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The Yamaha HX 1 Organ... Secretly Cool?


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So on a thread a while ago, someone mention a mid-80s Yamaha Electone organ, and we all shared Youtube videos of Japanese folks playing these weirdo organs, the HX-1 and the HX-5, and so on. I was somewhat disgusted....and fascinated.

 

Being a dual-manual organ type of guy (Farfisa Compact Duo, Vox Super Continental), I've done a little poking around the interwebs, and discovered that these HX organs are actually very sophisticated FM / AWM synthesizers with 8 operators! Some even have 16 operators! That's crazier than a SY77!

 

Suddenly it dawned on me, that you could essentially have a dual manual DX/SY synth, with lots of real time controls. Apparently, it requires a computer to program, but think about it:

 

If you forget the stupid rhythm accompaniment, and replace the cheese-ball string sounds with dissonant ring mod type sounds, you can turn a Grandma Snooze-Machine into an Evil, soul-destroying, weapon of mass destruction.

 

I've been searching and I haven't found anybody on Earth to whom this idea has occurred. Has anybody here played one?

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It's not even a question why many top of the heap players, play Hammond B3's with twin Leslies

 

You are definately on to something, but I'm sure it's been tried and not to success or

Don't you think you'd likely have seen or heard of it, out there already?

That's not to dissuade you, go for it and see for yourself.

Say 'hi' to Grandma

Oh, Did you ever hear Ian Underwood (w/Zappa) on thee grand old pipe organ, I think is was on Uncle Meat.

 

Chas

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I've been searching and I haven't found anybody on Earth to whom this idea has occurred. Has anybody here played one?

 

Well, Pete Townsend of the Who did with Baba O'Riley and Emminence Front. Paul McCartney had one, as did Vangelis.

 

And I resurrected an interest in Electones a long while back.

 

Specifically the Yamaha E-70 which was a sibling of the CS-80, descendent of the GX-1 and parent of the DX-7

 

Yamaha R&D always did a few very interesting things. First, they put bags of research funding into organs and synths, then they built these hybrid instrument.

 

They would overlap successive technology- analog and fm, fm and awm, romplers, formant,

 

And they made it all fun

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