the beauty of the simple: QY20

anonymouse · Post by **anonymouse** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:19 pm

anyone else using this little 1993 pocket sequencer with Live?
I just found one today in a dark seondhand gear shelf in Tokyo and took it home for the price of a couple of beers.

Even playing with it for a few hours in different places it seems like the perfect little portable sketchbox to build some structures in and plug into Live.

Anyone else using one?

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:25 pm

I picked up one of these when I was 16 (good eight years now...)

Thanks to knowing how the OS works on that, I was able to learn how to use an RM1X in minutes.

It's the ideal sketchpad! I think Bjork used to use it for sketchpads at some stage.

I think you can have some serious fun with that and Impulse...

duncjam · Post by **duncjam** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:38 pm

For many years, my only sequencer was a QY70, and before that I had a QY10.

They're great devices, handy sketchpads with rock solid timing. Main disadvantages are that editing is in 'list' mode, so you have to remember measure/quarter note/clock resolution if you want to edit an event, and there's no 'arrange view' so if you want to repeat sections etc you need to know your measure numbers!

So formative were my years with these seqs, I still have to remind myself that many computer-based 'sequencers' record audio!

Have fun with your purchase.

dunc

anonymouse · Post by **anonymouse** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:44 pm

PJ Harvey too apparently uses it to build her songs, and I see there was a fad a fwe years ago for producing music using nothing except the QY20.

I was looking at the QY100 for 41,000yen, and then saw this dirty little second hand pocketsize box.

It is surprising that Yamaha has not yet ugraded these devices to include everything that people want these days. Imagine a little box the size of a PSP that has a full sequencer, a built-in FM synth, fully tweakable, effects, USB connection, flash memory to replace factory kits with whatever samples you want, full export and import, and lots of the right buttons and controlllers.

EEkevin · Post by **EEkevin** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:37 pm

There is an excellent synthpop band called FreezePop that uses a QY70, even live, as a main instrument. Great, fun music. They even mention the QY70 in a song! http://www.freezepop.net/

-eE

robbmasters · Post by **robbmasters** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:38 pm

My QY20 died a while back.

(And my Sony TCD-D7 DAT player joined it more recently.

)

But my QY10 is still alive and kicking.

anonymouse · Post by **anonymouse** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:41 pm

I'm wiping the dust off an old emagic MT4 USB/midi interface that cost me an arm and a leg a few years ago ... just so as to see what I can do with the QY20 as my new Live controller.

is there wireless midi yet?

computo · Post by **computo** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:45 pm

there actually is, what is reputed as, a good quality MIDI wireless system out now...couldnt tell you the name though.

melocoton · Post by **melocoton** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:03 pm

http://www.kentonuk.com/products/midistream.shtml

anonymouse · Post by **anonymouse** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 11:15 pm

thanks melo.

how simple and cheap it would be for a company to make a tiny midi plug that transmits over bluetooth though.

onyxashanti · Post by **onyxashanti** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 9:02 am

i've owned some sort of QY device since '94. they are perfect since i can follow key changes, bu i can't play them. i just transcribe some old guitar or keyboard chart into the qy70 and viola! instant key changes. i think in years to come, it will be a classic.

onyx

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:18 pm

anonymouse wrote:thanks melo.

how simple and cheap it would be for a company to make a tiny midi plug that transmits over bluetooth though.

not sure it's reliable enough.

Bluetooth is apparently a rather lumpy connection.

-Paws

vandons · Post by **vandons** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 7:27 pm

Just picked up a QY70 on ebay the other day.

Anybody else still using any of the QY family?

crofter · Post by **crofter** » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:15 pm

Got a QY70 kicking about, I must dig it out and have a play.

oblique strategies · Post by **oblique strategies** » Fri Mar 11, 2011 12:07 am

EEkevin wrote:There is an excellent synthpop band called FreezePop that uses a QY70, even live, as a main instrument. Great, fun music. They even mention the QY70 in a song! http://www.freezepop.net/

-eE

http://www.myspace.com/video/vid/9612986
The little sequencer turns up a couple of times in this video. Plus it's a great song!

the beauty of the simple: QY20

the beauty of the simple: QY20

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Re: the beauty of the simple: QY20

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