I live in a tropical country so the need for outdoor (or even indoor) heaters is practically non-existent. But when I first experienced how cold it is outside when I traveled to places that have winter, I understood how important it was to have something to warm you up especially when you’re doing outdoor activities. Most of what I’ve seen are not necessarily aesthetic so there’s always room for well-designed heaters.
Designer: Yamaha Design Laboratory
Yamaha has been experimenting a lot lately with designs for various products that are not necessarily connected to Yamaha Motor or their other businesses. This includes creating design concepts for outdoor tools and one of those projects is for something called Bon-Flame, an outdoor heater attachment tool that combines the brand’s expertise in both mobility and their main product of musical instruments.
Basically this heater uses a bimetallic sheet that is made up of two metals that are glued together. The different metals have varying expansion rates so the sheet is able to change shape when heat is applied. There’s a small ball-shaped bimetal at the base which rotates when heated and then eventually opens up like a flower. The ending look is that of a large flame shape that gives you a pretty looking heater.
The concept also converts the flame of a single burner into far-infrared heat which is better for the environment as it has a lower carbon footprint. It’s still a design concept for now but it would be a great companion for outdoor activities especially if you’re going for an aesthetic look.
There used to be a time when most pet-oriented brands would design products mostly for puppies and dogs. But now that there are a lot of feline fur parents out there too, we’re seeing more brands get into the game of creating products that will appeal to this market. Even brands that usually don’t have anything to do with pets are also conceptualizing toys for cats.
Yamaha is known more for their musical instruments and vehicles but now they’re exploring design studies for cat-related products while still keeping the design values of the company. What they came up with are three design concepts for things that felines might enjoy if they ever get made into actual products although there are no plans to commercialize it for now.
Neko-Yama is a cat playground but built in the “Yamaha style”. It lets the felines have a platform where they can explore all the tight spaces, crevices, and holes that they usually want to play around in. You will also be able to enjoy looking at them challenge themselves by playing around in the various places they can stick themselves in since it has a transparent design. The Strumming Box meanwhile is a scratching post where different colors will appear in the underside as they create their own patterns. Eventually it will look like a worn-out guitar but with the cat’s claws and scratches creating the unique surface.
Lastly, the Cat Music Box lets your feline friends create their own music by walking around in a wheel. Think of it as a hamster wheel but for cats and it is able to create notes through the rotation of the double wheels as it walks or runs around on the inner ring. The tempo also depends on how fast or slow they move. They can also walk backwards which might create a different kind of music.
Yamaha is a name that can mean two different things to different people. On the one hand, you have the famed maker of musical instruments. On the other hand, you also have Yamaha Motors which imprints the brand on motorcycles. Their products might be unrelated, but the two Yamahas share a similar spirit and passion for good design. Not a few concepts have come out from trying to bring these two different worlds together, resulting in novelties that delight and, in some cases, even become useful products. This collection of outdoor tools could have the same effect, highlighting the spirit of outdoor adventure and commitment to craftsmanship that both Yamaha companies embody.
When camping outdoors, one of the most important tools you need is fire, whether it’s for keeping warm or, more importantly, cooking food. There’s no shortage of bonfire and grill products available in the market today, but the majority of them seem to be content focusing on utility alone. The Yamaha Outdoor Tools concept, however, doesn’t forget that aesthetics and fun are just as important, adding flavor to the experience and making it even more memorable.
The Bon-Burner, for example, is nothing more than five metal sticks joined at different angles to create the semblance of sticks of firewood lying against each other. This form isn’t just for looks, though, as the top formation functions as a trivet for holding pots and kettles. The metal bars can be easily folded or detached, making transport a walk in the park, or in this case, the campsite.
The Bon-Player is a twist on the typical gas stove that is like an amalgamation of a metallic vinyl record and the experience of throttling the engine of a motorbike. You turn the metal disc to control the radius of the fire, represented by concentric rings radiating from the center, and you push it down to increase the intensity of the flame. It is a more involved and more interactive way to control the fire, better than simply turning a boring old knob.
Bon-Grill takes that turntable metaphor even further with a rectangular box that lets you choose the appearance of your grill marks. You simply switch between different mesh jackets, just like you switch record sleeves, to select the best grill marks that will bring out the best taste from your food. Plus, it makes the steaks and veggies look fun as well!
The Bon-Flame outdoor heater is probably the most beautiful and most poetic of the set. A bimetallic sheet changes shape with the heat, opening up like a flower and providing both heat and an enchanting visual representation of that warmth. Unfortunately, all these are just concepts at this point, but hopefully, Yamaha will pick them up and turn them into actual products that we can bring to our outdoor adventures someday.
I distinctly remember the first time I saw the Teenage Engineering OP-1. It was in a Swedish House Mafia music video (One feat. Pharrell), and the entire video was centered around that one gorgeous-looking synth, which the EDM trio even used in their own music production. The song seemed less like a dance track and more like the perfect endorsement of exactly how powerful and incredible the OP-1 synth was. Fourteen glorious years later, Teenage Engineering has absolutely cemented its position as an audio company with a fun streak… and it seems like Yamaha wants a bit of that too. Just last week, the company debuted the SEQTRAK, a funky-looking synth that tries to emulate the casual brilliance of the OP-1.
Designer: Yamaha
The SEQTRAK is a compact, affordable, and highly capable battery-powered MIDI synth that lets you play, sample, remix, loop, and manipulate audio from multiple sources, whether it’s from your laptop, an SD card, or even audio samples recorded on the SEQTRAK’s microphone. It’s got two rows of 12 keys each, a set of dedicated knobs for percussions, synths, and sampling, a few more for sound control and effects, and even a bunch of touch-sensitive sliding pads for working with audio envelopes, passes, and filters. Designed for both hobbyists as well as seasoned professionals, the SEQTRAK lets you do everything from jam to compose, and even occasionally deejay. Who knows, maybe you’ll make a cool music video too??
The SEQTRAK’s petite design is a crucial element in its appeal. Its compact size, fitting comfortably in a laptop bag, makes it an ideal companion for music producers who are always on the move. This portability doesn’t come at the cost of functionality; the SEQTRAK is equipped with a built-in speaker and microphone, allowing for impromptu music sessions wherever inspiration strikes.
Despite its compact form, the SEQTRAK doesn’t compromise on sound quality. It houses two versatile sound engines: the Advanced Wave Memory 2 and a four-operator FM engine. The former supports 128-note polyphony, offering a range of authentic sounds from acoustic instruments to synthesizers. Meanwhile, the FM engine can generate synth pads, leads, FM electric pianos, and more. These features are packed into a unit that sports a playful design, with an orange-gray variant reminiscent of LEGO bricks… or perhaps an unofficial hat-tip to Teenage Engineering with a playfully-minimalist design that we’ve come to expect from the Swedish design studio.
The SEQTRAK is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, catering to both beginners and seasoned music producers. Its one-to-one interface allows producers to take control of their music, effectively turning them into their own DJs. Additionally, the SEQTRAK includes a station sequencer for creating seamless compositions and arrangements. The machine’s station library, with over 2,000 presets of professionally crafted tunes, is a significant resource for experimenting with different styles and sounds.
Yamaha has enhanced the SEQTRAK’s functionality with streamlined connectivity options. The dedicated SEQTRAK app allows users to shape their sound with various editing features. The app also supports adding supplemental content, providing a more comprehensive music production experience. Additionally, Bluetooth MIDI and Wi-Fi functionality are included for wireless connections, further enhancing the unit’s flexibility.
The $599 Yamaha SEQTRAK represents a significant step in the evolution of portable music production. It combines quality sound, intuitive design, and connectivity in a package that’s both affordable and appealing to a wide range of music enthusiasts. Whether you’re a budding producer or a seasoned pro, the SEQTRAK seems to have something for everyone. And at a price that doesn’t hit a sour note, it’s poised to be a hit in the electronic music community. So, if you’ve ever dreamt of laying down tracks on a flight, sequencing synths at a café, or having a rave in your room, Yamaha’s SEQTRAK might just be your ticket to on-the-go musical nirvana.
