Yamaha DX7II FD User Manual download pdf

GREY MATTER RESPONSE E!

ENHANCEMENT FOR THE

YAMAHA DX7II/DX7S

By Mark Vail

E! for the DX7II/DX7S

Description: Internal enhancement board for Yamaha DX7II or DX7S.

Memory: 256 single-voiced user-programmable patch locations with function parameters stored, 128 performances. 32tunings, 22,000-note sequencer

capacity, 220,000 note disk storage on DX7IIFD.

Features: Eight-voice multi-timbral mode with dynamic voice allocation or programmable track polyphony. One-key 16-track autoaccompaniment and

chording. 16-track MIDI sequencer, real-time and step-time recording, post-recording quantization, step editing, internal/external MIDI sync. individual track

volume and velocity control. Real-time mixing in performance mode. Transmits and receives on all 16 MIDI channels simultaneously. 16-track MIDI channel

mapping.

Dimensions: 71/4" x 31/4".

List Price: $399.00.

Contact: Grey Matter Response, 15916 Haven Ave., Tinley Park, 1160477. (312) 349-1889.

YOU MIGHT INFER FROM OUR FEAture on the American synthesizer industry (see page 42) that times have been better. The truth is, there's a

thriving business going on-perhaps not in the production of synthesizers per se, but rather in the development of products that enhance other

manufacturers'instruments. Sometimes (whether by luck or foresight), these specialists latch onto an item whose sales rocket into the stratosphere,

taking the smaller company along for a profitable ride.

Such is the story of Grey Matter Response, who soared to these heights in early '86 with the first H, an add-on board for the original DX7 [see

Keyboard Report, Apr. '861. EI expanded the DX7's internal memory from 32 to 256 patches, and provided for storage of control functions,

microtonal tuning, and enhanced MIDI implementation. Grey Matter upped the ante with an improved EI [see Keyboard Report, May '87] in time to

pacify the DX7 owner who may have been drooling over the just-released DX7II.

Apparently, the Grey Matter people felt a stock DX7II or DX7S could be improved as well, so now they've jumped into the ring with a new EL What,

you may ask, can $399 get you for your shiny black FM machine? Would you believe eight-voice polytimbral capability? Would you believe a

four-layer performance mode? Would you believe one-key control of arpeggios, ostinato patterns, and multi-timbral chords? Would you believe a

16-track sequencer? Would you believe two cops in a rowboat?

Yes, E! has all of these, except for the cops and the boat. Put this in your pipe and your DX7II will never be the same, Chief. So what effect will E!

have on your music? Well, 99, it depends on how smart you are and whether you can figure out how to use all these features.

Overview. Engine is E I's 16-channel event processor and operating system, which controls all of the DX's MIDI and performance functions. Its

capabilities include storage of 256 patches and 128 performances, 16-channel MIDI mapping, and two auto-accompaniment modes. To top it off,

you can store any setup (auto-accompaniment, M IDI maps, sequences) as a Performance, so a single DX button can be programmed to load

everything you need. It will even load a file on the DX7IIFID's disk automatically. The other main modules in E! are Octal and SE!quencer.

E! provides access to multi-timbral capabilities that are inherent in the DX7II's sound chip but aren't accessed by Yamaha's operating system. Octal

mode provides eight-patch polytimbral, 16-note polyphony with dynamic voice allocation, stereo panning, volume and velocity control for each voice,

and real-time mixedown. The mixdown screen allows you to move the DX's cursor to each track and then use the data slider for volume values

ranging from 1 to 128.

SE!quencer. The specs of H's on-board sequencer are impressive: 16 tracks, internal storage for a total of 22,000 notes in 32 patternsand ten

songs. The DX7IIF13's built-in disk drive allows you to store up to ten songs of up to 22,000 notes each on a 3.T' disk. MIDI Song Position Pointer is

not supported by E!, so if you sync SE!quencer with an external drum machine or sequencer, you'll need to start both from the beginning each time

you want to play a sequence.

E!'s sequencer reminds us somewhat of the sequencer found in Ensoniq's ESQ-1 and SQ-80. It even has the same dynamic voice allocation

capability, a powerful feature that you won't find on too many synths, even the multi-timbral ones. However, where the Ensoniq sequencers have

buttons specifically hard-wired for sequencer operation, SE !quencer depends on the DX's f ront panel controls for multiple functions, including the

sequencer.

E!'s pattern status display informs you of the current track number, pattern number, and tempo value. When you're ready to record a new pattern, it's

easiest to first define a destination for each track, whether it's an internal DX patch or a MIDI channel number with a patch number. A track can be

assigned to any of eight DX patches or one of the 16 MIDI channels, but not both. Internal DX patches are assigned to Voices A through H, and

these in turn can be assigned to more than one track. Be careful to assign a separate voice letter to a track if you want to change the patch on that

track without affecting other tracks.

The mixer menu for the DX voices is accessible during playback in Performance mode, so you can change the relative volumes of the individual

tracks. In SE!quencer, however, the pattern or song must be stopped to change track volumes in the mixer menu. While velocity response and level

can be set for MIDI channels, there is no provision for MIDI volume control of external instruments. Individual track volume levels can be recorded

throughout each pattern.

With your track assignments completed, you can enter record mode, where alternatives are song, pattern, or tempo. While we're contemplating our

next move, let's talk about recording a tempo. A static tempo (ranging from 77 to 204 beats per minute) can be set for a pattern, but E! also lets you

record a dynamic tempo track with the data slider for each pattern, a really nice feature. E! reminds you to center the data slider before starting, so

that you won't have sudden changes in tempo. There are three ranges of tempo offset: narrow (-4to+3), medium (-16 to +15), and wide (-64 to +63).

You must choose which range you want during the lead-in, so be ready to set the tempo range. We don't understand why you can't make this

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Summary of Contents

Page 1 - YAMAHA DX7II/DX7S

GREY MATTER RESPONSE E! ENHANCEMENT FOR THE YAMAHA DX7II/DX7S By Mark Vail E! for the DX7II/DX7S Description: Internal enhancement board for Yamaha

Page 2

selection beforehand. If you don't like the results of your tempo track, you can either re-record it or erase it. Note that the final value of a

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Two alternatives are available for putting together a song: You can use a step editing mode to arrange the patterns of a song, or you can play the pat