Faster boot-up. Reduced boot time by about 1.5 seconds. [v2.10+] Fixed a Yamaha bug in the oscillator frequency table. (Affects stock DX7’s before v1.8, original SuperMAX and unlicensed SuperMAX clones. Unknown which other expansions are affected.) [v2.10+] ...
Documentation Disclaimer The SuperMAX was originally developed in the mid-80's by MAXsystems in France. The "SuperMAX+" version is manufactured by Music Technologies Group with permission from the original developer, however, MTG has limited insight into (or ability to change) the underlying functionality. MTG, like you, is simply interested in getting the very most out of such a ground-breaking synthesizer by using this great mod.
2: Starting Out The first time you power-up the DX7 with the SuperMAX installed, and in fact any time the battery is changed, there will be a 5-second delay before the greeting message is seen. This is normal, do not panic. The greeting message should look something like this: Welcome to SuperMAX+!
Saving and Loading You can save a complete bank of 32 sounds and functions to any RAM cartridge in 3 possible formats: SuperMAX Format, DX-MAX Format or standard DX7 Format. DX-MAX is another MAXsystems product that preceded the SuperMAX. When you load patches from a cartridge, SuperMAX is able to automatically recognize the right format: ...
MAXsystems v2.10 With stock Yamaha ROMs you will be prompted to enter Test Mode. Other expansions may offer part of the test mode or some other message. [Rev B] The latest revision of the SuperMAX+ board has a physical switch on the circuit board that lets you add a velocity offset to the DX7’s MIDI note data.
3: Arpeggiator Each of your SuperMAX patches will reference one of the thirty-two arpeggiators stored in the SuperMAX memory. It's essential you leave at least one of these 32 arpeggiators "off" so that patches that don't utilize arpeggiation can reference that particular arpeggiator.
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The choices for MODE are: OFF = Arpeggiator is off UP = Arpeggio from low to high DOWN = Arpeggio from high to low UP/DOWN = Arpeggio from low->high then from high->low BACKWARD ASSIGN = Arpeggio reversed from the played notes ...
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BUTTON 6: EDIT Arpeggiator Extend Mode Arpeggiator # EXT MODE=REPEAT The choices for EXT MODE are: REPEAT = Each note is repeated as many times as chosen in Func #5 RANDOM = The number of repetitions is random (the maximum value is the one chosen in func #5) ...
BUTTON 10: EDIT Arpeggiator Tempo/Clock Arpeggiator # TEMPO= 80 The range for the TEMPO setting is 40 through 240 BPM and additional values for MIDI Clock IN are MIDI/4, MIDI/2, MIDIx1, MIDIx2, MIDIx4. In Use When using the arpeggiator, the first decision you need to make is whether one arpeggiator is used for the entire DX7 or whether each patch can select it's own arpeggiator.
4: Temperament There are four temperament in the SuperMAX. Whichever one you select is "live" for both use and editing. Selection BUTTON 14: Temperament Select Temperament # 95.00 B 5 Using the Data Slider or + / - buttons, choose a temperament number, 1 through 4.
5: Top-Level Control Settings There are two settings that determine which additional parameters get saved with a patch. Button 11 "SUPERMAX CONTROL ARPEGGIATOR", discussed earlier in the Arpeggiator chapter, sets whether each patch has it's own arpeggiator (setting = RAM) or if there is one global arpeggiator (setting = 1). ...
6: Patch Function Settings There are several new SuperMAX parameters that can be saved with each patch. These include volume, keyboard zones, MIDI channel out and which arpeggiator the patch is assigned to use. See the previous chapter as well because the keyboard zone and arpeggiator number can be overridden by a global value.
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The choices for MIDI KEY OUT are: MID = The middle portion of the keyboard higher than LIMIT KEY L and lower than LIMIT KEY H is active. LEF = The keyboard zone to the left (below) LIMIT KEY L is active. ...
7: Delay SuperMAX provides several programmable Delay parameters for a variety of digital delay effects that greatly expand the DX7's sound capabilities. BUTTON 22: Delay Time SupMAX Function DELAY TIME= The Delay Time can be set from 10 to 9930 milliseconds. BUTTON 23: Delay Volume SupMAX Function DELAY VOLUME= 0...
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With each repeat the pitch increases by the value set here. There are two scales. Scale 1 is the fractional part .00 to .99 (cents/hundredths of a semitone). Scale 2 is the whole number of semitones (0 to 12). BUTTON 26: Delay Hold SupMAX Function DELAY HOLD= OFF...
8: Voice Stacking SuperMAX allows you to stack a DX7 patch in modes of 16x1 (standard, no stacking), 8x2, 5x3 or 4x4. Each of the extra three voices can have it's own volume and pitch. Thus you can create not only chorus/flange type effects, but also octave and chording.
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Here you can set the coarse pitch for each of the three additional voices in semitones from -24 to +24. BUTTON 29: Stack Voice Fine Pitch Voice Stack Mode FINE 2=-12.00 Voice Stack Mode FINE 3=- 5.00 Voice Stack Mode FINE 7.00 Here you can set the fine pitch for each of the three additional voices in cents...
9: Patch Creation/Morphing The Rolling Mode, Sound Creator and Velocity Cross-switch modes allow as many as 4 separate sounds to be assigned to a performance controller and then used in a rotational or random manner. The Sound Creator can also be used to reveal sounds that exist between 2 user- selectable sounds.
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RANDOM = Any of the 4 sounds chosen at random. ROTATE = The sound changes with each key down, in the order chosen in Fun #32 (below). BUTTON 31(b): Choose Sound Creator Controller Once you have selected Sound Creator, you must then set the controller that causes the patch to vary.
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Rolling Mode PATCH 2= PATCH 3= PATCH 4= Once the patch in question is visible (2, 3 or 4) then the patch value on the right can be adjusted in the range of 1 to 32. BUTTON 32(b): Choose Sound Creator Patches Once you have selected Sound Creator, you must choose the patches that it utilizes.
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10: MIDI MIDI Memory Bank Selection Recall that the DX7 has 32 internal patches accessed by pressing the INTERNAL button and then one of the patch numbers 1 through 32. The later versions of the stock DX7 OS also support MIDI patch number 33 through 64 for accessing a cartridge if a cartridge is installed.
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Other MIDI Additions The following Continuous Controller and System Real-Time Messages functions were added. These have not been fully tested or characterized by the author. # 122 Local Control On/Off # 124 Omni Off # 125 Omni On MIDI Clock See the “Arpeggiator Tempo/Clock”...
11: Tips & Troubleshooting 1. Keep in mind that the DX7 has only 16 voices that are used to generate all of the instruments sounds and effects. When excessive delay is used or a combination of several effects or too many notes are played, some of the notes may not sound.
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If the global Arpeggiator is disabled (Func #11, Page 2) then you are using a per-patch Arpeggiator. Make sure that the one chosen by your patch (Func #21, Page 2) is the same as the one you are editing (Func #1, Page 2).
Appendix A: SuperMAX Factory Sounds First Bank A D S + Second Bank A D S + 1 Caligula 1 Roundabout Y Y 2 Prokofiev Y Y C 2 BottleBell Y Y Y C 3 StackSynth 3 5th Synth. Y Y C 4 BrassFatty Y Y C 4 JazRokArpg Y Y Y R...
Appendix B: Panel Layout See the following two pages for the DX7 panel layout showing from top to bottom for each button: Standard DX7 EDIT/COMPARE operation in violet on brown Standard DX7 white on green number/letter BUTTON. Standard DX7 FUNCTION in tan on brown (Plus new "Memory Bank"...