I cracked out the MSX this week (Yamaha CX7M/128) and was plugging away trying to sequence it with the m8 and get a weekly beat out of it. I was really not loving what I was getting (MUSIC is frustrating as hell to use even though you get 4 midi channels out of it and it has some decent control.. the interface though sheesh). I was feeling like I had wasted a good amount of time on it when I plugged the YK-01 in and just started mournfully noodling. I landed on something I kinda liked when CRACK - it turned off. I power cycled it a few times. Nothing. I figured that was it. The MSX had finally died. I messed with it a bit and nothing. Then suddenly, unprompted. It powered back on. I literally slapped record and get this before it died again. The bit crushing, the noise - everything is right out the box and kinda feels like the final crispy whimpers of an OPL3 giving its last breath on the FLUTE patch. I'm glad I captured it. Thank you CX7M.

A little obituary: I bought this CX7M for 1050 yen from a Hard Off in Muroran, Japan in 2008 - roughly 10 dollars now and then. It came with the YK-01 keyboard and no cartridges. It came back to New York with me. Then to Texas. I hope it got a little more life the it would have if it ended up in a land fill years ago. He will forever live on in this 2026 Weekly Beat. Thanks little buddy.

Tags: cx7m, flute, mournful, msx, rip, week 10 2026, yamaha, View by:note!