Yamaha RM1x Quick Start Manual

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Power User

RM1x Quick Start Guide

It is the purpose of this short guide to introduce

you to the basic skills necessary to immediately

start to create your own remixes using the RM1x.

The RM1x is a creative tool and therefore no

single guide or manual will be able to fully

explore all the possibilities. How you finally wind

up using the RM1x will depend greatly on your

own imagination and music.

What is a Sequence Remixer? Within this one

device you have a MIDI synthesizer tone

generator, a professional sequencer program,

and a real-time MIDI controller surface. As a tone

generator  the RM1x features a 16-part multi-

timbral, 32-note polyphonic, synthesizer. The

tone generator section features a powerful sound

set designed specifically for today’s dance-

oriented music genres with 654 sounds, 46 drum

kits, 3 fully editable on-board effect processors, a

real-time controllable LPF per part, editable

voicing parameters, all with real-time access via

the knobs. The sequencer section features a high

resolution (480 ppqn), 20 Song, 20 Pattern

Chain, and 110 Pattern Styles. Maximum

memory is 110,000 notes. Pattern Styles are

divided into 60 Presets and 50 User. Think of a

Pattern Style as a set of 16 Patterns all within a

particular ‘style’ of music. Each Pattern Style has

16 musical sections. Each Section is itself a

Pattern. Each individual recording is called a

“Phrase”. When you record a bass line or a kick

drum part it is stored in a Phrase. Up to 16

Phrases can be combined to make up a Pattern

Section. The sequencer offers you a complete

array of editing jobs, many featuring real-time,

non-destructive access to the results via the

front panel knobs. The RM1x also is a

sophisticated MIDI controller.  It can send its

magic out via MIDI. Each function is MIDI

transmittable so you are not limited by the sound

set of the built-in synthesizer. In addition, the

RM1x floppy disk drive adds the benefit that no

matter what sequencer program originally

created the data, you can perform your remix in

the RM1x. It reads both type 0 and type 1

Standard Midi Files. You can then use the RM1x’s

many features to remake the tracks. Data can be

freely moved back and forth from Song mode

(linear tracks) to the looped-based Pattern tracks

(maximum loop length = 256 measures). This

allows you to “import” data from any SMF songs.

Perhaps you really like a drum pattern you

created 4 years ago that you found on an old

diskette. Even if you created it using a computer

sequencer… doesn’t matter… you can save the

data as a SMF then load it into the RM1x. You

can define and grab data from linear tracks and

use it in constructing your original beats.

Basic Skills: Pattern Mode

The first RM1x skills you need to learn concern

the Pattern mode functions. Section mode (real-

time rearrange), the Mute mode (change the

active instruments), and Track selection (real-

time and/or stand-by editing).

Make all appropriate connections to a great

sound system. A system with a sub-woofer is

highly recommended for full effect (lighting, fog

and additional atmosphere enhancement,

optional). Set the PA’s EQ to flat – you will

control the EQ from the RM1x Sequence Remixer.

Remove any effect processing from the external

sound system – you will control all effects from

the RM1x.

Fig 1: The Main Pattern mode screen

Section mode tutorial

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Select [PATTERN] mode, if not already

selected, and choose a Preset Style (P01-

P60) via display knob #1 or the cursor

arrows along with [YES/+1], [NO/-1]

RM1X SEQUENCE REMIXER

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