Dom Sigalas explores the rare DX series flagship The DX-1 was introduced in 1983 and only 140 were produced. Under the hood was an FM synthesis beast with the power of two DX-7s housed in an impressive chassis and remarkable user interface.
It featured a remarkably expressive 73-key weighted wooden keyboard and polyphonic aftertouch housed in a metal chassis with Brazilian rosewood side panels. Everything thing about the DX-1 looks and feels top-notch. In contrast to the more affordable DX-7, with its single data slider, and membrane switches, two-digit LED and small LCD screen, the DX-1 has mechanical buttons, a much larger backlit LCD, and a remarkable array of LEDs for viewing algorithms, detune, envelope generator rates and levels, keyboard scaling, velocity sensitivity and output level.
You can feel the love Dom has for this instrument in the video below. I feel the same way. The DX-1 is a remarkably expressive synthesizer with a great user interface, and it’s built like a handcrafted musical instrument. It is one of the most impressive keyboards I’ve ever played. Check out the video below:
Yamaha Synthesizer Product Specialist Blake Angelos has over thirty years of experience with music hardware and software. An expert in music technology, Blake has conducted numerous clinics, master classes and presentations throughout the United States, Europe and Canada. In his role as Product Specialist for the Synthesizer Department Blake appears in many product videos and artist interviews, writes many articles for YamahaSynth.com and co-hosts a regular Podcast called “Behind the Synth”.
Before his work with Yamaha, he taught music theory and jazz studies courses at Arizona State University; managed a technology-focused music store in Seattle and was a production supervisor at Microsoft, where he led a team that developed groundbreaking interactive music content for the Microsoft Network. Blake holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University. Blake currently resides in Bellingham, Washington with his family, and between his travels around the world for Yamaha, he performs as much as possible with several jazz and creative music groups in Bellingham, Seattle and other places in the Pacific Northwest.