Yamaha SEQTRAK: a feature-rich groovebox undercutting its competitors
Yamaha enters the groovebox scene swinging for Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z portable electronic instrument.
The SEQTRAK is a colourful and compact portable music production system with a minimalist aesthetic akin to Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z yet notably bigger.
Making waves with its design and feature-rich capabilities, Yamaha’s SEQTRAK groovebox is a direct competitor for the OP-Z. Yamaha’s new offering will be more affordable at launch, however, as opposed to the price of the OP-Z.
Yamaha SETRAQ
Yamaha has designed two colour schemes, including an all-black or a grey-and-orange combination (which I think is rather pretty). There’s a noteworthy likeness to Teenage Engineering’s instrument designs as well as striking differences like the panel of square buttons akin to Korg’s designs.
featuring a minimIt’s clear that Yamaha has taken a step in a new direction and I do think the instrument looks awesome, but minimalist designs are becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers which may be detrimental for these instruments to stand out. Then again, it’s Yamaha we’re talking about, so we should move on to the fun stuff.
Making music with SETRAQ
The lightweight digital instrument boasts a 7-track drum machine, a sampler, FM and sample-based synthesizers and a sequencer.
The SETRAQ’s 7-track drum section, where each track can host up to six sound layers, offers eight hardware encoders making it easy to control individual drum tones. You’ll also find 16 buttons that can act either as real-time inputs for triggering onboard sounds or as a programmable 8-bar sequencer.
In the SETRAQ’s synth section, there are level controls for three tracks (Synth 1, Synth 2 and DX), with the latter drawing inspiration from Yamaha’s classic DX synth series. Offering four operators eight-note polyphony, the DX is perfect for making leads, pads, sound effects, and more.
Meanwhile boasting 128-note polyphony, the sample-based synth utilises Yamaha’s long-standing AWM2 (Advanced Wave Memory 2) engine. You can make use of over 2000 presets offering pianos, strings, synths, percussive hits and more as a result.
A set of buttons in the synth section makes it easy to curate melodies with various scale or chord values using encoders. However, you can configure the buttons in the drum section to act as a full keyboard for chromatic playing and play onboard synths externally with a MIDI keyboard too.
There’s also a neat collection of effects like reverb and delay effects, modulators, a compressor, distortion, and more.
Performance, connectivity, and sampling
Yamaha has included parameters for performance including a suite of tempo and swing settings on the sequencer, as well as a Tracks and Patterns system for jumping between arrangements quickly and remixing in real-time. The device offers up to 4 hours of playtime on battery power, but it’s rechargeable so you don’t really need to worry about playtime.
Via three 3.5mm mini-jack sockets on the SETRAQ’s side, you’ll find a stereo headphone output, a stereo audio input and a MIDI input or output An adapter cable is included for MID connectivity and a USB-C socket offers both audio and MIDI transmission with a host computer.
The SETRAQ even offers MIDI over Bluetooth and the ability to transfer WAV files over Wifi. Yamaha notes SEQTRAK’s wireless functions will depend on your area but you can confirm this with your local Yamaha dealer, and wireless functions are not available with Windows-based PCs.
Finally, the included companion app is however compatible with Windows, as well as Mac, iOS, and Android; offering a GUI control, additional sounds, a video visualizer and more.
Price and availability
Yamaha’s SETRAQ is a strong competitor for Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z. It’s bigger, it looks very pretty, and it’s cheaper than it’s competition. The onboard step-sequencer/keyboard section benefits from the larger footprint, however.
The Yamaha SEQTRAK is available for pre-order now, priced at $399 / £349.
