Yamaha TX81Z

This is by far the most difficult to program musical device ever created in the history of man. It is like trying to paint your hallway from outside by tying your paintbrush on a broomstick and manipulating it through the letterbox. And that includes the 'cutting in'.

It is so difficult that even if all the legending on the buttons rubbed off through frantic 'luck of the draw' programming it would make absolutely no difference whatsoever.

Having said that, by using the 'luck of the draw' method of just messing with the 8,000,000 different parameters, I've come up with some extremely way-out sounds that you cannot get using anything else.

8 note poly, 8 part multi-timbral. 'Effects' inlude a faux-delay, a pretty cool arpegiation and a faux-chorus, but you have to set that up yourself the old fashion way. Tuning is in fractions of a cent so narrow that it takes about half an hour of scrolling to get anywhere, but this is useful I suppose.

MIDI implementation includes special parameters for Breath Control, beyond that the functions within are abreviated so much that even the manual writers gave up on it.

5 banks of 32 sounds - 4 of which are presets, the 5th bank is user-definable.

You can make it say a rude thing (or anything else for that matter) when you turn it on. This function is awesome and especially impressive if you're showing it off to your non-musician friends.

Ooooooo kay. Here we go. How can you describe the stuff that went down in The Yellow Submarine to a blind dead guy? Firstly disregard the patch names such as 'piano', 'organ' etc. You have plinky plonky sounds and wooooaaaarrrrr!!!! sounds and blom blom blom sounds and some kchok ones. About half of them are useable, then you come back years later and suddenly find a use for the other half of 'em.

Pride of place (and I hope I get the names right here):

Latley Bass - this is why the TX81Z is still used in the writing studios of far more people than you'd care to mention. Its fat and warm, but with a thin top edge that makes it sit really well in the mix.

Snare1 - nothing like a snare, but trigger it as 64th notes and it transforms into a hard metallic NIN type percussive effect that can turn your inoffensive pop pap into hardcore monkey-kung industrial. Try this trick with the main piano sound, turns it scary!

Low String - nice warm string pad, of its own time and place.

Martian - one of my own, I can't even begin to describe what this sounds like. Oh ok, here goes - hold the keys down, it burbles.. hit them quickly it and whales like a theramin on acid through a Marshall stack, play more than one note at a time and it has a sample-and-hold fit. It's as though the damn machine is alive!

Plus a bunch of others. NOTHING sounds like a TX81Z, and you can either work with the sounds or you can't. Who'd have thought a fairly blank looking (actually, rather cool looking) 1 unit high FM the-birth-of-digital module could feel so... organic? That's why it gets a 10. I dunno about 'pristine sound quality', but a 1959 Les Paul doesn't gonna sound pristine is it? You want pristine go buy one of those china Chairman Mao's you can get in the Sunday colour supliments.

The battery has lasted until, well, forever. Um, I tried to turn it on just now and it didn't work at all. Damn! It's probably the fuse in the plug, right? Probably. That's probably what it is. Yeah.

It gets a 10 for working just great from 1989 when I got it third hand of someone, to just right his damn second!

Yamaha have a very good website with regards to manuals etc, and for third party support there are plenty of TX81Z fans out there with websites of their own.

This was my first ever synth and I used it's paltry 8 note multitimbrality to knock out some pretty complex stuff back in the mid-90s. Then I got a Quadrasynth, which is without doubt the easiest synth in the world to program, and also actually sounds like the patch names. But I love my TX, still! There is sits in my rack, between the Quadrasynth and the EMU sampler.

If it dies, we'd all hunt on down on ebay. Love my TX!

Saying that, I've recently got the DirectX softsynth version, but I haven't really used that yet.

Unlike most of the people reviewing this thing, I'm not a big nerd. This means I have no previous experience with keyboards beyond the ones that have speakers built into them. Also, I don't know what an "algorithym," "frequency modulation," "oscillator" or "waveform" is or how it works in this magic little box (but I did learn what "multimbral" means. Yeah, me!).

So if you're like me, good luck figuring it thing out, because it seems like Yamaha went out of their way to make this thing confusing to use. The manual - without which you will never, ever figure this thing out, that coming from someone who loves jumping into electronics without reading the manuals - is written like a calculus book, complete with mathmatical formulas (but it is available online for free). For example, on the front of the thing they have two buttons next to each other labeled "inc" and "dec." I found out what those buttons do, and it certainly isn't incing or decing. My conclusion: keyboardists are either all mathematics professors, total snobs who hate the idea of anyone else learning what they do, masochists, or all of the above.

I had to study the manual like a midterm study guide just to figure out that I didn't want to mess with most of the functions on this thing. They set it up so you can make your own sounds by manipulating sine waves, "detuning" and other mess. Yall have fun with that. The rest of us can run, don't walk to www.jsynthlib.org and download a pile of sounds and download them into the keyboard (oh yeah, the cord needed to do this cost me as much as the thing). There are also built in sounds, some of which are good but most pretty darn awful.

The good news is that once you figure out how to do just a little of the stuff that's in it, you can do some really neat things. Like make all notes an octave (or a fifth, fourth, second) up or down, or even both up and down. You can also combine more than one sounds to thicken or weirden things up (for those of you saying, "yeah, every keyboard can do that nowadays," refer to the "nerd" part above).

Most of the complaints about this thing are that the sounds are "too 80s." Dude, I am so there! Just to think that this thing was meant to sound like actual instruments makes me giggle. I just wish it could make those sounds like Ferris Bueller did.

I got it racked up and I pray that the battery doesn't run out. I bought this thing used and I have a sneaking suspicion that the "5 year" battery is 20 years old. But so far so good.

Didn't I mention that the 20-year-old owners manual was still online at yamaha? How cool is that?

Did I also say that it's as old as me and I bought it for 40 bucks? Lets just say that if this thing broke, I would call a coroner, not a doctor.

OK, it cost me 40 bucks. 40 bucks! How disappointed could I be with it? I do have the sneaking suspicion that I could do everything on this thing for free on my computer, but what the heck, it looks cool in the rack space, it makes my keyboard sound better, and I can program it to say anything I want when it turns on. I'd pay 40 bucks just for that! Everything else is just cake.

it is a rack mount eighties synth so i take off three points by not having a knob or button for every parameter and being highly menu driven and not having just a wheel and select button. it has three sets of navigation and entry buttons. seem abit annoying at first to get down exactly which ones do what in certain menus. plus it has four other buttons to add to the confusion for different editing modes.
I read the manual and it decently explains everything. It isn't Korg user friendly or busting out like AOL. but it isn't as bad as some people make it out to be. the extra button to navigate is something i got over in about two days tops. now i can fly through them. it is even easier if you have Jsynthlib to edit with.!

Multimbrality:
it is a good multimbral synth but rarely use it as such because it isn't a swiss army knife synth. i use at maximum two voices from it at once.
you have to switch it into performace mode and allot max notes per voice. you can have up to 8 notes for 1 voice. or have 1 note for 8 voices or any variable as long as you don't go over eight in all. I stay with having three voices consisting of 3+3+2 or four voices in groups of two.

Waveforms:
unlike alot of the early FM synths this synth has more than just sine waves. it has i think about 7 waveforms you can use for any of the 4 operators.

Effects:
it has some effects that are more like midi effects than actual audio effects. they only work in performance mode(that took me a while to figure out)

things i took off points for
-no filters envelopes or just an overall filter would be nice.
-midi implementation of envelopes ADSR from sequencer
-pitch envelopes :(

sounds aren't realistic except maybe the bells sounds. but i didn't want it for realistic sounds and anyone that wants it for realistic synth sounds should maybe think about something different. i love the metallic sounds it makes. really good for techno and industrial stuff (like i do). pads are OKay. it never seems gentle enough for pads. a filter would really help that. you can get some really ripping bass out of it if you know how:).
the presets SUCK so don't really use them. spare us all by not using them. YES even the C15 Lately Bass!

i give it a nine because i bought it for metallic digital FM sounds.
and not for anyother reason but for that. I droped one point because of the pitch envelopes could help me acheive what i wanted it to sounds like.

well here is where my disappointment came. I bought from ebay for about $80 USD and thought it was okay but i realised that it had a battery that is dead. i opened it up and noticed that the battery is soldered in. The manual said it needed a battery every five years and they decided to solder the battery in? doesn't seem logical to me. but that isn't really a reliabilty issue. It is poor design issue.

if stolen or lost i might get a new one.
it was really a cheap FM synth. i was thinking of getting a DX7 but i wanted something different. i wanted a different sound than a DX7 but still wanted a FM synth. i haven't really tried a the DX7 so i don't know if the sound is too different but i assume so.

This is my *first* hard synth. I have been using a computer (power BOOK!) up untill now. This thing is easy to use. Button pushing maybe, but I can move pretty fast.

Bad midi implementation, though. Bad is in bad as in not good. I wish I could conrol ADSR from midi. Oh well.

You all know the deal. FM blah blah.

Trashy digital gross hideous thrash fuzzy hard grating noises--Perfect.

I give it a ten because it is just what you didnt want, but sounds great anyway.

I would trust my life with this thing. Tough. Looks like it could easily withstand combat

I hate yamaha. Never had to talk with them though.

If it was lost or stolen, I would buy another. It is just a necesity. Like as important and classic as a mmt-8.

VALUE!!?? Come on. ARE YOU KIDDING. Buy one or I will kill you.

Bought mine new as soon as they came out. Glad I waited over the FB-01. Preset sounds were decent for the year. I wrote a patch editor and random patch generator that I sold through keyboard magazine back in the late 80's.

i already had experience with a DX7, so I found it easy to use.

This was my first truly multi-timbral synth. Decent feature set for the price and year.

You could even program your own boot up message.

I came up with some very unique sounds.

Solid Yamaha rack unit.

They've always treated me well.

I sold mine circa 1999 after over 10 years of use. I don't miss it 'cause I still have a DX7IIFD. Not a bad little unit for those that want to tinker with FM including the bonus of a few waveforms.

Button pushing module, small display.

Multi-timbral, stereo out, FM synthesis, 4 operator, and each operattor has several waveforms (unlike the DX7). Has no effects, so reverb and modulation are necessary

Presets are ok (they were in 1987), and some editing is necessary.
Nice basses, some wind inst. Not realistic sounds (ACPiano, Strings, brass) but good for synth music. Once (1988) I won a 1 year MusicTechnology magazine subscription for programing a very nice organ sound and sending them the parameters sheet.

No breakdown, so far (has 18 years).

No contact, fortunately

If someone can find one cheap, try it, and useful sounds can be found there. It's also 1U high (small)

This synth was not much of hit when it was introduced in 1987, the end of FM was coming fast as people lined up to buy the Roland D-50 and later the Korg M1. Cheap samplers like the Ensoniq Mirage were pressuring Yamaha to compete. All they had at the time was the DX series and the little FB-01. INSTEAD of offering a 6-operator DX7 style synth with beefed-up FM capabilities, In typical Yamaha fashion they beefed-up the FB-01 and hence, came the TX-81z.
I have owned this little synth since 1987 when it came out. Back then I was POOR!. I never owned any FM synth up to that point, but this little critter began my love of FM synths. The low cost and improved sound quality (12 bit; the Fb-01 had 10 bit output DACs). made me smile the first time I plugged this in and played it. It is very easy to use, not so easy to program from it's front panel. I has an Atari 1040 ST then so I used the Caged Artist editor that came out a little later. You can still find this editor online at atari sites and it's now free!! You can run it on your PC with the STEEM emulator. There have been other synth editors but you will probably have to purchase one if those. You WILL want to program your own sounds for this unit as the factory sounds are bland except for a few standouts.

8 voice poly means you can really only get maybe two or three parts going at once. This is no TX-816!! ( I have been surprised by how many people over the years thought I owned one of those when ever I told them what I had in my studio. People still seem to mix that unit up with the TX-81z!!) The multi-timbral thing was very new when this synth was introduced, and that was also a strong inducement for me to buy one as I didnot have too many synths back then.

The sounds in this unit where mostly made to emulate acoustic instruments and other DX sounds which themselves where trying to emulate real instruments. You must understand the atmosphere of the synth world back when the DX7 was introduced. People wanted realistic orchestral instruments and sections, as well as acoustic guitars, Hammond organs and most of all, Rhodes piano. Analog synths, even most modular units back then could not easily come even CLOSE to emulating this kinds of sounds. That's why the original Synclavier II was so lusted after; it could do VERY realistic types of sounds ( but you must realize that in those days we were so easily impressed!!). The styles of music in those days needed these realistic timbres. Now fast forward to today's music and everyone wants something old like analog or FM because of the synthetic sounds these instruments were really best at.
Having said all that, I do have to point out that even with other waveforms besides sine to program with, Yamaha just didnot produce a synth that was the sound equal of the original DX7. AT FIRST, it seems these sounds are identical, but as you become familiar with this unit you will notice that they lack the detail and intricate velocity response that the big 6- op units had. This is also because of the envelopes, which are simplified versions and because the other waveforms donnot replace the missing operators of the DX7. There is also much less resolution in the various parameters you can program with and this is probably the biggest difference. Trust me, it does make a big difference!

VERY reliable. Mine even still has the original battery!

NEVER had to call them for this synth.

If this unit was lost or stolen I would not be replacing it. I have used this thing on many projects and I have gotten my money's worth!
I WOULD replace it with a TX-802.
I have a suggestion for anyone who is new to FM. Unless you are using stacks of FM synths detuned, you really should use a good chorus and some delay on the sound (except for some sounds like the popular "Lately Bass"). It really makes it sound rich.
I have written this review after all these years because I have started to use my FM synths again. I really like the unique sounds that are only possible with FM synthesis. I like the way they repond naturally to velocity etc.
If you can find one of these synths don't pay more than $100.00 dollars for it, but DO buy one!

Absolutely hard and irritating to program, but some the presets are well-known (see LATELY BASS, FM electro, FM Choirs), manual is quite good. One would need a patch editor.

Polyphony is enough if you do not use it as mult-timbral. No onboard effects (except pseudo-reverb, pan...) MIDI implementation is enough.

Sounds are as much good or even better than the DX 7, due to 4 OP FM synthesis including NON SINUSOIDAL waveforms, which gives some powerful and complex sounds. Linking velocity to different parameters can make some very, very good surprizes... Do not expect sounds like ROMplers: it's pure and complex FM synthesis, and that is why it is GOOD!

Very reliable. Buttons are becoming a bit hard...

I love its sounds! And it is very, very cheap nowadays! If you want some pure 4 OP FM sounds, if you want THE LATELY BASS, some FM choirs, some bright sounds to add in a mix, find one!

If you own this 4 operator multi-timbrel synth you can emulate the best of the 6 operator sounds of the DX7 by combining algorithyms operators of the TX81Z. In essence the TX81Z has 32 "oscillators" in mono mode. One sh9ould be able to emulate just about any acoustic monophonic instrument with 32 oscilllators driven by velocity sensitity.

Typical 80ths Parameterhopping with a handfull of buttons.

At least easy to use,but timeconcerning while scrolling/hopping through
hundreds of Menues.
Anyway,the editing was solved well for a 1 unit rackspace device.

The synthesis itself is something special.Why to loose more words
about FM ? FM is an academic synthesis,wich was firstly developed by
John Chowning of Stanford University in the early 70ths.
Yamaha launched with the DX series a userfriendly format of this synthesis.
So the the whole entire DX and TX series is pretty easy to use.
(Always take a calculator with you).

The further step of the TX81z is the fact,that it uses not only sine
waves.You can choose between eight waveforms.This makes it easier to
recreate typical DX7 sounds.Four operatos with eight waveforms are
fighting against a six operator model with sinewaves only.

The four operator models were usually underrated in comparsion with
the six operator models.But the TX81Z proved firstly,that also a four
op can be as good as a 6 Op.

We don't talk here about the FSR1,wich demonstrates how good FM should
have been at the beginning.

8 voice polyphony,8*Multitimbral.No seq.,no FX.
Typical 4 op soundarchitecture.Midi Imp. is OK.

Typical 4 op. A little thin and weak in bass.Also has Aliasing.

With FM,instruments can be never realistic.Except for thin organs
and good EPs.The TX is strong-like any other FM-synth,in metallic,
percussive,bells,chimes and morphing FX sounds.
With experienced programming it is also possible to let it sound
analogish.
Its domains are FX and Morphing sounds.

The limitations are the unflexible EGs.Much better as the typical analog ADSR,
but not as good as the EGs of the Casio CZ/VZ synths.
The Casios had eight step EGs,wich were freely routable for Sustain and
Endpoints.

And in the same year Casio released the VZ8m synth.Also one rackunit,
also 8 voices and also 8 Multitimbrality.But with more effects(not build
in FX) and if compared to FM with eight operators.And per OP with
eight different waveforms.Plus Ringmodulation and additive synthesis.
Wich means simply,without any fixed algorithm.
But Casio used PD synthesis instead of FM.Some people say that PD is
only a clone of FM under a different name.That's not true.
PD is a kind of changing anglepoint of a Phase via compression( a kind
of Pong game),FM changes the frequency like in slow motion with the
Pitchwheel.

But this is going to far.The TX81z is able to create some great sounds
wich are typically FM:Metalic and FX:And as Multitimbral device easy
to arrange.

The old days of early digital.Solid and build like a rock.

Yamaha offers always a good support for new and ancient models

The TX81z is a try worth.Already fitted with Multitimbrality and a
better version of four op FM.
The four OPs are usually underrated in compasion with the big FM
brothers.But they can do also make a good job.

Compared to the Casio VZ8m the TX8z is not so flexible.In sound,they are
totally different.The VZ is more flexible in routing,the TX is more
Metall,FX sounding.The VZ sounds more warmer and analog.
Both are of the same age and with the same Polyphony and Multtimbral
functions.Alos are both 1 Unit rack modules,with a nearly same
User Interface and Display.
I like it to use them together.But if the VZ were lost,I would be busy
to get a new one,for the TX I can not say the same.