6 votes

Free Yamaha DX7 Emulator

5 comments

  1. [2]
    joplin
    Link
    I know there are some analog synth lovers on here. I have always loved analog synths, but in the last few weeks have been getting back into some digital synthesis methods. I never really had a...

    I know there are some analog synth lovers on here. I have always loved analog synths, but in the last few weeks have been getting back into some digital synthesis methods. I never really had a good grasp on FM synthesis, so I wanted to finally learn how it works. There are a lot of great intro tutorials on FM synthesis in general and on programming the DX7 in particular.

    The link above is for dexed (not sure how that’s pronounced – DX’ed? Rhymes with “sex ed”?). It’s an Audio Unit/VST plugin for macOS and Windows that gives you the same controls as a DX7, but in a much more useable form. (Which isn’t to say it’s UI is great. Why can’t I just click and drag the envelope segments?)

    3 votes
    1. knocklessmonster
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      It's a "midi cartridge librarian/manager for the DX7." as well as a VST. With that spelling I assume "Dex-ed" is the way to go. I'm not big on hardware, but I love a good VA VST and have had this...

      It's a "midi cartridge librarian/manager for the DX7." as well as a VST. With that spelling I assume "Dex-ed" is the way to go.

      I'm not big on hardware, but I love a good VA VST and have had this one around for years as they provide Windows and Linux VSTs. Woody Piano Shack did a comparison and the major difference he noticed is the DX7 had a MIDI Velocity maximum of 100, while Dexed follows the spec to 128, which changes the character a bit.

      2 votes
  2. [3]
    skybrian
    Link
    It sounds neat, but I’m not sure how I would run this. I used to run AU’s in GarageBand but after a few Mac OS upgrades they stopped working. I’ve tried installing open source DAW’s from time to...

    It sounds neat, but I’m not sure how I would run this.

    I used to run AU’s in GarageBand but after a few Mac OS upgrades they stopped working. I’ve tried installing open source DAW’s from time to time, but I must have picked the wrong ones. They tend to crash.

    These days for audio I use Audacity, which is easy to install and always works, and VCV Rack, which has a nice plug-in environment with automatic upgrades. What’s a good, hassle-free way to try out AU’s and VST’s? It doesn’t need to be fancy.

    2 votes
    1. knocklessmonster
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Have you tried Reaper? It's technically paid, but the only penalty you'll get is a 5-second nag screen after 30 days. It's not entirely hassle-free, as you'll have to learn it a bit to be able to...

      Have you tried Reaper? It's technically paid, but the only penalty you'll get is a 5-second nag screen after 30 days. It's not entirely hassle-free, as you'll have to learn it a bit to be able to quickly use VSTs (or AUs in your case) but it's not horribly difficult, either.

      I frankly haven't found an open source DAW that feels as good as any proprietary ones.

      EDIT: It supports various formats, I'm just used to VSTs.

      2 votes
    2. joplin
      Link Parent
      It works in Garage Band! Make a project, and create a software instruments track. Select the track you just created and open the "Smart Controls" pane. (It's the button in the toolbar that looks...

      It works in Garage Band! Make a project, and create a software instruments track. Select the track you just created and open the "Smart Controls" pane. (It's the button in the toolbar that looks like a potentiometer.) On the left side of the smart controls is a closed pane named "Plug-Ins". If you twirl that open, you'll see the name of the current software instrument. When you hover over it, the control is split in 2 parts. Click on the little up-down arrows on the right to show the list of available types of plug-ins. Choose "AU Instruments" > "Digital Suburban" > "Dexed".

      2 votes