Yamaha SEQTRAK: Portable Music Production Studio 

I love my Seqtrak! I don't really agree with only using it stand alone. I think there is a reason Yamaha made an IOS and Android compatible app. You always carry your phone with you, so it makes absolutely sense to use that as a screen for especially the sound design. When I setup a project I use my phone to choose the drums and synths. After this is set I can do everything on the device without a phone including the smaller cha ges to the sound where needed (e.g. track volume or adding additional reverb). What is also cool is to sample the synth part once you're done. Using the sample frees up the banks for additional instruments go make more variations.

The light construction, lack of any display, small buttons, and the location of buttons along the sides inhibit its usefulness. It may be nice to dabble with but that’s about it for me. Something to dabble with. It becomes more useful with a tablet or computer but less portable. You could save money and just use a tablet with software and get the same level of functionality. It’s an odd duck. Probably a decent sound module for AWM and FM sounds at best.

Too bad you need to program the internal sequencer to get use of the visualizer. I tried triggering the Seqtrak from Midi and the Visualizer just will not react. Kind of a pain when you have a track and want to add a little Seqtrak to it.. and get the Visualizer to play along with the beat.

Yeaaaaaaa!

This is not in competition with the OP-1. It's in competition with the OP-Z. Which is the other Teenage Engineering groovebox. But the OP-Z is a complicated sequencer whereas the OP-1 is a 4 track sound design and sampling tool. I like the look of this because it's two tracks of AWM2 awesome libraries and a FM tool. That's good because I won't get carried away with detail. Which I why I still use the OP-Z. For ideas and messing about. Is this to be used in a studio? I think that's a good idea because you record it with performance effects using the physical knobs 1 track at a time. There's alot to be said for not agonising over a mix.