Yamaha QY series
The Yamaha QY series is a line of MIDI sequencers with integrated tone generators, or MIDI workstations, made by Yamaha. As most of them are highly portable devices, they have also been dubbed "walkstations" in some Yamaha marketing.[1][2]
The QY series' sequencing generally has a heavy emphasis on "styles" and "patterns" similar to those used for auto-accompaniment on arranger keyboards.
Notable models
Portable sequencers
- The Yamaha QY10 was the first in the series, released in 1991. It is a portable battery-powered sequencer roughly the same size as a VHS tape, featuring a non-backlit 1×16 character LCD screen, MIDI in and out ports, and 3.5mm stereo line out. It has 8 parts, 32-voice polyphony, 31 melodic instrument sounds and 26 drum/percussion sounds.[1]
- The Yamaha QY20, released in 1993,[3] improved upon the QY10 by introducing a large 128×64 graphic display with an interface similar to the Yamaha TG series, 16-part multitimbrality, 100 preset melodic instrument sounds, and 100 preset drum sounds (across 8 drumkits).[4] It is also partially General MIDI-compatible.
- The Yamaha QY8, released in 1994, is a smaller, cheaper, simplified model with a custom (not graphic or character) LCD and no micro-keyboard. Like the QY20 it features partial GM compatibility.[5]
- The Yamaha QY22 was the first to be fully General MIDI-compatible, released in 1995, but is otherwise only a minor upgrade over the QY20.[3]
- The Yamaha QY70 is the first to feature Yamaha XG support, released in 1997. It has 24-part multitimbrality (8 parts reserved for the pattern track), 519 preset melodic instrument sounds, 20 drumkits, and can be connected to a computer via a TO HOST port.[6]
- The Yamaha QY100, released in 2001, adds further sounds and effects, plus an audio input for guitar amp simulation and microphone effects.[7]
Desktop sequencers
- Yamaha QY300 (TODO)
- Yamaha QY700 (TODO)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Yamaha QY10, Simon Trask, Music Technology, April 1991.]
- ↑ Yamaha QY70, Martin Russ, Sound on Sound, September 1997.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Yamaha QY22, Derek Johnson, Sound on Sound, November 1995.
- ↑ Yamaha QY20 Owner's Manual, page 185.
- ↑ Yamaha QY8, Martin Russ, Sound on Sound, September 1994.
- ↑ Yamaha QY70, Martin Russ, Sound on Sound, September 1996.
- ↑ SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL, Nicholas Rowland, Sound on Sound, October 2001.