via this auction
"Here we have the king of FM synthesis and one of the "Holy Grails" of vintage synths (in my opinion). The Yamaha DX-1. Only around 140 of these were produced at an original cost of $13,900 in 1985. That is $26,500 in today's money! This is serial number 118. Yamaha hand selected the finest components available and hand assembled each synth. This is very apparent when you see, hear and play it. The keyboard action is luxurious. It is equipped with a professional wooden, weighted 73 note keyboard. The sound is stunning. I know everyone on ebay says their item is "amazing" but there is something special about the DX-1. I have A/B compared it with Yamaha's FM plug in board, two DX-7s linked together, and a DX-5 and there was no comparison. The DX-1 has a distinct superiority in sound every time, and it's not just a subtle difference either. There is a rawness to the sound of the DX-1 that is lacking in other FM synths. It feels alive, like an old modular synth's immediacy of sound and control. The only way to get the sound of a DX-1 is to own a DX-1 , no software emulation or other synthesizer compares in my opinion... Uncrated The dimensions of the DX-1 are 50x9x25 (inches) and the weight is 112 pounds. The DX-1 features a voltage selector allowing you to switch between American and European voltages so there is no need for a step up or step down converter."
That is one fine looking synth! But it's a bit pricey for a digital synth... although it is kind of rare. *DROOL*
ReplyDeleteIs there an implication that the D/A convertors were superior? I thought the only real difference amont 6 op DXes at the time were user interface issues and the amount of engines.
ReplyDeletethe dx-1 just feels superior. i only had one opportunity to play it, but it was much more comfortable to work with than the lower end models
ReplyDelete