First off, the bad stuff. The drums on it aren't great. The percussion is good enough to sketch out some beats and acts nicley as accompanyment for a better kit but on its own is a little lack luster in my oppinion. Acoustic sounds are pretty much a 'no go' here ... but then again why would you by a FM Synthesis device for it's acoustic recreations? The only really annoying thing is the big ass wall wart of a power supply that Yamaha includes. I would rather have had the actual unit larger than having that space hog AC adapter.

Ok, the pros. It's small, so you can lug it around with you pretty easily and sketch out new tunes wherever you are. The control interface is very intuitive so it's very easy to edit in ... very, very easy. The included software editor adds even more control so you can really twaek out the sounds should you feel the need to do so (Win 2k and XP not supported by XGWorks Lite though). The sounds this thing spits out are incredible. Everything from crushing bass to wandering airy pads. Mind you everything is distinctly digital in it's sound but that's a refrshing change from the analogue and virtual analogue rebirth that's going on. I also have a Korg MS2000R in my set up, and I find myself looking to the DX200 more often for those driving power sounds rather than the MS2000R. The filters are excelent and you can record a most of the controler movement into 4 'tracks' to be played back while the pattern is looping (over 1/2 - 8 measures). And finaly ... this unit is cheap. I found a DX7 for about $350 Cdn. and I spent $530 Cdn. on the DX200. Given that the DX7 was impossibly hard to program, and it's another piece of bulky equipment, the $180 price difference is more than worth it. For a synth modulue in this price range, I think the DX200 is pretty hard to beat.

I love this littele thing, and though it can be used as a groovebox, it really shines as slave module. I think alot of pro-musicians are put off by the groovebox association, and yamaha is marketing it towards the DJ and dance production crowd, but passing this little box over would be a mistake. Hook one up to your master controller and you'll see what I mean.

One final addition. I've never encountered a missing note, beat, or a pause when switching patterns.

By the way this is a way underated sinth, forget the software its so simple to program on its own. I have several synths this is my favourite and i much prefer fm to analogue

The Dx200 is totally unique and I am fully aware that it too will become just as sought after as the 303 in some years.

I'm glad I have ordered mine, soon this line will come to a stop. And those lucky enough to pick up one will be the truly luck ones.

the dx200's sequencer is so promising for live improvisation (important, since i hope to be on stage someday). i think we're justified in complaining that the box screws up the simple but crucial task of playing sequences flawlessly.

that glitch and the lack of an undo command in the editor are the only two things keeping this superb sound source from being a 5 in my book.

all of this info is important to someone deciding whether to buy this groovebox. and it is a groovebox, because a groovebox is a small keyboard-less synth with sequencer and drums. don't know why schmoe is so pissed off about the word "groovebox."

who uses that crappy sequencer anyways??

hook the thing up like a sound module, and run it with cubase or logic.

and also, stop saying its a groovebox, its not, its a powerfull synth in a groovebox disguise.