Old school vs. new school. I just couldn't help wondering what the Tenori-On would sound like with my old TB-303 bass-line synth. Yes, this is my idea of a fun weekend.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)For all you electronic music fans and lovers of all things blinky, my review of the Yamaha Tenori-On music sequencer is ready for your consideration. The final ruling in a nutshell: the Tenori-On is an awesome tool for performing electronic musicians, but too pricey for nonmusicians and too limited for studio music production.
What a long, strange tease its been since we first caught wind of the mythical Tenori-On music sequencer back in 2005. Now, here we are at the end: you've seen the photo gallery, the unboxing video, my interview with Yu Nishibori, the requisite comparison to the Monome, and finally, the full review.
As a farewell gift to the Tenori-On, I paired it up with the only other device in my life that equals it in blinky, metallic awesomeness: my vintage (slightly modified) Roland TB-303 Bass Line synth. Syncing the two gadgets wasn't easy, considering the TB-303 predates MIDI, and the Tenori-On does a horrible job driving MIDI clock. Still, I was able to capture a decent 30-second video of the two devices working in unison. For those of you who have no idea what you're looking at, the Tenori-On (right) is handling all the percussion sounds while the TB-303 (left) is spitting out a bass line like it's a 1994 warehouse rave.
Enjoy.
Click to view Crave's Tenori-On photo gallery.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)
OK, I have to admit I've been somewhat selfish with Yamaha's Tenori-On music sequencer ever since it arrived at my desk a few weeks back. Can you blame me, really? The thing meets all my requirements for gadget coveting--it's shiny, futuristic, noisy, and expensive.
I still have a few drum machines at home I want to connect the Tenori-On to before finishing up my full review. In the meantime, I suppose I can share some of the shots we took of the Tenori-On in our CNET photo studio. View the Yamaha Tenori-On photo gallery.
I don't easily give in to the gadget striptease of unboxing videos, but it felt a little like Christmas morning when Yamaha's futuristic Tenori-On music instrument landed on my desk today. Besides, with only 60 Tenori-On instruments on sale in the U.S. (only 17 left at the time of this writing), I figure this video might allow deprived electronic musicians to work through their anguish.
Expect a full review of the Tenori-On to make its way on CNET next week. By the looks of my video, I'll need some time to figure this thing out.
For more footage of the Tenori-On in action, take a look at my interview with Yamaha's Yu Nishibori, filmed at Robotspeak back in December.
The Yamaha Tenori-On music sequencer in all its bleepy glory.
(Credit: Yamaha)Yamaha's elusive Tenori-On music sequencer officially goes on sale today in the U.S. Yamaha is asking $1,200 for the Tenori-On, which isn't a bad deal when held up to comparable devices such as the Akai MPC1000.
With only 60 units in stock, and a rabid throng of electronic musicians champing at the bit for these things, we expect Yamaha will sell through its supply by the time you read this. For the rest of you, there's always the T-shirt.
The Tenori-On's hand-brushed magnesium body is light and durable. The illuminated 16x16 matrix of buttons combines the satisfaction of popping bubble wrap, with the pride of programming a drum machine.
(Credit: CNET Networks/Donald Bell)
All my ranting and whining must have finally paid off because this week I finally got some time with Yamaha's mystery-enshrouded Tenori-On music sequencer.
Prototypes of the Tenori-On have traveled the globe, popping up in the U.K. and Germany, but rarely in the United States. I couldn't believe my luck when San Francisco electronic musician retailer Robotspeak (my former employer) gave me the heads-up that Yamaha would be dropping by the shop for a rare demonstration. ... Read more
The Monome is a homegrown, hand crafted, blinky box interface for electronic musicians.
(Credit: Monome.org)The latest testament to the geek appeal of blinking pixels are two handheld electronic musician interfaces called the Monome and the Tenori-On. Both are slated for a new release in the next few months and while they have a lot in common conceptually, there are a few key differences between the two that I'll explore here.
Even if you couldn't care less about electronic music, these products demonstrate stunning interface design (not to mention eye candy). Remember, it was an obscure music interface company named Jazz Mutant that pioneered the multi-touch screen interface long before the iPhone came to town. (Videos after the break.)... Read more
- prev
- 1
- next
