review :: Connor Ferster
rating: 7/10
I got the DX-21 two years ago when I was 14. Back then I was just getting into the whole electronic synth scene, and I didn't know exactly what to expect. I got this synth for my birthday just because I found it in good condition, low price, second hand. On further use, I noticed that there is some audible noise from the synthesizer when you listen through headphones. Nothing big but can get in the way. The sound library is nice, 128 sounds separated into 16 different categories. The strings are pretty bad though and there really aren't any pads.
I found that if you don't try and imagine the sound it is a lot more rewarding. For example, if you listen to the sax and you try and compare it to a real sax, it sounds like crap, but if you think of it as its own sound y'know, then it's neat.
If you don't like the sounds on the board, you can create your own. It has a fantastic sound editing console and MOST of it is in real time so you could conceivably create sweeps by adjusting the data knob on a parameter of a voice. It has four play memory banks and 32 performanc banks.
It's a good overall synth.
Sounds to Check out:
Sitar (it sounds REALLY good, very real)
S/H synth is neat (industrial purposes)
This would really rock if you have one of those multi-effect guitar pedals (wah, flange, chorus...)
