I never had the pleasure of DX7 ownership but by all accounts, they were a pain to program sounds for. What if I were to tell you that there is now an AI for that? What if we are also to tell you that it also works for Dexed? Dexed, for the uninitiated, is a free synth modeled after the Yamaha DX7.
Come with us and find out to get Dexed (damn you autocorrect). Then, how to make use of the AI. Finally, how to load in the AI-generated sounds into Dexed. It seems like a lot, but we’ll be done almost as soon as we start. If you have a DX7, you can skip all of the Dexed info below and go straight for the cartridge.
How To Get Dexed:
Dexed is available as a free download via GitHub. Click on the suitable download option and then use the installer. Once you have it safely installed to your VST folder, it will be available to use the next time you fire up Reason. The first thing you’ll notice once it opens is that it’s pretty complicated. Though, probably less so than a DX7!
Dexed At A Glance:
- Multi-platform (OS X, Windows or Linux) and also multi-format (VST, AU, LV2)
- The sound engine music-synthesizer-for-android is closely modeled on the original DX7 characteristics
- 144 DAW automatable DX7 parameters available from one single panel
- Fully supports DX7 input and output Sysex messages; including controller change. This means that you can use this with a native DX7/TX7 as a patch editor and sysex manager
- Each operator have a realtime VU meter to know which one is active
- Can load/save any DX7/TX7 sysex programs. It is also possible to save a single program into a different sysex file.
Online Cartridge Generator For DX7 (And Dexed):
The AI behind the cartridge generator has been raised in isolation and fed on a steady diet of DX7 patches. Fast forward until today and the AI now generates cartridges that are only a few tenths of a percent away from being completely unique. So, it’s highly likely that you’ll never get a repeated sound, even if you download a few.
Before you get too excited… not every sound in your newly acquired AI-generated cartridge is going to be a masterpiece. But if you can get a few per pop, we’ll call that a win and move on.
To get a cartridge, just click on the big cartridge in the center of the screen and await delivery via an immediate download. It’s really that simple.
Loading The Sounds Into Dexed:
We’ll imagine that you’ve gone through all of the steps to get Dexed and have it ready and waiting inside Reason. Just a couple of steps to go and we’re done!
- Click the CART button on the bottom left of Dexed.
- The Click on LOAD.
- Navigate to the cartridge file you downloaded and select it.
- Before you get stuck in, click on the SAVE button and name your save something memorable.
I’ve downloaded a few AI-generated cartridges now, and despite my skepticism, have come out the other side with a tidy handful of usable sounds. I’ve never programmed my own Dexed patch, so the AI is winning hands down.
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