Yamaha RM1x

ok first of all I am kinda new too this stuff but the quick start part of the manual is ok and you can sequence and screw with the presets almoast right away, but fo rthe rest of it you must get used too the tree of menu's and what not but that is too be expected for you want somethign worth using and its got knobs and buttons an dits not a stupid pc with a shelf life of that of a french cheese and it wil nto crash like a plane under terrorist instincts. I think its a bit harder too use than my dr 202 or emu sampler but its a 16 track sampler so it better have more in it. lots of stuff in there if you keep with it and read read read the manual. play with one before you buy it.

midi seems good and easy too set up, efffects are fairly easy and sound good a must for internal drum sounds as they are a bit thin. disk drive is nice scsi would be nicer check the emu xl7 but it costs more sequencer is super extensive as far as hardware is concerned I hate pcs and use the mac for pro tools only. there is a lot here btu you gotta dig its ther eand will keep yyou working at it btu thats better than some oh woop to doo I am sick of it and figured it out box.

I have not had too many machines nor can I afford too many, this is my first synth and my second drum machine, the sounds are dated a bit but great for the money pads are rockin, drums are ok, other stuff is there and nice, effects knobs, not realistic but its a groove box not the electric light orchestra btu hey you get what you pay for elo can only be afforded by sell outs like metalica. I will say thoguh that if you want more pay more and you will get it. a grand gets more than 3 to 400 by a long shot. but for the money I am happy for sure. Its dancey though I like that but know that before you buy one.

man its rough lookin compared too the plastic boxes I got for less4 btu the keys are kinda crappy, its in metal, dont throw it donw the stairs put it in a box if you get drunk and fall over all the time, otherwise I think its cut out for giging...

dont know wish I had a manual that talked amd coudl point

I woudl be mad as hell but woudl look at a triton or something like an mpc... maybe since I sample a lot and use it mostly for the synth and its more of a sequencing gem, but thats just me. for a centerpiece or standalone its sweet, I got other gear for drums and sampling though

This is a well thought-out bit of kit. I have had mine for 3 years now and i see it as my main instantaneous composing tool. Closeness to everything editable is the vital requiremnt for this activity. The two levels of pattern and phrase are intuitive. The key to this is that when your working on a channel, you have the phrase installed then any edits made to this phrase DO NOT require a selection of the phrase. If you like your phrase then you leave it. If you did one hell of a bum note then press Shift+job and it goes back to the original. You like your pattern, then you copy it to a pattern with a little button-pot selection and then you say to yourself,i want the same backing but give a bridging lead to a channel then select the channnel (always the same one with me) and select the phrase display, turn the appropriate pot to when the little length indicator by the side of the phrase number goes blank and hey presto a new phrase with the same length (You can ajust the length on the same screen, the other phrases just work with their own lengths repeating). Then hit the record button and you can enter your new lead. This normally takes me about 10-20 seconds. With 16 patterns per Style then you have lots of memory to group. This bit of finger pressing is a delight. It's faster than cubase almost (mouses being a bit fiddly).
As a song producer then it does pattern development OK but falls in the structuring side. This is where the Cubase is the king. You have no idea where patterns have been placed in terms of step numbers (But it hasn't got a VDU). This is where the RM1x is not a song developer but more of a Composer tool. The patterns can be conveniently sent as SMF's to Cubase for the big picture type of edit. If it had a USB interface then this could be quicker. But the RM1x has those old Floppies to work with. I have some from 3 years ago and now they are mangled to the point i would never put them in the disk drive for fear of geting them stuck. The Moto of the story is get yourself a Pc to accompany your RM1x. You don't need Cubase SX, any freeware software would do the job that the RM1x does not.
The Arpeggiator is very limited and does not drive outside Modules like my Korg and does not run from a keyboard controller (something else that is vital). That is an obvious basic error by the Japs.The arpeggiator is limited with options but i don't miss this because arpeggios are now a Cliche in dance/synth orchestral music. The sound editting was ahead of it's time and now all software/keyboards have a bit of this. One of the best features is the Midi echo which can give electronic composition to you without planning ahead. I have had amazing results from this getting complicated sequences/sub-sequences with a turn of a pot. All it requires is a simple note entry and quantization and hey presto Jarre is suddenly a brit. Muting is easy for developing your ideas of layers but just pass all channels to your SMF and do the muting in Cubase.

The layering of voices is very very tight and shows lovely phasy notes emminating even in chords. This feature does not venture to direct play though. The Yamaha does a good job of handling the Polyphony (as all Yamahas do). The range of sounds are good with obvious emphasis on classical synth stuff. I have done Jarre, Vangelis, Mike Oldfield and Robert Miles variations on this machine (I got a fantastic track of Children on the web, This impressed the wife as she liked this track). The controller data (which i love) is all there to be returned to you after a production. The best one is the filter sweep. I would have liked a bit more from the RM1x in this department because one of my favorites is to edit the filter and pulse width at the same time. But i could get a better controller keyboard i suppose. There is still nothing on the market second-hand or new that has the level of combination of sequencer and synth for the price. I believe the Motif has similar editing structures but does not have the Pots. The japs have given us the most important editting features at thumb level ie. Filter Frequency, Resonance, Decay time, Volume, Effects depths and you can program your own Pot configuration also! The only really really thing i miss on this is delayed OSC pitch modulation. This is an important textural sound quality to a lead and figures highly in my music. The controller wheel is not the same (and why is it in SYSEx and not in the Buttons?). The pads have all the editting i require at voice level except for cross fading (this is virtually on all other Yamaha Synths since the days of the SY22/SY77/SY99/SY85). The answer would be to have some mega controller keyboard that edits everything and puts the dog out in the garden.

The GM sounds for some unknown reason seem to be poor compared to the rest. The rest are all but a few silly lush-swirlly, one finger press impressive, mini-song,out of tune, shop enquiry pads that have no place in my material. The basic Saw/Pulse ones are an attempt at analog but unfortunately don't carry detuning of the oscillators. These are good. The filter is not really the Moog stuff and don't have a lot of distortion to them. The key to the synth is it has a good output stage. When the sounds are combined they all sound very no.1 material. I don't know many big artists using it but this is not a mega-expensive state of the art synthesiser/sequencer. This is the result of Yamahas years of experience in knowing what people do when they make songs. The expression is all there after you have worked out the controller map. The effects are good but not edittable like in Cubase but there again this does not have a C++ programmable operating system with every man and his dog making VSTs. The Delay is syncable but my trusty Casio calculator can do that. The phaser has some Jarre instincts to it but my latest VST's can do a better job. The effects are good when you adjust the parallel and serial mixture at the end of the effects edit screens. The reverb is quite generous for those infinitely outer-space sustains that seem to take a raw noisy saw to Pluto but still within hearing distance. The bit resolution is better than a lot of old school digitals but not in the league of the latest Cubase and 24bit sound cards. I have to say though, that when i have recorded it to an audio track in Cubase it holds it's own and does a better job than many VST sysnths. I have done this sometimes with intention of adding VST but never really ended up with it because the results were good. There is competion going on in a lot of people's heads at the moment between RM1x type beasts and the beast from Germany. I hover between the two. I have to say that the VST fraternity are getting better and better and better. Everyday on the web seems to throw up something new. I can understand why good old Vangelis had so many Synths in the 70's!

White entry buttons are getting a bit of dust underneath and need a good contact clean (only one at the moment). But this just requires a bit of a heavier finger.
Yamaha do make long lasting keyboards, like Roland, like Korg, not like Lada Cars. The thing is housed in metal (i hate plastic anything). Anybody looking for 2nd hand would not be disappointed although i would say that you should look for a home used one as any gigged keyboard will have Beer, Roadie and Van Additions added to it's anatomy (like all keyboards!). I suppose anybody selling it would be suspicious in any case because it's not the sort of music electronics that people think is S*hte. If you see one in the classifieds, ask one thing, has it been gigged?

Don't have any requirement. Mine still works beautifully.

I would kill the bugger who stole it.

Every thing is pretty much in your face so you can get started on your tracks the minute you pull it out of the box. and if you whant to get more technical the manual is great

the keyboard itself sux and is not velocity sensytive so youll have to get a midi controler keyboard to go with it. the fx are descent but the knobs arent very solid.

preset sounds are very good and you can tweak the hell out of them to get a nice professional sound. its very versatile too so you can use it with almost any style of music.

I use it regularly in shows I do live psytrance and its never givine me any problems although the keys are made of plastic and I do fell there begining to wear on me the key is keep it fairly empty and ALWAYS!!! back up your stuff .

Never dealt with them so I cant comment

Overal rating I give it a 8 because the machine itself is great but all the knobs and the keys are plastic and not very durable but if you plan on keeping it in a studio setup and not being to hard on it the sounds are amazing and I have made some wonderful trancks with this machine it trully is a monster.

don't know what OS i have but it runs fine
presets are suprisingly good remember this is a groovebox
so most people will wan't the presets so they can get down
to making funky trax right away
manual is good

could do with 64 voice polyphony (only 32)
the FX are fairly good quite a few variations though not outstanding
do a fairly good job.
expansion is a nono but does have a floppy drive for unlimited songs.
midi is well implemented i like importing exporting midi too. for use
with Reason.
Sequencer is the heart of this 16tracks can be panned however you like
with ease no glitching and sounds good as a whole.

GM sounds are not much cop but the synth bass sounds are quite impressive.
well this is a groovebox so its special skills are dance music and electronica.... good to hear some decent garage rythms though
velocity and after are fine.

Well it ain't let me down yet
with the ease of use the floppy drive gives you need never
gig without backup

never needed to contact yammy

if lost or stolen i would probably get another one.
i have been playing music for around 6years and i have other grooveboxes like the MC-505 MC-303 and Korg EA-1 plus rebirth and Reason.
I wish it was a TB-303 groovebox but that never gonna happen though
it can make ok 303sounds it don't have slide or accent control.
the rm1x is a very insprational tool for creating trax in a hurry
and for polished works.
for #200 off ebay this is a excellant groovebox for the money
it sounds a lot better than people think.

well, at first glance its very easy to program, and u start makeing sum cool patterns right away. but when u get into it a little more, its a comlex thing. and im glad for dat, cause once u figure it out, it can really solve ALL yr sequencing problems... u have to spend sum time w the manual..

this thing has it all! realtime, step, grid sequencing. realtime controler knobs (greal for LIVE use). a very cool grid groove mode. and lotsa other stuff...

well, it think its sounds really suck!!! but its a matter of taste i think..

it crashed once.... remember to back up yr patterns!!!

never needed:)

i would get another if it were stolen. i use it to control a yamaha a4k, jp8000, juno 60, jomox09, an some efx, and it does it with great style!!!

Hi, I'm Brian, on the Island of Malta.

A lot has been said about the infamous blue box, so I'll just add my bit. Some months after using mine, my initial amazement stated to wane, I got tired of mucking around with the presets, and I started to become more critical. Weak voices, a useless arpeggiator, and so on... I saw them all. Well, now, I am happy to say there is a workaround for most things, unfortunately, it's just not stated in the manual.

Regarding bass and lead, there are some real gems buried in there, but very few voices are 'ready to use' out of the box. You need to tweak those filters, and don't forget the effects.

With particular reference to hihat sounds, for those of you who like the sound of shimmering metal, all you have to do is to turn up CutOff and Resonance to get there.

With drums, it's not enough to dial up the right category of voice - you need to tweak it and combine it with other sounds to get something useful.

Most of the delay and echo effects have a bit of a problem with the arbitrarily set delay times - these don't follow the tempo settings, and results may not be immediately musical. But hey, you can always tweak the parameters yourself.

The arpeggiator is one of those features that makes me wonder whether a trainee had anything to do with the implementation. But once again, some mileage can be obtained if you use an empty track and use Beatstretch, and the rest of those knobs to control it.

The Pattern Chain mode is another badly executed addition. Apart from the awkward data entry mode, it lacks muting control and panel setting memory per measure. It is simply too sparse an implementation, and I'm surprised that Yamaha actually thought of providing a dedicated button for this 'feature'. I only find it useful, with some effort, to quickly set up drum backings based on preset and user patterns.

And the 'keyboard' keys really stink. Where the hell did Yamaha pick these up? I hope they're not recycling...

Good things? It's stable, and the timing is friggin fantastic. With some creativity, I think that yes, you can go a long way with this thing, if you have an external keyboard, that is.

In my case, the more I use it, the more I love it, and I certainly do not regret owning it.

Happy music making, boys and girls.

Best regards, Brian.

This machine has a multiple personality on this issue. it does succeed on a few counts...
and fails on others. if being "rapper 97" (with apologies to sifl and olly) and twiddling knobs is your bag,
then here ya go. just dial up a pattern and hit play. WHOOO-DOGGIES! 199x party in a box. the buttons and knobs are laid out logically.
however, if you come from a land of linear-based sequencing like me, you are in for a looooooong night over a manual
that reads like a recipe on how to build an rm1x using raw silicon and an engineer named sven. what's also crazy is the way the
bottom 16 buttons control, in any given moment, multiple features like track mute, changing sections, selecting tracks for real time
stuff, etc. you have to make damn sure what's going on above before you twiddle below. the large lcd is nice and
the job list concept is pretty neat.

for the jack, the features are pretty good. polyphony is adequate, effects are
are great and add a lot to the patches (careful with the bass boost, YOU WILL HURT SOMEONE, MAN!). if you are familiar
to pattern-based sequencing, i don't think you'll have any probs using the sequencer. unlike my current
sequences, which sounds like a bizarre quantized accident chained together nicely. memory's a tad low,
thank god for the floppy drive. but if this is your central brain in a live project, i'd
imagine there will be some between-song disk shuffling going on. and in the studio, you may have a helluva
stack going that will rival an egyptian pyramid. but, hey, but it's cheaper than a pc running cubase.and it looks
cooler than a laptop.

this isn't an instrument for realistic sounds. it's pretty much a serious dance box.
the synth sounds and pads are quite good, sit great in mixes, and, unlike your girlfriend
who feels neglected 'cuz you "spend so mach damn time in your room!", they love to be messed with.
(decent tb-303, if you are chasing one). piano and "real world" instruments are
better left untouched, unless you have some serious plans that john tesh hasn't
thought up yet. yup, real time knobbies are always fun for the kids. sounds getting old?
you can bypass the tone module completely and use the rm1x's nice midi delay on that
wizzy lead 2000 you are saving up for.

i haven't toted this box anywhere yet, it seems pretty solid in it's metal blue
existence. the electronics and MIDI have been straight with me. i wouldn't get all NIN on it though,
i don't think it likes water bottles. or chocolate sauce. dittos for vomit.

this is my only yamaha product so far, i've heard them pictured as
nice as custard pie, or as evil and devious as the devil rubbing his hand
together in glee.

i bought the rm1x to satisfy the lack of a decent hardware sequencer in
my rig. I wish it did, but it hasn't yet. maybe i need to spend some more time
with it. but it is hard when there are only so many hours in the day. but that doesn't
mean that is it not for you. i found some good sounds, good features, and good live
features that might fit the bill for you in this blue box. go down to
your local "guitar center" or music megamart of choice and play for yourself.
just bring headphones so you don't have to put up with that 5 year old kid banging
on the triton, or your greasy brother trying to figure out the chords to "jump".
yikes. then buy it used.

major pain to use this thing-----must read cryptic manual over and over and it makes my head hurt

maybe it would be easy if you are a technician but Im not.

presets suck bad

too many features----multi-function buttons and menus to drive you nutzo---I wish it was simpler so I could just use it and have fun but its not-----most features are hidden deeply within the machine and not apparent----you must read manual over and over to find them----many features are still hidden to me so whats the use of all these features if you cant find em?

this thing is full of rank sounds that are worse than bad. some of the lamest "pop" sounding presets I have ever heard.

Very disappointing! Usually Yamaha does a good sonic job, but what happened here? Very funky sounds that will embarass you

seems pretty reliable although I would not gig with this because its just too complex to use. I cannot afford a stress attack on stage so I leave it at my studio. It is built heavy and solid although the keys and buttons feel cheap and chintzy, the case is pretty tough.

Yamaha is not really too great for support, but who is? Last time I called for assistance, they wanted me to pay them for answers to questions on the RM1x. That was new to me and totally wierd.

Had this thing since 99 and found it to be a dust collector. I dont really feel that it was worth keeping around and I sold it after the holidays. Been playing for over 30 years and I like more simple gear. Kinda old skool, but I cant deal with all the complications of gear when Im tryin to create grooves so I stick with the simple stuff. For sequencing now I use the MAM SQ-16 which is very intuitive and fun to use. The RM1x was a road-block for me and I dont like roadblocks. Im amazed that people can figure this machine out or are they just playing the presets? I hope not cuz they do blow green monkey chunks!

Standard OS. Never needed to upgrade. Presets are great, although a bit "1998". Tweaking is possible, but it's not like an analogue maonster - it's quick and easy to fiddle around safely. Manual is good and well worth reaqding, even if an old hand.

Loads of voices at once, effects are pretty good too, but it's good for sending audio to a PC for further enhancement. "keyboard" is suprisingly useful, although not velocity-sensitive. The sequencer is perhaps the best on any hardware module.

It's brimming with dance sounds, that - with a bit of tweaking - can sound pretty current. GM sounds aren't too hot - look elsewhere if you just want standard MIDI files.

No problems ever. Floppy discs mean making backups is simple and cost-effective. Much safer for syncing equipment than a PC or Mac on stage.

You can make music straight away, by mixing preset patterns and then jamming basllines/riffs over the top. It's quicker to set up a sequence than a software sequencer, and you can play it in bed!
Must be the best VFM for any groovebox. Add sampling (the RS7000) and you have all you need to make dance music.

Unfortunately I'm at work. (bored) ^_^
I can't recall the software version. But I've never had any problems with the OS.
The presets are great! I've no problem with the preset sounds for 2 reasons. #1 It says in any ad for the RM1x that it's made for dance music, i.e. techno, trance, house, etc. These genres of music do not necessarily lend themselves to acoustic sounds. They call it electronica for a reason. If you want acoustic, absolutely do not get the RM1x because it's terrible and reproducing those sounds. But for what it was made for, it's excellent. #2 while it's not a synthesizer, it does contain a large amount of parameters for altering sounds. Don't be dismayed. It is however an excellent source for learning about the foundations of synthesis without getting too bogged down (unless you want to). So the tools are there to create great sounds for techno music, if you are not lazy. Editing is an absolute breeze, again if you're not lazy. If you listen to the preset songs, and break down each part and each phrase, you'll immediately see the amount of work you'll have to put into it. If you want the RM1x to create for you, you're SOL. You don't even have to be a tech head, just willing to explore. The greatest discoveries were probably accidental.

The manual doesn't require a PhD to get through it, but if you really wanna understand it, it will require LOTS of re-reading, while at the same time going over the instrument. There's a lot there, and it has quite a bit of depth.

Polyphony is 64, multitimbral at 16.
Effect include VCF Low pass, cutoff, resonance envelope, 11 reverbs, 11 choruses and 43 variations, including some kick @$$ echo, delay and panning effects. Midi is 16 channels. The keys are not pressure sensitive.
The sequencer is off the freakin' hook, and it easily its strongest point.

The instruments are NOT realistic. Read what the RM1x is for. Or go to vintagesynth.com you can listen to it there. It imitates some analog sounds pretty good, but for the most part, it is very digital.
Genres it works well for? Techno, hiphop, rap, trance, goa, drum and bass, house, ambient. Rock? LOL!!! Classical?? LOL!!! R&B maybe.
Playing is fairly static. Some expression from some sounds, like pads, but again you need programming skill to tweak it. Then it'll do pretty much anything you want. No velocity or aftertouch in the keys. I use a controller board, program in RM1x directly or program in Cubase or Cakewalk.

Great for gigs. Heavy, encased in metal, though the keys are plastic. It could easily be a great weapon if you ever need to defend yourself. Never once had a single issue with the OS, crashing or anything else. Without a backup? Hehehe... I don't know if I would ever do that. But that is not because of the RM1x... that's just me. The RM1x is definitely designed from a DJs perspective. If you've DJed you'll appreciate the layout and functions and the ability to switch stuff up on the fly.

I've dealt with yamaha, but not concerning the RM1x. They were courteous helpful and resolved my issue promptly.

If lost or stolen... yes, because of the price. Yamaha has an RS7000 out now that I might get instead, but that's around $1300. Wah! =(
But because of the programming and synthesis depth, the RM1x is a true investment that will last a long time in a studio. I don't see it really becoming dated anytime soon... unless you are just a gear whore. =)
I started playing sax in 5th grade. Moved to dance and rap when break dancing was popular. Played in a band in college (music major) for 3 years, did some gigs with DJs, did some DJing myself, quit for a long time and in 1999, decided to do dance again.
Gear? I have so much crap. most of it I rarely use. I should have a giant sale on ebay. But mainly this, the Su700, an old alpha juno, and a DJX that I'll eventually sample what I like from and sell. A compressor, some midi stuffs and other boring gear like that, and a ton of PC software.
I love that I can create mad, crazy, slamming techno tracks with it... the potential is only your imagination. I hate that you can't alternate effects. Example: you get 4 parameter effects to select for a song. So lets say you have a Flanger 3 on your lead, and you want to use Flanger 2 also under that same effect listing. That's a no no, and cancels the Flanger 3. There are ways around this, again through programming, but it's not a big enough deal for me to go through all that.

It definitely aids me in making music. Trance is an interesting study and vastly different from the house music, Kraftwerk and Afrika Bambatta I grew up on in the 80s. So the RM1x is a good tool for experimenting in that genre. But I must admit, sometimes the programming gets mind boggling and I find myself consulting online about synthesis technique. But it's simplistic enough to lay the groundwork ASAP, then go back and tweak whatever you need to later.