DX1
YAMAHA DX1 can be seen as two DX7 integrated in a big wooden keyboard with non-MIDI polyphonic aftertouch. It's 32-polyphonic, bi-timbral, 6-OP FM synthesizer.
It seems DX1 uses 12-bit D/A as in DX7, but I'm not sure.
Later DX5 came out. It seems to be the 16-bit D/A version of DX1.
DX7II Series inherits their bi-timbrality.
YAMAHA DX1 (1983)
YAMAHA DX5 (1985)
DX7II Series are 16-bit, 16-polyphonic, 6-OP FM Synths, and are extended versions of DX7.
DX7IIFD: bi-timbral, FD Drive to store sounds
DX7II Centennial is made as an anniversary model for YAMAHA's 100 years of history then. The buttons are all coated with gold.
YAMAHA DX7S (1987)
Grey Matter made E! Card that adds multi-timbrality and other utilities to DX7II.
YAMAHA DX7II Centennial (1987)
DX7IIFD, DX7IID and DX7s have the Unison Mode that layers 4 same sounds with some detune. I hear this Unison sounds much fatter than TX802's multi-part layers, but I haven't heard the actual sounds.
Grey Matter E! Card
Please mail me if you can tell how the Unison sounds like.
YAMAHA V50 is basically a workstation made with two TX81Z 4-OP FM Synths and one non-editable version of RX8 PCM drum machine integrated. V50 has the multi-timbral functionality similar to TX802, including the Alternate Assign Mode.
I came to suspect that V50 may be the 16-bit D/A version of the 4-OP FM series, because I feel similar sound quality with V50 and TX802.
Later YAMAHA planned to release V80FD. It's the 6-OP version of the FM workstation, expandable with a PCM synth board. It was only planned and actually the more advanced model, SY77 came out.
YAMAHA V50 (1989)
SY77 is the hybrid synth of 6-OP FM and PCM. Not only combining the two different synthesis method, the PCM engine can be used as the modulator for the FM engine. This highly integrated hybrid synthesis is called RCM (Realtime Convolution and Modulation).
The FM part of RCM is called AFM (Advanced FM). It's the extended version of 6-OP FM. The new features include:
YAMAHA SY77 (1989)
Later SY99 came out with expanded PCM ROM and RAM.
In the late 90s, YAMAHA repackaged DX7's 6-OP FM (not AFM) with DSP in the form of a plug-in board. This is the updated version of DX7II with a Filter and Polyphonic Aftertouch. There is only one filter applied to all 16 voices like KORG POLY-800.
The board PLG100-DX belongs to the MSPS - Modular Synthesis Plug-in System. Various synthesis engines are built within plug-in boards, and can be installed in MSPS platform synth/modules - YAMAHA CS6x, S30/S80, Motif Series and XG modules above MU100. Kenton Plugstation can also host 4 PLG boards. Later it was updated with PLG150-DX.
DX200 is the groovebox version of PLG150-DX with a Multi-Effect, a PCM drum machine, and Free-EG function, etc., designed together with AN200 VA groovebox.
YAMAHA PLG100-DX (1998)
YAMAHA DX200 (2001)
Recently some successor of DX7II came out.
YAMAHA released FS1r, FS (Formant Shaping / FM) Synthesizer. It has 8 Normal Operators with 8 Unvoiced Operators for Formant Shaping and a Filter, but still retains compatibility with DX7/DX7II.
Nativeinstruments made the software FM synth - FM7. It has 8-OP with a Filter, and it's compatible with all DXs.
Recently Alesis made Fusion with 6-OP FM synthesis.
YAMAHA FS1r (1998)
Nativeinstruments FM7 (2001)
Alesis Fusion (2005)
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DX7II Series
Deep Synthesis: Home2. 9. 2005