DX1

Back in 1983, this beast was Yamaha's flagship FM synthesizer, packing two full DX7 engines into one wooden-sided powerhouse with the only fully weighted wooden keys in the entire DX lineup—73 of them, to be exact, for that premium piano-like feel.

At its core, dual programmable 6-operator FM tone generators with 32 algorithms each deliver everything from glassy bells to metallic percussion, backed by independent 8-parameter envelope generators per operator for precise sound sculpting. The front panel shines with a backlit 40x2 LCD for performance info, eight numeric LEDs and four 16-segment bar graphs for real-time envelope visualization, dedicated operator buttons with on/off LEDs, and detune/frequency displays that make editing far less cryptic than on lesser DX models. It offers 32-voice polyphony in single mode, 16 voices in dual or split (layering or splitting A/B banks), velocity-sensitive keys with polyphonic aftertouch, plus modulation wheel, foot controllers, breath input, and MIDI In/Out/Thru. Studio-grade XLR-balanced stereo outs, individual A/B outputs, and memory for 64 performances (32 ROM/32 RAM voices per bank, expandable via dual cartridges) round out the pro setup.

Players have long praised its fat, lush tones and intuitive displays for demystifying FM programming, earning spots in rigs from Depeche Mode to Herbie Hancock, though its tank-like size and weight keep it a collector's dream rather than a gig staple.