Yamaha announces portable synth, sampler and sequencer SEQTRAK
The new unit is battery-powered and features built-in mic and a built-in speaker
Yamaha has unveiled a new portable music-making device called the SEQTRAK.
The all-in-one “music creation station” features a built-in synth, sampler and sequencer and is designed for music-making on the go, with battery power and a built-in speaker. There’s also a built-in mic to quickly capture and program sounds with the 16-step onboard sequencer.
The SEQTRAK contains over 2,000 presets, from drums and rhythm sounds to synths, pianos, pads and bass presets. Sounds can be triggered using the sequencer pads, and an included app allows you to edit and tweak the presets and create your own sounds on Mac, PC and iOS.
The unit is divided into three parts — drums, synth and sound design/FX. The drum section is split into seven sounds — kick, snare, clap, two hats and two percs, while the synth section features two sound engines — AMW2 with 128-polyphony, and a four-operator FM engine for classic Yamaha DX sounds. The sound design section includes performance touch-strips to quickly twist and remix your sounds or the master loop on the fly, and it’s also where you can mute and unmute sounds as you perform.
Connection-wise, the unit uses Bluetooth MIDI to connect with the app, WiFi for data transfer of samples, WAVs and more, MIDI I/O for traditional MIDI DIN connectivity, USB-C connection to use MIDI, audio transfer and more via a single cable, and aux input to hook up other kit and record samples directly into the SEQTRAK.
The unit is available in both a grey and orange colourway or an all-black design. It costs £447. You can find out more on the Yamaha website.
The unit bears a striking resemblance to Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 and OP-Z devices. The Swedish company recently released the KO-II portable sampler and music-making device.
