Introduction
The Yamaha RM1X Sequence Remixer is a capable and powerful unit with built-in synthesizer and drum sounds, onboard sequencer, groovebox interface and parameter controls in a durable metal enclosure. Operating with MIDI 5-pin DIN IN/OUT, this machine can sync with other MIDI-compatible gear and control up to 16 channels of MIDI. With a limited selection of built-in effects, pattern and song modes and a wide variety of built-in sounds, loops and songs and user-dedicated pattern slots this groovebox is an all-in-one solution for music production and performance.
Pros
- 16 voices/tracks
- 16 sections
- Lots of onboard voices
- Powerful sequencer
- Grid Groove
- Song stays in memory through power cycles
Cons
- Limited sound sculpting abilities
- No high-pass filter
- No onboard compressor
- A bit menu heavy for functions. Shortcuts help.
- Floppy disk era, no USB
- No beat-synced delay
- No front-panel LFO controls (also didn’t use the LFO on this as much as the RS7000 which was fantastic)
Until the Yamaha RM1X Sequence Remixer came into my studio—which was a part of my “original rig” back in the day, when working with my brother on The Loomii project in West Oakland—my jams with only the Boss DR-202 “Dr. Groove” and Roland SP808 sampler didn’t have enough going for them to really constitute a serious contender.
16 Tracks, Sequence Remixer
However, once the RM1X came into the picture, it brought 16 tracks, with its own set of onboard drum kits and synth voices, a few effects (not bpm synced – more on this later) and a good loop sequencer and phrase system for composing and jamming with pattern based material. It did have a song mode, but honestly, I never figured it out. We were always jamming live and arranging everything on the fly. Frankly I don’t think I had even figured out scenes back then too well.
Still with the RM1X, once we had our first set, I brought that up to Tahoe with me for a weekend of solitude while my then girlfriend went snowboarding and ended up writing the core of our first Loomii set, which we performed at my then girlfriend’s birthday party at 111 Minna in San Francisco, constituting our very first set in SF as The Loomii at a notorious club.
Big Brother / RS7000
After the RM1X, my brother Dave got it’s successor next, the Yamaha RS7000. Now, that unit is a powerhouse. Honestly, its got a huge set of improvements like an LFO with controls on the panel, a high pass filter (which was great), sampler, 2 velocity sensitive “drum” or “sample” pads, master effects with a bunch of cool options. Dave used it (and still owns it) for years in our rigs for The Loomii.
Working for myself at the time (still, too) I had a fairly limited budget for new gear. I was fortunate my brother sold me (I believe) the RM1X) which I continued to use for a long time as the centerpiece of my rig.
Conclusion
I love this unit. I still use it to this day for some basslines, it has a nice arpeggio function, transpose feature, loads of phrases to use, some decent controls… The SynthBass&Lead “Funk Bass” is one of my go-to bass voice presets. Also the scenes are definitely useful. Maybe my first groovebox love.
Want to see how it compares to other grooveboxes that I currently own? Read my full Groovebox Showdown post here.