Dtronics DT-81Z is a new compact, hardware synth programmer for the Yamaha TX81Z rackmount FM Synthesizer from 1987.
Good news: The Dtronics DT-81Z, announced at Superbooth 2025, is now shipping. It’s a hardware synth programmer for the Yamaha TX81Z, DX100, DX21, and DX27 FM synthesizers.
It’s available now for 240€ + VAT on the official website and will be available soon from retailers.
Dtronics editors are available from my partners
Article from May 3, 2025
The 1980s saw the launch of the first commercially successful digital synthesizers, which now enjoy cult status. Yamaha DX-7 and Roland D-50, to name a few. It was also the era of rackmount synths, with often pretty unsexy and cumbersome interfaces.
Some were available for hands-on use thanks to a detour via hardware synth programmers. At Superbooth 2025, Dtronics is bringing a new synth programmer called DT-81Z for another classic rackmount synth of this time, the Yamaha TX81Z..
Dtronics DT-81Z
The Yamaha TX81z is a 1987 rack-mounted multi-timbral digital 4-operator FM Synthesizer. Highlights include multi-timbral capabilities that enable highly complex sounds and support other waveforms for classic Yamaha FM synthesis.
One downside of the TX-81Z is the cryptic user interface, which invites endless button-pressing. A fix will be available soon.
The new Dtronics DT-81Z is a new hardware synth programmer for four Yamaha FM synthesizers: the TX81Z, DX100, DX21, and DX27.
It comes in a sturdy desktop format and offers 17 back-lit switches and 37 trim pots, giving you hands-on control over the parameters.
It allows you to select individual operators and adjust their parameters at the operator level: wave, detune, attack rate, decay1 rate, decay2 rate… There are also knobs for the LFO parameters (wave, speed…), for the built-in delay, and more.
The synth programmer lacks a display. This is not essential; for example, the TX81Z has a display that provides real-time feedback on parameter values.
On the back, you have a 5-pin MIDI in/out interface for connecting to the synth, a USB-C port for powering, and an ON/OFF button.
First Impression
I’m glad there will soon be a hardware programmer for the Yamaha TX-81Z. A synth that benefits from hardware knobs. But some users like the man in the linked video, who has fun with this button-press party.
Dtronics DT-81Z availability and price are TBA. I estimate the price will be +/- in the range of the other programmers, so around 300€. Dtronics will be at Superbooth 2025.
More information here: Dtronics
This is very cool, but I’m of the opinion that programmers like this should come with a MIDI in port, an audio output, and something along the lines of an internal slot for a Raspberry Pi Compute Module for the purposes of optionally emulating the hardware that the programmer it’s meant to control.
Dtronics needn’t provide the Raspberry Pi Compute Module or the software emulation — the community will take care of that — but that would make the programmer appealing to people interested in putting together a hardware emulator, in addition to people looking for a way to program their original hardware. The Raspberry Pi is more than capable of emulating the Yamaha TX-81Z, but there’s no reason people wouldn’t be interested in putting together a virtual analog with a programmer designed for an analogue synth too. And what does Dtronics (or a similar company) have to lose? It would increase sales.
They have a dedicated hardware Synthesizer product that is based on the open-source Dexed FM Synthesizer with 8 time multi-timbrality
https://synthanatomy.com/2024/12/dtronics-dt-dx-hardware-version-of-the-free-dexed-fm-synthesizer-plugin.html