DX7 Rhodes

DX7 Rhodes, also known as DX Rhodes, FM Rhodes, FM E. Piano, or Digital Rhodes, is a synthetic Fender Rhodes emulation originally produced by the Yamaha DX7 (and TX-series rackmount) line of synthesizers.

History

The Yamaha DX7, released in 1983, produced several electric piano sounds - including Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and Clavinet imitations - via preset programs. "E. Piano 1" was the sound that would eventually evolve into the famous DX7 electric piano sound. "E. Piano 1" had a distinctive, fresh sound that was unlike any sound produced by an actual Fender Rhodes electric piano. This sound was subsequently edited and expanded upon to produce the now famous DX7 Rhodes sound.

It was not until the release of the DX7 II in 1987 that this distinctive, bright, overtone-rich version of the "E. Piano 1" sound was available as a preset. On the DX7 II this sound became known as "Fulltines." [ [http://www.thedx7.co.uk/essential_dx7_patches.htm ESSENTIAL DX7 Patches ] ]

Variations of the DX7 Rhodes sound were produced by individual artists and programmers, as well as manufacturers of other synthesizers. Though not always produced on Yamaha DX/TX equipment or using FM synthesis, the family of sounds based on Yamaha's "Fulltines" became ubiquitous in popular music from 1984 through the early 1990s. Most synthesizers and home keyboards included an "electric piano" patch that imitated the DX7 Rhodes sound. In the 1990s, improvements in sampling technology, decreased emphasis on synthesized sound in popular music, and a resurgence of interest in vintage keyboard instruments led to the sound falling out of favor.

Because the "E. Piano 1" DX7 preset only faintly resembled a real Rhodes Piano, and the subsequent "Fulltines" even less so, devotees of real vintage electric pianos often express their distaste for the DX7 Rhodes sound. Its strong presence in synthesizer-heavy popular music, especially pop ballads, during the 1980s has led to the sound being labeled a cliché [ [http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2006/04/12/fm-synthesis-tutorial.html O'Reilly - Fee, Fi, Fo, FM: Explore the World of FM Synthesis ] ] .

Notable pop songs that use the preset are: After All by Al Jarreau, Here and Now by Luther Vandross, and Chicago's Hard Habit to Break among many, many others.

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