12. June 2025

RILEY

Groove Box Magic with jonmakesbeats

Dive into the nostalgia-packed beat-making world with jonmakesbeats. In his latest video, he unpacks the Yamaha RS 7000 – a groove box born in 2001 but still packed with surprises that make modern sounds come alive. Forget the latest gear; this ride down memory lane offers a tactile beat-making experience that blends old-school vibes with fresh creativity. Tune in to see Jon turn limitations into magic!

Finding the Groove in Retro

So, jonmakesbeats takes us on a trip back to 2001, digging into a Yamaha RS 7000, which might sound like a relic but slaps harder than a grandma’s wooden spoon! This beatmaker’s delight is a groove box that’s got MIDI composing capabilities alongside a bunch of drum kits and sampling functions. Jon’s curiosity about this box was sparked by another YouTuber, Isobutane, and it’s all about blending that old-school tech with some modern vibes. Picture a setup with 16 tracks, where each can either rock internal sounds or sequence external MIDI – the whole thing is a self-contained ecosystem! With a built-in piano keyboard, Jon’s determined to use nothing more than this box to see what kind of magic he can pull off.

Crafting Beats with Built-in Goodies

With jonmakesbeats steering the helm, you get an insider view on how to leverage the Yamaha RS 7000 for beat-making. The box kicks off with an ‘analog kit’ that screams early 2000s, but Jon’s got tricks up his sleeve. Modulation options like pitch adjustments and filter types give the beats a personalized vibe. With master effects like delays and reverbs, Jon shows how to sculpt sounds to match modern sensibilities. Experimentation is the star of the show, as he turns an unexpected feature – delay lag – into a sound that makes you feel the groove just a beat off. The box may be from 2001, but with Jon at the controls, it’s all about today’s music-making twists.

Layering Complexity

Jon dives deeper, layering complex sound elements track by track. Starting with drums, he adds hi-hats and claps that layer beautifully over each other. It’s a dance of quantization and feel, getting those beats to swing with a 57% swing – a secret sauce for a smooth, flowing rhythm. The second track is all about these hi-hats he doesn’t want affected by other parameters. Then, with overdubbing, he keeps building, adding claps and quirky funky bits without any need for quantizing, just feeling his way through. Instantly it turns a nostalgic piece of kit into a creative powerhouse that rivals plush studio setups.


Building a Harmony Playground

As Jon works on his harmony playground, each track adds a lovable twist. Starting with chords and bass, he’s like a kid in a candy shop, layering effects to make them sing. He employs effects like LFOs for vibrato feel, or filter envelopes for resonance that makes notes stand out. The experimentation continues with deliberate pans and funky melodies, guiding this machine into an audio kaleidoscope. This groove box doesn’t just sit there; it moves, thanks to Jon’s intuition and knack for squeezing out the last drops of creativity from its simple interface. It’s a low-tech treasure chest; all you need is a creative compass. This groove box is proving to be more than just a relic, it’s alive!

The Joy of Old Meets New

In this love letter to groove boxes, Jon closes with reflections on how older gear can still surprise and inspire. The whole video is a testament to finding joy in limitations, as he navigates the RS 7000 with finesse. It’s not about chasing the newest tech, but about understanding what you can squeeze out of a box designed with music in mind. Here’s proof that you don’t need all the bells and whistles to make something funky. Discovering features like random panning showcases how little tweaks can lead to major emotional payoffs. By embracing the constraints of this gear, Jon demonstrates you can still craft something meaningful and fresh.


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