Product ReviewsPDAs/Phones
The QY series is Yamaha's pocket sequencer/synth gizmo aimed at musicians on the move, and those who can't be bothered to hook up their MIDI studio every time they want to note down a quick riff. The QY70 is a revamped version of the original box (which came out in the 1980s) and features analogue-style sounds and a fashionable silver casing. Inside its paperback-size casing is a full set of Yamaha XG voices (General MIDI-compatible, but with a lot more variation), and more than 100 preset patterns. It comes with a Mac-style serial port attached, and a librarian package so you can upload and download data to the box. One welcome addition is the ability to control cut-off and resonance over all the internal voices.
Resonance and cut-off are familiar controls from analogue synths, and add that covetable TB303 squelch to the many faux analogue voices found on the box. It's a surprisingly deep instrument, offering scope beyond the rather limiting pattern play that is set as its default. All the patterns can be mixed and matched, with the drum pattern from one being pasted into another to create an endless array of new grooves. Beyond that, you are free to create your own grooves, either by building on internal rhythms and loops or generating your own. There's an auto-quantising realtime record mode, and a straightforward step record mode for correcting fingerings, or putting a bass drum on the four beat. Each track recorded can be assigned to the internal effects (reverb-heavy, as is always the case with these things) and to groove templates for adding feel to your recordings. The MIDI implementation is a little scant, and the box could do with some knobs or sliders for controlling the analogue effects (it's all buttons). That apart, the QY70 is a useful tool for mobile musicians, or for multimedia producers who are looking for a quick way of generating copyright-free backing tracks. By Jim Smith |
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