Back in 1985, this synth brought the revolutionary FM sound of the DX7 to more players by slipping it into a super compact body with full-sized keys—perfect for gigging without the bulk.
At its heart is a 4-operator digital FM synthesis engine with 8 algorithms, each operator boasting dedicated ADSDR envelopes, plus a pitch envelope and versatile LFO offering saw up, square, triangle, and random waves. It delivers 8-voice polyphony across a 61-note unweighted keyboard, with left-hand pitch bend and mod wheels up top, a data entry slider, and –1/+1 buttons for editing amid 192 factory presets and 24 user slots. Measuring just 909 x 270 x 82 mm and weighing 7.5 kg, it's built tough with textured panels and seamless detailing, includes MIDI In/Out/Thru plus breath controller input, and outputs mono audio (stereo chorus on the DX27S model with speakers). No onboard filter, but key scaling and MIDI velocity support add expressive depth.
Players love its solid bass patches and metallic bells that defined 80s digital tones, often calling it a reliable workhorse for the price—though some note the sterile edge to sounds and compact buttons take adjustment.
