Yamaha released the DX7 electronic keyboard in 1983, helping popularize digital FM synthesis.
The DX7 used frequency modulation synthesis licensed from Stanford University researcher John Chowning. Instead of generating sounds mainly through subtractive filters, it used interacting digital operators to create complex timbres, including electric pianos, bells, basses, and brass-like sounds.
Its factory sounds became especially recognizable in 1980s pop, film music, jazz, and contemporary gospel. The instrument was also comparatively affordable and reliable for its capabilities, making digital synthesis accessible to many musicians.
The DX7 is often confused with analog synthesizers such as the Minimoog or Roland Juno series. Those instruments generate sound using analog circuitry, while the DX7’s defining technology is digital frequency modulation. Yamaha produced several later DX models, but the original DX7 remains the best-known member of the family.