Arturia DX 7 V – FM Synthesizer Virtual Instrument (VST/AU/AAX) Arturia

The DX7 brought digital synthesis to everyday musicians, transformed the sound of the charts, and won the title of best-selling synth of all time. DX7 V is a software reimagining of the icon, bringing that iconic glassy, punchy, crystal-clear sound to your DAW.

Features:

• 32 original DX7 algorithm
• All DX7 original parameters
• Original DX7 SysEx import
• 25 available waveforms per operators
• 6 Operators with multi-mode filter and feedback per operators
• DX7, DADSR and Multi-Segments envelopes (syncable and loopable) per operators
• 2 Modulation envelopes
• 4 assignable macros
• Advanced modulation matrix
• A step sequencer, 2 LFOs with 6 waveforms and an arpeggiator
• 4 FXs slots that can be routed in parallel or in serie
• An oscilloscope
• Vintage and Modern DAC Mode for a proper emulation of the DX7 converter
• 32 voices of polyphony
• 4 voices of unison with unison detune
• 432 factory presets

FM the way it was meant to be heard.
FM synthesis exploded the sonic palette of keyboardists and producers almost overnight. Going where analog doesn’t, it’s still one of the most versatile approaches to sound-making there is. But musicians found the original DX difficult to program and lacking in real-time control. DX7 V amps up the advantages, loses the limitations, and adds tons of functionality that put it right at home in a modern music making rig.

Back to the…
Need to nail that ’80s chart-topping sound of Sting, Tina Turner, or anything that happened within a mile of David Foster? DX7 V has you covered.

Cutting Edge
Struck, plucked, and bowed sounds were the DX’s specialty, as were percussive keyboards like EPs and Clavs. Hear that FM edge rendered with loving precision.

Digital Personality
From FM classics to lilting pads and sparkling motion-synth soundscapes, listeners will wonder how you got “that” sound.

Well Behaved
Expanded wIth tons of tempo-syncing and MIDI mapping features, DX7 V’s classic sound fits into the modern workflow without a hitch.

Music for the Masses
FM easily produced sounds that eluded analog synths. When the DX made it affordable, everybody wanted one – and pretty much everybody got one. Once the exploratory genius of a Stanford University professor met the marketing savvy and production capacity of the world’s largest musical instrument maker, keyboards would never be the same again. After its introduction in 1983, it would go on to sell over 200,000 units and define countless sounds from the ’80s and beyond.

FM is a simple idea at its core: audio-rate modulation of one waveform by another. But it was Dr. John Chowning of Stanford University who made FM viable as a synthesis method all on its own. His work proved that by carefully tuning the modulating waveforms, you could duplicate the harmonic profiles of all sorts of acoustic instruments.

A different breed of synthesizer
DX7 V delivers a faithful recreation of the instrument that brought the unique sound of FM digital synthesis to the masses. At its simplest, FM creates sound by modulating the frequencies of one signal (called the carrier) with those of another signal (called the modulator) at audio rates, resulting in much more complex harmonics. Just as with FM radio, changes to the frequency and amplitude of the modulating waveform can radically alter the sound. Let’s dig a bit deeper.

Operators
The DX7 V’s six signal generators – called operators – can be used as carriers or modulators. Each operator consists of a simple oscillator with its own frequency and level controls, plus a dedicated envelope-controlled amplifier. Generally speaking, the carrier’s envelope affects amplitude while the modulator’s envelope changes the timbre, with optional keyboard tracking adding the final realistic element of timbre changing with pitch, like an acoustic instrument.

Modulation
The timbre of an FM sound is very dependant on the relationship of the carrier and modulator operators. When the modulator frequency is under keyboard control, its frequency ratio to the carrier determines the basic harmonic profile of your sound, with integer ratios producing more recognizable waveforms and the fractional ones typically resulting in more clangorous, inharmonic ones. Modulator amplitudes also affect timbre, with higher frequencies generally yielding brighter sounds.

Algorithms
A selection of 32 algorithms determines the architectural relationship of the DX7 V’s six operators as carriers and modulators. These familiar foundations are perfect ready-made starting points for creating and modifying sounds beyond recognition. On top of the carriers’ direct connections to the output and the modulators’ various results, some algorithms also provide a feedback loop, conjuring anything from raspy effects to full-blown distortion.

FM Made Easy
All the sound of the hardware. All the real-time control it never had. DX7 V’s uncluttered interface gathers exactly the controls you need for compelling performances and inspired sound creation.

01. Digital ‘Rithm
Quickly select or step through the original 32 FM algorithms. Operators are color-coded to simplify editing.

02. Analog Control
Make bold performance gestures in a single move with the Data Entry sliders, which control multiple assignable parameters at once.

03. Global Group
Synth-wide settings like tune, transpose, and depth of pitch and depth of pitch and amplitude modulation are always available.

04. Quick Edits
Set the amount of the tone-defining FM feedback loop, as well as the pitch envelope depth, here.

05. Just Glide
Players loved the DX’s polyphonic portamento, but you had to dive into a menu to use it. In DX7 V, just turn it on and tweak the time.

06. Ups and Downs
Add riffs and motion with the multi-pattern, tempo-syncable arpeggiator – a feature not found on the original.

DX on Steroids
More waveforms. More envelopes. More modulation. Filters and FX. In hardware, these features would have made for a five-figure synthesizer.

Having just one slider and a bunch of buttons made programming the original somewhat tedious. Electronic music pioneer Brian Eno even built a custom knob controller to get at every parameter of his DX7 at once. With DX7 V, there’s not only more of everything, but our interface also makes it easy and fun to control.

We Saw the Sine
The original did great with only sine waves. Any DX7 V operator can generate a variety of waveforms, allowing near-limitless harmonic possibilities.

Excellent Envelopes
Create sounds that move and morph with independent envelopes for each operator. There’s also a dedicated pitch envelope, and two more assignable modulation EGs.

Digital, Meet Analog
Some DX players longed for the filters familiar from their analog synths. DX7 V has six of them – one for each operator.

Multiple Mods
Assign sources like the sliders, velocity, aftertouch, and many more to a plethora of destinations in DX7 V’s intuitive modulation matrix.

Up to Scale
Make the operators track the keyboard using the curve-based approach of the original DX, or create your own curves with multiple breakpoints.

Virtual Rack
If you had a DX, you had pedals. Put that final polish on your sound with up to four studio-quality FX in series or parallel.

Presets
Part of what made the DX so recognizable is that even the pros tended to stick to factory presets rather than learning to program it. DX7 V presents no such obstacles, so ARTURIA”s world-class sound designers went to town creating 540 Presets covering every instrument type and musical style imaginable.