YAMAHA TX81Z
4-OP FM Synthesizer

About

YAMAHA TX81Z is a 4-operator FM synthesizer with expanded 8 waveforms for each operator.

YAMAHA TX81Z
YAMAHA TX81Z (1986)

TX81Z Overview

8-polyphonic.
8-part multi-timbre.
8 waveforms for operators. The waves are the variations of the basic sine waveform, modified by simple mathematic operations. These extended waveforms were then unavailable even in the higher-end FM synths like DX7 and DX7II. The synthesis chip is called OPZ (YM2414) .
Frequency Fine parameter and the Fixed Frequency Mode added.
Some playing effects are added; transposed delay, chord memory, and auto-panning. These quasi-effects eat up half the polyphony.
The multi-timbre mode has an interesting feature of TX802 - the Alternative Assign Mode that triggers different patches at each key stroke.

Sound Examples

Here are some .mp3 examples of TX81Z treated with effects - KORG A3 and KORG AM8000R.

Songs

TX81Z + KORG A3 Multi Effect with 5 times overdub (4.3MB)
TX81Z + KORG AM8000R Ambient Effects with 5 times overdub (3.2MB)
TX81Z + KORG AM8000R Ambient Effects with 5 times overdub (5.1MB)

TX81Z + KORG AM8000R Sounds

Saw wave (483KB)
Vocals (487KB)
Bass with chorus (394KB)
EP (379KB)
Bell (417KB)
Bass (345KB)
Pluck EP (423KB)
Pad (754KB)
Pluck (468KB)

 

Related Models

See DX21, FB-01 and also DX7, DX7II pages for related models of TX81Z .
TX81Z can be seen as the updated version of DX21 and FB-01 with the new OPZ engine.
DX11 is the keyboard version with an added pitch envelope and the Quick Edit interface.
YS100 / YS200, TQ5 and WT11 are the upper version of DX11 with a little reverb effect.

YAMAHA TQ5
YAMAHA TQ5 (1988)

V50 is the upper version of TX81Z with doubled polyphony. It uses the OPZII engine, which has the lower Fixed Frequency Mode (down to 1Hz). It also has a non-editable drum machine that seems to be related to RX8. I suspect V50 may be the 16-bit version of TX81Z, like DX7II and TX802 in the 6-OP realm.

YAMAHA V50
YAMAHA V50 (1989)

Links

YAMAHA Manual Library .pdf manual downloads
Yamahasynth.com Support at the Classic Corner
YAMAHA Forums UK Supports all YAMAHA synths and more
yamahablackboxes Yahoo! Groups
YamahaDX Yahoo! Groups
FMSynthesis Yahoo! Groups




Deep Synthesis: Home

7. 20. 2006