Analogue Sequencer (plugin style) features?

[topaz]

look cool, sliders are better imho, especially when dealing with pitch, knobs get fiddly for semi tone increments.

is this going to be driving a synth or is a midi plugin ?

[Sequent]

Having played with these, I would say something that makes the Maq such a classic is that it's very simple and very intuitive. THAT is something to keep in mind, imo. Whereas something like Octopus, for example, while pretty to look at, is a bit much when you first try to work with it. I like intuitive and simple because then the sequencer doesn't get in the way of an organic connection with your music. (If that makes sense to you guys.) The connection is the important thing, imo.

That is what 'ruined' ERA for me. It's a very powerful instrument, but perhaps just a little too much.

I make this point because that is what I think always goes wrong with these things, and that is so easy to do in software. To try to load in too many features. Tim's Atomic, for example, is an example of something relatively simple and yet pretty powerful.

So, this can conceivably go any of several ways. The really simple, or perhaps something more involved. The Nortron camp, and then the Arp, Maq camp. Maybe this just means there is room for a regular version and a more advanced version.

In terms of examples on the hardware front, check out also the Signal Arts stand-alone one. Although the hardware is a bit short on knobs, etc., but I guess I would put that one in the more advanced camp.

[jonnyG]

The MAQ and Oberkorn are pretty dope but I'd really like a software Klee sequencer, especially if it had the flexibility of Numerology (with snapshots controlled by note, CC or program change).

i just want something simple dude; something i can load up in Live and start running sequences to VSTi's without using the piano roll...

Yeah, what's the point of overly complex sequencers when we all have piano rolls and automation?

I like the simplicity of Energy Pro...



Most of the gui relates to the synth, but the selectable panes for decay, gate etc are a sweet idea. I just wish it had a MIDI out..

[liqih]

Hi,

please read below for some more answers and info, with happy quoting!

Release: first release of step sequencer with daHornet update, surely inside the synth and posssibly also as MIDI out plugin.
Then, next year, it will be featured inside Evocative synth too, and with more functions.
Again the MIDI out plugin will be also updated.
The plugin will be both PC and Mac, just not sure about the MIDI out in AU.

The idea I'm working on is to have a simple alternative to piano rolls for MIDI loops sequencing,
so as
jonnyG: "Yeah, what's the point of overly complex sequencers when we all have piano rolls and automation? "

Well there is a point actually in these:

justin3am: "The MAQ and Oberkorn are pretty dope but I'd really like a software Klee sequencer, especially if it had the flexibility of Numerology (with snapshots controlled by note, CC or program change). "

justin3am: "step and hold modes" "have the pitch parameter control pitchbend"

Uncle E: the Latronic Notron?

Yes, as usual it all depends on the music you're making, and one machine architecture will lead or fit one kind of music best that others.

Sequent: "something that makes the Maq such a classic is that it's very simple and very intuitive"

by the MAQ16/3 page:

"All important parameters like first/last step, MIDI event type, MIDI channel, forward/backward/random/pendulum mode, gate time, tempo and so on are independently assigned to each row and can be changed in real time while the sequence is running. This enables very complex sequences. The rows may not only be used for generating note events but also other important MIDI events or for controlling the length of time for each step"

The MAQ is basically already included in every flexible software Host with its sequencer, you don't have the knobs but you can easily have
CC sequences at different speed and looped and different length.

So what we want a step sequncer plugin for?
So far it seems we have 2 schools
1) step sequencer for easy modulation
2) step sequencer for alternative composition

Personally I like everything in one view, I think that is the closest thing to hardware that we can do in software,
so my idea is to have the parameters I wrote, both for notes and modulation in a small GUI so that I could even stack 2 or 3 modules in one view.

topaz: "the one thing that always annoyed me about many step sequencers built into synths is they are stuck to one pattern"
and generally about pattern memories.

I see also that some of you would like a "ever changing" pattern, with controllable randomness, others would like a bank of selectable memories like in hardware, but with a plugin we also have the presets saved by the Host so IMHO we don't need many memories.

About a "ever changing" pattern, I already planned that, I like controllable chaos like in BDM ,

the Arp Sequencer is surely beatiful
http://www.vintagesynth.com/arp/arpseq.shtml
already covered by Arturia,

an interesting reading:
http://machines.hyperreal.org/manufactu ... uencer.txt

the Arp Sequencer is very simple, it get complex when you modulate it with other sources, right?
Again this is something very diffrerent between an analog modular synth and the VST modular world, What about the other programs, what do you think?
of Matryx, of StepChild
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2703.html
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/675.html

an old one
http://www.synthdiy.com/files/2007/system-104_seq.jpg

Gucky: defintion of the number of steps.
Perhaps for the defintion of the note a slider with a value-display( B3, C4..)

There are three reasons why I avoided slider in my design,
1) they take too much space,
2) the actual pitch can be negative or positive for the polarity state
3) using a draggable display you have the mouse functionality like a slider but you are less visually involved
with the melody, that should be interesting and alternative to piano rolls.

Tell me you opinions.

Shy, many thanks for the link to that thread, lot of necessary info there.

[loungedumore]

up to 32 Steps

303 style Slide and Accent

Reset

full set of dotted and triplet intervals

step resolution knob (for automation )

[whyterabbyt]

Ive got a MAQ 16/3 and based on that, what I'd like to see out of an analog sequencer style plugin would include:

• *) 4 or tabbed 'pages' of sequencer, running in parallel
  *) independent 'tempo divider' per page
  *) independent MIDI output channel per page
  *) 32 steps per 'row'
  *) independent length per row (2-32 active steps)
  *) 3 or more rows of multi-function 'pots', with a master 'type' for each row but also reassignable to different functions, on a pot-by-pot basis
  *) 3 or more rows of multi-value switches, with master type per row, but reassignable per-switch
  *) linear, step, random, LFO, and 'self-controlled' (1) sequencer patterns
  *) pot types include note, CC, velocity, gate-length etc all as absolute or offset
  *) switch types include gate, sequencer control, skip step etc
  *) each page assignable to a different MIDI channel, with smart merging of values at 'outputs'
  *) extensive midi-learn, including 'chording' (2) so that it can be used simply in conjunction with a controller with fewer knobs/controls than the sequencer has steps, as well as MIDI-learnable controls for sequence-related 'commands' like next/previous step, start/stop/reset/reverse et.c.

(1) various types of position 'commands' control programmable from switches, eg reset-to-zero, reset-to-random, reverse direction
(2) midi learn of more than one controller at a time, say a specific note and a CC, eg CC32 = step 8, but CC32 while C1 held = step 16

[liqih]

Thanks for the feedback,

whyterabbyt, nothing else?, <wink>


As I said I will start with a simple sequencer but I need to know in advance what I will add as new features so I organize the code for that,

[blurk]

As I said I will start with a simple sequencer but I need to know in advance what I will add as new features so I organize the code for that

Well, on the simple front, when you first announced this my immediate thought was an old shareware app whose name I had forgotten. But the step sequencer discussion has just resurfaced on the Bidule forum, and someone reminded me that it was a Windows app called Seq-303. What I liked about it was that it was dead simple to quickly start ideas.

[liqih]

Thanks blurk, thread on the Bidule forum?

[blurk]

Thanks blurk, thread on the Bidule forum?

Actually, there are two threads now. The oldest thread, which is the one with the most suggestions and detail is at http://www.plogue.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1452 (see the second page for the recently restarted discussion, while the earlier posts are probably still useful to find what features other people want) while a newer thread is at http://www.plogue.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3657.

[da_kata]

is it possible to add an "attack" parameter per step like the attack on a "vca" ?
a sharp attack can add a feeling like reverse...

[fceramic]

What Liqih should do is to have an envelope selection for each step. This would be extremely intuitive, but maybe a bit hard to program (?).

With this you can have some really flexible automation by linking different envelope curves to create new long envelops.

Other then that I would like to see a synth built like Effectrix, where key components each have its own row in an internal sequencer.

I guess my point is to have a unified envelope sequencer that is a lot less tedious then the one in Rapture or D Pro.

Please let me know if you want some help with the skinning or other designs (logo, font and all that jazz). Eventhough I mostly work with visual FX and illustration it would be fun to work on a GUI on the side.

http://tiftof.com/

[topaz]

time to wake up, was this plugin ever finished ?

[liqih]

not finished but I'm working on it! And I'm updating a lot of other projects meanwhile,
new features, and also struggling with Mac versions,

[paladium]

i use stepmachine vsti to emulate an analogue sequencer , i have it controlled with midifaderboxes, if you are going to do your take on it Luigi see that it has copy functions to easily copy knob sliders settings from one row to another
a patching matrix would be interesting too , sliders are better
how about ability to load a standard midifile or better to allow drag and drop from host miditrack into the rows?