Yamaha DX1

Yamaha DX1

via this auction

50" x 26" x 9", 115 lbs
"So, what's actually in a DX 1?

It's a 32 voice FM synth based on the DX 7 voice structure. It adds the ability to have split and dual modes (two 16 voices synths). Physically, the DX 1 has a great feeling wooden keyboard with velocity, after touch and individual key after touch (a rarity for any synth). It also has the standard pitch bend and modulation wheels, plenty of connections in the back for pedals and footswitches, MIDI In/Out/Thru, and both 1/4" and balanced XLR outputs. On the front under the wheels are connections for headphones and a breath controller input. There are also two cartridge slots for additional sounds/storage.

I believe Yamaha spent extra time and money on the output stage of this synth. It sounds much better than any DX-7 or DX-7 II. Hook up the XLRs to your mixing board and stand back. There's a certain 'bigness' that comes through and you can hear it even if couldn't see the synth playing it. Having the weighted keys and responsiveness of velocity and individual after touch means that you'll get lost playing this thing. It takes you to another world and time just stands still.

Oh yeah, there's also the little matter of ALL THE DISPLAY INFORMATION! Forget trying to build a ship in a bottle. The front panel of the DX 1 makes it a joy to actually program and edit FM patches. All the algorithms are displayed and the selected one is displayed in the LED boxes next to the chart. The feedback operator, algorithm number, detune, and frequency are also displayed. The envelope rates and levels have their own display section, as well as information about the output level and other generally useful data.

There's also lots of dedicated buttons and a handy chart for accessing various functions in the menus. All in all, this synth is an absolute breeze to use and to get around."