Table of Contents
Yamaha TX81Z
Affordable, rack-mount version of the Yamaha FM synths from the 80s, though a bit different to the popular DX7.
Single instruments have 8 note polyphony, and there are performance patches that combines up to 4 instruments
Program Change
Guides
- Should you buy a Yamaha TX81Z FM synth? - Good info on using with a DAW.
Software
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- TX81ZEdit - VST and standalone editor. Not sure if it's actually finished. Site is a bit suss.
- Synthassist Yamaha TX81Z £40 though
- eclab/edisyn is a patch editor and manager (librarian) compatible with multiple synths, including this one.
- TX81Z Programmer - Now-open-source Windows program By Matt Gregory, who also hosts a great TX81Z page.
- DX/TXconvert - Converts patches between DX (6-op, 1 waveform) and TX (4-op, 6 waveform) formats.
Patches
Free
- Le Singe Tx 81z Banks. 7z - 10 patches.
- Demo by Le Singe.
- Classics Corner - DX Series (archive) - Some patches on the old official Yamaha page. The DX11 ones should work too?
- 1410 Voice TX81Z Library - Collected together in TX81Z Programmer format or Matt Gregory's page.
- 4 OP FM Banks - Big download, supposedly every free one compiler could find. Have to sign-up to download.
- Yamaha TX81Z Downloads on Yamaha Musicians. Requires signup to download.
For Sale
- Sound Source Unlimited made a set of 9 banks, some mob called Greytsounds flogs downloads of them on EBay and Reverb.
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- Yamaha TX81Z/DX11 Synth Patches - Sound Library - USD$50, no idea what they're like or how reputable the website is.
- Yamaha TX81Z Soundbanks - Patchman Music. Two are USD$25 each, one for a breath controller is USD$40. Discount for buying multiple.
- Yamaha TX81Z DX11 DX21 – Patches Sound Banks Syx and more - Monotanz. 5€.
Hardware Controllers
- Stereoping's Synth Controller has a TX81Z version. Expensive, but there's a DIY version for about a hundo less:
Emulation
Software versions you can use in DAWs and VSTs, etc.
- gleb812/cs81z - Csound emulation.
- gesellkammer/sc-tx81z - SuperCollider emulation.
MIDI
Program Change messages select patches:
- 1-32 are the patches in bank I
- 33-64 are patches in bank A
- 65-96 bank B
- 97-128 bank C
- 129-160 would be bank D, but program change messages only go up to 128, so…
You can set how these messages are routed, so you can Program Change 64 could switch to D05, via Utility > Midi Control? > Edit P.Cng Tbl?
You can setup instruments in performance patches to respond to MIDI messages on different channels, this is the only way to access multiple sounds at once of a single unit. All the default ones seem to be set to just use channel 1 for everything.
So ultimately you will want to create your own performance patches with sets of sounds you like, that can be easily access through a DAW or MIDI controller.
Mods
- TZQuad - Adds two more banks of user memory. The synth can only see one at a time, so you have to switch the new bank into the 'I' slot and reboot for it to be usable. At this point in time seems easier to just make a custom bank of what you want with software on a computer.
See Also
- The Yamaha TX81Z Homepage - Lots of links and things, by Matt Gregory.
- Yamaha TX81Z - Polynominal page with lots of info.