Yamaha competes with Korg Electribe and Roland Groovebox series and just may take the lead -- in originality.

Yamaha recently released two compact desktop synthesizers that have slowly caught the attention of musicians looking to get into the realm of loop-based music. The AN200 and DX200 are small, lightweight music production tools that are simple to pick up and begin using.

Yamaha has dubbed the devices "desktop control synthesizers," but what does this really mean? They go beyond synthesizers in that they both contain a 4-track, 16-step sequencer, one for synth lines and three distinct tracks for drum patterns. Both have a healthy supply of 120 drum and bass line sounds, along with the usual (and somewhat cheesy) sampled sound effects like the omnipresent vinyl scratch. Thus, you can use either box as a drum machine.

Both have buttons for swing, allowing for more natural-sounding drum patterns; gate, which we find very cool; and reverse. The knobs, the 16-step sequencer buttons that double as a one-octave keyboard, and the intuitive physical interface are a pleasure to work on, even before opening the manual.

Titillating tones

The real power of these two machines, however, is their ability to be used as tone generators. Both have onboard effects to choose from (delays, flanges, chorus, distortion), a VCF filter, a very deep LFO, and the ability to record the tweaks of any of these with the Free EG system. You can layer up to four different variations of parameter tweaks over the course of one-half to eight measures. This can help you create some interesting soundscapes that are particularly effective in a live performance.

Hey, nice oscillator

As synthesizers, these models are coming from two fundamentally different points of view: The AN200 uses analog physical modeling, meant to mimic the sounds of classic analog synths of yore. The DX200 uses FM synthesis, and is an update on the popular DX-7 synth from the '80s. This key difference will help you decide which one is right for you.

The AN200 sports an engine which, due to the abundance of knobs on the top of the machine, allow for intensive editing, thereby allowing for a wide variety of sound creation possibilities. The sounds are pretty much what you'd expect: lots of rich lows and searing leads. Again, it's in the subtle ways you can tweak the envelope generators and two VCOs that really make this one shine.

The DX200 uses slightly different oscillators (called "operators" in the FM world), but the envelope generators and filters are the same. It's what one might expect from an FM box: bright highs, which are great for bell and tinny metallic sounds, as well as clean bass sounds. Electronic artists covet Yamaha FM products like the TX-81z and DX7 because of this very fact, and the DX200 adds another dimension: The wide variety of accessible filters and LFOs let the user create even more sounds.

Thanks for the GUI

Both the AN200 and the DX200 come equipped with software-based editors -- and kudos to Yamaha for recognizing both Mac and PC platforms. (We tested them on a G3 PowerBook 233, and a PII 667 w/ USB MIDI adapter.) These are powerful editors. Instead of digging into various menus and sub-menus in the LED, you have GUI access to the various parameters, including certain tweakable parts that aren't possible to reach from the hardware itself. The computer editors aren't essential, but they are what make the devices worth the price. If your goal is creating original-sounding synth elements for tracks, this is how you'll best do it. You can also build an entire pattern with a simple software sequencer provided and dump your patterns into the user banks.

So you wanna get into the music biz...

The manual is also worth a mention. Both synthesizers come with similar well-designed, tip-packed, user-friendly manuals. This is another reason we'd recommend one of these boxes as a starting point for a young musician. Plus, even if you don't have a computer yet, these will be great tools to grow into. On the surface they are easy to use, and underneath they are extremely versatile and deep. Either one would work well as a primary song-writing tool for the budget musician, or the perfect single-layer sound-generating instrument for the fully equipped bedroom studio, or as a third, virtual turntable for the established DJ.

One thing to note about both the AN200 and the DX200 is that the onboard synth sequencer is monophonic, meaning you will not be able to trigger chords. This will be a problem when building complicated harmonic elements. But since the box itself can output 32 notes at a time, this can be avoided by using an outboard sequencer or sequencing software -- plenty of room for three rhythm tracks and a full melodic ensemble.

Summary

If you're interested in loop-based music production and are looking to get into groove boxes, either of these devices will deliver what many electronic music producers have come to expect. Useful either live or in the studio, the knobs and intuitive sequencer also make the AN200 and DX200 great choices for the young musician.

Veteran producers will find that many of the features and sounds of the AN200 can be found in other analog modeling synths, while the DX200 is a really fresh-sounding machine, and will inevitably lead the way in the FM revival.

Pros: Lots of knobs for tweaking sounds; deep editing capabilities with the provided software; great manual.

Cons: Monophonic synth sequencer; only one effect can be assigned to a four-track pattern.

Company: Yamaha
List Price: AN200 with FM synthesis, $629.95
Yamaha DX200 with analog physical modeling, $629.95
Specs: 1,600g; 13.25 inches by 8.25 inches x 2 inches; ports for phones, stereo output (L/MONO and R), MIDI in/out, DC in.


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