Yamaha SEQTRAK | Can you actually make a good sounding music on it?
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- čas přidán 21. 06. 2024
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00:00 Introduction
00:59 Unboxing and basic operation
02:57 SEQTRAK app
03:47 Build quality built-in speaker etc.
06:23 Making music from scratch (UNCUT)
19:58 EQ, Compression and Mastering
21:15 Backing up projects and sound libraries
22:32 Build-in audio interface and latency test
24:18 Connecting MIDI keyboard to SEQTRAK
25:07 Sampling
25:59 The summary and recommendations
THE REVIEW:
The specifications of Seqtrak is impressive. This is one of those devices that I would recommend to a beginner, but if you’re an experienced music producer, you still might have a lot of fun and things to discover here. With other devices I often I got frustrated that there are no effects per tracks, or that I can only use one reverb in the entire project. It is not the case here. There are several blocks of effects available, each offering dozens of algorhitms and each algorhithm can be tweaked to your liking. I guess big companies like Roland and Yamaha always have an advantage here, because they can reuse technologies created for synthesizers, samplers, etc.. Also I’d like to mention there is a nice precise equalizer and an extensive dynamic processor on the master channel.
It's cool that you can sample through the built-in microphone, by connecting some audio source or from a computer via USB. You can even resample. Samples can be up to 16 seconds each, which is cool, but cannot be looped, their tempo or pitch cannot be changed while maintaining length. Instead of this count in one two three for, I would prefer sampling starts after the signal exceeds certain, set level. Also, I haven't found an option to send samples to the device from computer, maybe there is a way, but I just couldn’t find it. Let me know in the comments if you did. I'd also like to see the option to transfer multi-channel audio via USB - although I am not sure if it's possible by updating the firmware. Anyway you don’t really need this, because you can actually achieve pro sound beats with no external processing as I tried to prove in my review.
Let’s talk about seqtrak other strengths and weaknesses. The factory samples are of very good quality, and there are many free extensions in various styles available. Is suitable for production in any almost any electronic music style, maybe with the exception of dubstep, hard drumnbass with extensively modulated, distorted bass. The DX engine seems to excel in bell sounds, pads, deep bases etc. but is not aggressive sounds.
I think that there are enough functions to that play an arrangement live, even in a club. The downside is that the delete button is next to Mute. On top of that, we only have a single Undo, so I've deleted the already programmed patterns a few times. The phone app certainly needs some refinement, during the tests sometimes I couldn't go to the preview of patterns and advanced sound-design settings, and when editing the visualization it happened a few times that the app would quit unexpectedly turn off. As long as you use presets or computer app for that, everything works as it should. I think it's a childhood disease and Yamaha will deal with it quickly.
So my recommendation is strong for Seqtrak. You can actually produce full, wide and dynamic sounding electronic music on that device. And if you liked the video, please subscribe, it really helps to grow the channel and make new videos.
It definitely can. There was a deluge of bad demos when the unit was first announced and reaching some early customers but finally been seeing some really impressive demos.
Thanks man:) I appreciate that a lot! I have never tried Deluge myself, and I am really curious, though I think learning curve must be quite steep as this groove box seems to be the most comprehensive on the market;) maybe that is why it took the creator sometime to output good music, haha;)
Thats a sick italo disco beat there mister :D
Nice demo. Mine arrives on Tuesday & am looking forward to trying it out.
great demo! thanks
Great demo!! I really hope they update for multitrack. It’s sort of the only real limitation I have met so far with the Seqtrak.. Would also love if they let you split the octave playing on the full keyboard vs the scale keyboard so you have more notes to play with at the same time
Thanks 🙏 great to hear that☺️. It seems like they have already put a lot of things in this small unit, not sure if any firmware upgrade path is planned.
Re: External MIDI keyboard control.
Apparently there is a problem (mid-May 2024)
in that each drum is on it’s own separate MIDI channel.
I really don’t get Yamaha’s logic on this one.
Except maybe for some dubious internal routing choices.
They were MIDI pioneers and now they do this!
I have an advanced MIDI (DIN cable based) patch bay/processor,
the MIDITEMP MT16X, that can split/distribute
the input signal to the channels of your choice.
I’m sure there are newer (and cheaper) alternatives.
Working in the garden, it struck me:
Why not make a MIDI-channel-splitter-rerouter-for-the Yamaha-Seqtrack.
Small box, no power needed, like the Anatek Pocket Pedals.
I would buy one😎
Any takers?
I also have a slight problem
reading the grey text on the black buttons,
(I like Black) when they're not lit up.
Just thought this was good to know,
before pulling the trigger on this one,
Otherwise I'm, so far, very happy with my unit.
Nice! I have the black and gray one. With the future firmware updates is going to be even better. 👌
hi there,
Is there a true song mode in there or do you have to play your track "live" to record it entirely ?
Or is there a way where you program all your parterns like "play patern one 8 times, then patern two 4 times then back to one and so on ?)
I guess and hope that yamaha will provide this one with firmwares
It looks fun to use, and fairly not too difficult on the workflow side.
Is the Bluetooth allow us to connect a Bluetooth external Speakers or are we only able to connect speaker only by using the Jack output ?
But my concerns would be more on the plastic quality and those "keyboard buttons"
(What are you thought on that regard ?)
Cheers and thanks for the little presentation !
Hi man sorry for my late answer☺️ as for now, there is no way to play patterns, other way, and from the beginning to end, or you can improvise😀. I haven’t tried connecting Bluetooth speakers, but I don’t think it will work. The built quality seems fine though:)
I Had a Question. i own a Montage 7. can i
connect the SEQTRAK using both midi in and out to the
montage and use the sampler on Seqtrak to capture
a sound and then play with the sampled sound on
the montage 7 like using filters envelope etc.
rather than going to the Daw upload a sample sound
and then tweek with it on montage is it possible with
the seqtrak ?
Seqtrak seems to be more sort-of a closed-system, a one-unit-show for lack of better words. It seems to excel if used as a main unit for beatmaking, not so much for integration with other synthts etc. - but this just my opinion. Theoretically you can trigger Seqtrak sounds via MIDI, sample it and then manipulate samples elsewhere, or sample some sounds from other synth, but... well. Seqtrak is pretty limited as a sampler. But a cool little device for music creation and scetching
Hi, nice demo, but I am still at a loss how to get the Visualizer to respond when the Seqtrak is played form a DAW via MIDI because I have tracks I'd like to integrate it into. I am terrible with internal sequencers and was hoping to avoid the learning curve by piloting it form my DAW. Now that I am unsure if that works, I winder how do I design patterns to play with my other tracks and then trigger these patterns when I need them. Or do I need to design an entire song inside the Seqtrak and sync that to my DAW? I'm asking because it seems like you know the Seqtrak pretty well and you may know the answer.
I am not sure about that☺️Unfortunately, I no longer have the unit as I borrowed it for testing purposes. I bet the visualizer works only with the sequences generated from within the unit.
@@PoloTremolo Yes that is the case with mine :-(
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This thing lacks grit. Sounds way to clean and bit generic / robotic. But really dig your workflow and review.
I find the contrary. Sounds much more dynamic than Roland stuff which has become so cheesy and uninspiring to me.
Well here those voice samples are quite annoying, but you can definately hear the power of the sound engine, in a purely frequency range kind of sense.
Thanks:) I guess the music in the intro is a bit retro styled a bit like Ital disco with not much groove or swing, but you can definitely make it a bit more groovy if you want to ;)
Hi, I really appreciate your comment. I actually spent quite a bit time to make a good sound selection frequency wise and also I checked the SEQTRAK output on the computer meters which I usually do when I do professional mixes☺️
@@PoloTremolo nothing against you at all mate. I’ve seen other videos and as this devices does catch my attention, just not a fan of vibe it gives off. your production is always on point 👌
@@relative_vieThe sound is clean, but it has a thick full sound and punch. I love it. Everything glues together nicely, and the workflow is simple.
Nope
I guess you didn't like my music scetches, let me know why you think is that or what is most limiting for you;)
@@PoloTremoloDon’t listen to the haters. This is the best demo I’ve heard. My only problem with it is that
you can’t load your own audio samples into it if you’re using iPad . But maybe they’ll update it . Great job.
Can we sample outside instrument into it and make a live performance/loop? If you know maybe. KOII works, you can play and loop external synth, but with Seqtrak, Im just not sure its doable