Turn your Yamaha TX802 into a modern, effortless multi-timbral sound module.
Open the link, then click the .zip file under Assets. Unzip it and start 802_Manager.exe -
nothing else to install. The steps are in INSTALL.txt inside the zip and under
Getting Started. Windows only for now - macOS and Linux versions are planned
(see Roadmap).
The TX802 is one of the most powerful FM synthesizers ever made — eight independent Tone Generators, each capable of playing a different sound simultaneously, with full per-voice control over channel, note range, volume, pan, detune, and more. Sonically, it still holds up in 2026. Operationally, navigating its tiny 1980s LCD and cryptic button sequences is a different story.
802 Manager connects to your TX802 via MIDI and takes over all configuration from the device itself. Set up your sounds once in a clean, modern interface. Every setting is saved automatically and restored on the next launch — your TX802 comes up exactly where you left it, every time.
Left: Tone Generator Control & Preset Browser | Right: Macros & Settings
31,000+ presets, instantly searchable. The included patch database is curated from the best DX7/TX802 patch collections available — deduplicated by sound data, with ratings, categories, and comments you can edit yourself directly in the browser.
Layer and split across all 8 Tone Generators. Each TG gets its own preset, MIDI channel, note range, volume, pan, detune, and fine-tuning — all from a single screen, without touching the device.
Fire and forget. The app initialises the TX802 on startup and restores your last session automatically. No RAM cartridges, no on-device storage. The app is the single source of truth.
No LCD diving, ever. The TX802's arcane Voice Linking system, performance parameters, and front-panel functions are all surfaced as plain, readable controls. Even the terminology is simplified — Link becomes simply On/Off, Voice Data becomes Preset.
MIDI thru. Route your keyboard or DAW through the app to the TX802. Optional Aftertouch-to-Breath (CC2) conversion included.
- Connect your computer's MIDI OUT to the TX802's MIDI IN. No MIDI return cable is needed.
- Download the latest release: github.com/Helge666/802_Manager/releases
- Run
802_Manager.exe. Windows will show an Unknown Publisher warning — choose More Info → Run Anyway. - In the Settings tab, point the database path to
dx_preset_library.sqlite3from the zip. - Select your MIDI output port in the Settings tab. The app will initialise the TX802 and restore your last session.
Note on MIDI interfaces: Some USB MIDI interfaces struggle with the large SysEx bursts the TX802 requires. The popular MIDIFACE 2x2, for example, is unreliable for this purpose. The MIDI output of a Behringer XR18 rack mixer works well.
Settings, the last session and startup_bank.syx live in %APPDATA%\802_Manager. With logging switched on (Settings → MISCELLANEOUS) the app writes tx802-startup.log next to 802_Manager.exe.
- macOS version
- Linux version
The window title shows the version, e.g. 802 Manager v1.2.0. The first two numbers are set by hand in the VERSION file: the first for a complete rework or a new framework, the second for larger changes. The third counts itself: the commits that changed the app's code (app, modules, assets) since VERSION last changed - same code, same number.
Requires Visual Studio 2022 (C++ workload) and CMake ≥ 3.22.
git clone --recurse-submodules https://github.com/Helge666/802_Manager.git
cd 802_Manager
cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64
cmake --build build --config Release
The app ends up in build\802_Manager_App_artefacts\Release, the command line tools in build\tools\<tool>\<tool>_artefacts\Release. make-release.ps1 -Version vX.Y.Z packs the app, the preset database, INSTALL.txt and the license into the zip for a GitHub release.
| Path | Content |
|---|---|
app/Source |
The GUI app: MainComponent (left panel: banks, TG strip, preset browser; right panel: macros, settings) |
modules/core |
TX802/DX7 data: SysEx messages, button codes and macros, startup sequence, performance parameters, voice and bank formats |
modules/midi |
MIDI sending, MIDI thru, settings file, startup log |
modules/storage |
Preset database (SQLite, compiled in from modules/thirdparty/sqlite) |
tools |
Command line tools: send banks, presets and performances, press panel buttons, extract, import and create banks, random banks |
assets |
Panel images and font, compiled into the app |
data |
Preset database dx_preset_library.sqlite3, two random example banks |
docs |
TX802 behaviour found while building the app: startup sequence, TG LEDs, linking, performance parameters, display texts |
external/JUCE |
JUCE 7.0.11 (submodule) |
This project was developed with the help of Claude (Anthropic). As a veteran coder since before the TX802 hit the market, I reviewed and contributed code throughout. Or, as Inspector Sledge Hammer used to say — right around the time the TX802 was state of the art — "Trust me, I know what I'm doing."
Preset Database
The dx_preset_library.sqlite3 database includes presets curated from:
- https://bobbyblues.recup.ch/yamaha_dx7/dx7_patches.html
- https://homepages.abdn.ac.uk/d.j.benson/pages/html/dx7.html
- https://www.reddit.com/r/synthesizers/comments/e4jkt7/my_curated_dexeddx7_patches_3_banks/
Presets were deduplicated by parameter data (not name). Identical-sounding presets with different names were excluded; different-sounding presets sharing a name were retained. Origin, source file, and other metadata are stored alongside each preset in the database.
TX802 Brochure Images Scanned and uploaded by:
Copyright © 2025–2026 Helge T. Kautz
The original source code and assets in this repository are licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 (AGPLv3). You are free to use, modify, and distribute this software — including for porting it to other platforms — provided that any derivative work is also released under the AGPLv3.
Third-party components