slighlty OT: some synths...

[Jim Patchell]

Paul Maddox wrote:

<snip>

>   sorry, I like FM a lot :-)
>
>   Paul
>

    Hey, I don't think there is anything to be sorry about.  Besides the
TX81z I have a TX816 (8 DX7's in a rack).  I wouldn't give that thing up for
nothing.  I even wrote a patch editor for it a long time ago to run on my
Atari ST.  I still use that stuff.

    -Jim

>
> *********************************************************
> *   Modulus Synthesiser DIY page ;-                             *
> *                       http://www.xavax.com/modulus    *
> *  Email ;-                                                     *
> *         Paul.Maddox at unilever.com                              *
> *********************************************************
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Martin Hatfield [SMTP:ST95000430 at uwic.ac.uk]
> Sent:   Wednesday, November 10, 1999 3:58 PM
> To:     Mark Cornell
> Cc:     synth DIY
> Subject:        Re: slighlty OT: some synths...
>
> No-one seems to have answered Marks query about the DX11. Here's what I
> do know.
>
> The DX11 is a smaller version (in terms of polyphony at anyrate and
> poss size too ) of Yamaha's classic DX11, which was essentially the synth
> that halted the progress of analogue. It uses FM synthesis whereby the
> frequency of one sine wave is modulated by another to form an operator.
> A voice is constructed by linking several operators together in different
> ways. The different DX's all had a different number of operators. I think
> the DX7 had maybe 8? and the DX11 possibly 6? This is guessing a bit
> though. If you look on the front panel of the synth (built like a tank as
> you've no doubt already noticed) you'll see the different configurations
> of the operators possible displayed in the top right corner.
>
> FM synthesis is best known for it's electric pianos, bell sounds and hard
> (rather than analogue style warm) basses. The DX's have a reputation for
> being hard to program though I think people expect all styles of
> synthesis to be as immediate as analogue.
>
> Yamaha's most recent rackmount synth also uses FM synthesis and a
> vague descendant of it called formant synthesis. It's probably worthwhile
> seeing if you can get your hands on the synth for an afternoon and having
> a good tweak.
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Martin Hatfield
> M.C.Hatfield at uwic.ac.uk