I read a posting tonight about the DJX in one of the synthzone topics. When I tried to post a reply I couldn't because it was already archived. Bummer, because now I am stirred up!

This is the statement that got me stirred up as posted in the topic (Re: GEM PRO2):

I am sorry my comments contains tons of "but that is my opinion" because really it depends on the user. For example, I never liked hip-hop music so when I tried Yamaha PSR DJX keyboard, I spent long long hours to find one reason to enjoy that keyboard and I could not. However, some people here evidently like it. What I am trying to say is you need to listen to the keyboard.

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My opinion!

This person must really not have taken the time to test out the djx-1 to it's fullest.

The DJX-1 is one of the best keyboards ever turned out in it's class. Now, I am no newbie to the keyboard world. I have been playing keyboards since the 1980's and have owned a variety of professional keyboards and synthesizers. Including Akai X-7000 Digital Sampler, Korg N5EX Professional Synthersizer, and the original Yamaha CX5M Music Computer, Casio CZ101, Moog Minimoog, and now the Yamaha DJX-1.

The Yamaha DJX-1 is "Not just a dead dog" as many would assume, though it has been pulled off the shelves for the most part, and replaced by the DJX-II and DJX 2B.

Being the webmaster and main user support person for the Official DJX Users Group website, I know beyond doubt that this keyboard is far from dead. In fact there are plenty of people world wide still trying to get their hands on the DJX-1.

The DJX-2 is a nice keyboard, but as the arguments have continued to rattle on, it's not as capable of a keyboard as the original Yamaha DJX PSR-1 Keyboard.

The destiny of the DJX-1 keyboard is to be listed in the archives of electronic keyboards as "one that broke the mold".

If the Yamaha Corporation (located in Japan) had been paying close attention to it's customer base, they would have marketed the the DJX-2 keyboard as the offical DJ'ing keyboard, and then reintroduced an updated version of the Yamaha DJX-1 with the minor features that most DJX-1 owners were wanting. Yamaha could have easily added a backlight LCD Display, the pattern generation similar to the one on the DJX-2, added a few new voices, then to top it off they could have made it a really killer keyboard by adding a cheap 3.5 inch floppy disk to store and upload samples and sequencer data from.

Had Yamaha made these minor changes, they could have easily sold it for $500 or more. The DJX-1 had the potential to become a mid-range keyboard between the CSX series of keyboards and the original DJX-1.

During the first run of our original DJX website we had almost 3,000 djx users visiting our website. This was mainly because at the time, we had some of the only djx-1 information still available on the web. Yamaha had removed all of the djx-1 information from their website and replaced it with the DJX-2 information. We have since launched our new website, "The Official DJX Users Group". I mention original visitor numbers because we receive only a tiny percentage of the DJX-1 users world wide. Imagine how many djx-1 users there actually are in the world!

P.S. "We have one of the only djx-1 softwares for download from our website that allows you to save your bulksend, sample send, and sequences to your computer for storage with out having to buy a hardware or software sequencer."

Yamaha Corporation tried to solve the problem of saving information to your computer by introducing the DJX-2, and adding by their pattern editor software. But, we have had tons of DJX-2 users who have had problems with it. This has also come at the cost of having full midi implementation. Shame on Yamaha for dumping full midi-out on the DJX-2!

That has caused so many problems! Many users who bought the DJX-2 assumed that they were getting full midi out. Instead these users discovered that they would have to buy a midi controller or already own another full midi keyboard to actually do anything useful with the pattern editor. Something that they failed to mention on the box!

The DJX-2B which is the box dj version of the djx-2, has caused a lot of stress to it's purchasers also. Any DJX-2B user reading this has certainly come across the infamous "Error 3" message. I can't tell you how many people have contacted us about that problem alone. Fortunately, our djx users group friend Jason, had created a website specifically devoted to the DJX-2B and specifically addressed the "Error 3" problem.

Back to the DJX-1.

We have received numerous reports over the past year from professional musicians that the DJX-1 has been found in many professional recording studios. That alone says a world about this keyboard! Similar to the Casio CZ101 and CZ1000 of the 1980's which was yester-years version of the Yamaha DJX-1. The DJX-1 is a keyboard of proportional value that will be talked about well into 2010.

The DJX-1 has been officially off the market now for almost a year, and to our surprise, people are still hunting them down and buying them.

About the Hip Hop comment! Well, the DJX-1 does focus and target hip hop users. But, any real musician will find it's meager $150 to $200 dollars price tag well worth spending for the DJX-1's analog controls! The DJX-1's analog controls are midi compatible by-the-way. It also has a number of non "hip hop" voices of high quality that apply towards numerous musical styles and tastes.

Yes, it's got a sequencer, sampler, a ribbon controller, digital effects, dual layered voices, pattern generator, pop-in/pop-out rhythm controllable keys, split keyboard, great voices, touch sensitive keys, pitch bend wheel, stereo built-in speakers for street performance, A/C and battery power source, cool voices and a number of other features, but at this point those features have been talked about in so many articles about the djx-1, I'm not even going to do anything other than mention they exist.

It's analog knobs are it's primary value. Your not going to find anything except maybe a Phatboy or something of a higher price that will give you those. You can tweek your voices on the DJX-1 and/or another connected midi device in a way that is only now beginning to become standard on some of the higher end professional keyboards and workstations. I have found the analog controls extremely valuable, especially when midi'ed to my Korg N5EX.

So to any would be DJX-1 basher! I say, "Hey, back off"!

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If you want to know more about any of the Yamaha DJX Keyboards, or your already an owner and want to network with other users. The Official DJX Users Groups website is here: http://www.geocities.com/dj_white_rice/

[This message has been edited by dj_white_rice (edited 10-25-2001).]