I have pasted this into a thread here after it came to my email as I think this is a better place to discuss and other can benefit and even join in.

Hi Benedict,

For me, this has the potential to be a most
valuable compositional tool. My current method
is to set one or more instances in energyXT
feeding notes to ambient patches in everything
from Absynth to Zebra. I have obtained some
wonderful evolving soundscapes this
way. However, these happen mostly by accident,
based on fooling with the 'Feed me a
Pad'. Despite a lot of cut-and-try and reading
the manual, I can't seem understand how Seq28-116
works or how to program it to do what I want it to do.

So let me ask a few questions.

When Line1>Line2 is active, Line1 sync is 8 and
Line2 sync is 4, does this mean that Line2 cycles
through its series of 8 notes twice for each time
Line1 cycles through it's 8 notes once? In other
words, two Line2 notes play during each single Line1 note? If not, then what?

Using the above example, if the hold time slider
of Line1 is maximum x100 and hold time slider of
Line2 is maximum x25, does this mean that each
note of Line1 will sound for its full length and
move to the next one in almost a legato
manner? Again, using the above example, if a
note from Line1 is the equivalent of a whole
note, does this imply that 2 notes from Line2
will be the equivalent of eighth notes occurring
on beats one and three of the Line1's whole
note? Does hold time vary the sync periods in
either Line or the timing between the two?

In the documentation it states;
" 1>2 - when On this cascades the pitches from
Line 1 into Line 2. This means that the
pitches output by Line 2 are in the form: Input
Note +/- Line 1 Note +/- Line 1 Offset +/- Line 2 Note"
Does this mean that the pitches of Line2 are
based on, or an offset from those of Line1 in tone or in time?

I sense that endless powerful transformations are
possible, once I understand the basic function of
each control and how they interact. I think this
instrument would attract a much wider following
if people understood what it can do and how it does it.

If this discussion ends up being helpful for me,
we could move the outcome to the forum on KVR to
help others with the same questions.

Finally, a big thanks to you for this plug-in. I
think it can become what I've been looking for for years.

Best regards to you,
Ralph

Thanks for the question

Seq is a bit of a complex one but you are right that he can do a lot when you get your head around him.

Sadly it is too early in the morning as yet for me to be able to comprehend logic puzles but I will refresh myself on Seq and formulate some answers later in the day.

I've been waiting for a detailed examination of this product, 'cause I've been too lazy to figure it out on my own

Of course I could just "RTFM" . . . but that would almost be like breaking the sacred bond of Manhood--never ask for directions, never RTM!

So, I'll be watching this thread with interest

Pattern 1

Ok I'll start at the beginning...

Seq 28-116 is a pattern player. It takes incoming notes and then breaks them up and replays them with rythems and pitches imposed. All imposed pitches are related to the notes input.

Wack Seq 29-116 between a MIDI track and an instrument (you may need something like Chainer or Energy XT to do this). Press some notes and you should have patterns play. Brilliant.

Choose an empty Preset and work with me.

Click some notes in the 1st grid and hear how the pattern changes. Just below you can change the Octave ot the Note above. Set the velocity of the notes with the knobs. That is a simple 8 note pattern.

Change the Sync to higher and lower values to see how they affect note timing. These use standard note divisions expressed in bars or beat divisions.

Then alter the Note Duration with the Hold Time slider. Hold time is completely independant of note timing sync above so you can have say a 1/16 pattern that holds the note with each note being held for about a minute - gets messy but opens up options later.

There is another tower of notes just to the right of the note sync/hold options. This sets the overall tuning offset for the first pattern. Choose different octaves to see how this affects played notes.

This is the easy bit sorted

Pattern 2

On it's own pattern 2 operates just like pattern 1.

Firstly make sure that Pattern 2 has a Delay of 0 or you'll struggle. Switch off P1 and have play with P2 and see how they are the same.

Next turn P1 on again and see how the two patterns play at once.

Now let's offset the two pattern in time. Set both patterns to 1/8 and delay P2 by 1 (sixteenth). You will hear a 1/16 pattern with notes alternating between P1 and P2:

P1 - P2 - P1 - P2 - P1 - P2...

This gives you a 16 step pattern - by interleaving the notes. Playing two patterns together like this can easily give you a kind of Bach contrapunctal feel.

Set the delay to 5 and notice how the notes in P2 run on after you release the key. To stop this turn off the Run On switch

If you set note sync on P2 to 1/16 whilst having P1 stay at 1/8 then P2 wil play 2 notes for every one on P1. Odd sync values will create polyrythms. Try it.

wait for the next episode...

Cascading Pattern 1 into Pattern 2

This is where Seq can really get interesting.

Make sure that you have P1 and P2 playing at 1/8 and no delay on P2. Set some pitches in P1 but set all the pitches in P2 to low C. So P1 jumps around and P2 is static.

Turn On the P1>P2 switch.

It will sound like P2 has disappeared.

Now change the pitches in P2 to match P1 and hear how you now have a different pattern. What has happened is that the pitches from P1 are added to the P2 pitches so,

If note 1 in P1 is C (or no change from input) and note 1 in P2 is E (or input + 4 semitones) then the resulting note in P2 will be E

If note 1 in P1 is E (or input + 4 semitones) and note 1 in P2 is F (or input + 5 semitones) then the resulting note in P2 will be A (or input + 9 semitones).

Now if you create different note patterns for both P1 and P2 and delay P2 you will have a complex pattern melody. Changing note sync will bring more interesting results as the patterns play around each other.

The results of feeding P1 into P2 can seem a bit random but they can form the basis of Berlin School pieces or be twisted to do new things like...

Evolving Auto Soundscapes/Pads

Most Arps or Pattern Players are great for creating basslines or middle of the mix patters but few are any good for soundscapes. Not so for Seq as it can help you to go all moody and flowing with the right set up.

Dial up a nice floaty pad on say Cluster (in SSP II - start with #3 Host A) and set sync in both Seq 28-116 patterns to fairly long values and note hold to really long values by choosing a relatively high multiplication value - pad notes generally want to be held for long time to let them evolve.

Rather than playing all the notes in a chord at once spread the note triggers out over a few beats and then hold the keys down.

You will now have a moody and evolving melodic pattern that is all algorythmic and evolving at the same time.

This can create dischords and seem to be random till you have fully understood the two pattern and their interaction but it gives you a really great start to getting interesting textures going.

Seq 28-116 as a standard Arpeggiator

While Seq is really a patttern player he can also do a nice job with proper arpeggiation if you handle things right.

Seeing as you have Cluster open choose patch #62 Art Arp and turn off P2 on Seq.

Set all the notes in P1 to C and the sync to 1/16. Make sure Hold is short so held notes dont get out of control

Set the Octaves of P1 notes to:

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 1

Play one note low on the keboard and hear how it creates a standard up/down arp.

Now set the sync to 1/8 and play two notes with 1/16 space between them - hold the notes and you will hear a two note u/down arp.

Set the sync to 1/4 and play 4 notes with 1/16 space between each note. This is a 1/16 speed arp with note allocation coming from the order that the notes are played in.

Using a sequencer to feed notes will give you tight timing.

Playing notes with looser timing will create swing or polyrythms depending on how loose you go.

Feed your synth to a Delay like Time in SSP I and you will forever be in love with electronic music.

Wow, I know what I'm doing today.

Playing with Seq 28-116. Thanks for the infos!

Word

Time has made it into one of the tunes I'm working on at the moment ...

I don't think that I have replied to myself so much. Thanks for joining in , the conversation was beginning to feel one sided

Nice little tutorials there...would be great to include in the manual...I didn't follow directions, though, so I'll have to re-read this when I have SEQ open.

FYI for any Cubase users, to get this plug working, add it as an instrument, not an FX. Assign one MIDI channel to SEQ with MIDI IN coming from your MIDI controller. Add a synth to another MIDI channel but assign its MIDI IN as coming from SEQ. If you highlight both MIDI channels and play the MIDI controller you'll hear SEQ working fine.

Been doing this a lot lately, what a great suggestion.

This is great stuff. While reading this thread, I was wondering if there are EnergyXT presets for using Seq 28-116 with the various techniques you have listed here. Or better yet, presets using combinations of SynthStudio Pack I and II.

This would allow new users to start making music more quickly using the two Packs with a much smaller learning curve.

I have been thinking a bit about creating some E-XT self contained preset thingees for SSP stuff and in time that may happen. Your mentioning it sugessts that it may be useful.