ORIGIN OF THE DX7 & FM SYNTHESIS
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- Опубликовано: 11 июн 2024
- In this special episode of Synth Quest, I present the origin and history of FM Synthesis and the Yamaha DX7.
Unfortunately, Episode 2 was never finished. It was planned as a general demonstration of the DX7 in the style of my normal Synth Quest format and wasn't intended to be another exhaustive documentary. I had planned to research the development of the DX7II as well but that would require significant input from Yamaha, which I haven't been able to secure.
Special thanks to Dr. John Chowning and Mr. Hiro Kato for setting my course to research this story. I consider the research in this video as the tip of the iceberg. If anyone has additional photos, information, or prototype examples, please let me know so I can update this video.
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/ madfame
TIME JUMP
0:00 Synth Quest Intro
0:35 Episode Intro
0:55 Chapter 1 - Computer Music | Max Mathews & Music I
1:42 Chapter 2 - Electroacoustic | John Chowning
4:09 Chapter 3 - FM Discovery
6:07 Chapter 4 - FM License | Stanford & Yamaha
9:46 Chapter 5 - Sound Technology | Yamaha Electones and Synthesizers
12:44 Chapter 6 - FM Development | MAD System
14:28 Chapter 7 - FM Development | TRX & #1600 (GS series & CE series)
17:25 Chapter 8 - FM Development | PAMS & DSX (DX Series)
21:34 Outro | Credits and Thanks 
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This is by far the most professional, detailed and informative history on FM on RUclips (and elsewhere), very well done. Here's to hoping there will be a pt 2 one day.
Wow! I had no idea the development was this organic. Step by step. Many venturing into a complete unknown; leap of faith that something could come of this. Cheers to Yamaha for taking a gamble. They deserve their success and accolades. Speculative visionaries that added something new and wondrous to the world. It's what we all wish we could do.
Well said, this technology had so many obstacles, it's very fortunate that it even made it out into the world at all. You're right about venturing into the unknown, this was so new and required such a change in thinking and technology that they had to create it from scratch. Absolutely amazing.
Excellent video - thanks for taking the time to make this!
My pleasure! I'm glad to know this comprehensive version of the FM/DX story is finally out there. Great work on your channel btw, thanks for stopping by! :)
madFame thanks!
Loopop this is an awesome doc on this beast :-)
I like that this video brings up the fact that digital synthesis has its roots about as early as analog synthesizers. It's just that the affordability curves just reached an inflection point with the Yamaha DX-7.
Wow! I appreciate the research that went into this. You’ve created a great resource for FM fans.
I appreciate that! It was a lot of work doing this on my own, but I'm glad this info is finally out there. Thanks for watching :)
@@madFame I knew a lot of this history, but what I didn't before realize was HOW MANY prototypes Yamaha went through. Truly amazing! The depth of research required to not only collect all this information but ALSO get pictures of all the prototypes is very impressive. Thank you so much for doing this! No doubt this was an incredible amount of work to put together.
My first polyphonic synth was a DX7. I still remember when the DX series first came out; the discussions that were had between musicians and the impact the DX7 had on people at the time.
At lot of it seems to be forgotten today. For example, many people underestimate the importance of the touch sensitivity of the keybed and the polyphony. The DX line had a lot of features that were not common, if found at all, on analog synths of the time. For many, the DX was the first synthesizer that felt like a REAL instrument in its responsiveness and was ALSO affordable. That's not just FM at play there; the combination of key scaling, velocity and aftertouch and breath controller made it feel like an organic instrument, not just a box of electronics. The high polyphony for the time meant you could finally do jazz chords on a synth. The fact that FM sounded like nothing that came before certainly was helpful, too, but those other things combined with the price point are what really turned it into a best-seller. It also was a LOT easier to haul around everywhere than a Rhodes.
Also, analog purists aren't a new invention. They existed right the day the DX came out. There were vociferous DX and digital haters and they used all the same arguments back then that we still hear today. There were also too many who went all-in on digital. My position always was that digital and analog offer different palettes that complement each other and both technologies deserve a place in a well-rounded keyboard rig. Layering them well gives something more than the sum of the parts and thanks to MIDI that became possible to do easily from the DX onward.
Anyway, all those prototypes Yamaha went through were ultimately worth the effort. It clearly allowed them to refine their FM presentation substantially. When they finally came out with a product, they really hit a sweet spot in the market. The DX line wasn't perfect, but at the time it had an unbelievable impact. I can't wait to see what you have in store for part 2!
@dyacktman I agree with you 100%. What makes the DX7 so special is ALL of those improvements and capabilities combined. It wasn't just a new way to make sounds, it was a practical way to make a synthesizer do what a keyboard musician needed it do. When people compare it to the Juno106 they're missing the point, the DX7 wasn't even in the same category as a keyboard let alone a synthesizer. Phenomenal when it came out.
I just bought me DX7 in good condition. What a unique sound.
As a multiple Synclavier owner for decades and supporting users worldwide, this is a fantastic video! I have had so many people ask me to do a video and you took care of it for me. I’ll be sure to share your link with our groups.
I hope to use a Synclavier one day, they sound amazing! Thanks for the kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
Very interesting history. Looking fwd to part 2.
When is part 2 expected? can't wait
I know a person who was on sound development of some of the stock patches that launched with the DX-7. Some of the most infamous sounds he developed was the bass sound used in Danger Zone. When he was brought in to demo early units, he absolutely hated the stock bass sounds, so he reworked them. He now has a propensity to hoard DX7's he has about 50 units, about 30 are funtioning with some variation of maintenance required, so he won't sell them unless they all are functioning.
On top of that the success their sound generator chips found in the PC market with all the sound cards that used Yamaha’s tech… this journey influenced so much about how we perceive and create music
Phenomenal work. I've always wanted to learn about the history leading up to the DX7 (as it is my most beloved instrument) and you satisfied that desire perfectly. Excited for Part II :)
Glad you enjoyed it! I was curious too, as there's not much in-depth history on this amazing technology. I decided to do the job myself and I'm glad it's being received well. Please share this video if you get the opportunity :)
Thanks so much for making this video. I worked for Yamaha as a Sales rep for the Digital music division and found out so much detail I was not aware of
Great video. Thank you very much!
Beautiful work. As an aside, I would note that Gary Luenberger’s contribution is often underestimated. He acted as far more than simply a programmer. He understood the practical/musical aspects of FM synthesis probably more than any living human being. His NAMM show demonstration’s are legendary among those of us who first adopted FM technology.
The upstairs “synth cave” at his San Francisco piano store often played host to many of the prototypes shown in this video, as well as many Yamaha analog instrument prototypes, which never saw the light of day in actual manufacture.
I am personally grateful to Gary for the time he took teaching me FM synthesis.
Thanks for the insight ZT Audio! I tried reaching out to Gary to get a more accurate account of his involvement, but I was unable to reach him unfortunately. In my research I became aware of how legendary his programming work on the CS-80 had become in the 70's, and then his input with FM. Don Lewis also reached out to me after seeing this video and gave me some insight into his involvement too. I hope to give these influential contributors their dues in a subsequent video, (if I can return to making videos that is). Thanks for watching! :)
FM synthesis is still a great resource 60 years from its beginning as an academic curiousity and some 40 years on from its commecialisation.
Great vid. High School 1971, a PDP 8I, machine language and a transistor radio. Walked into the computer lab and christmas jingles emulating out of a motorola transistor radio. I was hooked!
thank you so much, well done, especially the archive fotos i have never seen before!
Great documentary. Glad to have contributed a bit to it with the Synclavier photos. Looking forward to watching the next video. I met John Chowing when he was giving his famous lecture at Berkeley. I showed up way early to make sure I got a seat only to find his presentation happened in a tiny classroom with perhaps 15 students - incredible. Then Don Buchla stopped by to ask something and left. What a great time to be there :-)
@rootstudio Thank you again for your photos, they were perfect! It's funny while making this video, how time consuming it was to find quality images. I tried my best to pack in as much visual info for everyone and your photos helped so much.
That's a great story about that lecture, it's funny how other legends just casually stroll in or are nearby. There's a NAMM video interview with John Chowning and he's talking about Hammond coming to see FM at Stanford for the first time (around 1972). Chowning recounts how Hammond sent Don Lewis to check out FM and then Lewis walks in on the interview as if on cue. Crazy!
BIG THANKS to Mister Chowning for having provided you with so much precious material for your FM Synthesis Mini Documentary. I love and admire FM Synthesis because no other Sound Synthesis Technology sounds exactly like that. It is truly unique and has sound capabilities that we barely even scratched the surface of.
You've done it again MadFame. Outstanding episode. Looking forward to the next installment.
Thanks Steven! I hope you're well brother, and I look forward to making the next video for you guys. Thanks for helping to keep this channel going since the beginning, I appreciate it every day.
I just bought a DX7🎹☺️
Informative information.
Subscribed ☑️
Hey man thank u so much for taking the time to make these
Glad you like them! Thanks for watching :)
Excellent video!
As an owner of an SY-77, I still have no idea how to program FM synths, but I absolutely love them! As much as I am a musician, I also really appreciate the history of stuff. Hardly anything ever comes to be, by just one person's work or ideas and it's always amazing to see what it took to get something like FM Synthesis off and running. It could have easily just as well, became nothing, if not for the wildly innovate folks at Yamaha. If they had not already been working to get ahead of the digital curve, then who knows what might have happened. What it takes to make something happen, logistically, is just as fascinating to me as the technology, involved.
I feel the same way! I originally intended this video to be a short 2 min intro before a regular Synth Quest episode of the DX7. The more I discovered in my research, the more I realised how much of an interesting story there was. Finding info about Yamaha's FM development in the mid-late 70s was incredibly fascinating.
Like you say, the DX7 and FM synthesis could have easily not happened if it were not for John Chowning's unique musical approach to computer technology and Yamahas forward thinking for their musical instruments.
This was a very rewarding episode for me, and I'm glad it exists as the first true attempt to present the origin of Yamaha's FM synthesis. Thank you for watching!
Thanks for this video. And thank you for pronouncing the Japanese names correctly. We do owe Mr. Kawakami gratitude for making the decision to move forward with what became the DX-7.
@Mitchel Evans Thanks for watching, and acknowledging the pronunciation!
A a FM chip researcher (and amateur YTer) this is the thing you need to watch on FM synth history!
Wow, I'm glad you liked the video. Your work with IC's is really impressive, I found your channel a few months ago and loved how in-depth you take your investigations. Thanks for watching and sharing your comment. :)
@@madFame Released a video last week about the heavy technical side of things, with part 2 coming soon. I mention this video as the one to watch first!
Very well researched
Awesome video. Thank you for taking the time to make it.
Glad you enjoyed it! It was a ton of work but I'm glad viewers like yourself are finding value in it. Thanks for the encouraging words :)
Amazing video!!! very professional, rigorous and detailed, probably the best work ever on the net about FM synthesis and the origins of the famous DX7.
Thanks a lot from a DX7II and TX81Z owner. :)
Kudos.
Wow thanks, glad you liked it! Most info about the development of the DX7 is fairly limited and uninformative so this took a long time to research. I made this with the original engineers and FM synth owners like yourself in mind. Thanks for watching :)
@@madFame Thank you for the feedback, too!! Your video is class. :)
This is the real deal. Real research, real information. Thank you.
Great. So many informations, so many pictures. Very nice job.
Thank you so much 😀
I congratulate you. The best work on Synthesis FM on the net
Thank you very much Jorge!
huge video man, congrats
Thank you, it was totally worth it. :)
This is great quality! I hope it gets more views.
I hope so too! Feel free to share it if you get a chance :)
Amazing work. Well done! Looking forward to part 2. Have a great weekend.
21:30 Part 2 seem hard to find. Maybe a link in the description would be handy. Great video. I especially like how it show how many people and aspects are involved (where you generally read about one or two key figures and a company, suggesting the intoxicating idea only one or two people need a great idea to create great inventions).
Has anyone found it? I’m struggling too and would love to watch it.
He didn't make it, check the description :(
Spot on- thanks for taking the time to make this video...God bless all of them, you and Stanford University. Love and respect from Nigeria
This is really excellent. It's interesting how many computer applications were conceptualized before the hardware was good enough.
Highly informative. Thanks for posting. It was already in the SY77 when I got my hands on it in 1990.
Superb content, very nicely narrated, with great music (that does not interfere), kudos to you, and thank you! A subject very little known, but given the impact it had in popular culture, incredibly so.
Glad you enjoyed it! thanks for watching :)
What a great history lesson on FM and Chowning's work. Thanks for the time spent here.
Fantastic work, Ra! I am both hugely impressed and deeply envious of what you achieved here. I am very much looking forward to further chapters and expansions to this fascinating tale, particularly the deleted parts you mentioned. Maybe a "director's cut for Patreon members? ;-)
Well done, sir. you should be very proud!
Thanks Rob! I always wanted a more in-depth telling of the FM story but it just never came. While this video is not an exhaustive entry, it's far more than whats been available so far, so I'm happy about that.
I had approached a few people for photos, footage, and information about FM/DX, but I only heard back from Dr. Chowning and Kato-san. I'm glad what little I stitched together is being received well, it was a lot of bloody work :D
I made sure all the good stuff was in the video but I'll let you guys know about the other information on Patreon soon. Thanks for your support and kind words, it goes a really long way.
@@madFame I've been looking to document the whole X-Series story and have been researching a lot, so your video has helped immensely. I'm looking to cover not just the tech behind the FM synths, but also the story behind the whole concept behind the X-Series components from the technology to the design and marketing :-)
@Failed Muso Wow, that sounds exciting! Let me know if I can help in any way. :)
I love exhaustive historical presentations. Just seeing that one photo you've never seen before, or learning a new detail in a story is very fun. This episode was the first of many contributions I've been planning since starting Synth Quest. There are some clever people out there who don't get enough credit, it's nice to tell some of their stories.
@@madFame Exactly my thoughts. It's what I've been doing with the Fairlight story these last few years. There's a lot of people out there who barely get the credit and recognition they truly deserve :-)
This is a fantastic bit of synth history! Cheers!
That MAD system is absolutely bananas and so gorgeous
Yes indeed, the MAD system is an absolute marvel for its time. I totally didn't expect a system of this magnitude existed in 1975 for developing FM. Yamaha really put everything into this technology and had great success.
Brilliant work, Ra!! Beautifully done and great to see that Chowing and Hiro Kato themselves provided photos and information. I’m really looking forward to part II. Thank you for the effort of creating this video. Greetings from the Netherlands!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Wow that was seriously cool to watch and learn😊🤖📡👾
The Yamaha CE25 was my first (fm)synth. I used to gigging a lot with it.
amazing history! proud owner of a dx7, tx7, dx21, 2x tx81z and reface dx. recently bought the elektron digitone but nothing beats the mighty dx7. thx madfame!
Very cool, that's a great collection there! Thanks for watching :)
Amazing music history research on my most beloved synth method. Thank you so much! My first synth was DX7
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope you learned something new about this amazing technology, thanks for watching :)
Enjoyed this a lot. I knew someone who sold their DX7. I couldn't believe it when they told me. I'd love to own one. X Files tune sound is a preset, so is some of Return of the Living Dead. That's all I need.
Truly excellent documentary, filling the gaps that were missing before. ! So interesting.
Great documentary! Very well presented.
Many thanks!
Fantastic documentary for who likes to dive into the origins of FM synthesis like me! Thanks for all your work, you have made The Reference video!
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed it :)
amazing long journey of FM synth in the history ... great video, thanks
Excellent video!!! THNX!!!
The best video about the history of the legendary Yamaha DX-series FM-synthesizers.
Indeph R&D-history with all prototypes and 'obscure' mockup labo designs.
Very nice historical synthesizer research documentary.
TOP
Great! In-depth, informative, lots of authentic photos. Thanks for this video. 👍🏼
My pleasure!
Thank you for the great video.
Look forward to part 2.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
Incredible work. This is seriously well put together, thanks!
Outstanding quality and a lot of historical details.
Man, this video is a excellent work, you make me happy.
This is so well done ... exactly what I was hoping for! Thanks for taking time to really tell the full story (and so concisely).
So good! So well put together and very clear!
Phenomenal.
Amazing guys have contributed much to the development of music and synthesis over the decades.
This is one of the most interesting synth/FM videos out there. Looking forward to the second part. Thank You!
Thank you for this awesome documentary! Looking forward to the second part.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Amazing work. Great job.
Thx
amazing work! looking fwd to part 2
Thanks for watching :)
Amazing documentary series Ra!!! Congrats ! A lot of research ! And also the collaboration from Dr Chowning himself !
This is a great piece of work! Thank you for uncovering and documenting so thoroughly the development of a genuinely game-changing technology and series of products that did indeed change the world!
Wow, excellent video, so well documented! Thanks
Great stuff, thanks for sharing this!
Wow!!!! Outstanding investigation work here! I'm eager to watch more videos like this one.
Great work Madfame! I enjoyed a lot watching it! Thanks a lot
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video! Very well done. Chowning is a legend.
Couldn't agree more! Thanks for watching :)
Outstanding! Thank you.
Glad you liked it Thierry!
That was awesome, man!
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is a high quality documentary, thank you!
Wow, thank you for watching :)
WOW! WOW! WOW! WOW! This is really a learning curve for me personally into understanding the given researched information , which definitely is a great resource material for others of the FM Fans. Salut Excellent Carmel
Great job on this! Can't wait for part 2! I like learning the history of the gear I grew up with. Thanks!
Thanks, I hope to create more videos like this, but it takes a bit cooperation from the companies and people that make these instruments. I love learning the history of gear too, so I look forward to bringing you the next one!
Loved this. Never seen such an in-depth, well researched look!
Thanks so much!
Fantastic research! 👏
This is such an excellent video - both in terms of content but also presentation and communication. Thank you for producing it!
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you for viewing!
Interestingly, the MAD prototype organ from 1975 reflects the image which entered my mind when I first heard the word ”synthesizer” as an eight-year-old 13 years later. I pictured an instrument which simultaneously resembled a computer and an organ. It also was fitting when I learned about the Con Brio models which appeared to pick up somewhere between the MAD and the GS1, continuing the dual-manual/computer layout and encouraging tonal exploration in lieu of being hinged to presets like on the GS1 and DX7. It’s a drag that Con Brio couldn’t get their prototypes into any form of production.
This is amazing! I have two DX7's. I have a DX7 mk1 and a DX7S mk II. Learning the history that led up to them is simply amazing. Thank you for such wonderful information!
Absolutely superb,fascinating work,thank you!
I am really impressed with your presentation style,as well as the actual content which is stunning.Many thanks.
Thank you very much, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I look forward to researching and presenting more synth stories like this in the future. :)
Thanks a lot. Real knowledge makes truly happy.
Excelente video, @madFame, está muy bien explicado, y cronologicamente como fue...
Un trabajo de investigación magnifico ! Bravo!
Great stuff, thanks
incredible documentary. really awesome and cool
Fantastic and deep researching video! Absolutely gem of the synth historic videos! I got so many new information here! Thank you very much!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and watching :)
Congratulations!! Very detailed and well organised video, plus you are excellent in presentation!
Thank you Theodoros Mega!
Phenomenal work.
I've been using and programming FM synths for 35 years....I still don't really understand it....I still suspect it's magic. Amazing research for this vid , thank you very much mate.
Hopefully this video will attract more of the synth community to your channel.
Excellent! Thank you for making this.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!
I love this can of videos! i have always been very interested in all kind of synthesizers , thank you
This is an outstanding video. Well done.
The Marimba-like tones on Totos Africa, was a GS-1 + programmer :)
Of course audio FM existsted before John Chowning in modular systems (especially Buchla). He only made it a linear process as opposed to a exponential one.
Exactly, Synthesizer Keith has a good video on this. This important difference in method is one of the topics I plan to cover in the next Origin episode.
@@madFame The DX is phase modulation, and one advantage of that is the ability to implement Feedback, (which was a contribution of Yamaha's building on Chowning's research & implementation )
Thanks Dr. Synth! :)
Brilliant video. Very well researched and presented.
Impossible not wanting to buy a DX after it :)
Wish mine on Waldorf was half as good.
Well done.👏🏽👏🏽
Insightful and inspiring for anyone to go do anything!