You need an audio interface that connects to your Mac and that has MIDI IN and MIDI OUT 5-pin ports. I hear MIDI Ox is a great app for non-Mac users.
These instructions won’t work in full on the subsequent models (DX7s, DX7 II, DX7 IIFD etc)
In fact, the cartridge slot is designed for the new type of cartridges, such as the RAM4 or RAM5.Ī nearly identical model named DX7 II-D was available as well, without the floppy disk drive. Comparison is easy to achieve given that the newer model can read voices programmed on the first DX7 - even first generation cartridges can be used through a (now very rare) adapter, the ADP1 cartridge adapter. Some FM purists complain about the switch to a 16bit digital to analog converter, that produces slightly different sounds compared to the original 12bit DAC found in 1983 (sometimes less punchy, sometimes much more detailed). On top of that, a third party expansion called the "E! Card" added 8 voices layering, 4 banks of internal memory, and a full sequencer, turning the DX7 mk2 in a machine perfectly able to compete with the workstations of the following decade.
Plus the larger backlit LCD screen, full MIDI implementation, two real-time sliders and most importantly, a floppy disk drive. The keyboard is a pleasure to play, light keys with fast action, with velocity and after touch sensibility. It's sturdy, with a metal chassis, hard plastic inserts and much more durable physical buttons. It's rich in sound capabilities, with the ability to layer two 6op voices. The DX7 mk2 FD may be the best FM synthesizer produced by Yamaha, and even if the sound is less dirty than the original DX7, thanks to the amount of added features it may as well be the best choice for anyone looking for a hardware FM synthesizer today.