Yamaha has a long history of blurring the line between groovebox, synth, and sketchpad with some of their flagship synths. But the SEQTRAK is something different. Both a purpose-built workstation and a sequencer, it’s designed to get music out of your head and into your hands, fast.
With three synth tracks, a full sample engine, eleven tracks of sequencing, and a companion app that becomes the star of the show, the SEQTRAK feels like a deliberate rethink of what a portable music workstation should be in 2025. We’ve tested multiple workstations over the last few months, and the SEQTRAK has run out front as one of our favorites. Read on to find out why.
The First Session
Within the first hour of using SEQTRAK, I had built out sketches across multiple genres: Reggae, French House, and Drum and Bass, with barely a need for the manual. Before testing the SEQTrak, I had read some comments online that the interface wasn’t particularly user-friendly. However, this makes much more sense than some other workstations I’ve used. To me, the interface was straightforward and intuitive. But it wasn’t just the hardware that made it easier.
What made it click was the app.
Yamaha’s cross-platform SEQTRAK app, available on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, lets you fine-tune sequences, sculpt synth patches, and build full arrangements in a way that feels as natural as a DAW, but without the clutter. It offers Bluetooth MIDI connectivity and supports wireless project sync, so you can draw in a bass line from your phone and have it instantly appear on your hardware.
Within the app, the piano roll is surprisingly robust, even on the phone version. Being able to adjust velocities, correct timing, or completely redraw melodies within a tiny iPhone app is not something I expected, but it makes me wonder why more hardware companies haven’t followed suit.
You don’t have to choose between the two. You can use 80% of the SEQTrak and 20% of the app, or vice versa, and both workflows will support your creativity just fine. With the SEQTrak, you can simply focus on making music.
Speed and Simplicity, Over Head-Scratching
SEQTRAK’s strength isn’t in complexity. It’s in speed and focus.
There are eleven total tracks:
- Seven drum lanes (Kick, Snare, Clap, Hi-Hat 1 & 2, Perc 1 & 2)
- Two AWM2 synth tracks
- One FM synth track
- One Sampler track
Each of these has its own envelope, three-band EQ, resonant filter, and dedicated effects section. You can work without feeling boxed in, and because everything is per-track, changes don’t require menu-diving or flow-disrupting navigation.
The interface avoids clutter, but the routing flexibility is still there when you need it.
Sounds: Familiar Roots, Fresh Execution
SEQTRAK’s AWM2 engine may be familiar to longtime Yamaha users. It’s the same architecture found in the MOTIF series and other flagship workstations. Here, it handles pianos, keys, strings, pads, and synth tones with clarity and polish. No matter what type of music you make, this tool provides high-quality, ready-to-use sounds.
Yamaha provides over 2,000 onboard sounds at launch, and with downloadable bonus packs available from right within the app, that number expands even further, well beyond 3,500 total sounds across genres like Reggaeton, Ambient, House, DnB, and more. What’s crazy is that through WiFI I was able to pick a soundpack on the iPhone App, and then have it download instantly to the hardware. And I didn’t have to pay anything for this content. I cannot think of many hardware companies that do this.
Then there’s the FM track.
It’s a 4-operator engine based on the Reface DX. You don’t get deep six-operator madness like in the legendary DX7, but you get glassy bells, digital basses, and metallic textures that change across a loop thanks to Motion Sequencing. The voice editor in the app adds another layer of access that’s easy to navigate, even for those new to FM synthesis.
A Grid That Moves With You
At first glance, the 16-step grid looks typical. But SEQTRAK does something clever. Each of the 11 tracks can run its own length and time division. You can set your snare to loop every 16 steps, your hi-hats to roll every 12, and your synth bass to play a seven-step cycle against it all. It’s a subtle but powerful way to create motion without clutter.
Motion Sequencing takes that further. You can record filter changes, pitch bends, delay throws, and other parameter movements step by step. These aren’t global automation lanes. They’re embedded in the pattern.
App and Hardware in Sync
As I mentioned earlier, the SEQTRAK app is the real star of the show.
Besides the Voice Editor, you get:
- Full project browsing and saving
- Pattern editing and organization
- Sample management
- Graphical visualization of motion sequences
- Visualizer for auto-generated video content
Visualizer is a creative tool that transforms your sequence into beat-synced 2-D or 3-D graphics. You can export video clips with minimal effort, making it perfect for sharing beats online or creating placeholder visuals for live sets.
There’s a small learning curve at first when syncing over Bluetooth or exploring nested menus, especially on phones. But once you’re past that, the app opens up the hardware in a way that feels like second nature.
Fast Sampling, Real-Time Reshaping
The sampler records from three sources:
- Internal microphone
- Line input
- Internal resample
You can trim, normalize, and assign samples on the hardware. Each sample track benefits from the same processing tools as the synth and drum tracks, including filters, envelopes, and per-track effects.
Importing your sounds is just as simple. You can drag files into the app and sync them to the SEQTRAK. No cables required. No complex conversion process.
It’s not a deep, dedicated sampler like an SP-404, but it’s immediate, which is what Yamaha seems to aim for as their mantra with this product.
Small Shortcomings
There are a few compromises you’ll want to keep in mind:
From what I could gather, the time signature appears locked to 4/4 with no global option to adjust it. According to Reddit, you can modify the bar length freely, but once the “rider” completes the loop, it snaps back to the default. So technically, you can experiment with alternate lengths and even polyrhythms—but they’ll always loop within that fixed 4/4 framework.
Additionally, when it comes to synths, hardware’s note entry method has limitations. The eight soft keys under the synth section work for quick sketches, but for anything detailed, you’ll reach for the app as the piano roll is invaluable.
Build Quality and Feel
Here’s where things may or may not shift for you.
Compared to some of Yamaha’s more robust releases, the SEQTRAK feels incredibly light, almost to the point of being toy-like. In contrast to a device like the Reface DX, a similarly low-weight device with solid, road-ready construction, it feels like the SEQTRAK could potentially sustain some decent damage if dropped from a desk. Thus, while it’s suitable for home use or studio sketching, it’s advisable to carry it in a case if you’re planning to perform live.
That said, it’s clear a lot of thought went into the layout.
Pads respond well. Each knob moves with precision. During live brainstorming, the FX touch strip feels great, adding delay repeats and stutter effects in real time.
If the build matched the thoughtful design, this would feel premium and worth double the asking price. As it stands, it’s still highly functional and fun. You just might need to be a little gentler with it.
Connectivity and Compatibility
The I/O setup hits all the essentials:
- USB-C (audio, MIDI, power)
- Bluetooth MIDI
- Wi-Fi for app sync and Visualizer uploads
- 3.5mm TRS MIDI I/O with DIN adapter
- 3.5mm stereo line in/out
- Internal mic and speaker
- Built-in rechargeable battery
Everything you need is here, and the audio quality over USB holds up well.
Who It’s For
SEQTRAK offers a friendly and supportive environment for hardware newcomers. The sound library is deep, the app helps shorten the learning curve, and the onboard sampling gives you space to grow.
If you’re experienced, this might become your go-to sketchpad. Even better, if you’re a live performer or content creator, the Visualizer adds another layer, letting you go from idea to shareable content in under ten minutes.
Final Verdict
SEQTRAK is one of many sequencer workstations and grooveboxes that we’ve tried as of late. It is also one of the easiest we’ve been able to get into, and one that surprised us the most, given its extremely generous amount of free content. Rather than try to position itself as a great toolkit for one particular genre, Yamaha has done a fine job of curating downloadable content that appeals to all musicians, making a convincing argument for this being the perfect launchpad for song ideas.
It’s rare to find something this immediate that also offers depth. The AWM2 and FM engines give it range. The sequencer gives it movement. And the app fills in everything else.
Sure, for some users, the plastic build may be a concern. For others, that is a pure nothing burger. Take that away, and what you’re left with is a device that makes building ideas effortless, providing the perfect argument for adding this to your studio.
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