Yamaha DX7

By the mid-20th century, frequency modulation (FM), a means of carrying sound, had been understood for decades and was widely used to broadcast radio transmissions. In the 1960s, at Stanford University, California, John Chowning developed FM synthesis, a means of using FM to generate sounds that differed from subtractive synthesis. In 1971, to demonstrate its commercial potential, Chowning used FM to emulate acoustic sounds such as organs and brass. Stanford patented the technology and hoped to license it, but was turned down by American companies including Hammond and Wurlitzer. At the time, the Japanese company Yamaha was the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments but had little market share in the United States. In 1975, Yamaha negotiated exclusive rights for the technology. Ikutaro Kakehashi, the founder of the Japanese company Roland, was also interested, but met Chowning six months after Yamaha had agreed to the deal. Kakehashi later said Yamaha were the natural partners in the venture, as they had the resources to make FM synthesis commercially viable. which was expensive to manufacture due to its integrated circuit chips. The DX7 was released in 1983. == Features ==

. Compared to the "warm" and "fuzzy" sounds of analog synthesizers, the DX7 sounds "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly", with a richer, brighter sound. Its presets constitute "struck" and "plucked" sounds with complex transients. Its keyboard has five octaves, and the keyboard expression allows for velocity sensitivity and aftertouch. The DX7 has 16-note polyphony, meaning 16 notes can sound simultaneously. It has 32 sound-generating algorithms, each a different arrangement of its six sine wave operators. The DX7 was the first synthesizer with a liquid-crystal display and the first to allow users to name patches. Its cartridge slot allows users to share patches. == Sales ==

The DX7 was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. According to Bristow, Yamaha had hoped to sell more than 20,000 units. Within a year, orders exceeded 150,000 units, The DX7 was the first synthesizer to sell more than 100,000 units. The FM patent was for years one of Stanford's highest earning. Chowning received royalties for all of Yamaha's FM synthesizers. Smith said it sold well as it was reasonably priced, had keyboard expression and 16 voices, and was better at emulating acoustic sounds than competing products. Chowning credited the success to the combination of his FM patent with Yamaha's chip technology. == Impact ==

At the time of release, the DX7 was the first digital synthesizer most musicians had used. It was praised for its accuracy in reproducing tubular bells, metallophones and the harpsichord, and took over the electric piano market. ", a 1986 single by Kenny Loggins, uses the DX7 "BASS 1" preset. With complex submenus displayed on an LCD and no knobs and sliders to adjust the sound, many found the DX7 difficult to program. MusicRadar described its interface as "nearly impenetrable", with "operators, algorithms and unusual envelopes ... accessed through tedious menus and a diminutive display". The DX7 was widely used in 1980s pop music, in hits such as "When Doves Cry" by Prince, "The Best" by Tina Turner, "Smooth Operator" by Sade and "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson. especially for power ballads; it was used by artists including Whitney Houston, Chicago, and George Michael, The preset imitates a Rhodes piano, prompting some to abandon the Rhodes in favor of the DX7. A few musicians skilled at programming the DX7 found employment creating sounds for other acts. The English musician Brian Eno learned to program the DX7 in depth and used it to create ambient music on his 1983 album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks. == Successors ==

In the mid-1980s, Yamaha released numerous cheaper FM synthesizers. A desktop module version, the TX7, was released in 1985. In 2015, Yamaha released a smaller FM synthesizer, the Reface DX. ==References==