[sdiy] Yamaha DXy DCO's

[Rude 66]

interesting. and don't forget the fs-1r, which could also import dx-sounds i
believe. if you really want to get into fm now, try native instruments' fm7.
it even has a 'normal' interface beginners can choose, but can do very
complex and cool things.. they took it a domension further than yamaha..

r./


----- Original Message -----
From: <WeAreAs1 at aol.com>
To: <synth-diy at dropmix.xs4all.nl>
Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 6:48 PM
Subject: Re: [sdiy] Yamaha DXy DCO's


> Just to clarify things (I hope), the original DX7 had two main IC's to
> generate its tone.  One IC was referred to as the Operator IC, and the
other one was
> called the Envelope IC.  When the 4-operator synths came out, they
contained
> just one IC that had all tone generation functions in one chip.  The
> DX21/DX27/DX100 are examples of this.  Not much later, they started
producing a series
> of 2-operator, 8-bit FM chips, and used these in a lot of different
> consumer-type instrumants (the PSR/PSS/Portasound instruments).  They also
were able to
> get computer soundcard makers and video game makers to start using this IC
in
> OEM applications, and they sold a lot of FB-01 modules which contained
this
> 2-operator chip.  About this time, they introduced the second generation
of
> 6-operator FM units -- the DX7-II series -- which reduced all the tone
generation
> fuction down to just one IC, added a few additional sound parameters, and
> upped the output resolution from 12-bit to 16 bits.  The next generation
of FM
> chip was the one used in the TX81z/DX11 and a bunch of other very
forgettable
> instruments (like the B200 and the TQ5).  This 4-operator FM chip had the
added
> benefit of 8 different waveforms for the operators (not just sine waves),
which
> greatly enhanced its ability to make more comlex tones with fewer
operators.
> This IC was also sold to Korg for use in a few Korg keyboards and modules
> (the DS-8, etc).  Not long after that, they brought out the next, and
pretty much
> final version of 6-operation FM IC's in the SY77, SY99, and TG77.  These
> instruments had the multiple FM waveforms of the TX81z, lots more sound
> parameters, digital resonant filters (on separate IC's), and the ability
to combine PCM
> sample playback with the FM sounds.  They sounded fantastic, but by then,
the
> marketplace battle had been pretty much lost to straight PCM sample
playback,
> and Yamaha stopped making new FM instruments in favor of the more vanilla
> sample players.  Yamaha still sold a lot of little FM chips to computer
soundcard
> makers (such as the Creative Labs Soundblaster series), but it disappeared
> from Yamaha's professional line.  They got around to bringing it back in
the late
> 19990's, with the introduction of the EX5 synth, which had multiple
methods
> of tone generation, including a form of FM.  They are now producing a
"plug-in"
> sound card (the PLG-150DX), which is a full-featured 32-voice 6-operator
FM
> tone generator that can be added to any Yamaha synth that has their PLG
plug-in
> slots (such as the S80, CS6X, etc.).  This soundcard is also used in
Yamaha's
> very cool DX200 tabletop synth/sequencer, which has a bunch of knobs for
> real-time control over FM voice parameters (as well as good-sounding
resonant
> filters!).  I have one of these cards in my MU100R sound module, and I
love it.
> It has full compatibility with all old 6-operator FM voice data via sysex.
> It's very nice to see Yamaha once again supporting this great method of
tone
> generation, even after their exclusive patent on the method has expired.
Kind of
> like Dr Moog with his Voyager synth, in my opinion.
>
> Michael Bacich