Yamaha • DX-11
The DX-11 was released in 1988, four years after the DX-7 hit the market. The DX-11's synthesis and sound quality is classic DX-style FM synthesis using 4-operators per voice. The DX-11 has one major advantage over the DX-7 and other older DX-synths, however. The DX-11 offered 8-part multitimbrality, whereas older DX synths were monotimbral. The DX-11 is essentially a keyboard version of Yamaha's first true multitimbral FM synthesizer, the TX81Z rack module.
The DX-11's multitimbral features allowed you to spread various sound patches across different areas or "zones" of the keyboard. It also allowed for complex ensemble performances using external sequencers or while playing live using "Performance" patches. Also added were some Quick Edit functions so you don't have to delve into the complexity of FM synthesis to make a few simple tweaks. These quick edits affect the tone, envelope attack and release times. Unfortunately there are no on-board arpeggiators or sequencers.
The DX-11 is only 8-voice polyphonic. A standard DX-7 has 16-voices and though it is monotimbral, superior polyphony makes the DX-7 an often more popular choice. Also, with just 8-voices, the DX-11's multitimbral performances can wind up sounding pretty thin. Other 8-voice DX-type synths include the DX-21, DX-100, and TX81Z. And unlike most previous DX synths which all used sine waves for synthesis, the DX-11 offers up to eight different waveforms to work with! And all the classic DX sounds can be found in the DX-11. Brass, piano, strings, bell sounds, percussion, effects, and much more. Other features include chord-stacking, digital delay, and panning effects, however there is no chorus effect as on earlier DX-synths. At its current low second-hand price, the DX-11 is an inexpensive way to get useable DX sounds! It has been used by Astral Projection and Autechre.
