From Kenny Balys Sent Fri, Sep 28th 2018, 20:02
The 4-op DX9 has a little more crunch than the 6-op DX7. Each operator gets more of the bandwidth. I have spent some time trying to get subtle crazy stuff in the DX9 to happen on a DX7 and its just not possible. For the most part, the extra two operators on a DX7 seem to be used to add a "Tchick" or "Pffffaaaa" on the attack of a sound. Based on experiments I will always take the 4-op DX9 over a DX7. The DX100 and the DX21 series of 4-ops had a mushy sound that did not stand against the DX9 in my opinion. On 28.09.18 19:30 , Seth Elgart wrote: > It's not necessarily any secret sauce but the DX7 was more flexible than the > TX81Z/v50. The DX7 has 6 operators vs the 81Z having only 4 operators, although > to be fair there were other waveforms besides sine waves on the 4-op synths. > Also, the DX7 has more algorithms as well although I don't recall the relative > numbers of them for each. Six operators means you can have an algorithm with > three stacks of two on a DX7, for example, and so have three sound construction > kits in a sense. That's a distinct advantage over the 4-op synths which would > only give you the possibility of two 2-operator stacks. Or as another example if > you're "faking" additive synthesis you'd have six partials in the "straight > line" algorithm on a DX7 vs four on an 81Z. Another advantage of the DX7 is that > it had more buttons than the 4-op models. Not necessarily easier to program but > at least there were more parameters accessible without menus. > > So basically it's not that one's better than the other, although I think I'd > give the 6-op synths a bit of a nod over the 4-op ones just for a bit more > flexibility. Note though that the later 4-operator synths were much less > expensive than the original 6-op ones as they basically have everything combined > on a single FM chip vs the DX7 which had different chips for different functions. > > Seth > > > On Fri, Sep 28, 2018 at 12:58 PM justin reed <xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxx.xxx > <mailto:xxxxxx.xxxx@xxxxx.xxx>> wrote: > > I have always been curious if there is some secret sauce to the dx7 that > makes it superior tp the later Yamaha FMs... > > it was my understanding that later models only expanded on the functionality > of the first flagship with new technologies and better audio...is that wrong? > > are there functions possible with a dx7 that are not possible on a tx817 or > v50 etc... > > genuinely curious question from an admitted FM dummy > > best > jr >