FM/digital expander

[PastorTheDoctor]

Aaaaaand... here it is: I desperately need an old school FM (or PM, or LA or digital synthesis) expander, when digital was not so digital
I was looking for a DX7-based sound, and to have it as a rack unit. So I bumped into TX7, but:

• sound is a little bit different
• difficult to program without any external device/software (and this is true for all later expanders by Yamaha)
• velocity up only to 100

I'm looking just for that kind of SOUND as a basis, it doesn't matter to me to have THAT keyboard.
I'm looking for something that could sound good also into the so-called left-field pop (CHVRCHES, Florence & The Machine, Bruno Mars... ok Bruno Mars doesn't do left-field pop, he just uses - I think - DX7 somewhere in the last LP like in "Versace on the Floor", where Phillinganes plays the keyboards).
I'm opting for hardware because, in my opinion, FM8 is not that satisfying: very good sound, very good interface, but... I'm pretentious
Software suggestions are also accepted, but in this case I want them to sound just as hardware (apart from VSTs/AUs which have unique sound completely different and non-comparable for any reason with hardware).

Thank you!

[andrewbrewer]

dexed

adjust the bit depth until you get just a touch of noise.

add reverb

[andrewbrewer]

if you really need hardware, sy77 or tg77 is the best. many suggest bypass the internal effects but i find their trash character helps sometimes...the verbs especially are total garbage (in a good way)

[PastorTheDoctor]

if you really need hardware, sy77 or tg77 is the best. many suggest bypass the internal effects but i find their trash character helps sometimes...the verbs especially are total garbage (in a good way)

And yes! I went, heard and I can say that I LOVE IT
My god, did not know anything about this gem, it sounds quite better than DX7 or DK7mkii in my opinion!

[cron]

I don't really know much about hardware to be honest, but I'd definitely look for something where you can edit your sounds on the computer and upload them as presets to the hardware. FM is tricky enough to program on a modern computer interface - it must be nightmarishly difficult to program on a little LCD screen. No wonder everyone just used the presets in the 80s!

[aMUSEd]

One alternative would be a Nord G2 Engine - it can import DX patches (most of the original patches are already converted, I have hundreds if not thousands of them) but you can also create non standard FM configurations (eg 8 OP) and hybrid patches (plus almost anything else, it also makes a brilliant fx unit). The other advantage is much easier to program.

[andrewbrewer]

if you really need hardware, sy77 or tg77 is the best. many suggest bypass the internal effects but i find their trash character helps sometimes...the verbs especially are total garbage (in a good way)

And yes! I went, heard and I can say that I LOVE IT
My god, did not know anything about this gem, it sounds quite better than DX7 or DK7mkii in my opinion!

sy77 is a good one! lots of presets online. computer editor is essential--i use FM-alive. of the paid presets, electric himalaya has the best. soundengine is also good. patchman has some very expressive patches. more recently i've seen totally new preset banks by new users -- they will often showcase their work on youtube

[cron]

I never miss an opportunity to post this. The 80s may have been dominated by the factory presets, but the DX7 can sound absolutely wild in the right hands.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-hML-I5RV0

[jabe]

When KVR started, I had an idea to produce randomised patches based on existing FXP and FXB files for a chosen plug-in. I'd intended to write a program to assess the patches to determine, if possible, the range of values for each parameter, and then produce sets with random parameter values. It's quite possible many of them would have been unusable rubbish. Sudden loudness was one concern. Never got round to it.