Yamaha DX7II 393 original patches

My DX7II programming experience

DX7II as a two overlapped DX7 synths! Please note DX7II is not a basic DX7. Instead it's like having a a double DX7: a layer of two DX7s overlapped with some more controls. You can find some basic info here. You can download the DX7II original factory patches here.

All the patches here presented are original Yamaha DX7IIFD patches that I programmed myself in the years between 1993 and 1996. I dedicated numerous nights to working with the synth and the great discontinued Mac synth patches program: Opcode Galaxy Plus Editors. While I don't recall the exact number, I certainly invested almost three hundred days of my life in this endeavor (approximately a year!).

The sounds originate almost entirely from my exploration of the synthesizer during these sessions. Sometimes, I initiated a sound using an existing patch (downloaded from the internet or shared by friends), gradually modifying the soundscape over time. In many cases, however, I started from scratch (status zero), utilizing certain controlled randomizer features of the computer editor.

Experimental / ambient soundscapes

When exploring soundscapes with DX7II years ago, my target is to reach very slow-motion evolving sounds, but all my work is imperfect in this way. In true, only sometime in these patches I have achieved what I had in mind. The soundscapes I truly love are sounds with very low attach and release with smooth tonal evolving/morphing. Just in these times I discovered musicians like Robert Rich that have implemented these slow-motion evolving music at artistry levels.

I believe my patches feature unique soundscapes, even for the DX7II synth's typical sounds! The genre of soundscapes could be described as Techno music, dark Ambient music, Electronic Experimental music, and Psychedelic music. Additionally, I have studied to emulate acoustical and vintage electronic synths. I have a particular fondness for brass sounds; for instance, there are beloved trombones in "brassonerie.syx", electric organs in "orgiaorgani.syx", cembalos on "tastierebarocche.syx", and more.

It's interesting that a digital synth like the FM DX7II can authentically emulate strings, brass, and percussion sounds. Upon re-listening to my patches nowadays (many years after initially programming them), I feel that the psychedelic, analog-sounding, and fuzzed-freak sounds are well-suited for TECHNO music contexts. The real-time controllers programming, which I implemented in many patches, serves as the cherry on the cake for techno-dance live performances!

393 original patches collection

I collected all my work in 15 bundles, here below named and detailed; all the performance names and some notes are detailed in a description text file (.txt), associated with the sysex file (.syx).

All the sysex patches are composed by a DX7II bundle of 3 banks: a performance bank (32 performances), a voice bank (64 voices), an internal microtuning banks (2 sets):

Bank 01: alienazi.syx, 32 patches, very psychedelic/dark ambient sounds
Bank 02: allucinazioni.syx, 30 patches, slow-motion, very psychedelic/dark ambient sounds
Bank 03: analogia.syx, 32 patches, analog/power synth emulations '70s like
Bank 04: archettiestringhe.syx, acoustic and electronic strings emulations, 17 patches
Bank 05: bassissimi.syx, acoustic and electric bass emulation, 28 patches
Bank 06: brassonerie.syx, acoustic and keyboard-like brass, 25 patches
Bank 07: cordemultietniche.syx, strange plucked strings, 31 patches
Bank 08: drummatica.syx, psychedelic percussions, 22 patches
Bank 09: infinitasprimordiali.syx, slow-motion electronic pads, 32 patches
Bank 10: orgiaorgani.syx, organ emulations, 32 patches
Bank 11: percussionidanzanti.syx, strange ethnic percussions, 32 patches
Bank 12: rimarginazione.syx, strange pads, 6 patches
Bank 13: sinteticaextasy.syx, slow-motion analog-like dark-ambient pads, 6 patches
Bank 14: tastierebarocche.syx, acoustic and electric keyboards emulations, 26 patches
Bank 15: vociatroci.syx, human strange voice emulations, 20 patches

1. Download bank 01 (alienazi) for FREE

You can download one for free bank 01: alienazi.syx, 32 patches of very psychedelic/dark ambient sounds. So you can also test SYSEX compatibility with your DX hardware/software emulation synth.
alienazi.zip

2. Purchase the entire collection of 15 banks

You can buy 393 original patches collection with a Paypal payment. Cost is 30 EUR. When I receive yoor payment I'll mail you all info to download patches (encrypted zip file + password).

3. Upload patches into DX7II (or a SW/HW emulator)

After download the .zip file at URL I'll specify when received payment, you need to extract/decrypt patches files from the .zip container, and finally you will able to upload sounds into the DX7II. All files (sysex/*.syx) are in SYSEX format, so you can use any sysex utility sw, a program that can transmit and receive system exclusive (sysex) messages via MIDI to your DX7II, loading patches files .syx from disk file stored on personal computer. About sysex upload/download utilities on personal computers, I used MIDI-OX on PC and Sysex Utility on Macintosh.

Important note

I currently do not more program DX7II and I have difficult to give you technical detailed assistance on using DX7II, managing sounds, etc. Please buy sound patches here only if you already have good skills on personal computer usage and DX7II (almost basic) programming. Last but not least, on .txt files and README files you will found obsolete reference to my e-mail and web site (no more valid); please refer to this website and e-mail address here specified to contact me befor purchasing.

Patches programming technical details

Micro-tunings

In most cases, I programmed almost 64 voices and 32 performances, but I did not program special micro-tuning intonation. This is because, on one hand, years ago, I didn't have the sensitivity and the musical technical knowledge to appreciate microtonal intonations outside of equal temperament. Currently, I am very interested in Just Tunings, but back when I programmed the DX7II, I didn't have the knowledge to program my tuning ideas—perhaps because I lacked an editor for that purpose. However, JI Calculator is a free Mac microtuning utility by Robert Rich.

On the other hand, many patches I programmed simply do not have any specific intonations. Often, they consist of drones or atonal "noise" sounds—intentionally designed not for a "classical" keyboard player, but rather for techno-ambient-electronic music environments.

DX7II MIDI controllers

In many (but not all) cases, I programmed performance sounds in stereo. I paid meticulous attention to details, making use of CS1/CS2 slider sensitivity, modulation/pitch wheels sensitivity, and velocity/after-touch sensitivity, along with some keyboard mapping.

It's important to note that I didn't program any Foot Controller because, at the time of programming, I didn't possess one. Nevertheless, it's straightforward to modify patches to include this feature. In fact, it's particularly useful for controlling volume swells, especially in slow-motion complex patches. Due to the DX7II's limited polyphonic power, smoothing the attack with a volume pedal helps avoid transient noises or clicks.

It's worth mentioning that my patches sometimes push the DX7II to its limits in terms of polyphony, utilizing features like long decay and bundled patches.

Stereo (pan) issue

Please remember to switch on (see photo below) is you like stereo output! In my model pan-on is not a default and you have to switch on manually! In facts pan (= stereo) mode on DX7II do not run perfectly and you could prefer to switch off, resulting in a mono output (mixing together left and right channels).

Excessive patches velocity sensitivity issue

I have checked my sounds on my specific DX7II, which has a known firmware bug (see for example here). Consequently, my DX7II cannot achieve the full velocity dynamic range (0-127). Instead, it is limited to a range of (0-110 more or less). for these limitations, many of my sounds may appear too loud when played with a keyboard with full velocity renage. The workaround could be to just play softly if you are you are using a master keyboard with full velocity range.

DX7x audio outputs requires reverb and postprocessing

I believe the DX7 audio signal is too poor, cold, and harsh to be directly fed into the mixer. In my experience, I achieve the best results by routing the synth's outputs through a multi-effects unit, adding essential reverb effect and maybe some delays. For this purpose, I've programmed numerous reverb/delay patches on an ART Multiverb Alpha I owned at the times.

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