The instrument
The Yamaha DX100 is a polyphonic FM digital synthesizer released in 1985. It is part of Yamaha's DX series, which revolutionized the music industry with its frequency modulation (FM) synthesis technology, allowing musicians to explore complex sounds previously inaccessible with analog synthesis.
Among the DX series, the DX7 model from 1983 is considered one of the most important synthesizers in history. Two years later, the Yamaha DX100 was marketed as the "budget" version of the DX7, providing access to FM synthesis sounds in a much more portable, lightweight, and affordable format.
Priced at $445 in 1985, the DX100 was quickly considered in amateur and emerging circles as the best way to obtain FM synthesis sounds without spending the $1995 required for a DX7 – which has two more operators and four times more algorithms. The DX100 spread rapidly in house music studios but was also used by the "Belleville Three," the founding trio of techno composed of Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson, and many others like Laurent Garnier, Orbital, Autechre, Aphex Twin, Legowelt, Mark Pritchard, and Digitalism.
Details
Similar to the Korg Poly-800, the DX100 can also operate on battery, be used with a strap as a keytar, and play up to eight notes simultaneously. However, the DX100 features over 192 preset sounds compared to 64 for the Poly-800. A series of buttons and a small LCD screen also allow users to modify and create their own sounds. However, FM synthesis is more complex as it is based on algorithms that define frequency modulation rather than "simple" parameters like in analog synthesis. Consequently, musicians tended to favor the preset sounds of models like the DX100.
The DX100 can notably be heard in the famous track "Big Fun" by the group Inner City, composed of Kevin Saunderson, his wife Ann Saunderson, and Chicago singer Paris Grey. Their hit (with sounds closer to house) played a central role in spreading house and techno in the UK and Europe.