Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
In May of 1983, the world of synthesizers and electronic music as we knew it would change forever with the launch of the Yamaha DX7. To celebrate 40 years since its launch, Rob Puricelli spoke to Dr John Chowning, the developer of FM synthesis, Dave Bristow and Gary Leuenberger, sound designers for the original DX7 and Manny Fernandez, who has worked on all Yamaha’s FM projects from the Mk.II DX7 through to today’s Montage M series.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - First Experiences Of The DX7
12:49 - Did The DX7 Meet Expectations?
16:57 - The Feedback Loop
17:51 - Creating And Sharing Sounds
22:47 - A Career From Creating Patches
27:55 - Sound Design Using FM
31:36 - Hearing Your Own Sounds
34:26 - Working With Don Lewis
44:26 - Demonstrating The DX7
57:00 - FM Synthesis 40 Years On
01:07:12 - Formant Shaping And The Future Of FM
First published 20th December 2023
soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Dr John Chowning Biog
Born in Salem, New Jersey in 1934, John Chowning spent his school years in Wilmington, Delaware. Following military service and four years at Wittenberg University in Ohio, he studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He received a doctorate in composition (DMA) from Stanford University in 1966, where he studied with Leland Smith...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Dave Bristow Biog
Dave was born in London and worked as a professional keyboard player recording and touring internationally with a variety of artists including Polyphony, Slender Loris, June Tabor, Tallis and 2nd Vision. Active in synthesizer development, he played a central role in voicing the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and is internationally recognized as one of the important contributors to the development and voicing of FM synthesis, co-authoring a textbook on the subject with Dr John Chowning...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Gary Leuenberger Biog
Gary started in music at a young age and, in 1975, founded G. Leuenberger & Co. in San Francisco. It soon became one of the world’s largest retailers of pianos, synthesizers and electronic keyboards. In 1980 he started working with Yamaha as part of their product development team. It was through this that he was recruited, along with the likes of Dave Bristow and Don Lewis, to create the factory presets for the DX7...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Manny Fernandez Biog
Dr. Manny Fernandez has been involved in synthesizer programming and development with many manufacturers for over 35 years. Initially self-taught prior to traditional university study of analogue synthesis, in the late 1970’s - early 1980’s the emerging digital synthesis techniques caught his attention with their expanded timbral possibilities...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Rob Puricelli Biog
Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his website Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.
failedmuso.com
Twitter: @failedmuso
Instagram: @failedmuso
Facebook: facebook.com/failedmuso
About The SOS Electronic Music Podcast Channel
On this channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians and talk about retro and current gear.
______________________________________________________
Catch more shows on our podcast channel.
soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts
Available on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.
______________________________________________________
Subscribe to Sound On Sound: https://sosm.ag/subscribe
Visit our main website (over 16,900 articles!): soundonsound.com
______________________________________________________
Get FREE 170-page RECORDING TECHNOLOGY eBook: https://sosm.ag/recording-ebook
______________________________________________________
Get 50% SAVING off a Sound On Sound Digital Subscription.
Go to https://sosm.ag/digital and apply Promo Code: SOSYT50
Like FACEBOOK: facebook.com/soundonsoundmag
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In May of 1983, the world of synthesizers and electronic music as we knew it would change forever with the launch of the Yamaha DX7. To celebrate 40 years since its launch, Rob Puricelli spoke to Dr John Chowning, the developer of FM synthesis, Dave Bristow and Gary Leuenberger, sound designers for the original DX7 and Manny Fernandez, who has worked on all Yamaha’s FM projects from the Mk.II DX7 through to today’s Montage M series.
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
01:55 - First Experiences Of The DX7
12:49 - Did The DX7 Meet Expectations?
16:57 - The Feedback Loop
17:51 - Creating And Sharing Sounds
22:47 - A Career From Creating Patches
27:55 - Sound Design Using FM
31:36 - Hearing Your Own Sounds
34:26 - Working With Don Lewis
44:26 - Demonstrating The DX7
57:00 - FM Synthesis 40 Years On
01:07:12 - Formant Shaping And The Future Of FM
First published 20th December 2023
soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Dr John Chowning Biog
Born in Salem, New Jersey in 1934, John Chowning spent his school years in Wilmington, Delaware. Following military service and four years at Wittenberg University in Ohio, he studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. He received a doctorate in composition (DMA) from Stanford University in 1966, where he studied with Leland Smith...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Dave Bristow Biog
Dave was born in London and worked as a professional keyboard player recording and touring internationally with a variety of artists including Polyphony, Slender Loris, June Tabor, Tallis and 2nd Vision. Active in synthesizer development, he played a central role in voicing the Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and is internationally recognized as one of the important contributors to the development and voicing of FM synthesis, co-authoring a textbook on the subject with Dr John Chowning...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Gary Leuenberger Biog
Gary started in music at a young age and, in 1975, founded G. Leuenberger & Co. in San Francisco. It soon became one of the world’s largest retailers of pianos, synthesizers and electronic keyboards. In 1980 he started working with Yamaha as part of their product development team. It was through this that he was recruited, along with the likes of Dave Bristow and Don Lewis, to create the factory presets for the DX7...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Manny Fernandez Biog
Dr. Manny Fernandez has been involved in synthesizer programming and development with many manufacturers for over 35 years. Initially self-taught prior to traditional university study of analogue synthesis, in the late 1970’s - early 1980’s the emerging digital synthesis techniques caught his attention with their expanded timbral possibilities...
Full biog at soundonsound.com/people/yamaha-dx7-birth-fm-synthesis-podcast
Rob Puricelli Biog
Rob Puricelli is a Music Technologist and Instructional Designer who has a healthy obsession with classic synthesizers and their history. In conjunction with former Fairlight Studio Manager, Peter Wielk, he fixes and restores Fairlight CMI’s so that they can enjoy prolonged and productive lives with new owners. He also writes reviews and articles for Sound On Sound, his website Failed Muso, and other music-related publications, as well as hosting a weekly livestream on YouTube for the Pro Synth Network and guesting on numerous music technology podcasts and shows. He also works alongside a number of manufacturers, demonstrating their products and lecturing at various educational and vocational establishments about music technology.
failedmuso.com
Twitter: @failedmuso
Instagram: @failedmuso
Facebook: facebook.com/failedmuso
About The SOS Electronic Music Podcast Channel
On this channel we feature some of the pioneers of the industry, interview musicians and talk about retro and current gear.
______________________________________________________
Catch more shows on our podcast channel.
soundonsound.com/sos-podcasts
Available on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts.
______________________________________________________
Subscribe to Sound On Sound: https://sosm.ag/subscribe
Visit our main website (over 16,900 articles!): soundonsound.com
______________________________________________________
Get FREE 170-page RECORDING TECHNOLOGY eBook: https://sosm.ag/recording-ebook
______________________________________________________
Get 50% SAVING off a Sound On Sound Digital Subscription.
Go to https://sosm.ag/digital and apply Promo Code: SOSYT50
Like FACEBOOK: facebook.com/soundonsoundmag
Follow X (Twitter): twitter.com/soundonsoundmag
Follow INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/soundonsoundmag
