Yamaha RX11 - drumcomputer

[Soul_Processor]

I have the possibility to buy this machine for 100€ locally, and wanted to get some opinions before buying...

first of all, is this a good price for a machine in working condition?

I am looking for a new drum machine, I mainly produce music in the house/techno genre. I own a MFB 503, which has good sounds but the seuquencer is lacking, and it also doesn't have a handclap (which I really need for my music).

I'll still use the MFB for the kick, snare, HH, but will this be a good addition to my studio? I know this machine is digital, but this is no problem for me as long as it sounds good. I like my sounds to have character and not to sound plastic-y... but really if it has a fat handclap and some nice percussion stuff on the side, I'm good.

is it easy to implement it via MIDI? I use a Yamaha QY 700 for sequencing my instruments, I guess they'll go well together?

greets

[ninja6485]

So I'm not sure if that's a good price (how much will it go for on ebay?) But I can definitely recommend the Yamaha drum sound for that style of music, especially of you like the sound of the earlier stuff! I always get the stakker Humanoid vibe from Yamaha drum machines.

[desmond]

I'd say that's a decent price for something a bit more flexible like an RX5, but probably high for something like the early RX11 - what is, in effect, a small handful of low quality drum sounds and a really basic sequencer.

Also, Yamaha products of this era have awful usability (want to quantise, your pattern? Well of course you need to remember that that is "Job 14" on "Page 9" and so on).

Check out some samples online so you know what it sounds like, and if you want one to play with them gor for it - I wouldn't pay that for one, though. (I did buy a s/h RX5 for £100 some (10) years ago, and that was really fun, flexible, complicated to use, and nice to futz around with if you abuse it).

[Soul_Processor]

thanks for the replies!

yeah I already checked out some demos and I like the sound. but if you say, 100€ is too much, I don't know. maybe I can make a bargain, usually works with vintage stuff that isn't legendary or sought after. maybe I could bring it down to 60..?

working with the QY700 I am already used to lots of menus and stuff^^

most importantly is if the sequencer is good to work with.. pattern chaining, punch-in recording, intuitive programming. what I'd really like to have is the ability to write a new pattern while another one is still running (like the 606 and (I think) the 707 can). My QY700 doesn't do that, or at least I haven't figured it out yet, so it is more for DAW style sequencing than for jamming..

there actually is a RX5 for sale as well (another guy) but he wants 200€ for it. too expensive at the moment, and probably not a good price..

[ninja6485]

My experience is mostly with the Rx5. With the 5, you have real time and step recording. The step recording is not like a TR, but you can cycle through the steps by tapping the next button while editing patterns to hear what you're editing, which is very usable. In real record mode, the rythm plays, and you tap the sound you want to add to the pattern along with it while it's playing. You can add and erase sounds without having to start and stop the Rx5, as well as adding dampening, reversing, and so on. It's a very jamable, playable drum machine. Playing sequences is just like it is on a drumtrax: you dial in the number of the pattern you want to play next, and when the current pattern ends it will start playing the pattern you just selected. Song write mode works this way as well. It looks like the Rx 11 works in a similar way, at least with real time recording, but the button layout is a bit different. I would definitely download and Rtfm to make sure.

[Soul_Processor]

I would definitely download and Rtfm to make sure.

yeah for sure, hopefully it isn't as vast as the QY700 manual

also thanks for the input about the RX5, if the RX11 works similary, I'd be very intrigued. actually I'm more into realtime recording than step recording right now anyway

[cresshead]

The smiths album in 1984 "Reel Around the Fountain" sounds like the used the Yamaha RX11 on this track.