TX81Z
FM Tone Generator
|
The Yamaha TX81Z was a very popular synth module, due to the
incredible amount of different sounds one can get from it - it's a very flexible
synth, adapt to many different music styles. It is a typical late '80s Yamaha
FM, with powerful bass, cutting synths, and glassy electric pianos. One
particular sound this module is famous for: "Lately Bass",
which was used extensively during the mid 90s in a lot of rap,
hip-hop and dance songs (i.e., on Madonna's "Vogue" ).
A similar bass sound is also found on the DX100, "Solid Bass". Even though this is only a 4-Operator synth, the quality and versatility of this synth more than makes up for the missing 2 ops. Worthy of notice is also the fact that you can control this module via breath controller (a few of the presets are already set up for this), adding even more expressivity to the sound. |
Yamaha TX81Z audio demos in mp3
| Preset name with demo | My comments |
| A01 GrandPiano | Great emulation for FM. |
| A04 HonkeyTonk | Fun, well programmed. |
| A06 Fuzz Piano | Deliciously fuzzy! |
| A10 HiTine81Z | Classy and beautiful, the typical DX7-style FM electric piano. |
| A12 NewElectro | Hypnotic, glassy electric piano. |
| A14 DynoWurlie | Dynamic Wurlitzer electric piano. |
| A17 PercOrgan | Standout organ - Even with only 4 operators, this module can produce excellent results. |
| A20 6 Tease | Obviously "Sixties". A Vox Continental type organ, typical of the 1960s. |
| A21 Farcheeza | Play of words between Farfisa and cheesy. Classic new wave Farfisa organ. |
| A28 LiteHarpsi | Very nice classical harpsichord. |
| A30 Celeste | Hollow, woody but also glassy celeste sound. |
| A32 Squeezebox | Nice button accordion sound! |
| B01 Trumpet81Z | This would sound even better with a breath controller. Many sounds on the TX81Z can make good use of a BC, actually. |
| B02 Full Brass | Solid, full digi/analog brass - typical FM |
| B05 FrenchHorn | Quiet and soft. |
| B09 MelloTenor | Mellow Tenor Sax. |
| B10 RaspAlto | Raspy Alto Sax. |
| B13 Bassoon | Incredibly realistic! |
| B20 SoloViolin | Nice fiddle. |
| B24 Harp | Well programmed and dreamy harp. |
| B31 PercFlute | Interesting synth flute. |
| B32 BreathOrgn | This would work as a synth pad for modern electronica styles. |
| C02 Guitar 1 | Standard Stratocaster sound. |
| C09 ElecBass 1 | Classic FM bass. |
| C11 SynFunkBas | Very cool synthy bass. |
| C14 Jaco Bass | A la Jaco Pastorius |
| C15 LatelyBass | The most famous preset on board. |
| C17 StadiumSol | Classic Minimoog style solo synth. |
| C21 WarmSquare | Very '70s ELP. |
| C24 Jazz Flute | Cool sound. |
| C28 GreatVibes | Nice and tranquil. |
| C32 DigiAnnie | Digital/Analog synth. |
| D01 BaadBreath | OK choir sound. |
| D02 VocalNuts | Curious vocal effect. |
| D06 BowedBell | Wine glasses. |
| D07 WOW | FM power. |
| D09 Spc Midiot | Space MIDIot.. |
| D10 Gurgle | Great special FX in this bank. |
| D11 Hole in 1 | Uncanny golfing experience. |
| D12 Birds | Beautiful emulation. |
| D13 MalibuNite | Waves crashing at night. |
| D14 Helicopter | Nice. |
| D15 Flight Sim | 1920's propeller airplane. |
| D17 Storm Wind | More FM power. |
| D19 Racing Car | Fun sound |
| D20 Whistling | Nicely emulated. |
| D30 Hand Drum | FM is great for percussive sounds. |
Yamha
TX81Z pictures
(click on thumbnails to enlarge them)
Yamaha
TX81Z
manual
Available at www.yamaha.com
Yamaha TX81Z features
- Highly programmable;
- light and portable;
- classic FM tones.
| Features at a glance | |
| Year of release: | 198_ |
| Polyphony: | 8-voice |
| Sound generation method: | FM |
| Preset memories | 128 ROM, 32 RAM |
| MIDI: | in, out, thru |
| Sound expansion capabilities: | no |
| Sequencer | no |
| Arpeggiator | no |
| Effects | no |
| Touch sensitivity | yes |
| Aftertouch | |
Resources:
- Review in "Keyboard magazine" Janfebmarch 198___
Links
| SITE | Type of resource | DESCRIPTION |
| Home page | website. | |