When you think of 80s music, some of the sounds that come to mind are sparkly electric pianos, metallic basses and cheesy orchestral elements. Many of these sounds came from one synthesizer: the Yamaha DX7. It was released in 1983, and was the first digital synthesizer to have an impact on popular music. Along with its eventual spiritual successors, the Roland D-50 and Korg M1, the DX7 marked a move away from warm analog sounds, to complex digital sounds. For a producer, the DX7 meant more sonic options in one box, and more versatility in a recording studio.

The DX7 generated its sound using a new method of synthesis called FM synthesis, which allowed it to create percussive sounds, metallic sounds, and acoustic sounds such as flutes. Although released in 1983, the technology behind it was developed in 1967 by John Chowning, a professor at Stanford University. The FM technology was used in an earlier synths, such as the Synclavier I & II, and the Yamaha GS1, however these were all super expensive synths, so the DX line was Yamaha’s bid at making an affordable FM synthesizer for working musicians.

FM synthesis was complicated, especially compared to the simple monosynths and polysynths before it. Programming sounds was also cumbersome on the DX synths, involving menu diving and adjusting of numbers and ratios to create a new sound. Because of this, the DX7’s presets were used more than new sounds, so the same recognisable sounds started to crop up in pop and rock sounds from 1983 onwards. In this article I’ll explore the DX7 and other DX synths, I’ll look at how they work, and then play some songs they were used in.