1 : sounds are just stupid, but this isn't a major problem because yu don't have to buy this for the sounds ; buy a synth of sampler for that

drum sounds are usable

2 : for live-sequencing music that you have entered ELSEWHERE (cubase,...) this is very good, many knobs to tweak and very logical

3 : good for step sequencing

4 : i wouldn't write a whole song just in this (sometimes very frustrating doing that)

5 : very good as a beat-box

6 : knobs are not very strong

Wouldn't buy it again, but it's better than the roland mc505, that's for sure

you can use its drum sounds and some basses or pads, and just use all the other channels to drive external gear

for the sounds, yes XL-7 is by far better, but for the sequencer, rm1-x piss over emu 1 thousand times.

2 different products; RM!-x more a sequencer + sounds; XL-7 more a great new groovebox; i would take both, but they can't be compared.

This machine rocks. Sounds? Well, they suck, but they are also very moldable. I would suggest that you folks lay down your phrases, and then consider bouncing through the sounds to find some that will fit your phrase or your ideas better. Then take the time to adjust the effects on the sounds.

My experience is that for drum sounds especially, failure to take the time to tweak them will render your work flat. Take the time to fix the sounds. You might get inspired to either rebuild your phrases after better sounds are gained, or you might be inspired to drive better synths using your RM1X.

Took me more than six months to figure the machine out. The manual, in my opinion, is crap. I still refer to it, but it rarely answers my questions directly.

On the other hand, once I got serious about the machine, and spent some serious time on it, the rewards were great. Similar to a language, at first the machine is confusing, and I myself was utilizing it in ways that it was not designed to be used. Once I got a grasp of the architecture of the machine, my RM1X world expanded rapidly. The machine became a ton of fun to use, and it also became very simple.

If the machine is too complex for you, then it is a matter of dedicating the neeeded time to it. Trust me, once you get it figured out, the concept of the machine is very simple.

Now for those of you who wanted $5000 worth of sounds to go with $5000 worth of sequencer, and you bought a $600 dollar piece of equipment, I say, 'congratulations'.

Lastly, there are some out there who complain about the floppy disks. Are you insane? Have you ever owned equipment that has a dedicated drive, and manufacturers storage cards or devices? You pay bug bucks for these types of storage devices, and often times they are extremely problematic and difficult to use. One of the main reasons I bought the RM1X is for that floppy drive. It enables me to store work that I would normally simply have to record. This is a huge advantage. Why anyone would complain about the floppy drive is well beyond my comprehension.

Rock On!!!

1. If you think this is complex, read the manual and take the time to learn it (as with anything else).

2. SU700 is in a different ballpark. I can't sequence three analogue synths and a tone module with my SU700, but I can with an RM1x. They go well together, but are not the same beasts.

There is no other sequencer (hardware) that does it like the RM1x (apart from the newer Yamaha box). Just like there is no other sequencer that does it like the MPC2000 and lots of other machines.

You can pick up an RM1x very cheaply nowaday's. It makes an ideal sequencer for those who wish to stick to hardware (you really don't have to use the sounds if you don't wish to you know, but some of them are quite good) and great for those who wish to gig with stability.

If you can't pull a decent track out with this, possibly an analogue synth and/or a good tone module, then you may want to do your homework a bit more, perhaps take some lessons or learn an instrument to get a bit more musical, or take some composition lessons. Oh, and don't forget the all important manual.

For Fucks sake, quit your whingeing, give us some decent reviews and stop knocking what you don't understand.

If someone had handed me one of these twelve years ago for three times the price, I would still be impressed with the sequencing capabilities of this machine! Would we be reviewing this synth differently if it had no sounds onboard, came in black and didn't bare the remixer image? I think many would have paid more for it if it had come in that kind of guise, even tho it had less features!

4 outta five simply because it's great as a hardware sequenzor, but some of the sounds and ther filters can leave a bit to be desired (but that ain't why I bought it, so otherwise a FIVE)