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Yamaha RM1X
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linn134 linn134

« This opinion is shared. »

Published on 08/18/14 at 08:26
Ah, the RM1X. Or RM1X as if A or A sequencer groove box. In short, the blue thingy years Techno-Trance.
Nice big box all painted metal (epoxy I guess, but it alters the sound, it&#39;s not a guitar) with buttons, knobs and a large monochrome display that was frankly luxury at the time of its release.

As usual with Yamaha smells not junk. It is the eternal good point of the Japanese brand that is found on all ranges of the house to the three forks, the level of finish is high. A good case brawny, knobs and switches galore, and the back of the machine ... two outputs unbalanced jacks 6.35 for the "line out" and MIDI (In / Out). Two outputs ... we will return later.

There&#39;s what in the box?
Yes, anyway, even if the face of the device is nice it must be to pick the sound.
And here we are at Yamaha. (To be read with the voice of the TV commentators though clumsy).
Yes, again and again synthesizing home-based PCM samples, the famous Advanced Wave Modulation II, reloaded, the return of revenge. I seem to annoy me all alone in front of my screen, but I&#39;m actually very quiet. For the time (1999-2002) it was good and it was hard to imagine a sequencer-groove box with affordable analog modeling, FM, sampling etc ... it will be the big sister, this very estimable RS7000.

We do what we want and what we can with the synthesis AWM2, peanuts on the pretzel: the effects section, richly endowed of all that was then located on the S03 / S80 / CS2X / CS6X of brand. It&#39;s not bad, it&#39;s the job, but it&#39;s not the sound of an Eventide or AMS.
There are still some surprises: Low Pass (LPF), Cutoff, Resonance, Envelope. Zou.

There are plenty of sounds and presets in it, it&#39;s friendly, it&#39;s easy, it&#39;s cool.
We can have fun with 654 sounds and 46 drum kits various. With 50 free patterns for the user (60 printed in the ROM) and 20 songs, it&#39;s not bad at all.

To this is added a sequencer 110,000 notes, 32-voice polyphony (internal synthesis) and 64-note polyphony pure sequence, a record of the movement of a few knobs, it&#39;s not bad at all ... but only ONE output MIDI. There is not possib. No place, right possib.

Ultimate point that is VERY wrong Derche: you can not save on the fly, back to just reading, resume recording ... without stop / start. And that&#39;s okay when you&#39;re all alone in the corner, but two in sync (via DAW) it becomes unmanageable.



UTILIZATION

The general configuration is it simple?
Vui. It&#39;s not bad. It is not in the software with a mega-interface but it is understandable and sub-sub-sub menus do not serve every ten seconds.

The usual functions are they easily accessible?
Oh damn, I said above, so yes, it will.

The manual is clear and sufficient?
Nein, nein, nein!
It&#39;s a Yamaha manual, so rather well, but it&#39;s not digestible: too gnan-gnan to be pro (it caters to DJ, right?) Or too cryptic to be useful. So you have to go and experience.

SOUNDS

The sounds they suit your style of music?
Hmm. In a minimal trip, why not 90&#39;s revival, but it&#39;s still not the top.
The sounds are not bad, but the whole is constrained by the lack of separate outputs.
So the "mix" out of the single stereo output is not at the height of a free software sequencer with plugins freeware. I speak only of sound.

Are they realistic?
Yes, it really looks like the sounds of AWM2 synthesis out of DA converters with dynamic means not at all pro. The true sound of groovebox.

The effects are they effective and responsive?
Yes I do.

The expression is good? (Response to velocity, aftertouch)?
Yes too.


What are the sounds you prefer, you hate? ...
I used almost the most, sometimes one or two percussion sounds very typical 90&#39;s, low FM so when I need to triple a particular sound with a longer decay. In short, I no longer use the RM1X as sound module and I use mostly the sequencer.


OVERALL OPINION

How long have you use it?
One year.

Have you tried many other models before buying it?
Yes I do. I had the same kind:
- Quasimidi 309 (all options) with a Sirius bonus
- MC 505
- MC 303
- RM1X

All have strengths and weaknesses. The RM1X is, for me, the best sequencers listed above. But it is also one of the worst as sound module. It puts the MC303 into pieces, fortunately, but the MC505 it trumps with its separate (sound sequencer for my taste, much less good) outputs.

What thing do you like most and least?
Nice face.
Fun to use.
Solid (except the pads, but it speaks).
Good MIDI management, despite the single MIDI OUT. But with a splitter it goes alone.
Sounds means. Sometimes very good, sometimes heartbreaking.

Ergonomically correct but this recording limitation / start / stop / contraption countered me to replace it with a Elektron Monomachine SFX6. Not the same budget, not the same range, but here goes: at least it sounds good and sequence to death.

How would you rate the quality / price?
On occasion, around 150/200 euros is not bad. Attention to her, it can be perfect in music where everything is not "cleat" and supercharged, the hovering, the muffled. If that&#39;s the sound you&#39;re looking for Dubstep, it&#39;ll be tight. As against this is a very good sequencer to compose only a limited number of machines (16).

With experience, you do again this choice?
Yes I do. With the same needs and the same budget as when I bought it, I say yes.
I was very strict with this poor RM1X, I am fortunate to have (and have had) sublime machine (and some not so good) and I became difficult, demanding. No shame to have fun with RM1X. I still have it and I really hesitate to part with. I am attached and I appreciate it when it came out I wanted one. It is likely that in fact I never redeems RM1X and I like the RS7000, but it&#39;s not the same budget and the RS is much more cumbersome.