Notes: Legendary sound meets the generation of mobile musicians: With the reface Mobile Mini Keyboards, Yamaha introduces a small revolution. Based on legendary synthesizer models like the DX7 or CS series, the company presents four compact instruments, which play to their strengths on the road, on stage or even in the studio. reface is perfect for songwriters, sound designers, live performers and those looking for access to an instrument which allows them to react when inspiration strikes. The online collaboration with musicians around the globe via Yamaha's 'Soundmondo' sound community and the easy connection to notebook, Apple iPhone and iPad are making the four models ideal for being creative together. Battery power and integrated stereo-speakers make the reface quartet ready to play at all times.
From Pink Floyd to Michael Jackson to U2 - with over 40 years in synthesizer history, Yamaha influenced Rock and Pop music like no other instrument manufacturer. Legendary models and series like the CS Control Synthesizer or the DX7 are an inherent part of music history. Time for a small revolution: With the reface Mobile Mini Keyboards, Yamaha presents a range of ultra-mobile synthesizers and a stage-piano that impress with their compact design and web-based sound-exchange. They build the bridge between the sound tradition of the legendary prime fathers and the cooperative music production over the internet.
It started as a sketch of a young Yamaha design team: Under the concept name "reimagined interfaces of classic Yamaha keyboards" the group presented a series of four compact instruments, in which every single one celebrates the personality of a legendary Yamaha instrument - but with a character of its own reimagined for today's 'on-the-go life style'. The concept also integrates a web-based sound exchange between musicians and allows a cooperative sound design. With the introduction of reface, this vision becomes reality.
At home, in a studio, in a park or on a train - the compact design and the powerful integrated stereo speakers allow inspiration in seconds - without any equipment to set up. Creativity can be realised anywhere: Thanks to the battery power, all reface Mobile Mini Keyboards are ready at any time - even when there is no power socket nearby. The setup is done in seconds, even the connection to notebook, iPhone or iPad for the recording and saving of sounds.
All four reface models are presenting themselves as a creative toy for sound design. But despite their compact design, they are professional instruments that are inviting to play. All models feature Yamaha's brand new 'HQ' Mini-Action keyboard with 37 keys (3 octaves). The user interfaces were designed separately for each instrument introducing features such as drawbars for the reface YC organ and the capacitive Multi-Touch surface on the reface DX.
reface YC: Electric Combo Organ - Rich, punchy sounds are its area of expertise: The reface YC offers additive synthesis paired with a unique power of expression using nine drawbars and virtual rotary speakers. The instrument combines five different models of organs, the sound is created using a special "Organ Flutes Tone Generator". In addition to the possibility to carry around five organs in a single piece of hardware without breaking your back, the reface YC delivers the authentic spirit of playing an organ using the smallest user interface possible.
All four reface models offer a rich potential for creative sound design - and the opportunity to get in touch with the whole world: With Soundmondo, Yamaha created an online hub connecting the reface community all over the globe. Soundmondo offers creative possibilities to create, share and discover sounds. The connection is established intuitively using a special Web MIDI technology for Google Chrome. As soon as a reface model is plugged in, it offers the possibility of direct synchronisation. Voices and set lists can be stored in a private area as well as shared with the community.
Quick and easy storage as well as management of sounds with iPhone and iPad: The free reface iOS app for Apple mobile devices makes data transfer extremely simple. A name, a picture and multiple tags can be applied to stored voices; they can be sorted in different ways as well. Search functionality is also included. Using a set list, voices can be arranged in a specific order and recalled one after the other. Another impressive feature is the possibility to exchange voices using QR codes: A distinctive code can be generated from any stored voice and can then be shared using the different options available with iOS. It can for example be sent via email or read using the camera of another iPad to import it into the app.
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