Yamaha Reface DX Synthesizer

Portable FM Synthesis in a 37-Key Mobile Keyboard

The Yamaha Reface DX puts the unmistakable character of classic 4-operator FM synthesis into a 37-key mobile mini keyboard that runs on AA batteries. This model is a portable FM synthesizer designed for keyboardists and producers who want the bright, harmonically rich tones of the DX7 lineage. At 1.9 kg and 530 mm wide, it slips into a backpack yet houses a fully editable FM engine with 12 algorithms.

What Sets the Reface DX Apart

Unlike ROMplers that merely imitate FM, this instrument runs an authentic 4-operator FM engine with continuously variable feedback on every operator. The capacitive multi-touch control surface exposes four simultaneous parameters at once, so deep editing feels immediate. Dual effects blocks deliver seven studio-grade types each, including VCM Touch Wah, VCM Flanger, and VCM Phaser.

FM Sound Engine and Polyphony

At the heart of this synth sits a 4-operator FM architecture with 12 selectable algorithms, the same topology that powered the DX7. Eight-note polyphony supports chord work without voice stealing, while the envelope generator shapes each operator's amplitude contour.

• Engine: 4-operator FM, 12 algorithms — the DX7 topology, now portable.
• Polyphony: 8 notes — headroom for two-handed chords.
• Memory: 32 presets — store and recall custom patches.

Keyboard, Controllers, and Looper

37 HQ mini-action keys deliver a fast, natural playing feel with velocity sensitivity. Dedicated pitch bend and modulation wheels sit alongside the multi-touch strip, giving players the gestural control FM sounds demand. A built-in phrase looper records and overdubs MIDI performances.

• Keys: 37 HQ mini-action — three octaves in a laptop-bag footprint.
• Velocity: Initial Touch — dynamics shape FM timbres like the original DX7.
• Controllers: Pitch bend and modulation wheels — for bending operators and adding motion.

Effects, Connectivity, and Portability

Two independent effects blocks each offer seven types, so a sound can carry both modulation and time-based processing. The I/O suite covers USB TO HOST, mini-DIN MIDI IN/OUT, a 3.5 mm aux input, dual 1/4" line outputs, and a 6.3 mm headphone jack. Six AA batteries deliver approximately five hours of cable-free playing.

• Effects: VCM Touch Wah, VCM Flanger, VCM Phaser, Chorus, Delay, Reverb, Distortion — two blocks, seven types each.
• Speakers: 2 W x 2 stereo with bass reflex port — full-range monitoring on the go.
• Power: 6 AA batteries, ~5 hours, or 12 V DC adapter — true portability.

Who This Synth Is Built For

This model is the right choice for keyboardists, producers, and sound designers who want authentic FM synthesis in a portable, battery-powered format. It suits players chasing the iconic DX7 sound for live performance, educators demonstrating FM principles, and electronic musicians building dubstep basses or EDM leads on the road. The phrase looper makes it a self-contained sketchpad for capturing ideas anywhere inspiration strikes.

The Reface Series and the DX7 Legacy

The Reface series reimagines four legendary keyboard categories — FM, virtual analog, electric piano, and combo organ — as ultra-portable instruments sharing a common chassis. Yamaha's Reface DX carries forward the 4-operator FM architecture that made the original DX7 the defining synth of the 1980s, distilling its sound into a gig-bag-friendly format.