With the unit being fairly compact, any quandary over the size of keys can be rectified by using the DX with a keyboard controller. The three octaves feature velocity sensitive keys, but no after touch. Yamaha have taken a bit of flak for designing the Reface with mini keys, which take a bit of getting used to. On the back panel there are some simple connections that you would expect to find including a headphones port, left and rightquater-inch audio outputs, MIDI I/O (from a special breakout cable), mini-jack auxiliary input, sustain pedal input and USB. The chassis of this synth has a solid and weighty feel to it and it instils confidence that it won’t easily get knocked off a keyboard stand whilst still being light enough to throw in a backpack if you are a travelling performer. Again, the qualit is high with plenty of scope for tweaking the depth and rate of chorus and flangers, or the size and time of delays and reverbs.
The Reface DX also offers you two effects slots with seven effects types including reverb, distortion, chorus, wah, flanger, phaser and delay. With the hands on control, you can get a surprising amount of variety, including some of the more aggressive sounds that you wouldn’t normally associate with Yamaha. It features some of the snappy bass sounds that you would associate with early house music as well as shimmering pads and robust marimbas and plucked sounds. Putting these minor shortcomings aside it should be noted the Reface DX does sound impressive. The volume and octave selection faders on the new machine are raised mini faders with a brushed aluminium feel to them and again they might have been better served as recessed faders. I couldn’t help thinking, however, it would have been better to have four mini recessed faders instead similar to the volume and data entry faders on the DX7. Rubberized buttons help you navigate between different configurations of algorithms, levels, frequency and effects.
A series of four touch ribbon controllers allow you to get hold of all the parameters whilst the small but effective screen gives you clear visual feedback at all times. Thankfully, with the Reface DX, manipulating four operators is a whole lot simpler. Back in 1983, if you were used to analog subtractive synthesis, then you had to learn all about FM synthesis which pretty much required donning a white lab coat every time you powered up the synth. One of the biggest drawbacks of the DX7 was the excessive amounts of menu diving required to create your own patches and this might be one of the reasons why so many of the DX7’s preset sounds can be found on records of the time, with the soft electric piano perhaps being the most well-known. Next to the obvious differences such as the mini keys and the three octave range, this new machine is decidedly more hands on. Once the reminiscing is over we find there is more going on here than just a straight reissue and new packaging.
Yet it is very comforting to once again be introduced to the soft brown and green styling once found on the DX7 that now adorns the Reface DX. It’s often said that history repeats itself and with the withering amount of analogue synthesizer reboots on offer these days, it is somewhat refreshing, if slightly predictable, that Yamaha would offer up something that harks back to those pioneering days. With a vast array of FM sounds, it was the first digital synthesizer to become a runaway hit and, arguably, epitomised the sound of electronic music for a generation who had only just been introduced to the wonders of MIDI. Yamaha made a huge impact on the synthesizer world, back in 1983, with the introduction of the DX7. With Korg and Roland revisiting their illustrious past it now falls to Yamaha to step up and introduce a whole new generation of music creators to their legacy. Sometimes you have to go backwards to go forwards.
The download link of the Sound pack will be provided via email upon purchase.Robin Lee embraces Yamaha’s revival of their famous DX synth. Single User, royalty-free for commercial or home use. If everything has been set up correctly, please start the transfer by clicking “send” (or “write all” in case you’re using Korg’s Monologue librarian). Select the MIDI ports of your Monologue in your librarian software. Once you’ve downloaded the folder, connect your Monologue via USB with your Computer. This sound bank will overwrite the existing patches on your synth! Please make sure to backup your existing sound bank before sending “DNA” to your Monologue unit.
In the download folder of the “DNA” Sound Pack for Korg Monologue you’ll find two file formats: In order to transfer the sound set you can choose between Korg’s own Monologue librarian software or a standard SysEx-Utility of your choice. Korg Monologue “DNA” Patches can be installed easily