Yeno
- Der kleine Musikant (squarewave toy keyboard with
analogue rhythms)
This toy keyboard (German name means "The little musician") has unique
analogue rhythms and nicely gritty squarewave sounds with strong zipper
noise.

main features:
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yellow console shaped case with red LED note display above the keys
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23 mini keys + foil keypad control panel
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monophonic main voice
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5 OBS preset sounds {trumpet, flute, violin, organ, piano}
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12 preset rhythms {rhumba, disco, rock'n'roll, bossanova, swing, tango,
jazz waltz, slow rock, 16 beat, waltz, march, beguine}
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tempo +/- buttons (They can only double or half the actual rhythm speed
at each press, which is a very stupid concept for making normal music,
but it is interesting for tekkno.)
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volume control pots for keyboard & microphone (2 big red knobs)
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4 tiny foil drum pads
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4 percussion sounds {base, snare, hihat, conga}
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main voice is squarewave with very grainy digital zipper noise envelopes
(3 bit?). The piano sound ignores key press duration.
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analogue transistorized drum sound circuit with white noise transistor,
a simple click as base drum and a great conga. (Sounds resemble 1970th
home organs.)
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5 audio games and several built-in melodies
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simple sequencer (record/ playback, no edit)
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10(?) demo melodies
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power supply jack
eastereggs:
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The conga pitch fades from very low to its normal frequency within some
seconds when power is turned on due to charging capacitors.
notes:
By the analogue drum section this instrument provides a very high potential
for circuit- bending. By replacing the clock crystal with something adjustable
the problem with the strange rhythm tempo button behaviour could certainly
be solved. Also the gritty squarewave sounds are quite interesting. (I
haven't analyzed the hardware further yet.)
A more advanced variant of this instrument came out as VTech - Music
Major (also white version exists, I own one), which features a speech
chip for additional effect noise and animal voice sounds.
| removal
of these screws voids warranty... |
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