All user reviews of 5/5 for the Yamaha RS7000

(Originally written by Paranomix39/translated from Audiofanzine FR)


UTILIZATION

Personally, I find the sequencer is quite complicated but great: everything can be edited! It takes too much time but once you understood how it works, it goes smoothly.

The 64MB memory isn't a lot but I use it with a PC so that's not a problem.

Its main advantages are the sequencer, the drum machine, and the playability live.

SOUNDS

Properly edited presets sound good. You'll obviously need to enhance the sounds with some processing or VSTi, but it sounds very good by itself.

The result is much better with an AIEB2 card: the sound becomes clearer and has more punch.

OVERALL OPINION

I started three years ago with a RM1x, then I bought a RS7000 one year ago and it's a dream machine. I've sometimes thought about selling it but I never did because I was sure I would regret it.

I previously used Electribe SX and MX (too simple for my taste so it became boring).

The MC808 is a very good device but I like having lots of knobs, like on the RS, which BTW has a very small display (it feels almost like a plastic toy).

The MC303 is really nice considering its price but it's in a totally different league.

Right now I just have my RS7000 and my Mac.

As a summary, buy the RS because it's an amazing tool (but don't expect to master it right away).

The RS 7000 is a great sequencer sampler combo with a decent synth to boot. The real strength of this unit is its real time playback features though. Its pattern chain mode and real time knobs create a real instrument.

Price paid

$1,300 USA

UTILIZATION

This box is for live use. Basically its a pattern sequencer you can put your hand on at every level. Based on Scenes,phrases and patterns the sequencer lets you put together compositions on the fly or in song modes which record basically anything you do on the box in real time. Really all I can say is sit down in front of one.

This is what I dont know about. I think its well put together,but I've encountered issues. First thing is my friend got one too and his OS was bad out the box,it corrupted over time and had to be factory reset constantly. Secondly I dont like the knobs. Personal taste but they are crap. The make of it isnt like an Akia but oh well,at least the box is dope!

SOUNDS

I like it. There is better,but after applying the proper master effects and eqing the RS7000 sounds really hot. The D/A converters are way better than most yamaha gear I've had. A few minor OS issues keep this from a 10

OVERALL OPINION

I dig it. This is the most fun I've ever had making music. I make tekno house and breaks and have been fighting with other samplers for years. This thing makes it easy for me to record instruments,vocals or drums and get it into a sketch pad immediately. In my opinion its not a studio solution,its an instrument just remember that.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown ( 5-, 2002)

I am totally satisfied with this amazing machine after few add-ups such as 2 extra Rams of 64mb that you definetly need and both should cost no more than $120, the digital output extention card which goes for around $200 and of course a SCSI CD-ROM or CDRW for you to be able to load sound libraries to your machine, however you will have really hard time trying to find a SCSI CD-ROM in year 2002, so you should be prepared to pay another $200 for the external SCSI CDRW. And finally you have a completely amazing machine that can do it all for you for a total of $1900

Price paid

$1400+$500

UTILIZATION

Very very easy but if you are new to these machines maybe it might take you couple of weeks.

absolutely a live performance machine. I have for almost a year now, I never needed customer support. plus there's tons of user community forums in the net.

SOUNDS

Sound quality is good but with the add-on digital outputs it is perfect. The factory sounds is focused on electronic music but you have freedom to sample any sound in it anyways. Effects are great but I would have added 3 more knobs.

OVERALL OPINION

Simply blows my mind but I kinda wanna check out the new Akai MPC 4000.

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown ( 7-, 2002)

This box is filled with great features and tricks that make hardware sequencing a pleasure as it should be. not much missing, and sure anyone always want's more, so user reguraly drop ideas for new features in the dedicated forums which are also monitored by yamaha, and reasonable request have good potential in future updates.

Price paid

1700€

UTILIZATION

For a diehard like me it's pretty easy to use and to understand, but i read many postings from 'newbies'that have a problem with the manual, so i think a dedicated book for the rs7000 wouldbe very needed and used.

i treat all my gear with the care and respect it deserves, so for me the knobs ,casing and all is good enough, i transport it to live gigs in a hardcase, and move around in a car... no crapy setups in the clubs, only the best!

SOUNDS

The sound is warm and fat! way better then roland gear, and ofcourse it takes the one controlling the gear to understand how to sqeeuze the best sound out of any box.

OVERALL OPINION

Without a doubt one of the best investments i bought for my studio in the last 15 years, perfect in combination with computer platform, aswell as standalone!

The amount of features on this thing is just amazing,ionly have it for a month so every day i find something new on this thing. it's a great goovebox-sampler and both functions are very grown-up.

Price paid

1050 euro

UTILIZATION

I hate reading manuals, so for me it takes a little longer to learn all the inns and outs but it is nice to discover something new, and when i want something to happen, it useually does (sometimes after some effort) once i discover how a particular function works, it's a breeze...

i think i is very robust, but i havn.t giged it yet, or have it dropped to the floor or anything, so i'm not sure... but it's heavy and it feels strong

SOUNDS

The sound of this thing is the reason why i bought this box in the first place, when i went to the store, i was convinced i was gonna walk out with a roland mc-909, but i heard them both in the store (on the same mixer/amp/speakers) and the rs just sounds bigger and better!!! so i ended up with this baby

OVERALL OPINION

This has become the heart of my music production, before i used a computer, but hardware just rules!!! i love it and i will go to my grave with it!!

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)

The RS7000 has a fantastic hardware sequencer along with a solid sampler. The drums are good if not the best and the internal sounds are useful at times but certainly not up to the quality of a well tweaked VST instrument. Missing is a USB or firewire connection to replace SCSI as the connection to PC

Price paid

1300 US

UTILIZATION

Best hardware sequencer on the market. Simple and intuitive design makes it the best option for a true live performance of electronic music. From its Grid and Step record modes to the way it stores scenes almost everything is perfect. Only beef is the way it manages drum kits which is a small issue

Seems to be holding up ok. I've gigged mine out for 2 years almost now and its working fine but I do have a bad knob. The knobs are really cheap feeling and are the worst feature of the RS7000.

SOUNDS

Sonically the RS7000 is great. With a master EQ for the entire machine and master FX for each track you can make you engineers life easy in the mastering process. That said I wish the RS had multiband compression per track instead of the entire boxes output. Overall I wouldnt say the RS really even has a "sound" it just plays back what you put in.

OVERALL OPINION

Best piece of equipment ever for true live performance as an electronic musician. Its no studio in a box but thats not what its meant for. Take it on the road and stop answering your email on stage laptop live pa's!!!

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Unknown (January 2-, 2003)

The features are great! every track can have some effects on them. u got a mixer, eq, mastering, sampling, built in sounds, sequencing... im spazzin right now!!!!

Price paid

1500

UTILIZATION

If u know anything about a sequencer, u can get a beat out of this with no struggle at all... all u rookies? READ THE MANUAL...lol!

its been built ok... ive heard about flaking paint... but i take mines out too, still looks good. no paint chips. and for all you people that say the knobs make it look old fashioned... ask yourself, quick turning knobs for instant results? or, 10 menu and sub-menu pages with a scrub wheel? HELLLLOOOO!!!

SOUNDS

Sound quality is good. the rs gives u lots of built in effects to trim or fatten up your sound.

OVERALL OPINION

The funny thing is...i went to SAM ASH for the mpc 2000 when i 1st saw this...the guys there told me to take it home and if i dont like it, just bring it back and get the mpc... they never saw me again...lol ( well, they did, but only to build around the rs). THE MACHINE IS OFF THE CHAIN EVEN TODAY!!!!!!

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: slik da relic ( 5-, 2004)

Depends what you want to do with this machine. I find it extremely useful when creating 4-8 bar phrases using samples and then recording them as audio in cubase and arranging them, adding more instruments there. For sound design its the best piece i used so far.

Price paid

$530 used

UTILIZATION

Very easy to use... You can turn it on and in 2 seconds start makin drum patterns. I would like to add to this machine a better arp, and when loading samples ability to listen to them before u load would b nice. other than that for me it does the job.

SOUNDS

Sounds on it arent all that, i like the drums personally when tweaked. Sounds on it are like regular GM quality sounds (except for 63 drum sets) and are good for using as a sketch-sounds.

OVERALL OPINION

I bought it second hand, its just a studio piece for me, but its solidly built. Its plastic and pads make lot of sound when banged, but its holding up.

I love this piece, i got it over an MPC, its quicker to use, more options and works for me better. It alows u to sample at different frequencies and resample also so you can do a lot of things with it. OS keeps updating still so i guess Yamaha hasnt given up on it. You can adjust swing too, and play with effect in real time, real cool. I LOVE IT

Originally posted on FutureProducers.com
Posted by: Sarajevo (January 1-, 2004)