much better synth.

rachel

except, it doesn’t sound near as good as the original mk1.

if you really want that mk2 sound, I’d reccommend a sy99, same engine+more stuff

robotunes · 27th December 2023

Quote:

Originally Posted by SidneySheldon ➡️

except, it doesn’t sound near as good as the original mk1.

if you really want that mk2 sound, I’d reccommend a sy99, same engine+more stuff

Since the SY99 can’t read DX7 or mk2 patches, some people might be disappointed with it (though it’s an incredible synth for us programmers).

The TX802 is much closer to the DX7 mk2, though it has a couple of gotchas that I mentioned earlier in this thread.

Arctan07E · 27th December 2023

The sound quality differences between DX7, DX7II-D and DX7S are completely negligible unless analysed in a strictly technical scientific context. I have owned 7 different specimens of the DX7, 3x DX7II-D, 2x DXS and a golden ear. Now I only have the OPS7 software and the ear. It tells me it's a good choice.

For hardware aficionados, any DX7 model will deliver everything that is expected from a DX synth of the era. It's a matter of what other things you want more. DX7 - simplicity and expandability (I put a SuperMax card inside and a TX7 outside), DX7II - voice stacking, splits and stereo, DX7S - lower prices. All are super cool.

dikrek · 27th December 2023

Quote:

Originally Posted by robotunes ➡️

Since the SY99 can’t read DX7 or mk2 patches, some people might be disappointed with it (though it’s an incredible synth for us programmers).

The TX802 is much closer to the DX7 mk2, though it has a couple of gotchas that I mentioned earlier in this thread.

You may want to check this thread

Loading DX-7 FD into SY99 - where are all the best patches?

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