Electronic & Music Maker / Music Technology Publications (UK) soundbanks
The complete collection (16 DX7 mkI patches) published in the "Electronic & Music Maker" english publication during the 1984-86 years and then in the "Music Technology" issue (12 patches / 1986-89 years). Most of them are readers' creations. I carefully programmed all of them manually with scanned documents extracted from the original issues.
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EMM & MT (February 1984 - April 1989)
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| 01. FUNK BASS 02. STRINGBELL 03. GRANDBRASS 04. WURLITZER 05. SPLT KYBRD 06. FUNKMASTER 07. SYNTH FULL 08. SYN-PHIZZ 09. HONKIGRAND 10. BRASS-SOLO 11. FUNK BASS 12. RESIN BASS 13. FIZZ BUZZ 14. FAIRLIGHT 15. SLAPS 16. MORTHNGRND |
17. REAL GRAND 18. TIMEFLUSS 19. BERLIN 20. SYNSCNARIO 21. MARVIN 22. AXE 23. SOFT STRGS 24. CURVED AIR 25. NOBODYELSE 26. STRUNGOUT 27. TIGHT BASS 28. ANGELGLASS 29. 30. 31. 32. |
Comments (as published in the original issues):
ELECTRONIC & MUSIC MAKER:
01: FUNK BASS Martyn Phillips (February 1984)
For those of you who still don't understand what's going on here, don't despair. Martyn is preparing an article for next month's issue which examines programming techniques on the DX7 in greater depth. In the meantime, keep sending us your patches, so we can cover the largest range of synths and the widest variety of sounds.
In this new feature we will be examining just how certain sounds can be created on particular synths. There are two reasons why we feel this to be useful. Firstly, no amount of in-depth synthesis theory, however thorough and well explained, can be applied completely to an individual make of synth. On modular systems it is perfectly possible to add more modules if your set-up doesn't cater for the required hardware (be it oscillators, filters or whatever) needed for a particular patch. But on a polysynth, if there is one oscillator too few or no filter envelope there is nothing you can do. So we have tied the patches down to particular synthesizers.
The second reason is that certain synths often have little peculiarities which can be made to do a particularly useful job in a certain sound and we will be endeavouring to highlight this where such idiosyncrasies exist.
We hope to use many sources to make this regular feature as widely reaching as possible, ranging from Factory presets and ideas from manufacturers, through sounds programmed by E&MM staff and regular contributors, to those submitted by you the reader. We also want to cover a wide range of synths be they brand new or old faithfuls. So if you have an unbelievable crumhorn patch for the DX-7, an authentic sax for the Wasp, or a sound no-one has ever heard before, send it through to us (in as comprehensible a form as possible) and mark your envelope 'Patchwork'. All sources will be credited, so here's your chance to appear alongside the big names!
As far as the patches are concerned, don't take them as gospel! Individual instruments of the same make and model number still vary from one to the next, so if the patch doesn't sound quite right, feel free to tweak the settings. No patch is unimprovable, however respected the source.
If you don't have access to the actual synth in any patch, this doesn't mean you can't try out this patch on a similar machine. As long as the basic format is the same, it should work. You never know it may actually sound better!
02: STRINGBELL Ken Campbell (March 1984)
This is a good demonstration of the purely synthesiser capabilities of the DX7, rather than the imitative ones which have been used to form the vast majority of the presets. It is neither a string sound nor a bell sound, but displays characteristics of both plus some of its own.
Algorithm six consists of three pairs of modulator-carrier configuration each with a different fundamental and a different frequency ratio. All the carrier envelopes have a fast attack which provides a chime-like quality to the start of the sound. Looking at the modulators, although 4 and 6 have the same attack as the carriers, the attack levels are quite low, and it is the climb up to level two which provides the rush of different harmonics that give the sound its main character. The late entry of operator 2 gives the impression of movement within. As the sound settles on level 3 it leaves a hollow harmonic sound that almost, but not quite, obliterates the fundamental.
If you use a sustain pedal with your synth, you will find that occasionally, depending on how you pedal it, a second wash of sound rolls after the first couple of seconds later. It does not work if you merely hold the pedal down continuously. I have no explanation for this, but would be interested to hear one.
Also try this sound an octave up and/or with operator six frequency set to 0-75.
03: GRANDBRASS Stephen Hunter,Tayside (April 1984)
Yet another patch for the DX7! This month, however, we've managed to reproduce Yamaha's own Voice Data List to facilitate data input. Stephen describes 'Grand Brass' as 'almost a Brian May ensemble guitar sound in the upper range', and adds that 'heavy-handed playing in the bass (preferably playing octaves) produces a good grand piano emphasis'.
04: WURLITZER Steve Parr,London SW15 (May 1984)
One of the best DX7 patches submitted so far comes from Steve Parr, currently playing keys with Desmond Dekker as well as finding time to build a 16-track electronic video studio in Soho.
Steve describes the sound as extremely touch-sensitive. It reproduces with stunning realism every keyboard player's favourite sound of tortured tone bars on the verge of breaking when thumped with force. In fact, this patch is more like about five patches because of the extreme difference of tone over the dynamic range of the keyboard. Try it for yourself and see if you agree.
05: SPLT KYBRD Tony Wride,DX Owners' Club (July 1984)
In amongst the multitude of DX7 patches comes this one from the organiser of the DX Owners' Club - how could we resist it? Tony comments that 'by use of keyboard level scaling, two separate sounds are put at either end of the keyboard. Each sound has a two-octave range with the centre octave of the keyboard being the crossover area. It is also worth experimenting with different sounds'.
06: FUNKMASTER Martin Russ,Ipswich (August 1984)
Martin describes 'Funkmaster' as a 'fast, funky-feel twang with lots of thump'. (Quite.) The timbre has some of the elements of a detuned clavinet combined with a plucked bass sound, and some touch-sensitivity is included to give a brighter sound when pressing the keys faster.
Algorithm 16 is used in this voice. Operator 1 is the only carrier and is modulated by three sources. Operator 2 is used as a low frequency vibrato oscillator, and serves to give some movement within the sound. Operators 3 and 4 give the main thump/twang sound as well as giving a heavy bass bump. The velocity sensitivity of Operator 4 gives a brighter metallic sound with increasing key velocity.
Operators 5 and 6 give an additional bright fill effect which can sound like reverb at certain settings of Operator 5's output level. For an output level of 73 there is almost no effect on the final sound, at 83 the twang is brighter and at 93 has a hard cutting edge, but by 99 the contribution from Operators 5 and 6 is not only very marked but also quite intolerable!
In performance the touch-sensitivity resolves into two levels: soft = muted sound, hard = bright. Staccato playing brings out the percussive nature of the sound, and heavy left-hand octaves emphasise the bass thump. Legato playing reveals an unexpected sustain, giving away the non-acoustic nature of the instrument. In fact, the combination of heavy click/twang and a silky sustain sound gives a sort of manic Hammond organ!
07: SYNTH FULL Martin Russ,Ipswich (January 1985)
Synth Full is a muted voice at low key velocities, but a strident, penetrating brass sound at higher ones. A sweep of high harmonics gives the same sort of aural effect as a filter decay, and a metallic edge toughens up the attack portion of the envelope.
The patch makes use of Algorithm 9: Operators 1 and 2 are set to give a variation on the classic FM sawtooth by having the modulator (OP2) frequency at just over half the carrier (OP1) frequency. This gives a bright sound with plenty of bunched harmonics. Operators 3, 4, 5 and 6 lack the sharp attack of 1 and 2, but supply instead the touch-sensitivity and overall tone. Operators 2 and 6 are deliberately mistuned to 1.01 - changing this to 1.00 reduces the beating in the upper octaves but also flattens the effect of the brassy-sounding filter decay.
Some players might feel the patch has too much release as it stands, but this can be reduced via EG rates 3 and 4 on OPs 1 and 3. The LFO speed is set to fill out the sound when the DX is used with an echo unit, while the LFO rate can be speeded up for vibrato effects. Finally, the touch-sensitivity helps create a highly expressive voice without users having to resort to a volume pedal.
08: SYN-PHIZZ A. Marshall,Brighton (February 1985)
'Syn-Phizz' is modestly described by its creator as a decent lead sound (not at all wimpish) with a full initial output followed by a sustained organ-like noise. Playing with increased velocity gives a brassier sound, while a portamento setting of 10 can be added to good effect, if that's the sort of thing that gives you whizz...
09: HONKIGRAND Robin North,Swansea (April 1985)
So, while people who haven't got a DX7 try to make their synth sound like one, people who have will do anything to avoid making the fact obvious. Why anyone would want to synthesise a 'clapped-out Bechstein' grand piano sound is beyond the comprehension of us mortals at E&MM, but that's exactly what Robin has done. He swears no disrespect to the great piano maker, but we have our doubts...
10: BRASS-SOLO Johan Axelsson, Sweden (June 1985)
Another regular visitor to Patchwork, the DX7 is seen here being manipulated to obtain a good brass sound for solo lines, and is best played with after-touch and a lot of 'wheeling' (Johan's word, not ours!) on the pitch-bender, which should be set to Range 2 for optimum results.
11: FUNK BASS Paul Wiffen, London (July 1985)
Freelance synth programmer and occasional E&MM author PW has put together a punchy bass guitar sound for the Yamaha's FM best-seller. It's ideally suited to sequenced parts and to complimenting a lower-pitched bass line - the latter is only necessary because real 'bottom' is still quite difficult to achieve on the DX, even for a man of this experience. Not surprisingly, the patch sounds at its best in the lowest second and third octaves of the keyboard, while harder key strikes and aftertouch introduce rapid vibrato.
12: RESIN BASS Robin North - Mount Pleasant, Swansea (February 1986)
Now, where would Patchwork be without a sound tor the DX7? The original Patchwork page was dominated by Voice Data Lists for the world's most popular digital synth, but now that cheaper DX offshoots are gaining in popularity, how about some DX21 sounds for Patchwork MkII?
Robin North, a lecturer in Electronic Music no less, sends us his 'Resin Bass' for the DX7, adding that "it's a strong bass with a 'bite' similar to that heard when an orchestral double bass is bowed strongly". So now you know.
13: FIZZ BUZZ Martin Bullard, West Yorkshire (March 1986)
Not exactly an exclusive sound, as we hear that 'Fuzz Bizz' (or should that be 'B'ukz Fizz'?), is already very popular with DX7 owners the length and breadth of Yorkshire. However, in case you originate from a different part of the globe, the creator describes this patch as 'a good beefy no-nonsense sound that you can really lean into and attack. It doesn't attempt to put the DX7 into the analogue synth category, and neither does it try to create a sound which has become overused or over-recorded.' Noble sentiments, those.
14: FAIRLIGHT Avram Taylor, Newcastle upon Tyne (May 1986)
Anyone calling their patch 'Fairlight' has got to be ambitious. Avram's reasoning is that his sound seeks to emulate a much-used Fairlight effect, as featured on Culture Club's latest single. We're not so sure, but try it and judge for yourself.
The sound has a nasal, breathy quality - piercing, we'd call it - which Avram describes as 'effective for slow, single-note melodies or chord progressions that don't involve "fat" chords'. It's also handy for fast runs, where it acquires a delicate, almost breathless quality. Quite a versatile sound, all in all.
15: SLAPS Andrew Purdy - Moargreen, Notts (August 1986)
The ubiquitous DX7 comes up with another goodie, this time 'a mixture of deep rich grand and a light harpsichord', though it could be mistaken for a distorted electric piano on a good day. 'Slaps' works well over the full length of the keyboard, but as it's quite an attention-grabber, you may need to use it in moderation.
16: MORTHNGRND David Wells, Liverpool (September 1986)
Having been disappointed with the acoustic piano sounds onboard the DX7, David set out to program a grand piano as close to the real thing as possible. He managed to keep the frequency response as flat as possible while maintaining a rich tone, and this has resulted in a piano that can be both warm and delicate (for slow ballads) and fairly aggressive for chords and such like in rockier material.
Much attention has been given to getting a good tonal response across the keyboard, so the keyboard level scaling, operator level and velocity values are critical. As David quite rightly points out, a good piano sound is the most versatile sound a keyboard player can have at his/her disposal - so add this one to your collection...
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY:
17: REAL GRAND Mikael Arctaedius, Sweden (November 1986)
IT SEEMS THAT Mikael thought the 'More Than A Grand' sound for the DX7 (E&MM September 86) was not a patch (sic) on his 'Real Grand'. Well, we have to agree that his creation is a marvellously sweet acoustic piano sound, which should find many uses in both classical and contemporary music.
Mikael, incidentally, is in a band called Cul-De-Sac, who've just signed a record deal with an American producer. If this example of his work is anything to go by, we should be hearing more from him (and them) in the not-too-distant future.
18: TIMEFLUSS Roberto Laneri, Italy (December 1986)
From a selection of patches by Roberto, we chose a lovely, flutey brass sound that encourages you to make good use of the DX7's velocity-sensitivity; harder key strikes introduce a muted brass element and a prominent modulation effect. Given an impressive hi-tech setup which includes a DX7 plus four TX7s, you should find plenty of other good FM sounds on Roberto's record, 'Two Views of the Amazon' (Wergo SM1046). A review may follow if a copy finds its way to the Music Editor...
19: BERLIN Gary Butcher, Cambridge (January 1987)
Gary programmed this patch to emulate the bass sound from Berlin's smash 'Take My Breath Away', and he comes pretty close, too. A surprisingly warm analogue sounding bass patch from the DX7, and the touch of reverb on Gary's demo showed 'Berlin' off to it best.
20: SYNSCNARIO Keith Butler - Lichfield, Staffs (March 1987)
Keith originally titled this sound 'Synth/Flute', but we tended to place it more among the 'Synth/Organ' pigeons... But it's a more intriguing sound than that title would suggest, embellished as it is with an endearing "chiff" and a subtle swell in its attack phase. If you think you've heard it before, listen once more.
21: MARVIN Steve Clark, London SE6 (April 1987)
Steve titled his DX7 patch after Hank Marvin (well, we all have our problems), as he reckons it resembles Hank's guitar sound. While we wouldn't totally agree with him, we did find 'Marvin' a good sound for both solo and chordal work, which comes to life with some subtle pitch-bend and modulation. Steve suggests adding a touch of chorus or reverb to improve the sound further.
22: AXE Robert Turnbull - Paisley, Scotland (May 1987)
Robert's 'Axe' demo did such a good job at impersonating a screaming guitar, no-one at MT guessed it was generated by a DX7. 'Axe' could be just what you need for playing raving guitar-like solos on your remote keyboard stage front, and proficient use of pitch-bend will attract even greater admiration (and probably a few phone numbers, too). Don't be shy with this one...
23: SOFT STRGS Mark Granger - Crawley, Sussex (August 1987)
From a variety of admirable sounds from Mark, we chose this emotive string patch as we felt it may surprise some people who consider FM strings to be similar to the British summer - cold, in other words. Mark attempted to create an analogue-sounding string sound for the DX7, and we hope you agree with us that the result, 'Soft Strings' is pretty impressive - and begging to be put to good use.
24: CURVED AIR Johan Wedjesjo, Sweden (January 1988)
One of a pair of patches sent in by a pair of Swedes - brothers Johan and Daniel - both of whom show remarkable competence in DX7 programming. 'Curved Air' bears more than a passing resemblance to deep, massed vocals, though eerily mutated, especially in the lower registers. A good patch then, well deserving of the free sub that's on its way. Keep 'em coming chaps.
25: NOBODYELSE Ian Hunt, Middlesex (April 1988)
Yet another of many successful attempts to produce an analogue-type voice for a digital instrument. This one is a surprisingly warm, fuzzy patch, and "as the name suggests, nobody else is needed to generate a full sound for the soloist". Nostalgia rules.
26: STRUNGOUT TP Waters, Leamington (December 1988)
This is a deep and dramatic string patch which TP created to emulate the theme from Casualty. It's a dead ringer, and usable for monophonic lead lines and for upfront chordal work. Keep this one for when you need impact - it won't merge well into a musical backdrop.
27: TIGHT BASS Robin Kanagasabay, Fulham (April 1989)
These days there's only one thing more common than an air disaster and that's a new bass patch for the DX7. So it's encouraging to be able to report that 'Tight Bass' is better than most, seeking as it does to emulate a Minimoog, and fulfilling its task reasonably successfully. It can also be used in the upper registers for brittle, metallic stabs.
28: ANGELGLASS Tim Waters, Lemington Spa (November 1989)
Staying with Yamaha, but coming much more up to date, this patch from Tim (aka Patchwork regular TP Waters, I suspect) is a breathtakingly glossy and transparent bell, delicate for lead lines, warmer and more atmospheric when used for chords. Tim suggests that if the sound rings on too long for your liking, operator 4's EG rate could be changed from 14 to around 28.
Bobby Blues suggestion: set OP1 output level to 98 and OP4 output level to 99
01: FUNK BASS Martyn Phillips (February 1984)
For those of you who still don't understand what's going on here, don't despair. Martyn is preparing an article for next month's issue which examines programming techniques on the DX7 in greater depth. In the meantime, keep sending us your patches, so we can cover the largest range of synths and the widest variety of sounds.
In this new feature we will be examining just how certain sounds can be created on particular synths. There are two reasons why we feel this to be useful. Firstly, no amount of in-depth synthesis theory, however thorough and well explained, can be applied completely to an individual make of synth. On modular systems it is perfectly possible to add more modules if your set-up doesn't cater for the required hardware (be it oscillators, filters or whatever) needed for a particular patch. But on a polysynth, if there is one oscillator too few or no filter envelope there is nothing you can do. So we have tied the patches down to particular synthesizers.
The second reason is that certain synths often have little peculiarities which can be made to do a particularly useful job in a certain sound and we will be endeavouring to highlight this where such idiosyncrasies exist.
We hope to use many sources to make this regular feature as widely reaching as possible, ranging from Factory presets and ideas from manufacturers, through sounds programmed by E&MM staff and regular contributors, to those submitted by you the reader. We also want to cover a wide range of synths be they brand new or old faithfuls. So if you have an unbelievable crumhorn patch for the DX-7, an authentic sax for the Wasp, or a sound no-one has ever heard before, send it through to us (in as comprehensible a form as possible) and mark your envelope 'Patchwork'. All sources will be credited, so here's your chance to appear alongside the big names!
As far as the patches are concerned, don't take them as gospel! Individual instruments of the same make and model number still vary from one to the next, so if the patch doesn't sound quite right, feel free to tweak the settings. No patch is unimprovable, however respected the source.
If you don't have access to the actual synth in any patch, this doesn't mean you can't try out this patch on a similar machine. As long as the basic format is the same, it should work. You never know it may actually sound better!
02: STRINGBELL Ken Campbell (March 1984)
This is a good demonstration of the purely synthesiser capabilities of the DX7, rather than the imitative ones which have been used to form the vast majority of the presets. It is neither a string sound nor a bell sound, but displays characteristics of both plus some of its own.
Algorithm six consists of three pairs of modulator-carrier configuration each with a different fundamental and a different frequency ratio. All the carrier envelopes have a fast attack which provides a chime-like quality to the start of the sound. Looking at the modulators, although 4 and 6 have the same attack as the carriers, the attack levels are quite low, and it is the climb up to level two which provides the rush of different harmonics that give the sound its main character. The late entry of operator 2 gives the impression of movement within. As the sound settles on level 3 it leaves a hollow harmonic sound that almost, but not quite, obliterates the fundamental.
If you use a sustain pedal with your synth, you will find that occasionally, depending on how you pedal it, a second wash of sound rolls after the first couple of seconds later. It does not work if you merely hold the pedal down continuously. I have no explanation for this, but would be interested to hear one.
Also try this sound an octave up and/or with operator six frequency set to 0-75.
03: GRANDBRASS Stephen Hunter,Tayside (April 1984)
Yet another patch for the DX7! This month, however, we've managed to reproduce Yamaha's own Voice Data List to facilitate data input. Stephen describes 'Grand Brass' as 'almost a Brian May ensemble guitar sound in the upper range', and adds that 'heavy-handed playing in the bass (preferably playing octaves) produces a good grand piano emphasis'.
04: WURLITZER Steve Parr,London SW15 (May 1984)
One of the best DX7 patches submitted so far comes from Steve Parr, currently playing keys with Desmond Dekker as well as finding time to build a 16-track electronic video studio in Soho.
Steve describes the sound as extremely touch-sensitive. It reproduces with stunning realism every keyboard player's favourite sound of tortured tone bars on the verge of breaking when thumped with force. In fact, this patch is more like about five patches because of the extreme difference of tone over the dynamic range of the keyboard. Try it for yourself and see if you agree.
05: SPLT KYBRD Tony Wride,DX Owners' Club (July 1984)
In amongst the multitude of DX7 patches comes this one from the organiser of the DX Owners' Club - how could we resist it? Tony comments that 'by use of keyboard level scaling, two separate sounds are put at either end of the keyboard. Each sound has a two-octave range with the centre octave of the keyboard being the crossover area. It is also worth experimenting with different sounds'.
06: FUNKMASTER Martin Russ,Ipswich (August 1984)
Martin describes 'Funkmaster' as a 'fast, funky-feel twang with lots of thump'. (Quite.) The timbre has some of the elements of a detuned clavinet combined with a plucked bass sound, and some touch-sensitivity is included to give a brighter sound when pressing the keys faster.
Algorithm 16 is used in this voice. Operator 1 is the only carrier and is modulated by three sources. Operator 2 is used as a low frequency vibrato oscillator, and serves to give some movement within the sound. Operators 3 and 4 give the main thump/twang sound as well as giving a heavy bass bump. The velocity sensitivity of Operator 4 gives a brighter metallic sound with increasing key velocity.
Operators 5 and 6 give an additional bright fill effect which can sound like reverb at certain settings of Operator 5's output level. For an output level of 73 there is almost no effect on the final sound, at 83 the twang is brighter and at 93 has a hard cutting edge, but by 99 the contribution from Operators 5 and 6 is not only very marked but also quite intolerable!
In performance the touch-sensitivity resolves into two levels: soft = muted sound, hard = bright. Staccato playing brings out the percussive nature of the sound, and heavy left-hand octaves emphasise the bass thump. Legato playing reveals an unexpected sustain, giving away the non-acoustic nature of the instrument. In fact, the combination of heavy click/twang and a silky sustain sound gives a sort of manic Hammond organ!
07: SYNTH FULL Martin Russ,Ipswich (January 1985)
Synth Full is a muted voice at low key velocities, but a strident, penetrating brass sound at higher ones. A sweep of high harmonics gives the same sort of aural effect as a filter decay, and a metallic edge toughens up the attack portion of the envelope.
The patch makes use of Algorithm 9: Operators 1 and 2 are set to give a variation on the classic FM sawtooth by having the modulator (OP2) frequency at just over half the carrier (OP1) frequency. This gives a bright sound with plenty of bunched harmonics. Operators 3, 4, 5 and 6 lack the sharp attack of 1 and 2, but supply instead the touch-sensitivity and overall tone. Operators 2 and 6 are deliberately mistuned to 1.01 - changing this to 1.00 reduces the beating in the upper octaves but also flattens the effect of the brassy-sounding filter decay.
Some players might feel the patch has too much release as it stands, but this can be reduced via EG rates 3 and 4 on OPs 1 and 3. The LFO speed is set to fill out the sound when the DX is used with an echo unit, while the LFO rate can be speeded up for vibrato effects. Finally, the touch-sensitivity helps create a highly expressive voice without users having to resort to a volume pedal.
08: SYN-PHIZZ A. Marshall,Brighton (February 1985)
'Syn-Phizz' is modestly described by its creator as a decent lead sound (not at all wimpish) with a full initial output followed by a sustained organ-like noise. Playing with increased velocity gives a brassier sound, while a portamento setting of 10 can be added to good effect, if that's the sort of thing that gives you whizz...
09: HONKIGRAND Robin North,Swansea (April 1985)
So, while people who haven't got a DX7 try to make their synth sound like one, people who have will do anything to avoid making the fact obvious. Why anyone would want to synthesise a 'clapped-out Bechstein' grand piano sound is beyond the comprehension of us mortals at E&MM, but that's exactly what Robin has done. He swears no disrespect to the great piano maker, but we have our doubts...
10: BRASS-SOLO Johan Axelsson, Sweden (June 1985)
Another regular visitor to Patchwork, the DX7 is seen here being manipulated to obtain a good brass sound for solo lines, and is best played with after-touch and a lot of 'wheeling' (Johan's word, not ours!) on the pitch-bender, which should be set to Range 2 for optimum results.
11: FUNK BASS Paul Wiffen, London (July 1985)
Freelance synth programmer and occasional E&MM author PW has put together a punchy bass guitar sound for the Yamaha's FM best-seller. It's ideally suited to sequenced parts and to complimenting a lower-pitched bass line - the latter is only necessary because real 'bottom' is still quite difficult to achieve on the DX, even for a man of this experience. Not surprisingly, the patch sounds at its best in the lowest second and third octaves of the keyboard, while harder key strikes and aftertouch introduce rapid vibrato.
12: RESIN BASS Robin North - Mount Pleasant, Swansea (February 1986)
Now, where would Patchwork be without a sound tor the DX7? The original Patchwork page was dominated by Voice Data Lists for the world's most popular digital synth, but now that cheaper DX offshoots are gaining in popularity, how about some DX21 sounds for Patchwork MkII?
Robin North, a lecturer in Electronic Music no less, sends us his 'Resin Bass' for the DX7, adding that "it's a strong bass with a 'bite' similar to that heard when an orchestral double bass is bowed strongly". So now you know.
13: FIZZ BUZZ Martin Bullard, West Yorkshire (March 1986)
Not exactly an exclusive sound, as we hear that 'Fuzz Bizz' (or should that be 'B'ukz Fizz'?), is already very popular with DX7 owners the length and breadth of Yorkshire. However, in case you originate from a different part of the globe, the creator describes this patch as 'a good beefy no-nonsense sound that you can really lean into and attack. It doesn't attempt to put the DX7 into the analogue synth category, and neither does it try to create a sound which has become overused or over-recorded.' Noble sentiments, those.
14: FAIRLIGHT Avram Taylor, Newcastle upon Tyne (May 1986)
Anyone calling their patch 'Fairlight' has got to be ambitious. Avram's reasoning is that his sound seeks to emulate a much-used Fairlight effect, as featured on Culture Club's latest single. We're not so sure, but try it and judge for yourself.
The sound has a nasal, breathy quality - piercing, we'd call it - which Avram describes as 'effective for slow, single-note melodies or chord progressions that don't involve "fat" chords'. It's also handy for fast runs, where it acquires a delicate, almost breathless quality. Quite a versatile sound, all in all.
15: SLAPS Andrew Purdy - Moargreen, Notts (August 1986)
The ubiquitous DX7 comes up with another goodie, this time 'a mixture of deep rich grand and a light harpsichord', though it could be mistaken for a distorted electric piano on a good day. 'Slaps' works well over the full length of the keyboard, but as it's quite an attention-grabber, you may need to use it in moderation.
16: MORTHNGRND David Wells, Liverpool (September 1986)
Having been disappointed with the acoustic piano sounds onboard the DX7, David set out to program a grand piano as close to the real thing as possible. He managed to keep the frequency response as flat as possible while maintaining a rich tone, and this has resulted in a piano that can be both warm and delicate (for slow ballads) and fairly aggressive for chords and such like in rockier material.
Much attention has been given to getting a good tonal response across the keyboard, so the keyboard level scaling, operator level and velocity values are critical. As David quite rightly points out, a good piano sound is the most versatile sound a keyboard player can have at his/her disposal - so add this one to your collection...
MUSIC TECHNOLOGY:
17: REAL GRAND Mikael Arctaedius, Sweden (November 1986)
IT SEEMS THAT Mikael thought the 'More Than A Grand' sound for the DX7 (E&MM September 86) was not a patch (sic) on his 'Real Grand'. Well, we have to agree that his creation is a marvellously sweet acoustic piano sound, which should find many uses in both classical and contemporary music.
Mikael, incidentally, is in a band called Cul-De-Sac, who've just signed a record deal with an American producer. If this example of his work is anything to go by, we should be hearing more from him (and them) in the not-too-distant future.
18: TIMEFLUSS Roberto Laneri, Italy (December 1986)
From a selection of patches by Roberto, we chose a lovely, flutey brass sound that encourages you to make good use of the DX7's velocity-sensitivity; harder key strikes introduce a muted brass element and a prominent modulation effect. Given an impressive hi-tech setup which includes a DX7 plus four TX7s, you should find plenty of other good FM sounds on Roberto's record, 'Two Views of the Amazon' (Wergo SM1046). A review may follow if a copy finds its way to the Music Editor...
19: BERLIN Gary Butcher, Cambridge (January 1987)
Gary programmed this patch to emulate the bass sound from Berlin's smash 'Take My Breath Away', and he comes pretty close, too. A surprisingly warm analogue sounding bass patch from the DX7, and the touch of reverb on Gary's demo showed 'Berlin' off to it best.
20: SYNSCNARIO Keith Butler - Lichfield, Staffs (March 1987)
Keith originally titled this sound 'Synth/Flute', but we tended to place it more among the 'Synth/Organ' pigeons... But it's a more intriguing sound than that title would suggest, embellished as it is with an endearing "chiff" and a subtle swell in its attack phase. If you think you've heard it before, listen once more.
21: MARVIN Steve Clark, London SE6 (April 1987)
Steve titled his DX7 patch after Hank Marvin (well, we all have our problems), as he reckons it resembles Hank's guitar sound. While we wouldn't totally agree with him, we did find 'Marvin' a good sound for both solo and chordal work, which comes to life with some subtle pitch-bend and modulation. Steve suggests adding a touch of chorus or reverb to improve the sound further.
22: AXE Robert Turnbull - Paisley, Scotland (May 1987)
Robert's 'Axe' demo did such a good job at impersonating a screaming guitar, no-one at MT guessed it was generated by a DX7. 'Axe' could be just what you need for playing raving guitar-like solos on your remote keyboard stage front, and proficient use of pitch-bend will attract even greater admiration (and probably a few phone numbers, too). Don't be shy with this one...
23: SOFT STRGS Mark Granger - Crawley, Sussex (August 1987)
From a variety of admirable sounds from Mark, we chose this emotive string patch as we felt it may surprise some people who consider FM strings to be similar to the British summer - cold, in other words. Mark attempted to create an analogue-sounding string sound for the DX7, and we hope you agree with us that the result, 'Soft Strings' is pretty impressive - and begging to be put to good use.
24: CURVED AIR Johan Wedjesjo, Sweden (January 1988)
One of a pair of patches sent in by a pair of Swedes - brothers Johan and Daniel - both of whom show remarkable competence in DX7 programming. 'Curved Air' bears more than a passing resemblance to deep, massed vocals, though eerily mutated, especially in the lower registers. A good patch then, well deserving of the free sub that's on its way. Keep 'em coming chaps.
25: NOBODYELSE Ian Hunt, Middlesex (April 1988)
Yet another of many successful attempts to produce an analogue-type voice for a digital instrument. This one is a surprisingly warm, fuzzy patch, and "as the name suggests, nobody else is needed to generate a full sound for the soloist". Nostalgia rules.
26: STRUNGOUT TP Waters, Leamington (December 1988)
This is a deep and dramatic string patch which TP created to emulate the theme from Casualty. It's a dead ringer, and usable for monophonic lead lines and for upfront chordal work. Keep this one for when you need impact - it won't merge well into a musical backdrop.
27: TIGHT BASS Robin Kanagasabay, Fulham (April 1989)
These days there's only one thing more common than an air disaster and that's a new bass patch for the DX7. So it's encouraging to be able to report that 'Tight Bass' is better than most, seeking as it does to emulate a Minimoog, and fulfilling its task reasonably successfully. It can also be used in the upper registers for brittle, metallic stabs.
28: ANGELGLASS Tim Waters, Lemington Spa (November 1989)
Staying with Yamaha, but coming much more up to date, this patch from Tim (aka Patchwork regular TP Waters, I suspect) is a breathtakingly glossy and transparent bell, delicate for lead lines, warmer and more atmospheric when used for chords. Tim suggests that if the sound rings on too long for your liking, operator 4's EG rate could be changed from 14 to around 28.
Bobby Blues suggestion: set OP1 output level to 98 and OP4 output level to 99
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