Yamaha DX7 Operation Manual
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Yamaha DX7 Operation Manual

Digital programmable algorithm synthesizer
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See also: Service Manual , Owner's Manual
YAMAHA
AUTHORIZED
PRODUCT MANUAL
DX7
DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE
ALGORITHM SYNTHESIZER

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Summary of Contents for Yamaha DX7

  • Page 1 YAMAHA AUTHORIZED PRODUCT MANUAL DIGITAL PROGRAMMABLE ALGORITHM SYNTHESIZER...
  • Page 2 YAMAHA Digital Programmable Algorithm Synthesizer OPERATION MANUAL...
  • Page 3 Relocation If you plan to move the DX7 once it has been set up, first be sure to disconnect all cables that connect it to other equipment. This will help prevent accidental dam- age to the instrument or shorting of the cables.
  • Page 4 "spot" illustrations fit in the con- text of the entire instrument if you are reading the man- ual with the DX7 in front of you. If the instrument is not handy we suggest opening this cover fully revealing an overall front panel illustration that will remain visible as you flip through the inside pages.
  • Page 6 The DX7 has been type tested and found to be in compliance with the design and manufacturing standards established for "Class B" computing devices. Compliance with the standards established by the FCC does not guarantee that interference will be eliminated.

  • Page 7: Table Of Contents

    Playing the Slave from the Master Transmitting individual voices from the Master to the Slave Using DX7 RAM cartridges to save DX9 voices Programming remotely with MIDI Escaping from MIDI control A special setup with two Masters and no Slave...

  • Page 8: Conventions

    Both buttons are part of a group of 6 that are labeled in violet "OPERATOR ON-OFF/EG COPY". When the DX7 is in the EDIT mode, this label indicates that two different functions can be selected or activated by each button: (a) turning the output of an operator on or off, and (b) copying an envelope from one operator to another.

  • Page 9: Quick" Basic Features

    [DATA ENTRY] controls are assignable by means of the other buttons on the DX7. They take the place of the many knobs and sliders on conventional synthesizers. Another thing to remember is that, depending on the operating mode, the front panel controls may be used in different group- ings.
  • Page 10 However, these same buttons actually have multiple functions (up to 5 per button) which are accessi- ble when the DX7 is placed in the FUNCTION and EDIT modes. All labels on these buttons are color and posi- tion coded: white numbers on the inside left of the...
  • Page 11 and light brown characters below the buttons for FUNC- TION mode parameters. A brief example for two buttons is shown here, with the specific references for these two buttons noted in parentheses: Violet EDIT mode parameters (Pitch and Amplitude Modulation Sensitivity) Reverse printed White PLAY mode EDIT mode Voice...
  • Page 12 [DATA ENTRY] section so it can be used to program or edit the frequency of individual operators in a voice. MODE/SYNC The DX7 toggles between two different programming functions when you press this button successive times. One function, MODE, enables you to set the...
  • Page 13 KEYBOARD RATE SCALING In EDIT mode, this button activates the [DATA EN- TRY] section so its controls can be used to program or edit each operator so its envelope rates become faster as you move up the keyboard. The minimum setting (0) produces no scaling, so rates Rl, R2, R3 and R4 are the same on all keys, whereas the maximum setting (7) speeds up the rates more and more as you move from...
  • Page 14 VOICE INIT from the FUNCTION mode by press- ing the button and then answering [YES] to the two display prompts, the DX7 sets itself to the EDIT mode. A neutral "voice" then exists with no modulation, algo- rithm 1, operator 1 output level at 99 and all others off, "square"...
  • Page 15 Yamaha dealer to arrange for replacement; this is NOT a do-it-yourself repair. CARTRIDGE This pair of buttons sets the DX7 to transfer a full 32 voices between the internal and the cartridge memory Before voices can be transferred TO a cartridge or TO the DX7, the corresponding (MEMORY PROTECT) features must be turned off.
  • Page 16 1/4" (6.3 mm) diameter phone plug. The Breath Con- troller jack accepts the miniature stereo phone plug from a Yamaha BC-1 Breath Controller, which may be used to introduce LFO modulation or EG bias into most voices depending upon how the FUNCTION mode Breath Control parameters are set, and on whether modulation sensitivity is programmed into the voice.

  • Page 17: Setup

    FC-5 foot switch, which has a tip/sleeve phone plug. None of these jacks needs to be used for normal opera- tion of the DX7, but if the foot controllers are used, be sure you plug in the proper type of controller. The picto- rial diagrams on the rear panel should make this clear.

  • Page 18: Additional Technical Installation Notes

    To adapt the phone jack OUTPUT of the DX7 to an XLR input, first check the manual on the other equipment to see which pin of its XLR is the "hot"...

  • Page 19: Playing The Factory Preset Voices

    PLAYING THE FACTORY PRESET VOICES Playing the Internal Voices 1. If the DX7 happens to be on, turn it off. Then turn it back on while observing the display window. This will let you see the initial displays we are about to describe.

  • Page 20: Function Mode: Setting Overall Performance Parameters

    "MASTER GROUP", which is found in bank A of the DX7 VOICE ROM # 3 cartridge that comes with the instrument. (These procedures are virtually the same for the internal voices, but since we don't know what particular voices are loaded in the instrument, we are using a known set of voices for now.

  • Page 21: Poly/Mono

    16 of them can sus- tain at one time. As soon as all 16 notes have been played, the DX7 will drop the first of the 16 notes when the next one is played. Sometimes, however, you may wish to have the instrument act as a monophonic (single note) synthesizer...

  • Page 22: Pitch Bend Range & Step

    [RANGE] is automatically reset to 12 semitones.) Then use either of these When the DX7 is set for a pitch bend range of plus or minus an octave, the display should look like this: 3. Notice that if you hold a key and hold the PITCH wheel at a given position, moving the [DATA ENTRY] slider will not have an effect.

  • Page 23: Portamento & Glissando In Poly Mode

    SANDO turned off), and a moderate PORTAMENTO time of 80. Now let's explore "SUSTAIN: KEY PITCH FOLLOW" mode. 1. Since the DX7 is already in PORTAMENTO mode, press the [>] DATA ENTRY button or push up the slider to set the DX7 to SUSTAIN-KEY PITCH FOL- LOW mode.

  • Page 24: Glissando (Key Pitch Retain & Key Pitch Follow)

    [PORTAMENTO-MODE] and the DATA ENTRY [<] button. PORTAMENTO & GLISSANDO IN MONO MODE When the DX7 is placed in MONO mode rather than POLY mode, the available portamento/glissando effects change somewhat. When you press [PORTAMENTO MODE], you no longer have a choice of "RETAIN" or "FOLLOW"...

  • Page 25: Midi

    Master to the Slave, and you can also select and play voices on the Slave(s). To send all 32 voices to another DX7 (or 20 of them to a DX9), once "SYS INFO AVAIL" is displayed, press the MIDI button [8] again and, when the display asks "MIDI TRANSIT?"...

  • Page 26: Modulation Wheel

    a RAM cartridge before submitting the instru- ment for a new battery or repair. See page 49 for Cartridge Save and Load descriptions and directions. Please do not try to change the battery yourself ; expensive damage that is not covered by your Warranty may result.
  • Page 27 5. Play the keyboard and then move the MODULATION WHEEL toward "MAX". Notice it does not change the sound; that's because you just turned OFF the Wheel's effect. Set this wheel at maximum NOTE You will now be asked to turn on the MODU- LATION WHEEL effects and see how they can be used to alter the sound of different voices.

  • Page 28: How The Dx7 Creates Sounds

    EG BIAS Carriers, Modulators and FM The DX7 has 6 operators. When the output of one operator is connected to the input of another, modula- tion occurs. Harmonics are generated — up to a whole spectrum of frequencies that are the equivalent of a triangle wave or a sawtooth or a square wave, etc.

  • Page 29: Algorithms

    DX synthesizers digitally switch the operators to make up the various algorithms. The DX7 lets you select among 32 different algorithms. Referring to the diagrams on the top panel of the synthesizer, the small boxes numbered 1-6 are the operators, and each "map"...

  • Page 30: Feedback Is Available In Every Algorithm

    The results of using different frequency ratios, as well as different algorithms, are shown graphically in the accompanying illustration. In the left column, you see the resulting waveforms created by 1:1,2:1 and 3:1 frequency ratios when a modulator is stacked atop a carrier —...

  • Page 31: Envelope (S) Generators

    In the DX7, each of the 6 operators can be pro- grammed with its own envelope. Generally speaking, if an operator acts as a carrier in a given algorithm, its envelope controls the volume of the note.

  • Page 32: Voice Initialize

    Initially we urge you to read this section and follow instructions carefully as we give you a "guided tour" of the DX7 and show you how to program a voice "from scratch." This may seem more difficult, but it is actually a much better way for you to learn how each of the editing parameters (functions) really works.

  • Page 33: How To Interpret The Display

    3. The DX7 gives you one last opportunity to avoid wiping out any voice which you might have been creating by asking "are you sure you want to initialize the voice editing memory?"...

  • Page 34: Experimenting With The Eg

    OP1, you would not hear any- thing change because only operator 1 is contributing to the sound in the DX7's current status. This step, selecting the "current operator" to be OP1, is necessary so that you will hear the results of the adjustments we ask you to make in subsequent steps.
  • Page 35 This points out an interest- ing fact about the DX7 envelope rates. Given any setting (25 in this case), the actual rate of change in level will be faster when the level is increasing, and slower when the level is decreasing.

  • Page 36: Learning To Change The Operator Frequency Settings

    [OSCILLATOR-FREQUENCY COARSE] and [OSCIL- LATOR-FREQUENCY FINE] adjustments to repro- gram the operator. For most voices, the DX7 is set to this ratio mode. (The Voice Intialize function also-sets the DX7 to ratio mode.) The frequency does not have to follow the keyboard, however.
  • Page 37 , however , is not 50 , bu t is 99 , since, a s you know , the "initialized" envelop e has all rates a t 99 . Play a note an d you'll hear the DX7 is back to the "square " envelope .

  • Page 38: With The Operator Select Output Level And On-Off Edit Features

    "from scratch" here by pressing [FUNCTION], then [VOICE INIT], then answering [YES] [YES]. The DX7 will now be set as we assume it is for the following instructions. The display how- ever, may not match: if a different editing parameter is shown, press [OSCILLATOR-FREQUENCY COARSE].
  • Page 39 OP4, it cannot be adjusted which is turned On As you can see, the DX7 automatically performs the OPERATOR SELECT function if you turn OFF an operator that is set as the current operator. 3. Now press [OPERATOR SELECT] several times and observe that the display only moves between OP1 and OP2.
  • Page 40 Press this button (Don't confuse it with [EG LEVEL], button 22) Then move this slider upward slowly And repeatedly play notes until the display shows maxi- mum output level If you are familiar with analog synthesizers, you may see a parallel between this sound and that of a saw- tooth wave which is going through a filter that has a lot of resonance.
  • Page 41 And again adjust [DATA ENTRY] to hear the results of different frequency ratios as you play Leave Operator 2 set to a frequency ratio of 2.00 The sound you now hear will be simitar to that of a square wave in a conventional synthe- sizer.
  • Page 42 9. To compare what the sound is like with and without the carrier, you don't have to turn down the output level of operator 1; you can simply turn it off. Press [OPERATOR ON/OFF 1] to turn off the carrier, and try to play few notes.
  • Page 43 NOTE These instructions assume you have followed the instructions in the previous section, and that the DX7 is in the EDIT mode. Before you go on, the dis- play should appear as shown here, and Operators 1 and 2 should be programmed as indicated in the chart.
  • Page 44 22 dB per octave. 5. If necessary, reset the current operator to operator 1 by pressing (OPERATOR SELECT). The DX7 is still in rate scaling mode from the pre- vious step. 6. In order to show you an extreme setting, we will "split the keyboard"...

  • Page 45: Settings And The "Mod Sensitivity" Settings, And How To Program These

    In this case scaling operator 2 is not necessary so you can omit the process of setting its break point (which would be done by pressing [OPERATOR SELECT] and adjusting the value as desired). Now play some scales and notice that the sound is still reasonably uniform across the keyboard.
  • Page 46 LFO SECTION BLOCK DIAGRAM ments. One MODULATION SENSITIVITY control is provided for PITCH, and another for AMPLITUDE. In order for you to hear the result of any LFO PMD or AMD settings, the corresponding [MOD SENSITIVITY- PITCH] or [MOD SENSITIVITY-AMPLITUDE] param- eter must be greater than zero.
  • Page 47 This delayed onset of LFO modulation is available in the DX7 by using the LFO [DELAY] button; press it and set the delay value to 75 with the [DATA ENTRY] controls.
  • Page 48 The display should look like this. Play several brief notes 10. Now use [DATA ENTRY] to turn the sync OFF Again, play the same brief note several times, and listen to the pitch each time. You'll hear the initial pitch of each note change slightly as the randomly timed notes interact with the regularly oscillating LFO.
  • Page 49 NOTE In this part of the manual, we'll assume you are beginning to gain some familiarity with the DX7, so we won't use quite as many illustrations, nor will we always instruct you to use [DATA ENTRY] to alter a value if it should be obvious that that's how the value is changed.

  • Page 50: Programming Velocity Sensitivity

    99, it might seem that no further output can be achieved using the velocity sensitivity. To get around this problem, the DX7 is designed so that the nominal operator output level decreases as you program the operator for more key velocity sensitivity If an operator is programmed for...

  • Page 51: Edit Recall "Emergency Voice Recovery" Instructions

    OFF so that the memory is not protected. You will then have to turn off the software memory protection in the DX7 for the cartridge or internal memories by pressing the corresponding [MEMORY PROTECT] button and then pressing the [OFF] DATA ENTRY button.
  • Page 52 [VOICE INIT] function. In fact, [VOICE INIT) really does nothing more than to set all parameters to a default value, and then places the DX7 in the EDIT mode. If you want to change any other parameters, just press the appropriate selector butlon(s) and use [DATA ENTRY] or any other buttons required to program the new values.
  • Page 53 (unrestricted permission is hereby granted for you to reproduce as many of the DX7 Voice Data List forms as you wish). The accompanying form has been filled out as you might do it to describe the voice created in the Tutorial section of this manual.

  • Page 54: Editing A Voice

    To remain consistent with the panel labels on the DX7, we use the term "Store" to describe the process of placing the currently selected voice (the one which is being played or edited) into any location (1-32) in the internal or cartridge mem- ories.
  • Page 55 play a live performance and you want memories 1-32 to contain the voices you plan to play in numerical order. This can be done either in the internal memory or in the RAM cartridge memory Its best to have at least 1 "blank"...

  • Page 56: Advanced Programming Notes

    All of the preceding suggestions may be completely inappropriate if you are using the DX7 for creating spe- cial effects. Then you may want odd level scaling, extreme touch sensitivity and so forth.

  • Page 57: Work

    Notice that the 32 algorithms, as illustrated on the DX7 front panel, are sub-divided into 4 major groups (as shown by the boxes). While we are about to make a gross generalization, it can be useful in planning an approach to programming.

  • Page 58: Ensemble Voices May Differ From Solo Voices

    "too-kah" sound may do the job for a birdsong. The possibilities are particularly exciting when you blend the breath controller effect with the pitch bend wheel or other modulation sources. Special effects from [DATA ENTRY] while in PLAY mode The DX7 [DATA ENTRY] section continues to be...

  • Page 59: Reference Sources On Fm Synthesis

    (jumper from tip to sleeve). Insert this plug in the Portamento Foot Switch jack on the back of the DX7. It has the same effect as though you plugged in a foot switch but did not step on it.

  • Page 60: Playing And/Or Programming Multiple Synthesizers

    DX series, you can perform most functions from a single keyboard. For example, you can program a voice on one DX7 and then transfer that voice to another DX7. You can transfer part of a voice to the...

  • Page 61: Playing The Slave From The Master

    (assuming the porta- mento effect is in use) through MIDI. This works with multiple DX7s or with a DX7 MIDI connected to a DX9. If you do not want the Slave voice to be modi-...

  • Page 62: Using Dx7 Ram Cartridges To Save Dx9 Voices

    When going from a DX9 to a DX7, the key level scal- ing will always be set to the exponential curve, with a value corresponding to whatever scaling value had been set the DX9.

  • Page 63: Maintenance And Troubleshooting

    ("chips"). These are generally quite reliable, although malfunctions can occur. If you do not get sound out of the DX7, there is always a chance that the circuitry is malfunctioning. More often, however, the reason can be traced to something less drastic, like a foot controller plugged into the VOLUME jack and set for zero level.

  • Page 64: Dx Synthesizer Glossary

    L3 determine the attack time and level, while R2 sets the turn-on delay; Rl should be at 99. Break point In the DX7, the operator output level and the envelope rates may be scaled to increase or decrease as notes are played across the keyboard. With the key-...
  • Page 65 RAM cartridge (which you can do with the [CART FORM] button in FUNCTION mode), the DX7 stores a very simple, basic voice in the memory This voice has all "square" envelopes (all rates and levels at 99 except level 4, which is 0 — operator 1 output level at 99 and all others at 0 —...
  • Page 66 Release In a synthesizer, this is the time it takes for the note to die away after you let go of the key In the DX7, rate 4 of the envelope is equivalent to the release rate;...
  • Page 67 Save In the DX7, "Save" describes the process of simul- taneously placing all 32 internal memory voices into the correspondingly numbered RAM cartridge memories. Sawtooth wave A waveform that contains the funda- mental and both odd and even harmonics. In conven- tional synthesizers, a sawtooth wave may be used to create rich, "brassy"...

  • Page 68: Specifications

    DX7 SPECIFICATIONS Keyboard 61 keys, Cl to C6: velocity and pressure sensitive (Initial & After touch): 16 note polyphonic, and may be set to monophonic Sound Source FM digital tone generators: 6 operators and 32 algo- rithms Internal Memory RAM memory with 32-voice capacity; battery back- up prevents loss when AC power is turned OFF Lithium battery has 3 to 5 year service life.

  • Page 69: Voice Initialization

    INDEX AC power C*,12-14,20,27,58,59,61,63 after touch C,4,10,16,21,23,42,44,52,58,59,61,63 algorithm 6,9,24-26,28,33,34,38,39,44,46,47,52,55,59,62,63 AMD (amplitude modulation depth) 6,40-43,51,59,63 amplitude modulation 4,6,7,10,11,22,23,40,43,53,58,59,63 audio output 4,12-14,23,63 battery (batt check) C,4,5,10.16,20,54,56,58-61,63 BC-1 (see "breath controller") bias (see "E.G. Bias") break point 39,40,45,51,59,63 breath controller 4,6,10,11,12,16,21,23,42,43,53,63 buffer 10,27,28,32,46,57,60 carrier 6-8,10,23-29,32,33,35-38,40,42,43,45,52,53,58-62 cartridge C,3-6,9,10,14-16,20,22,27,28,38,46,47,49,50,54,56,57,59- cartridge form(at) 9,20,59...
  • Page 70 YAMAHA VOICE DATA LIST...
  • Page 71 DX7 OM 5/20/99 19E0112 international Corp., Box 6600, Buena Park, Calif. 90622...
  • Page 72 YAMAHA Yamaha Corporation of America 6600 Orangethorpe Avenue, P.O. Box 6600 Buena Park, CA 90622-6600 DX7 OM 10/11/99 19J0062...

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