Tenorion Orange

Yamaha Tenori-on Orange | Reviews
85
add reverb and chorus to each of the
multi-timbral layers within a sequence.
Additionally, Tenori-on can play back
user samples of up to 0.97 seconds in
length (saved to the rear-mounted SD
card) or can output its sequences via
MIDI. On this subject, improvements
have been made courtesy of the recent
firmware Version 2.0 update – see the
Firmware 2.0 box for details.
Tenori-Operation
In case you’ve missed out on
Tenori-on’s wonders, it’s worth briefly
recapping its modus operandi. A range
of modes are available with the system,
with Score Mode at the top of the
function list. This provides multi-
timbral playback of a number of
internal or MIDI sounds with each
sound assigned to a Layer which can
have a sequence created for it simply
by holding down LEDs which
correspond to notes in a sequence.
Alternatively, you can use modes
like ‘Random’ to create ‘join the dots’
style, less predictable sequences, or
Solo Mode to construct sequences with
different ‘quantise’ values for a single
instrument – perfect for drum
sequencing. Via the ten function
buttons on the case to the left and
right, you can access parameters
specific to either the current sound or
sequence playing, so it’s possible to
build complete performances by
dropping from one section to another,
temporarily muting instruments,
assigning effects to them or adjusting
their volume in real-time.
It’s immediate and fun, but also
capable of truly sophisticated results
once you’ve familiarised yourself with
Tenori-on’s approach.
The score
As the hardware alterations suggest,
Yamaha see this as the ‘studio
Tenori-on’, it’s important to ask how
well this instrument integrates into the
studio environment and whether its
feature set matches that which the
majority of musicians would want.
The AWM2 soundset onboard is
nice to have as a scratch-pad to learn
Tenori-on’s functions and capabilities
but I do think that the majority of
studio users will soon want to break out
from those sounds and apply Tenori’s
unique sequencing approach to their
own noises. Obviously, this is possible
via the MIDI breakout cable but it’s
fiddly and as the unit doesn’t feature
USB and integrate as readily as the
majority of controllers available today,
this does strike me as a missed
opportunity. Equally, the option to work
with samples is great but the 0.97sec
sample limitation is restrictive.
I feel in a way that time has caught
up with the Tenori-on and whereas a
completely independent hardware unit
offering these facilities made sense in
2005 and continues to for the ‘big
brother’ model, were I designing a
‘studio Tenori-on’, I’d suggest different
changes to those Yamaha have
implemented.
The RRP of £599 is perhaps our
biggest disappointment however.
Despite ‘missing things out’ and
making the machine out of less
impressive materials it’s the same price
as that originally charged for the
original model, which now goes for
£699. Forget any notion of the ‘bargain
Tenori’. This isn’t it.
Perhaps the future of Tenori is a
‘control only’ version, which completely
removes the
internal sounds
and instead
provided a USB
port and a neat
application to let
you use the LEDs
for note input, clip
launching, even
MIDI CC on/off commands? Meanwhile
everything that’s unique about
Tenori-on’s brilliant sequencer would
remain. That’s the kind of studio Tenori
we’d like to see. But, until such a time
lands, I’d recommend choosing
between the current model and new
Orange version carefully.
specs
Sequencer:
Note Resolution: ¼ note =
96 clocks
Gate Time: 10ms –
9990 ms
Octaves: -5 to +5
Tempo: 40-240
Scales: 9 types
Transpose: -7 to +8
Performance Modes:
6 types: Score, Random,
Draw, Bounce, Push, Solo
Sync: To computer host or
other Tenori-on via MIDI
Tone Generator:
Type: AWM2
Max. Polyphony: 32 notes
Preset Voices: 253
(including 14 drum kits)
Effects: 2 processors –
Reverb (10 types), Chorus
(5 types)
Sampling: 3 voices (AIFF or
WAV audio with max 0.97
seconds)
SD Card
SD Card port (SPI
compatibility required) for
saving Song, Block, Layer,
Setting, Samples.
Controller/Display
LED buttons: 256
Function Buttons: 10
(L1-L5, R1-R5), Jog Dial,
Clear, Cancel and OK
buttons
Display: 122 x 32 dot
graphic LCD
Stereo 1-watt output
speakers
Connections
Line Out/Phones: Stereo
mini jack
MIDI: In/Out
Dimensions:
205 x 205 x 32 mm
Weight:
610g
As the hardware alterations
suggest, Yamaha see this as the
‘studio Tenori-on’
As you’d expect, the
operating system at the
heart of Tenori-on has
come some distance since
its debut in 2005 and in
January of this year,
Version 2 was launched to
address some key issues.
For a start, processing
performance has been
enhanced so that the ‘lag’
some users experienced
with note input is
significantly reduced.
MIDI sync has been
looked at too, with the
aim of enhancing
Tenori-on’s integration
into DAW environments.
Unfortunately, things
don’t run as smoothly here
as Yamaha intend. As
MIDI controls are still
carried out via a breakout
MIDI I/O cable, the
immediacy of USB
connection, favoured by
the majority of today’s
controllers isn’t present
here. I experienced some
frustrations slaving the
unit to synchronise within
Logic and the manual
isn’t terribly helpful either.
Also bundled is
Tenori-on’s Voice Manager,
which lets you configure
sample content ready for
transfer to an SD Card.
Firmware 2.0
VeRDIcT
BUILD
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VALUE
❚❚❚❚❚❚
EASE OF USE
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
VERSATILITY
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
RESULTS
❚❚❚❚❚❚❚❚
Still an exciting concept but there
are restrictions here – choose your
model carefully.
ALTeRNATIVes
monome
from $500
monome can be configured
to carry out a whole range
of commands across a
variety of apps, via USB.
monome.org
Novation Launchpad
£149
Primarily a controller for
Live, there’s no reason you
can’t use this for any
application you like too. No
sounds or sequencer, mind.
novationmusic.com
FMU226.rev_yamaha 85 30/3/10 5:48:24 pm