Espen Kraft Unleashes the Yamaha TG77: FM Synthesis Goes Full Rave Bunker

Yamaha’s TG77 didn’t just show up to the 90s synth party – it kicked the door in, combining advanced FM synthesis with wave memory in a way that left the competition gasping. Espen Kraft wastes no time showing how this rackmount monster lets you blend FM elements with sampled waveforms, all in one patch. You’re not stuck with just sine waves or basic digital grit – you get two elements, one FM and one wave memory, ready to be mashed together or split apart at will.

The TG77’s architecture means you can stack, layer, and configure up to four elements per voice, with the most complex mode letting you run two FM and two wave memory elements simultaneously. That’s not just a step up from the DX7 – it’s a full-on leap into the rave bunker. Kraft points out the sheer number of algorithms (45, compared to the DX7’s 32) and the expanded waveform options, making it clear this isn’t just a DX7 with a facelift. It’s an all-in-one synth lab for those who want to go deep.

If you thought programming a DX7 was a toaster-fight, the TG77 takes things to a whole new level – but in a good way. Espen Kraft walks us through the labyrinth of menus, showing how you can tweak global parameters, set up effects routing, and fine-tune every element’s level, pan, and output. The interface is button-heavy, but surprisingly logical, so long as your fingers (and the buttons) are still alive after decades of use.

The real kicker? You’re not just limited to sine waves anymore. The TG77 gives you 16 different waveforms for FM operators and 112 sampled waves for the AWM side, including drums and analog-style brass. Kraft demonstrates how you can blend, filter, and envelope these elements, turning the TG77 into a sound designer’s playground. Sure, there’s a lot of button-pushing, but if you want to build patches from scratch, this synth rewards you with flexibility that leaves its ancestors in the dust.

What really sets the TG77 apart is its ability to layer sounds and route them through a gnarly effects section. Kraft highlights the dirty, characterful effects onboard – not as hi-fi as the later SY99, but with enough grit to make your tracks punch through any mix. The routing options are wild: you can send each element to different outputs, stack effects, and even bypass them entirely with a dedicated button (why don’t all synths have this?).

Multi-timbrality is baked in, letting you run up to 16 voices on 16 channels – a dream for anyone sequencing big, layered tracks. Kraft compares the TG77’s power to the TX802, calling the older module a velociraptor and the TG77 a full-on T-Rex. In short, this thing isn’t just versatile – it’s a sonic street weapon for producers who want to go beyond basic FM.