The FM voices have 45 algorithms to choose from, 3 user-defineable feedback loops (one limitation here being that if you use them all up on one voice there doesn't seem to be any left for the other voice), 16 waveforms (all operators have a corresponding "phase" parameter, which allows you to start the chosen wavefrom at any point in it's cycle), and the envelopes... these envelopes (1 per op.) have more stages than any envelope I've seen on any other synth. Seems to be two decay stages and two release stages (ie. you can set it to trigger at a higher level after the initial release stage)... main and sub LFO's with flexible routing and killer filters (HPF-LPF or dual LPF)... pitch and filter envelopes, seperate keyscaling for each operator... it goes on... oh, I should also mention: each FM voice can have one AWM sample inserted as the waveform in any one of the six operators. There's a noise source as well...

The AWM section is simple by comparison: pick your sample, transpose and tune it, set the envelope (less parameters than the AFM env.'s), set your filter and LFO (only one of each on these voices) and so forth.

There are something like 48 different microtuning scales available, and the microtune function can be turned on or off for each voice individually, which allows for some pretty dissonant/atonal layering in your patches...

The FX, take em or leave em. I usually leave them on and still pump the TG through the DP/4, so things get pretty interesting, to say the least. I'm not sure why, but this unit actually feels more powerful to me than the FS1-R... not to say the FS1-R isn't intereseting and I won't be selling it or anything... but when you consider it's vintage, the TG-77 is capable of some pretty amazing things...

Fantastic machine. Very underrated. BTW for some reason the backlight typically goes out on this model (mine also did). Dunno if it can be fixed or what it cost to fix but you can still read it in a lit studio). If anyone knows how to fix it PLEASE email me, I can handle a soldering gun quite well.

Impossible to program without a serious course in button pressing or do it the smart way and use Sound Diver. Cards for this machine are hard to find (not like roland cards). But with the amount of sounds on the web for SY77/TG77 or equiv there enough to keep you busy for a little while.

Lots of outputs (8) plus 2 main. Needs a battery replacement every 5 years(or so the docs say). I looked inside and it's hard soldered to the board (no easy radio shack swap here..darn).

Cool effects bypass switch on the front.

There's no support in sysex for the cards so if you use a card you'll have to use the machine to access them (copy them to internal memory and work with the data there), or just directly set the parms on the machines instead of sound diver.

BTW, don't let the "FM" term fool you. This is one serious machine with waveforms to match. You can even filter and envelope a AWM waveform and use it as part of an FM algorithm. Wahoo.

Have fun. BTW, they seem to sell for whatever the market will bear..I've seen em go for around $250 to up to almost $500 as of (3/00)