“B”X-700 - Uli DX7 “on steroids”

[ElmerJFudd]

Vapor ware. Coy about if it’s an actual project or not.  
 

 

“A DX7 on steroids as it has an authentic CS-80 analog filter, a drum machine built in and a few other cool features."

 

“We promise to never make this synth as the world surely doesn't need another DX7, or does it?" but would any of you be interested if it actually saw the light of day?

[Stokely]

I guess the "analog filter" could be interesting, but considering I have a full DX7 (and a lot more) in my Modx--and it's not even making it to gigs these days!--let's just say I wouldn't be in the market.
 

[ElmerJFudd]

I have chipsynth OPS7 by Plogue.  I don’t use MainStage for every gigs.  Although it’s great for pit orchestra jobs and cover stuff where it’s important to mimic the record. 
 

The CP88 has a few of the key FM piano sounds one typically calls up. I can see this box as interesting to anyone who was on the fence about reface DX or opsix and didn’t bite.  

[Stokely]

Main FM sounds I used on my Modx ironically were pads.  They sounded amazing.   I can't see any possible situation where I'd ever use that old DX7 electric piano, didn't like it then and I like it less now  

[ABECK]

Is anyone keeping track of all the Behringer synths in the pipeline?  Seems like I've seen so many in the past few years, but lost track what has or hasn't come to market.

 

[ElmerJFudd]

You never have to play anything from the 80s that uses those sounds?  No Whitney at all? 

Wow, that's set list freedom.   

[ElmerJFudd]

1 minute ago, ABECK said:

Is anyone keeping track of all the Behringer synths in the pipeline?  Seems like I've seen so many in the past few years, but lost track what has or hasn't come to market.

 

LOL - no, absolutely not.  they are clearly abusing MI news with their weekly non-product announcements.  

[Reezekeys]

There's only one DX sound I use these days, and, you guessed it, it's the e-piano! 🙂 Not on its own; I layer it (at a moderately low volume!) with a Scarbee Rhodes to use with a few ballads. I can get a little nostalgic.

 

For $0 there's Dexed for computers and KQ Dixie for iOS. Both of these load original DX7 sounds.

[Baldwin Funster]

3 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

There's only one DX sound I use these days, and, you guessed it, it's the e-piano! 🙂 Not on its own; I layer it (at a moderately low volume!) with a Scarbee Rhodes to use with a few ballads. I can get a little nostalgic.

 

For $0 there's Dexed for computers and KQ Dixie for iOS. Both of these load original DX7 sounds.

I like dexed but the wall of knobs, sliders and dials without having a hands on corresponding control surface makes it intimidating to me. I have KQ Dixie but haven't got around to it yet. Do I want the behr?

If I didn't already have 3 or 4 desktop synths I don't use much I might be tempted. 

[David Emm]

Its a bit fascinating at first glance, isn't it? Most of KC's members seem used to median-or-better instruments. The explosion of mini-synths makes sense, but its still a recent development. Better to have an iffy instrument than none, but crappy ones are bad for hopeful novices. 

 

If you feel taken with any of the little devils, my view is to play them from a higher-quality controller, especially a synth. If you favor a semi-DAW-less approach, added points for programming proper multis into one of the stand-alone routing brains designed for it. At least with a sensible mix-&-match setup, you won't get boned if one of the cheaper toys goes belly up.

 

I'm not in the market for hardware, but I think the deciding factor for me concerning Behringer will be whether their (alleged) CS-80 reworking has a proper touch strip or if it fails the Green Weinee Test.  

[Radagast]

Does this mean Behringer has the tech to do a cheap clone of a DX-7?  With the PPG clone and others, they could come up with a multi-engine synth, since Korg is becoming a complete failure since the Kronos went away.

[ElmerJFudd]

3 hours ago, Radagast said:

Does this mean Behringer has the tech to do a cheap clone of a DX-7?  With the PPG clone and others, they could come up with a multi-engine synth, since Korg is becoming a complete failure since the Kronos went away.

Well, with FM synthesis being a digital synth it would not be difficult for Behringer to grab open source code  and task someone on their software team to build a DX clone.  As already mentioned, there are a lot of software FM synths.
 

 I also believe Behringer has an FM engine in their multi-engine eurorack  BRAINS synth - which is very cool but lacks enough  polyphony to interest me. 
 

https://www.behringer.com/product?modelCode=P0E6H

[Reezekeys]

2 hours ago, Baldwin Funster said:

I like dexed but the wall of knobs, sliders and dials without having a hands on corresponding control surface makes it intimidating to me. I have KQ Dixie but haven't got around to it yet.

 

Well, they're free so I would expect to compromise in a few areas - ease of programming being one of them! I'm fine with grabbing a preset that's close, then tweaking things. I do have a minimal amount of knowledge of these synths, having owned a DX7, TX81z, TX802 (which I still have), plus I've used plenty of TX816s in studios back in the day (I remember there was a rudimentary way to program those modules from the front panel).

 

I do understand wanting a tactile experience getting the sound you want, but a programming a DX patch is not something I'd want to spend any more time than necessary on - so I'll hang with the freebies for now! 🙂 

[scoopicman]

4 hours ago, Radagast said:

Does this mean Behringer has the tech to do a cheap clone of a DX-7?  With the PPG clone and others, they could come up with a multi-engine synth

 

A multi-engine, Behringer workstation could be very interesting.  I would welcome the attempt.  The design of this BX-700 is kind of strange.  Not as sexy as the Kodomo Essence interface.  It is very dependent on what is shown on that screen, which could be good or not.  I would certainly check it out.  

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Reezekeys said:

I've used plenty of TX816s in studios back in the day (I remember there was a rudimentary way to program those modules from the front panel).

 

 

You could do some basic zoning, pitching, etc, but for programming, the Edit Buffer would mirror your editing on the DX7.  I would often put all 8 TF-1s into that mode, making one giant sound.  Or, you could put any number of modules in that mode, I would often do it with 4, then change over to the other 4, and put a different sound.  I did that with this SWEEPERS track, where 4 modules did the pad sweep sound, and the other 4 played the O.SPH plucked sound.  My RX5 played a transposed down snare sound.  Thanks to the TX816, my FM (PM actually) programming is mostly dependent on the number of adjacent operators (in Multi).  Just using Unison doesn't cut it.  There have to be minor differences, so there isn't a bunch of phasing.

 

Currently, I have SY99, OASYS and Kronos MOD-7, Akai OPX-4 for PM, Lyra 8 for FM (still figuring the last two out).

[Reezekeys]

7 hours ago, scoopicman said:

You could do some basic zoning, pitching, etc, but for programming, the Edit Buffer would mirror your editing on the DX7.  I would often put all 8 TF-1s into that mode, making one giant sound.

 

Yes, you've jogged my memory, thanks! I believe folks used to put one sound across all eight modules, then detune them slightly, and maybe pan them across the stereo field. It was "giant", alright - sometimes a little too much so!

[ABECK]

Once you get past 3, it gets sloppy.

[Stokely]

18 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

You never have to play anything from the 80s that uses those sounds?  No Whitney at all? 

Wow, that's set list freedom.   

Only 80s stuff we do (Simple Minds, INXS, Joan Jett etc) doesn't use that sound.  Even back in the late 80s I only remember doing one song that featured it (Carrie by Europe).  Speaking of Joan Jett though, is that a DX7 on "I Hate Myself for Loving You"?   It's that kind of typical "synth organ" I hear a lot on 80s tunes.  Dire Straits used one a lot too, just off the top of my head.  I've been using a B3 and analog-style synth layer but the B3 sounds too "real" for those songs.

 

 

[ProfD]

While many folks detest the Behringer approach, he offers a cheaper gear gateway into nostalgia.  He's also making a mockery of the ridiculous prices being asked/paid for old technology.🤣😎

[ElmerJFudd]

32 minutes ago, ProfD said:

While many folks detest the Behringer approach, he offers a cheaper gear gateway into nostalgia.  He's also making a mockery of the ridiculous prices being asked/paid for old technology.🤣😎

He’s putting out hardware at a price that competes with software.  I have to imagine this venture is going fairly well for Behringer (aside from chip shortages).  

[David Emm]

7 hours ago, ElmerJFudd said:

He’s putting out hardware at a price that competes with software.  I have to imagine this venture is going fairly well for Behringer (aside from chip shortages).  

 

I once told an AT&T repair tech that I was so sick of their BS, I was ready to drop them. He laughed and said "A thousand people drop us a day and 5000 more sign up." I'm sure Uli cries big crocodile tears all the way to the bank. I see most of his line as being somewhere between Baby's First Synth and a stocking stuffer. I'm part of the target audience for physical modelers, not hyper-nostalgic analog mono synths, so I just watch the uproar from the sidelines. It was inevitable that someone would fill the demand for cheap knockoffs, like those snazzy Molex watches.       

[Baggypants]

Grab a raspberry pi and you can have 8 DX7's in a box.

 

https://github.com/probonopd/MiniDexed