With its 155 parameters and tiny LCD screen, the Yamaha DX7 was never loved for its programmability — but a new website aims to take all the pain out of getting new sounds out of the world’s most famous FM synth, by generating them automatically using artificial intelligence.
In use, the website is a model of simplicity: you click on the button in the middle, and out pops a DX7 .syx ROM. Behind the scenes, however, a crafty bit of programming reduces the 155 parameters to just eight, which it assigns values to before mapping them back to the synth’s 155 value slots. The AI was apparently trained by being fed a large number of presets compiled by DX7 aficionado Bobby Blues (URL), and the model outputs cartridges that are 99.9% unique, meaning you’ll likely have to generate a LOT of them before you encounter any duplicates (if you ever do at all!).
Best of all, however, is that you don’t even need to own a DX7 to make use of these new carts. The website links to a number of freeware DX7 emulators with which these cartridges are compatible, including Dexed (Linux, OSX, Windows), Rockrelay Synth FM (Android) and KQ Dixie (iOS), while owners of Korg’s Volca FM module can also take advantage.
Give it a try at the link below.
