Who looks at this and thinks "that looks easy to use". Honestly can we just get a groovebox meant for you know making music, instead of being aggressively hipster-y. Why is Yamaha selling toys when they used to make real synths?
@@BellXllebMusic too bad it's like $3k. There's no sense in that. There is no logical reason when korg is literally making their instruments with Raspberry Pi's that a groovebox/arranger should be $3,000. It probably costs them $200 to make, with labor.
@@dumafuji See, I have both of those machines and could go forever talking about them. But I'm tired of "banging cheese". When Elektron can make really nice sounding instruments at a relatively affordable price I don't understand why the BIG names can't do better. The SH4D might be the closest attempt but I haven't used it. Any other box stores 8-16 patterns, they have the most barebones synths you've ever seen, or they're made like a toy. Sonicware's grooveboxes would blow most others out of the water but their cases feel like cheap 3D printing.
Price is $399.99 plus tax if you pre order, which is a fantastic price for a piece of gear that is pretty complete before any firmware updates. A lot of the concepts are taken from Elektron while the form factor is teenage engineering. Plus it really allows the user to just use it in strictly stand alone form, but if you use an iPhone, iPad, or computer you can really do a deep dive in the functionality of the Seqtrak. It’s a piece of gear that you can mold to many different workflows quite easily. I mean not but 6 weeks ago people lost their minds about a piece of gear that was clearly incomplete and woefully limited, and now presented with what looks a winning piece of hardware people are skeptical.
Not sure where people are seeing that preorder price at. on their website it says $599. I agree 399 is a really good deal, 599 isnt even that bad when you compare it to what else is out at that price point.
I think what's important is that big companies like Yamaha are at least taking note of what TE are doing, and aiming to play in that market. It probably isn't the groovebox I want, but then the OP-Z isn't either. But at least Yamaha are trying some new stuff. I'm hoping this means they are about to roll out some other new ideas too.
Roland do portable boutique series... Korg do portable Volca series.. Behringer also have his little synths. And Yamaha only big keyboard that remain in studio.
Yamaha has been playing in this market since the 90s... they made many of these little machines back then... still have the QY70 I bought used in the early 2000s. Still works. I guess with app connectivity and Bluetooth this thing should be easily expandable and upgradeable in terms of functionality sound and usability and with this growing "mobile" music creation market, Yamaha will most likely update this line-up sooner than later with slightly beefier machines all sharing the same app functionality... so I guess that support for these machines will be good for a long time and Yamaha´s quality and customer support is really good especially in comparison with TE.
@Frikoppie these things are a luxury item... we just have to be realistic about it... you can get a "good enough" computer used with an audio interface, some cheap but good headphones and a cheap midi keyboard with an entrylvl daw all for the same price and will have much more versatility and control including all the other things that you can work on using a computer. and to be honest, most already have a decent computer and they can just get a nice midi keyboard and controller and a good DAW and have fun...
That's right. Only eight of the OP-Z's 16 tracks are for audio. The others control various parameters and performance features, including the lights show.
Which Teenage Engineering ripped off Yamaha and Akai (from 20 years ago) in the first place, the PO 133 Scene mode is straight from the SU 700, just does samplers didn't have transient chopping back in the day.
Ah yes, good old esoteric Teenage Engineering, good old esoteric 'influencer tier known design house that draws non-niche audiences into niches' Teenage Engineering
WIll it sync with my DJX? It's name was "Phat Beatz" back in the 90's😂 I always liked Yamaha. You want a dirtbike and drums? Jet ski and synth gear? We got you covered. Good on them for making a remote groovebox for adults.
The SEQTRACK is only $399 right now pre-order. I pre-ordered mine from Kraft Music a few days ago. Sales dept told me it ships mid FEB. I went with the all black one. They also told me that because of chip shortages, it will not restock until later this year sometime late spring early summer. I would absolutely jump on this for $399.
I jumped on it too but I got mine from guitar center. I'm wondering if getting it is redundant since I use an mpc live 2 with a keystep 37 and Korg sq64 sequencer. I suppose the portability will be the biggest plus.
maybe Teenage Engineering will take notes and release some products with buttons on controls that folk with normal size fingers can use rather than just catering to elven-fingered fairy folk with man buns and hipster round glasses
Opz sounds better??? What kind of drugs you're using? Have you ever played Yamaha motif awm2 (or do you know to play keyboards at all?), than you know the quality of sounds that Yamaha does. .... Man, no more comments ....
To state the obvious, a >$3000 keyboard and its electronics have very little to do with this little $400 device, and even expensive keyboard instruments (which this is not by any stretch of the imagination) by the same maker can sound very different.
I have an OP-Z. It's 8 tracks only. 4 drum and 4 synth. The other 8 'tracks' are effects 1 and 2, lighting, video, tape, master (key), performance (effect triggers) and cc out. Not tracks. The volume fell off because I tried to glue it in with pva which hardened then pushed the plastic bit apart, breaking it, then a £15 replacement just got lost somewhere. I've kind of given in ordering things online as I have about a 50% success rate of ever getting the thing. The OP-Z double triggers every 20 or so button presses which is maddening at first but soldier on and redo the note you just deleted and it's usually not too bad. Kind of maddening though. Synth is limited on the OP-Z but the whole thing is really for sketching ideas in it's powerful but insanely confusing sequencer. I love the OP-Z and it's actually quite a bit smaller than the SeqTrak. Nowhere near as powerful though.
Here in Australia the pricing is different. The op-z is nearly 50% more than the seqtrack. We tend to pay more in general for music gear. I am guessing Yamaha have noticed they can undercut and capture market here.
😂 kind of no? Cause yes form factor and size, maybe some functions but still different enough? Anyway, yeah an issue that Behringer started and probably many other will follow…
It's a big unit (34cm long!) so not one for the pocket. But the thing some should be concerned about before they buy is the weight, a dainty 500g.. It could feel like one huge cool looking empty box.
Visually I hate it. I hate the colors and hate the Yamaha dumb tag on it. Would prefer the branding to be more of the AN1X vibe, as big as the rear panel can handle. I am a huge Yamaha fan though and just sold my QY70 so this could be an interesting replacement. From what I can tell though, there is no sample slicing and that's a bit of a deal breaker... we'll see. Really I need to see this unit in other peoples hands because the Yamaha demos are gross sounding and I'm sure it's very capable.
The added sound thing reminds me of the yamaha vocaloid keyboard I imported, it can hold more sounds, but you have to pay to load them in, on top of having to buy the few vocaloid options they have at like $30 per on top of them never adding more instrument options. It makes me think they are trying to do something similar with the seqtrak app, or at a minimum are trying to get user info by forcing an app.
To Yamaha's advantage, they are known for making great instruments already, with great quality. Even their cheaper guitars are better than the cheapest Fenders/Gibsons. The Seqtrek doesn't appeal to me, but I'm curious to see what else they might bring to the table in the future.
Yeah but Yamaha offers actual AWM2 instruments plus real FM editable synthesis. So for a rompler to be added to a stage piano it probably rules. Audio, MIDI & power all run over the USB-C.
Best comparison so far, at least without having the Yamaha physically present. I personally love the OP-Z despite it's flimsiness and tinny-sounding synth engines. It's array of punch-in performance effects are worth a mention. But if the Yamaha offers better build and sound quality it's probably worth it.
Yamaha may come out with a new groove box, Yamaha sent me a survey and I wrote in the comments section on how they abandoned the rs7000 and rm1x. Think they listened
see this is the difference between taking inspiration from a product like Yamaha and ripping off a product like Behringer. apparently some people can't tell the difference.
Im returning the ko2. It seems we were the test subjects. Why else would a company who sells a 1500 plywood desk then sell a sampler for 300 bucks. Test subjects
The seqtrak seems like a great machine. It's just a shame that they got inspired by TE design but not the UI (that is minimalist but ultra functional)... I don't hate on it... it looks like a great machine and I would have bought it day one 5 years ago. But the buttons placement on the sides kills it for me (like the play button is also the power button... weird).
Something else to consider with both would be the midi capabilities when it comes to sequencing external gear or being sequenced from external gear. They both would benefit from playing along with other equipment.
Deep dive this is not, but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention. It looks awesome. I don't know if I can learn something that actually has labels on the buttons
I love how everyone is saying it looks too easy to use, as if we looking for dark souls level of difficulty in a groovebox....
Who looks at this and thinks "that looks easy to use". Honestly can we just get a groovebox meant for you know making music, instead of being aggressively hipster-y.
Why is Yamaha selling toys when they used to make real synths?
Well, the Montage line is for that
@@BellXllebMusic too bad it's like $3k. There's no sense in that. There is no logical reason when korg is literally making their instruments with Raspberry Pi's that a groovebox/arranger should be $3,000. It probably costs them $200 to make, with labor.
Haha truth. Groovebox is such a derogatory term now but who didn’t love turning on the electribe or mc303 and making some banging cheese right away.
@@dumafuji See, I have both of those machines and could go forever talking about them. But I'm tired of "banging cheese". When Elektron can make really nice sounding instruments at a relatively affordable price I don't understand why the BIG names can't do better. The SH4D might be the closest attempt but I haven't used it. Any other box stores 8-16 patterns, they have the most barebones synths you've ever seen, or they're made like a toy. Sonicware's grooveboxes would blow most others out of the water but their cases feel like cheap 3D printing.
Everybody ripped off Yamaha in one way or the other, since they are one of the oldest electronic music hardware instrument creators.
I'm shocked Behringer hasn't thought of this first.
Behringer really isn't good at software / UX.
@@ottschthis was true 20 years ago. Behringner has really rebranded itself.
@@ottsch
Neither is TE, but that sure doesn't stop them.
@@unduloid😅
Only eight of the OP-Z's 16 tracks are for audio. The others control various performance parameters, including one for the lights show.
Price is $399.99 plus tax if you pre order, which is a fantastic price for a piece of gear that is pretty complete before any firmware updates. A lot of the concepts are taken from Elektron while the form factor is teenage engineering. Plus it really allows the user to just use it in strictly stand alone form, but if you use an iPhone, iPad, or computer you can really do a deep dive in the functionality of the Seqtrak. It’s a piece of gear that you can mold to many different workflows quite easily. I mean not but 6 weeks ago people lost their minds about a piece of gear that was clearly incomplete and woefully limited, and now presented with what looks a winning piece of hardware people are skeptical.
Not sure where people are seeing that preorder price at. on their website it says $599. I agree 399 is a really good deal, 599 isnt even that bad when you compare it to what else is out at that price point.
Sweetwater has it at $399@@Weaverbeats
@@Weaverbeats I pre-ordered my Seqtrak on zzsounds, but it’s listed at $399 on most sites selling it when I googled the price.
@@Weaverbeats at Sweetwater. Just google "yamaha seq track 399", it's the first hit.
@@Weaverbeats Stores in the NL put their prices at €479. should be around the same in $
I think what's important is that big companies like Yamaha are at least taking note of what TE are doing, and aiming to play in that market.
It probably isn't the groovebox I want, but then the OP-Z isn't either. But at least Yamaha are trying some new stuff. I'm hoping this means they are about to roll out some other new ideas too.
What’s ironic to me is that TE “ripped off” Yamaha and Casio products creating the op line, at least. The sk and qy and su lines all did TE before TE.
Roland do portable boutique series...
Korg do portable Volca series..
Behringer also have his little synths.
And Yamaha only big keyboard that remain in studio.
Yamaha has been playing in this market since the 90s... they made many of these little machines back then... still have the QY70 I bought used in the early 2000s. Still works. I guess with app connectivity and Bluetooth this thing should be easily expandable and upgradeable in terms of functionality sound and usability and with this growing "mobile" music creation market, Yamaha will most likely update this line-up sooner than later with slightly beefier machines all sharing the same app functionality... so I guess that support for these machines will be good for a long time and Yamaha´s quality and customer support is really good especially in comparison with TE.
@@philxdev yes! In the 90's Yamaha did a lot of great Seq and synths in a box.
The Yamaha DX200 it's still rilevant today😜
@Frikoppie these things are a luxury item... we just have to be realistic about it... you can get a "good enough" computer used with an audio interface, some cheap but good headphones and a cheap midi keyboard with an entrylvl daw all for the same price and will have much more versatility and control including all the other things that you can work on using a computer. and to be honest, most already have a decent computer and they can just get a nice midi keyboard and controller and a good DAW and have fun...
Well, it is Yamaha so hopefully the product, build and quality control is much better than Teenage Engineering products
Yeah they make some weird design decisions sometimes but their build quality is almost always good.
You forgot the price
Well, Yamaha makes some awesome tubas, so I feel confident in their abilities.
@@unduloid Also some great internal combustion engines
Their products last forever. At least we don’t have to worry about quality control either Yamaha.
It’s 399 everywhere. You should probably mention that.
still 200 too much
@@Jarg-d6l you’re poor.
@@xkidmidnightx nah im just not a fucking idiot
@@Jarg-d6l poor
Sound more like a worried TE fan. @@Jarg-d6l
A foot in the door to experiencing the OG Yamaha RS7000
I think this blows the socks off TE. Price is $399 as well.
Where are people getting $399 from? The price is listed at $599 on Yamaha’s website.
@@agentmithive ordered at Thomann for €399 today
Sweet well water has it for $399 still. Yamaha has two pages. Yamaha’s preorder ended
@@agentmith Look on any 3rd party gear seller. Guitar Center for example.
Thomann lists the OP-Z for 489€, and the Seqtrak for 399€
OP-Z IS 16 TRACK? - NOPE, 8!
That's right. Only eight of the OP-Z's 16 tracks are for audio. The others control various parameters and performance features, including the lights show.
@@SteveCookeGB You can use all 16 tracks to sequence external Midi devices.
🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ 16!
One plus for the Seqtrak is that all 11 tracks are on individual midi channels and have a decent amount of control available.
11 tracks are a lot. You can do a lot with 4 already.
It's $100 less than the OP-Z isn't it? I'm seeing $399 everywhere.
I'll wait for the Behringer ripoff of the Yamaha ripoff of the Teenage Engineering device.
Which Teenage Engineering ripped off Yamaha and Akai (from 20 years ago) in the first place, the PO 133 Scene mode is straight from the SU 700, just does samplers didn't have transient chopping back in the day.
Love how it looks like a big cigarette
Lol
This device is hilarious. TE becoming influencial in their dumb design proves we are all corn balls. Anyway, I want one.
i like this. i'm fine with Teenage Engineering remaining more esoteric if other brands balance things out with offerings like this.
Ah yes, good old esoteric Teenage Engineering, good old esoteric 'influencer tier known design house that draws non-niche audiences into niches' Teenage Engineering
Yamaha was doing grooveboxes well before teenage engineering though......
Elektron A4 still waits for it's Firmware Update :))
I guess that I'll die sooner than this will happen.
I've always liked the yamaha products I've used. Build quality should be great, especially when compared to TE stuff.
With a midi keyboard- could be a portable trap beat monster 👿- maybe I’ve said too much
WIll it sync with my DJX? It's name was "Phat Beatz" back in the 90's😂
I always liked Yamaha. You want a dirtbike and drums? Jet ski and synth gear? We got you covered.
Good on them for making a remote groovebox for adults.
I saw this yesterday and thought “Yamaha bought T.E. ?” 🤣🤣
The SEQTRACK is only $399 right now pre-order. I pre-ordered mine from Kraft Music a few days ago. Sales dept told me it ships mid FEB. I went with the all black one. They also told me that because of chip shortages, it will not restock until later this year sometime late spring early summer. I would absolutely jump on this for $399.
I jumped on it too but I got mine from guitar center. I'm wondering if getting it is redundant since I use an mpc live 2 with a keystep 37 and Korg sq64 sequencer. I suppose the portability will be the biggest plus.
Your flat, dry, business like delivery of perfect jabs at TE and marketing decisions is 12/10
$399 - I ordered the Yamaha one - yes
maybe Teenage Engineering will take notes and release some products with buttons on controls that folk with normal size fingers can use rather than just catering to elven-fingered fairy folk with man buns and hipster round glasses
Hey dude i have round glasses. Lmao At least i dont wear Red ties tho so that's good. 👍
Yamaha is not gonna be able to keep up with the demand on these...
Hell I complained to Yamaha in 2023 in a survey about them leaving their Yamaha loyalist without a groove box for years, I guess they listened
I think the Woovebox is still the winner for portable sampler/grooveboxes.
"Mom can we get some teenage engineering"
"No we already got teenager engineering at home"
1:06 I died 🤣🤣🤣
I'm very happy to be alive right now with all these tools available for me to use.
Opz sounds better??? What kind of drugs you're using? Have you ever played Yamaha motif awm2 (or do you know to play keyboards at all?), than you know the quality of sounds that Yamaha does. .... Man, no more comments ....
In the performances I showed, the op-z had a better song but like I said it doesn't mean anything.
To state the obvious, a >$3000 keyboard and its electronics have very little to do with this little $400 device, and even expensive keyboard instruments (which this is not by any stretch of the imagination) by the same maker can sound very different.
This looks like it will fit in the empty space on my Hydra Deluxe.
Hoody and a beanie with plants in the room 🤣🤣
Seqtrak has a full song mode at launch, the depth of the sound design and the fx is off the charts compared with OPZ
That desk seems a bargain at a mere $1599
I have an OP-Z. It's 8 tracks only. 4 drum and 4 synth. The other 8 'tracks' are effects 1 and 2, lighting, video, tape, master (key), performance (effect triggers) and cc out. Not tracks.
The volume fell off because I tried to glue it in with pva which hardened then pushed the plastic bit apart, breaking it, then a £15 replacement just got lost somewhere. I've kind of given in ordering things online as I have about a 50% success rate of ever getting the thing.
The OP-Z double triggers every 20 or so button presses which is maddening at first but soldier on and redo the note you just deleted and it's usually not too bad. Kind of maddening though.
Synth is limited on the OP-Z but the whole thing is really for sketching ideas in it's powerful but insanely confusing sequencer.
I love the OP-Z and it's actually quite a bit smaller than the SeqTrak. Nowhere near as powerful though.
The OPZ came out forever ago. Makes sense this is better.
Yamaha will never be Teenage Engineering until they release a useless vinyl recording toy that even their biggest fans cant defend.
Here in Australia the pricing is different. The op-z is nearly 50% more than the seqtrack.
We tend to pay more in general for music gear.
I am guessing Yamaha have noticed they can undercut and capture market here.
OPZ battery is a hallucination.
I wonder if we will get a wooden choir for this? 😂
If only they could timetravel and bring this back to 1987.
Yamaha did a Behringer 😂
😂 kind of no? Cause yes form factor and size, maybe some functions but still different enough? Anyway, yeah an issue that Behringer started and probably many other will follow…
I lowkey wish Ableton created a mini push that could rival the OP-1! This have been my sex fantasy since Push 3 came out!
Maybe a screenless mini version, kinda like how NI has the machine micro?
The ableton poke
Launchpad mini with launchpad95 script is close.
Just get an MPC Studio.
That last 30 seconds was a struggle
any time i see a video like this it makes me hug my polyend tracker
hope they make an OP1, but better and cheaper.
And then here will come Uli... :)))
I'm buying a pop corn already )
love the grey-orange
It's a big unit (34cm long!) so not one for the pocket. But the thing some should be concerned about before they buy is the weight, a dainty 500g.. It could feel like one huge cool looking empty box.
What kills me about the op-z is that it’s very difficult to find a replacement battery. TE never responds to requests to buy a replacement
Yamaha ripping off TE was unexpected... Can't wait for the Yamaha Choir dolls!
seqtrak is 399 $USD it's $100 cheaper than opz. It's $599 CAD
Visually I hate it. I hate the colors and hate the Yamaha dumb tag on it. Would prefer the branding to be more of the AN1X vibe, as big as the rear panel can handle. I am a huge Yamaha fan though and just sold my QY70 so this could be an interesting replacement. From what I can tell though, there is no sample slicing and that's a bit of a deal breaker... we'll see. Really I need to see this unit in other peoples hands because the Yamaha demos are gross sounding and I'm sure it's very capable.
I love the awm2 engine, i actually own a motif xf synthesizer myself, very powerful if it can be editable
The added sound thing reminds me of the yamaha vocaloid keyboard I imported, it can hold more sounds, but you have to pay to load them in, on top of having to buy the few vocaloid options they have at like $30 per on top of them never adding more instrument options. It makes me think they are trying to do something similar with the seqtrak app, or at a minimum are trying to get user info by forcing an app.
To Yamaha's advantage, they are known for making great instruments already, with great quality. Even their cheaper guitars are better than the cheapest Fenders/Gibsons.
The Seqtrek doesn't appeal to me, but I'm curious to see what else they might bring to the table in the future.
next yamaha steals VST when steinberg owns it... lol
Yeah but Yamaha offers actual AWM2 instruments plus real FM editable synthesis. So for a rompler to be added to a stage piano it probably rules. Audio, MIDI & power all run over the USB-C.
Bro. Yamaha makes some sick stuff. Be sure its loaded with cooler features.
Teenage Engineering are loafs. Yamaha has a way better rep (even their older samplers take ropey dooks on the OP1).
Looks like they're using 3.5mm for midi. THat's probably why they say you can only use the included cable.
Teenage engineering really is the apple of music products
Seqtrak + SQ-64 and you're set... aesthetics are complimentary
Best comparison so far, at least without having the Yamaha physically present. I personally love the OP-Z despite it's flimsiness and tinny-sounding synth engines. It's array of punch-in performance effects are worth a mention. But if the Yamaha offers better build and sound quality it's probably worth it.
Another question- the OP-Z lets you work on 10 full projects simultaneously. Do we even know if the Yamaha has a similar capability?
It’s nothing like Teenage Engineering. It’s the same shape, that’s it
MSRP price 599 actual price is 399$
Man I’m having such a hard time caring about the Yamaha . A groovebox without a screen? Like cmon
Yamaha may come out with a new groove box, Yamaha sent me a survey and I wrote in the comments section on how they abandoned the rs7000 and rm1x. Think they listened
The picture 1:03 is misleading - the OP-Z is 21×5×1cm, while SEQTRAK is 34×10×4cm.
i wish more companies would copy teenage engineering
I will wait for the Behringer OP-Z
5:20 ironically the usb cable that came with my KO2 Ep133 didn’t work and I’m using another non TE cable with it now.
Maybe an Op-1 killer?
why is that i only see recommended videos of a creator “doing something different”
The biggest TE design flaw is the cost.
see this is the difference between taking inspiration from a product like Yamaha and ripping off a product like Behringer. apparently some people can't tell the difference.
Im returning the ko2. It seems we were the test subjects. Why else would a company who sells a 1500 plywood desk then sell a sampler for 300 bucks. Test subjects
'Performance' by Mijk van Dijk. It certainly is.
Agreed, also- The sound itself was more "forward / clear" less "smeared" compared to the TE.
😅
@@Bigfamilyhomestead its not the device that made it sound like this.
The seqtrak seems like a great machine. It's just a shame that they got inspired by TE design but not the UI (that is minimalist but ultra functional)... I don't hate on it... it looks like a great machine and I would have bought it day one 5 years ago. But the buttons placement on the sides kills it for me (like the play button is also the power button... weird).
A screen wouldnt hurt either
This seems super cool and I’ve preordered one already. Always hoping for a new updated AN1X tho
Bought mine for 399€ (Thomann)
Funny - you must be working for Tennage Engineering
1:18 that’s a cigarette
The last word in music consumerism
I'd been waiting for this one. 😉
My immediate reaction is "nah" but I MMMMIGHT be securing one- and if I do you guys just KNOW that i'll be comparing it to the OP-Z.
The Seqtrak retails for 400€ in Germany, that's about $430 US... how is it $600 in the video?
Is TE going to move manufacturing to Taiwan like Moog?
Something else to consider with both would be the midi capabilities when it comes to sequencing external gear or being sequenced from external gear. They both would benefit from playing along with other equipment.
Deep dive this is not, but I appreciate you bringing it to my attention.
It looks awesome. I don't know if I can learn something that actually has labels on the buttons
Massive engineering here
Ripping people off is never something you should applaud. This is obvious, but we're trading in the realm of the obvious here.
hypebeast musical toys.
Let the hipsters empty their wallets. Until Behringer enters the chat. :D
so much cheaper than TE... it's over TE!
When you covered up the label, it looked like a Max for Live device.
That doesn't bode well.
Super cool channel and the best music news channel ever 🖤
Yo you killing me in this
Thanks for your concise opinion.