Dtronics DT-DX Puts The Power Of 8 Yamaha DX7 Synths Into A Compact Module

Developer Wilfred Pover has launched a Kickstarter project to fund production of the Dtronics DT-DX, a hardware synth, created in collaboration with the developer of MiniDexed, that puts the power of 8 Yamaha DX7 synths into a single module.

The DT-DX is a compact hardware unit, based upon the Github project MiniDexed. It runs on a Raspberry Pi 2 Zero, which runs a version of Dexed, which emulates the Yamaha DX7.

Here’s a demo of DT-DX in action:

Pricing and Availability:

Production of the Dtronics DT-DX is being funded via a Kickstarter project. It’s available to project backers for €299, about $313 USD.

Note: Crowdfunded projects can involve risk. See the project site for details.

14 thoughts on “Dtronics DT-DX Puts The Power Of 8 Yamaha DX7 Synths Into A Compact Module

  1. Having only one knob, it better be the best knob the market can offer, because if that goes, you own a brick. Look at the potentiometer stem, there is no nut and the knob isn’t seated.

    1. Seconded. Also I presume it’s intended to be edited remotely because dialing things in like opening a combination lock on a bank vault will get old fast. On the plus side the kickstarter will probably be fast and successful because with so little hardware there isn’t much to go wrong.

      1. You can change performances with midi program changes. I use Minidexed on stage and I don’t even have an encoder or screen. I recommended putting your favourite voices on it then it’s a case of selecting 1-8 of them, add detune, panning, reverb and leave it at that. No point going deeper in the editing. The performances that the community have put together for Minidexed make it an instrument in its own right. I noodle on them for hours.

        1. 100% this. Use it for what it’s meant to be: a solid 8-part DX7 player. There are plenty of ways to program dx7 sounds—this aint it.

          I do hope they make some subset of ‘musical’ parameters available via MIDI CCs instead of NRPMs and/or sysex. Like amplitude ADSR, volume, panning, etc sort of stuff. Something you can generally dial up with today’s MIDI controllers vs “damn, this $200 MIDI controller doesn’t let me send NRPMs so I guess I’ll just use presets…”

  2. Third-ed! I played DEXED for a while and if you have an FM jones, its a seriously useful find. It mainly depends on how you look at the fidgety programming required. FM GUIs are very detailed by necessity, so they often look butt-ugly.

    If you’re big on FM and like this design, tell them to put a proper retaining collar on that darned stem! There are easier ways to get rolling with FM than this. I was glad to let it go when wavetables and physical modeling appeared. Those cover the same general field of sounds much more accessibly.

  3. Or you grab whatever android phone/ tablet and load free SynprezFM app loaded with 1000 thousands presets (yes, the bank used by dexed),,,

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