Keyboard Mag wants your feedback! DX-7 this time...

[ABECK]

Steve Winwood - solo patch to "Finer Things"

[Synthmatic]

Don Henley's "All She Does is Dance" has DX-7s all over it. It's from the "Building the Perfect Beast" album IIRC. Also the instrument used on the brass solo on "Sunset Grill" is actually a Roland guitar synth.

[Dog Tales]

Geddy Lee used a DX7 on the Power Windows album & tour. I believe he used it on the Hold Your Fire album as well. On tour, I believe he used it off stage with other rigs & triggered it with a Yamaha KX76. I believe this to be true if memory serves me correctly.

[Joe Tee]

Originally posted by Dave Bryce:

Originally posted by Dano:

Alan Parson's

 

" I wouldn't want to be like you" .I believe the DX7 was used.

That's from "I Robot", which I believe is waaaay pre-DX, isn't it?

 

dB

Yeah...that was around '78 if I remember...I believe that's a Rhodes...Satellite Speakers...?

[Ski 1642606170]

Here are a few...

 

Chicago - "Hard Habit to Break", "Stay the Night", & others on the "Chicago 17" album

 

Howard Jones - "Things Can Only Get Better" on the "Dream Into Action" album.

 

Toto - "Africa" & others on the "Toto IV" album.

 

U2 - Various songs on the "Joshua Tree" album (I believe Brian Eno played keys on this album)

 

Someone earlier mentioned Don Henley's outstanding "Sunset Grill" (love that song). Do you KNOW that the synth horn and synth guitar solos were made with a DX7? I don't want to say that they're not, because they *might* be, but they sure don't sound like a typical DX7 patch.

 

An amusing DX7 related story...

 

I was talking to Chicago keyboardist Robert Lamm just prior to a 1984 concert in Louisiana. The DX7 was of course all the rage at that time, so our conversation naturally drifted in that direction. Now at that point in time, I owned a single DX7, but they had already become hard to find because of their huge popularity. Talking about the DX7, Lamm said, "...Yeah, we only have four of them."

 

I didn't say it, but all I could think was, "Jeez! FOUR DX7's!!! I only managed ONE, and I wouldn't even know what to do with FOUR!"

 

In addition to their four DX7's, I remember that Bill Champlin - who was brand new to Chicago at the time - also had a Yamaha GS2 in his rig (the GS1 and GS2 were pre-DX7 FM synths).

 

In the years following 1984, both Robert Lamm and Bill Champlin toured with identical rigs that consisted of (among other things) a DX7 and KX88 on an Invisible Support keyboard stand, plus a TX816. Jimmy Pankow (trombone player) also had a DX7 on stage, which he had humorously re-labeled "DX7000 Turbo".

 

I still own my original DX7/E!, along with a TX216, a DX7IIFD/E!, and an FS1R. More FM than anyone needs!

[ABECK]

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

I still own my original DX7/E!, along with a TX216, a DX7IIFD/E!, and an FS1R. More FM than anyone needs!

I really dig my FS1R. It's my "go-to" guy! It's too bad it wasn't very popular. Of course, maybe that's a good thing.

[Superbobus]

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

Toto - "Africa" & others on the "Toto IV" album.

DX7 was introduced in 1983. Toto IV was released in 1982.

Did they have a prototype?

[Ski 1642606170]

Superbobus - Good job... you may have caught me on that one! I'm not giving up just yet, though! I *know* I remember reading on a number of occasions back in the early/mid 80's that Toto used a DX7 on that song. Of course, my brain may be failing, or what I read may have been incorrect. You ARE correct about the release date of Toto VI and the DX7 (1982 and 1983, respectively).

 

I *may* have heard that Steve Porcaro and/or David Paich (of Toto) programmed some of the DX7 presets, but I'm not sure. That would explain them having an early model, though.

 

I'm going to check my Toto IV album sleeve credits when I get home. If that doesn't clarify things, I'll drop Steve Porcaro a line and ask.

 

If it wasn't a DX7, they must have used a Yamaha GS1 or GS2. I also remember (OK, I *think* I remember!) that Toto used a Yamaha CS-80 on that album, too.

[Gulliver]

Originally posted by ABECK:

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

I still own my original DX7/E!, along with a TX216, a DX7IIFD/E!, and an FS1R. More FM than anyone needs!

I really dig my FS1R. It's my "go-to" guy! It's too bad it wasn't very popular. Of course, maybe that's a good thing.

Ditto for FS1R. Incredible little synth module. ...But it's soooo slow when it comes to Sysex dumping...

[Tusker]

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

I'm going to check my Toto IV album sleeve credits when I get home. If that doesn't clarify things, I'll drop Steve Porcaro a line and ask.

 

If it wasn't a DX7, they must have used a Yamaha GS1 or GS2. I also remember (OK, I *think* I remember!) that Toto used a Yamaha CS-80 on that album, too.

I am almost certain they used a GS1. In a review I remember Porcaro and Paitch describing the pianistic response in very favorable terms. I thought they toured with a couple of them too? I'd love to hear what you found out.

 

Jerry

[dave-G]

Here's some insider trivia:

 

The Taco Bell 'BONNNGGGGG" is actually a preset on the DX7. The exact name of the preset escapes me, but it was originally used in spots scored by Keller & Cohen in the late 80's, and played by keyboardist (now mega-producer) Louis Biancaniello, recorded in their room at The Plant in Sausalito. In the 90s, the "BONG" ended its run temporarily, replaced by "BONG"-less ad campaigns.

 

However, for the recent series of "Think Outside the Bun" commmercials, Taco Bell's ad agency wanted to use that sound again, and contacted Keller & Cohen to recreate it. I was chief engineer at their studio at the time, and Producer Jeffrey Cohen and I were the only ones left in the building after a long day of sessions when the call came in requesting the sound ... So, we dug the old DX7 out of the storage room and found the proper preset. We then spooled off a series of "BONNGGG"s at various pitches, printed them to a DAT which I dropped into a FedEx box on my way home.

 

Now, it's ubiquitous again. Perhaps annoying. .. Maybe even pavlovian to some. All from a preset on a DX7...

 

BONNNGGGGG!

 

Sorry

-dave

[Gulliver]

Because of this very thread I picked up one of my old issues of Keyboard Mag (July '89) with the cover story about Adrian Lee and Paul Carrack (of Mike + The Mechanics) to prove myself that I remembered correctly... Adrian used DX7II quite heavily on their '88 release "Living Years" (which is a great recording, IMHO).

At the beginning of the interview he says: " ... it basically revolved around two old favorites - the Roland D-50 and the Yamaha DX7II."...

 

Speaking of old issues. I am looking for the following ones:

 

May '91

Feb '90

Sep '89

Feb '87

Nov '84

July '84

March '81

 

Anybody willing to sell them?

[synthetic]

Originally posted by dave-G:

The Taco Bell 'BONNNGGGGG" is actually a preset on the DX7.

I was playing with my new TX802 a few months ago and happened to be on that tubular bell preset when my wife starting asking what I wanted for dinner. We were listing all of the fast food in the area and when she mentioned Taco Bell, I hit the key. It completely blew her mind.

[Pat Azzarello]

It has always seemed to me that the DX went through a few "periods":

 

Period 1 (1983, early-84): Stock sounds, minor tweaking. Stood out because it was so new and different. Rhodes, harmonica, organ, some brass and strings, and especially plucked sounds seemed to be DX by default.

 

Period 2 (Late-84): People started to get programmers to come in and work on their sounds.

 

Period 3 (85): Stacking became the rage. Besides multiple DX/TX stacks, adding the OB Xpander and Jupiter rack were the most common session setups that I witnessed.

 

In early 85 dealers started to discount the DX and more "common" folk were able to buy them. People also started to buy program libraries (either on cards, or later computer based libraries). I started to hear "local" bands start to get some non-stock DX sounds in their rigs.

 

Usable MIDI sequencing also really hit the scene about this time (84/85), and in combination with the TX Racks (216/816 and variations of) I began to hear the DX's playing different parts in the same track.

 

Period 4 (86-87): DX's started to take a back seat to samplers: EII, Mirage, Sequential Circuits (what was it called). The D50 also hit the market and started to steal the limelight from the DX.

 

Period 5 (88): The M1 workstation penetrated the market with it's "workstation" concept. The DX started to fall by the wayside.

 

Period 6 (89 onward): Started to lose it's foothold in the recording world. Still had a lot of them in live situations because they were solid performance instruments, and had a decent keyboard on them.

 

Cool DX tunes/albums

I think the second Scritti Politti album had a lot of DX on it.

The Money For Nothing intro was a DX.

The DX was all over Al Jarreau's High Crime CD.

Chicago XVII

 

I hope there will be mention of Bo Tomlyn and all the work he did on the DX. He once told me a great story about how he created an EP patch (I think it was Hard Habit) with Michael McDonald (yeah, I know that doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's the way I remember it).

 

Also, Jeff Vanston (CJ - now known for Spinal Tap, Best in Show score, etc.) did a lot of cool DX work (along with other stuff). He was definitely a "stacker" guy (OB Xpander and TX rack).

[Pat Azzarello]

Originally posted by Superbobus:

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

Toto - "Africa" & others on the "Toto IV" album.

DX7 was introduced in 1983. Toto IV was released in 1982.

Did they have a prototype?

GX1 and GX2 I think. They did play the DX7's in a lot of the videos though.

[Leon]

Tangerine Dream's 1988 Optical Race. Loaded with DX7 "pluk" type sounds, wiry sound etc. I bought it when I was 16 and loved it. Still listen today. My DX7 has been mothballed for a while due to living in London but its sampled into my EXS. It will be reactivated soon...

[MortenJ]

Jean Michel Jarre use DX 7 on Zoolook.

[r33k]

Originally posted by Ski (ex5tech.com):

 

Jimmy Pankow also had a DX7 on stage, which he had humorously re-labeled "DX7000 Turbo".

This reminds me of the video for "Think" by Information Society featuring a cardboard cutout synthesizer labled DX 1,000,000.

 

Does anyone besides me remember the TV commercial for the DX100? Someone needs to dig through their dusty collection of Beta tapes and salvage a copy of that for posterity.

 

Best,

[marino]

Originally posted by PatAzz:

GX1 and GX2 I think. They did play the DX7's in a lot of the videos though. [/QB]

"GX2"?

 

There was a GS2, but I never heard of a GX2. BTW the GX1 was a big analog synth/organ with a few digital controls, no FM - it was released many years before, in a limited production for a few superstars (Emerson, Stevie Wonder, etc.).

 

Back to the matter: I think Paitch and Porcaro used a GS1 on "Toto IV" and the following tour, but switched to a bunch of much smaller DX7s in the following years.

[marino]

Originally posted by synthetic:

"Shadows in the Rain". I learned that note-by-note, based on the transcrption in Keyboard. I still have the issue.

That's the one, thanks. I didn't have any idea of a trascription in Keyboard - I must have missed that issue. In fact, I trascribed that solo myself note for note!

[Markyboard]

Ditto for FS1R. Incredible little synth module. ...But it's soooo slow when it comes to Sysex dumping...

I thought this was a big hindrance too when I first started using it with Sounddiver. But once I got all my DX7II/TX802 sounds painfully copied into each FS1R and each Performance edited to match what I had, I never need to to do the bulk dumps anymore. Fortunately bulk transmitting data to the FS1R is much much faster then bulk receiving. BTW I just shipped my DX7II off to its ebay winner today.

[Rod S]

One more.. I was listening to this since a friend of mine asked me to accompany her on it..

 

Beauty and the Beast Title Theme - Celine Dion and Luther Vandross (?)

[zeronyne]

Humorous DX anecdote.

 

I was a high school Junior when the DX-7 exploded onto the market and my local music store was getting a huge (over 15) number of them in. I saved for 6 months working 2 jobs after school and blowing part of my college fund to gather up enough cash. When I went in to take my beloved DX off of layaway, the salesman said "Sorry, we had 6 left to sell, but Pat Leonard needed 10 for the Michael Jackson tour, so we gave him yours and 3 others being held."

 

I didn't own a Yamaha product until the O2r. I fully attribute that to my traumatic experience with the DX-7.

[vintagevictims]

Hi,

 

I like very much DX7 preset SAX bc used by David Sancious in soloing.

in which other yamaha keyboards Can I find this sound?

 

thanks

Vintage 74

[Radagast]

Hi,

 

I like very much DX7 preset SAX bc used by David Sancious in soloing.

in which other yamaha keyboards Can I find this sound?

 

thanks

Vintage 74

 

Wow! Talk about archeology. You win the award for the oldest thread revival.

[ABECK]

No idea about the preset, but I do remember seeing him using the Yamaha breath controller, which I'm sure helped the performance dynamics.

 

also......18 year old thread. I think we have a Zombie record!!

 

[conundrum]

All that time, and no Trebuchet?

[Bill H.]

Every time one of these zombie threads gets resurrected, I always wonder what I had to say back then. This one predates me. I joined the forum in 2004.

 

Anyway... the DX7 sax sound. It requires 6 operators, so that eliminates popular (especially used) 4op FM synths like TX81Z, DX21, and DX27. And if you want to sound like David Sancious you're going to need a breath controller input - as well as the breath controller itself.

 

So I think we're really down to just the DX7 and DX7II unless anyone else has some ideas.

[mate stubb]

All that time, and no Trebuchet?

 

This thread was grandfathered in, because I didn't join the forum until a few months later. In the meantime, here's a nice onager to hold you over.

 

[eric]

LOL at vintagevictims digging into the archives. It's a trend.