dr00p on AH posted a link to the Yamaha RM1X review on Sonic State. I've always been curious about this box as a hardware sequencer. I'm curious how it compares to others. If you've had any experience with one, feel free to comment. Title link takes you to the review.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Yamaha RM1X
dr00p on AH posted a link to the Yamaha RM1X review on Sonic State. I've always been curious about this box as a hardware sequencer. I'm curious how it compares to others. If you've had any experience with one, feel free to comment. Title link takes you to the review.
10 comments:
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I've had one of these pretty much since launch and I love it to pieces for live work. Although it can be easily used in the studio (it's pretty much a QY700 with a dance orientated sound set), using it live is a joy. First of all, it's rock feckin' solid !!! Timing is superb and it has never, ever failed me. I would trust it with my life to deliver exactly what I ask of it.
ReplyDeleteThe real time controls are simple and effective and are so well thought out that using it live to generate all kinds of effects is a doddle. It makes you look good, simple as that.
My only foible is the storage being a 3.5" FDD. Internal memory is not vast and although the FDD is no slouch, something along the lines of a flash ram storage facitlity a la Smart Media of CF card would've been great, but when this came out, that media was still in it's infancy and cost a bomb. It's successor, the RS7000, quickly addressed that issue.
All in all, wild horses could not separate me from my RM1x and I wouldn't trust any other sequencer in a live situation, except maybe my Akai S6000 (well, if Robbie Williams still uses 2x S6000's live, I can't be too wrong !! LOL)
My first piece of gear, at the age of 15 (?), was an RM1X. I lusted over it for months until it appeared under the xmas tree. It taught me all about step sequencing, although I was not happy with the internal sounds. When I eventually got cubase 5, a nord lead 2, and a bass station, I said screw the rm1x and sold it off. Looking back I wish I had kept it around, but at that time I was unaware that it could be useful for anything other than lame sounding generic dance music. :/
ReplyDeleteThe RM1X is a nice hardware sequencer. I got it when it was released and still use it once in a while. The programming interface is not as good as on the QY700, its direct ancestor, but it has very good real time controllers (midi delay, octaver, cutoff, gate, etc...).
ReplyDeleteToday nobody would us it for heavy sequencing, a software editor is much better for that. Simple editing tasks, like cut and paste, are really a nightmare on the RM1X. As a "sketch" tool it's however fun! The build-in sequences (hundreds of them) are a great source of inspiration. This unit was Yamaha's answer to Roland's MC groove boxes, it has therefore a "dance" spirit. Most of the preset sounds and phrases are in the Drum & Bass, Techno or Hip Hop territory. The sound engine is a reduced version of Yamaha AWM2 sample based synthesis (similar to the one on the CS1X synth). The drum, bass and lead sounds are decent, all the other are quite bad...
Personally I think that Yamaha mini sequencers, the QY-70 and the QY-100 are much better: smaller, same sound engine, larger screen, more patterns, cleaner interface. The RM1X is a bit too fat for what it offers (it's heavier and larger than a laptop computer!).
Eric
Thanks for all the great info guys.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I actually have a QY70. I really do like its step sequencer, but I need to spend more time with it. My favorite step sequencer is still MiniMusic's analog style BeatPad, but it's not a multi-track sequencer and it only works on the Palm.
Best damn sequencer for $200. I have had 3 of them sold the first two because of the low quality internal sounds. Now I dont even use the internal sounds I just use it to sequence Battery 2 and a couple analog synths. It also makes a good buddy for my mpc-60.
ReplyDeleteSorry, this doesn't pertain to your post ... but, any idea what kinda gear the Junior Boys are using?
ReplyDeleteI'm loving their synth sounds.
Hey Steven,
ReplyDeleteI'm a friend, of a friend, of a friend of one of the Junior Boys, and I've asked that same question.
Answer: Software.
I've always found the interface to be a bit clunky, but that's just me. SoundOnSound has a review of it which does a pretty good job of summing the machine up. www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb99/articles/yamaharm1x.htm
ReplyDeleteFor anyone considering this, I'd say take a look at one of the EMU Command Stations (XL-7, MP-7, PX-7).
I own both an RM1X and an Emu Command Station MP7 and having scoped out the MP7 lightly, I think I personally prefer my RM1X.
ReplyDeleteThing is, it's the Sequencer on the RM1X that is good... one of the best there is - Mostly Because It's so SOLID and RELIABLE... I love having No Load Times... everything Else is less than desireable, but is totally upgradeable!
If you have one, get yourself a good Midi Controller... trying to play on the buttons it has is a total nightmare, but they work well for everything else they do...
Then, Tweak your Sounds! Use the Knobs! I love that the RM1X can record most any 'tweak' I like and save it for later - moreover, it makes a great Solid Reliable way to 'record' your work...
Put it between your midicontroller and your synth and it can 'record' anything you want...
You DO want to get the OS upgrade if you're running synths with midi, and I usually run mine through some effects on top of it, but it's a quality Solid and Reliable piece to build a larger setup on and I bought mine for $250!
Mind you, you have to start and stop tracks to record, not like on an MP7, and you have to time your pattern moves to occur ON the beat, not like on Rolands or Emus, or your beat will jump to whatever beat you push the button on...
Good for doing DJ like jumps tho, repeating the downbeat for effect...
Also, fading in multiple parts becomes difficult - parts are only On or Off easily - but, I run external modules for most of my parts, and control those things from the mixer...
Not that it matters much for me but, you can only run 16 independent channels of midi TOPS... Emu does 32... but I just can't see running that many synths reasonably without tons of other people... and then you could just do multiple sequencers, or sequencers and samplers for instance...
so, with obvious bias tward the system I know better and understand more, I think I'm gonna continue building on my RM1X and just see if the Emu comes in somewhere...
mind you, I've got to tackle the OS upgrade soon, and would love a few more additions... ;)
Fingers crossed tho,
Scenic Mob
www.reverbnation.com/scenicmob
You can change the beat quantize so it changes patterns at the end of the bar..
Delete