street priceThe Yamaha RX21L represents Yamaha's strategic expansion into Latin percussion, offering a specialized adaptation of their popular RX21 drum machine. Released in 1986 at an affordable price, this compact unit delivers an impressive array of authentic Latin percussion sounds in an accessible, user-friendly package.
At the heart of the RX21L are 16 meticulously digitally-encoded Latin percussion voices, each sampled from real instruments to deliver exceptional sonic quality and immediacy. The sound palette includes two bright, high-pitched bongos that truly shine when layered within a mix; two crisp and powerful timbales; and three distinct conga voices, including a muted variation that authentically recreates the sound of hand-damping. Traditional Latin staples like claves, cowbell, and tambourine round out the basic percussion sounds, though the latter two are noted as being somewhat less convincing than their counterparts.
What truly distinguishes the RX21L are its three pairs of specialty instruments that inject genuine Latin character into productions. The high and low agogos bring melodic elements to rhythmic patterns, producing distinctive tones reminiscent of miniature cowbells crossed with lightly-struck glass. The high and low cuicas add playful, authentic texture with their unique squeaking character—a sound difficult to describe but unmistakably Latin. Finally, short and long whistle sounds complete the ensemble, providing the authentic flourishes essential to Latin music styles.
The machine's interface mirrors its sibling RX21 almost identically, making it instantly familiar to existing Yamaha users. The controls, displays, and connectivity options remain consistent, with only minor differences in instrument selection functions. The excellent manual ensures even newcomers can quickly master the straightforward operation.
In terms of memory allocation, Yamaha made a calculated trade-off, dedicating more storage to the expanded voice count while reducing pattern capacity. The unit accommodates 50 user patterns (compared to the RX21's 100), of which 29 come pre-programmed from the factory. These factory presets serve as solid building blocks for creating personalized rhythmic arrangements, though they're admittedly not chart-topping material on their own.
The separate song memory provides impressive compositional flexibility, storing up to 256 total patterns across four songs—allowing for 64 patterns per song or any combination totaling 256. While this represents half the RX21's 512-pattern song capacity, 64 measures remains highly practical for most applications. Pattern data can be quickly saved to cassette in just 15 seconds, enabling safe backup before editing.
The RX21L's MIDI implementation makes it an excellent companion for any MIDI-equipped drum machine, offering a completely non-overlapping sound set compared to other Yamaha products. When heard dry and unprocessed, the voices retain remarkable color and presence—the sonic equivalent of recruiting a competent six or seven-piece Latin rhythm section, all contained within one unassuming, bite-sized box.
Voices: 16 digitally-encoded Latin percussion sounds
Pattern Memory: 50 patterns total
Song Memory: 256 patterns total capacity
Data Storage: Cassette tape interface
Connectivity: MIDI equipped
Display: LCD (non-backlit)
Controls & Interface: Identical to RX21 with minor instrument selection variations
Dimensions & Form Factor: Compact, "bite-sized" desktop unit
Country of origin / production: Japan
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The Yamaha RX21 represents Yamaha's most affordable entry into the drum machine market, positioned at the bottom end of their product line alongside the higher-end RX-11 and RX-15 models. All three models share the same fundamental digitally sampled drum...