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CHAPTER II: PLAYING THE DX21
The DX21 has 32 RAM (Random Access Memory) locations which contain voices
1. The 32 Voice RAM
which may be immediately selected by pressing the appropriate memory button
Memory
while the DX21 is in one of the three normal play modes described below. The two
rows of 16 buttons- row A and row B-are the voice memory selectors. The row
A and B selectors correspond to DX21 tone generator channels A and B.
These same buttons actually serve a number of functions. In the FUNCTION and
EDIT modes--which are covered in later sections of this manual--they serve to select
the function or edit parameter to be programmed.
Since RAM memory can be written to as well as read from, it is possible to load
new voice data into the 32 available RAM memory locations. This can be done
by loading new voices from the DX21’s internal 128-voice ROM (Read Only
Memory) into the RAM memory (see “5. The 128 Voice ROM Memory”, below),
or by loading a new set of 32 voices from data stored on an external cassette tape
(see CHAPTER III: THE FUNCTION MODE, Memory Management Functions).
If you’re just starting out, you’ll want to try out the voices that are pre-programmed
into the RAM memory. You can do this in any of the three play modes discussed
below. Make sure your DX21 is properly connected to a sound system--or you
could simply plug a pair of headphones into the PHONES jack (see CHAPTER
I: SETTING UP), set the VOLUME control to about its center position, and set
the A/B BALANCE control to its center position (you’ll feel a “click” stop at dead
center). Now you can start experimenting with the DX21 voices in the SINGLE
play mode.
Enter the SINGLE play mode by pressing the PLAY SINGLE button to the left of
2. The SINGLE Play
the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) panel. When you do this the LCD will look
Mode
something like this.
The top line of the LCD reads “PLAY SINGLE”, indicating that you are in the SINGLE
play mode, and the bottom display line will indicate the selected memory location
number (A1 through A16, or B1 through B16) followed by the name of the selected
voice.
In this mode you can play any of the voices currently in the DX21’s RAM memory
individually.
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