I recently started to look into step sequencers (again) and I put some thougts and tips together to show how a step sequencer can work in Mulab. I'm doing two parts: part 1 for the use with internal (software) instruments and part 2 for use with external (hardware) instruments.
Since recently, I am the proud owner of a Vermona PerFourMer (4xmono synth and VERY satisfying experience),
which gave me some headache how to run it properly.
Part1: We look into the following 3 scenarios
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 VST instrument
2) 1 step sequencer running several VST instruments
3) several step sequencer running 1 (multimode) VST instrument
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 VST instrument
This is the easy and standard way in Mulab. The step sequencer is setup in slot 1 and the VST just behind in the next slot. You might need to take care of proper midi channels for both, but usually this is not necessary.
To transpose the step sequencer you simply select the rack and play the notes or create sequences in Mulab routen to this rack.
2) 1 step sequencer running several VST instruments
The challenge is, how to run several instrument from one event source, the step sequencer, that is sitting in a rack slot. There are two ways i want to discuss here.
a) you don't want to go into Mulab's modular area
You setup your second, third instrument in the next racks. Then, below your step sequencer, you make room for Sends and create a Send to each rack. In the above picture you see that a event connection (blue line) is created that sends note events to the other rack.
If your step sequencer can send notes on different midi channels, you might need to insert midi channel splitter before each instrument and give them the required midi channel. If your VST can select an midi input channel, that the splitter is not necessary.
Please note that the splitter needs to go into a MUX as when putting it directly into a rack slot you can't edit the output midi channel.
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Please read on in the next post...
Step Sequencers in Mulab - How to setup
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 855 posts since 3 Mar, 2009
b) there is a slightly different way, where you put the step sequencer in it's own rack and in Mulab's modular area (Session MUX) you manually connect the sequencer rack event output with all the other rack's event input.
... continuing
Looks a bit neater.
In case your step sequencer sends notes on different midi channels, the midi channel selection from above is necessary.
This scenario also works when you use several VSTs for your drum sound. One VST for the kick, one VST for the snare, etc. In this case you are likely to have all kit pieces on one midi channel and you replace the Midi Channel Splitter with a Note Key/Vel Filter module and single out your kick note etc.
3) several step sequencer running 1 (multimode) VST instrument
Now for the case where you have a nice multi timbral VST instrument (Kontakt, Halion, etc.) and you are using several step sequencers, every one targeting a different sound on a different midi channel. This is also a nice way to run regular sequences, instead of the step sequencers, into a multi timbral instrument!
The trick here is to use the racks not for audio but for midi events.
First setup one rack that has the multimode VST in it, in my picture the Multimode VST rack.
Then setup your racks with copies of your step sequencer, or create tracks/sequences routed to these racks.
Now right click on the racks output, the one that usually reads Master, and select Show Event Output!
From now on you will see where events will go from these racks. Click on that output and select the Multimode VST rack.
You can now play with each rack in turn and all will play the VST sound set on midi channel 1.
Setup in each rack a Midi Channel Remapper before the output. Edit each Remapper for midi channel 1 set to the required target channel in the VST.
In the picture above a case is shown where you use step sequencers with one midi channel only and you can see how the Remapper is set for mapping midi channel 1 to midi channel 3, which will trigger the sound on channel 3 in the VST.
Coming soon, the same for external hardware instruments...
I hope this is useful...
... continuing
Looks a bit neater.
In case your step sequencer sends notes on different midi channels, the midi channel selection from above is necessary.
This scenario also works when you use several VSTs for your drum sound. One VST for the kick, one VST for the snare, etc. In this case you are likely to have all kit pieces on one midi channel and you replace the Midi Channel Splitter with a Note Key/Vel Filter module and single out your kick note etc.
3) several step sequencer running 1 (multimode) VST instrument
Now for the case where you have a nice multi timbral VST instrument (Kontakt, Halion, etc.) and you are using several step sequencers, every one targeting a different sound on a different midi channel. This is also a nice way to run regular sequences, instead of the step sequencers, into a multi timbral instrument!
The trick here is to use the racks not for audio but for midi events.
First setup one rack that has the multimode VST in it, in my picture the Multimode VST rack.
Then setup your racks with copies of your step sequencer, or create tracks/sequences routed to these racks.
Now right click on the racks output, the one that usually reads Master, and select Show Event Output!
From now on you will see where events will go from these racks. Click on that output and select the Multimode VST rack.
You can now play with each rack in turn and all will play the VST sound set on midi channel 1.
Setup in each rack a Midi Channel Remapper before the output. Edit each Remapper for midi channel 1 set to the required target channel in the VST.
In the picture above a case is shown where you use step sequencers with one midi channel only and you can see how the Remapper is set for mapping midi channel 1 to midi channel 3, which will trigger the sound on channel 3 in the VST.
Coming soon, the same for external hardware instruments...
I hope this is useful...
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 855 posts since 3 Mar, 2009
Part2: We look into the following 3 scenarios
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 external hardware instrument
2) 1 step sequencer running several external hardware instruments
3) several step sequencer running 1 external harware (multimode) instrument
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 external hardware instrument
Here we are in good old midi land and audio is made outside the box.
So, as we finished in the previous post, the rack outputs have to change to Event Output and in this particular case, route the rack directly to your midi out.
If you have activated all necessary midi out ports in the Mulab Midi Setup, all outputs should show up in the rack output menu.
2) 1 step sequencer running several external hardware instruments
This is again very similar to the scenario with the VST instruments, but now we need all racks to connect to the relevant external instruments, which means connect to midi out modules.
Mulab does not support to connect one rack output with several other racks. So, you need to enter the modular area and connect your step sequencer directly to the other racks. These racks in turn need to be connected directly to one midi output.
The racks are needed only for the Midi Channel Splitter, or the Note Key Filter modules.
By the way, the mute/solo of the racks does not work with events. For a Mute, you can use a MUX with Event In and Event Out, but delete the connection. If this MUX sits in a rack switched OFF, events pass through, switched ON, no events will be sent.
3) several step sequencer running 1 external (multimode) hardware instrument
Again, basically the same setup as with the VSTs, but events only.
In the picture I created a Midi Master rack to combine all midi streams and send them out to one midi output.
Again, the Midi Channel Remapper modules might be necessary to get different midi channels from the step sequencers. If you use regular sequences on Mulab tracks, you canset the midi channel per track and sequence and the Remappers are not needed.
If I have missed something, please let me know!
Have fun!
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 external hardware instrument
2) 1 step sequencer running several external hardware instruments
3) several step sequencer running 1 external harware (multimode) instrument
1) 1 step sequencer running 1 external hardware instrument
Here we are in good old midi land and audio is made outside the box.
So, as we finished in the previous post, the rack outputs have to change to Event Output and in this particular case, route the rack directly to your midi out.
If you have activated all necessary midi out ports in the Mulab Midi Setup, all outputs should show up in the rack output menu.
2) 1 step sequencer running several external hardware instruments
This is again very similar to the scenario with the VST instruments, but now we need all racks to connect to the relevant external instruments, which means connect to midi out modules.
Mulab does not support to connect one rack output with several other racks. So, you need to enter the modular area and connect your step sequencer directly to the other racks. These racks in turn need to be connected directly to one midi output.
The racks are needed only for the Midi Channel Splitter, or the Note Key Filter modules.
By the way, the mute/solo of the racks does not work with events. For a Mute, you can use a MUX with Event In and Event Out, but delete the connection. If this MUX sits in a rack switched OFF, events pass through, switched ON, no events will be sent.
3) several step sequencer running 1 external (multimode) hardware instrument
Again, basically the same setup as with the VSTs, but events only.
In the picture I created a Midi Master rack to combine all midi streams and send them out to one midi output.
Again, the Midi Channel Remapper modules might be necessary to get different midi channels from the step sequencers. If you use regular sequences on Mulab tracks, you canset the midi channel per track and sequence and the Remappers are not needed.
If I have missed something, please let me know!
Have fun!
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- KVRAF
- 13865 posts since 24 Jun, 2008 from Europe
A third way is to put a MUX in a rack, put the step sequencer and all instruments in that MUX and connect things there.AndreasD wrote:2) 1 step sequencer running several VST instruments
The challenge is, how to run several instrument from one event source, the step sequencer, that is sitting in a rack slot. There are two ways i want to discuss here.
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- KVRAF
- 13865 posts since 24 Jun, 2008 from Europe
Allow me to rephrase this: The rack UI does not support connecting that rack's output to multiple other racks, but this can be done in the modular area containing that rack.AndreasD wrote:Mulab does not support to connect one rack output with several other racks.
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- KVRAF
- 13865 posts since 24 Jun, 2008 from Europe
Note that the new Channel Remapper module will be available in the next M6.4.7 update, it's not yet in M6.4.5.AndreasD wrote:Setup in each rack a Midi Channel Remapper before the output.
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- KVRAF
- 13865 posts since 24 Jun, 2008 from Europe
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- KVRAF
- 3161 posts since 28 Mar, 2008 from a Galaxy S7 far far away
You da man! 
thanks for the tips I always use my emx1 for step sequencing but will certainly give this a go. Especially using my new miniNova.
Cheers Andreas
thanks for the tips I always use my emx1 for step sequencing but will certainly give this a go. Especially using my new miniNova. Cheers Andreas
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- KVRAF
- 7412 posts since 8 Feb, 2003 from London, UK
Heh... and I was hoping for the final instalment to be sending MIDI out from the step sequencer to the hardware synth and then taking the audio back into MuLab and through an effects rack for processing as part of the overall project, alongside some VST synths . (You may need some delay compensation...)
. (You may need some delay compensation...)-
- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 855 posts since 3 Mar, 2009
According to http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 5#p6067039 it is in M6.4.5 and according to the changelog in http://www.mutools.com/forsythia/ folder it's in since 6.4.4.mutools wrote:Note that the new Channel Remapper module will be available in the next M6.4.7 update, it's not yet in M6.4.5.AndreasD wrote:Setup in each rack a Midi Channel Remapper before the output.
What I want to say is, the midi channel remapper is in the open.
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 855 posts since 3 Mar, 2009
Hardware synths are a lot tighter in timing. That will compensate for the roundtrip. I think you don't need to compensatepljones wrote:Heh... and I was hoping for the final instalment to be sending MIDI out from the step sequencer to the hardware synth and then taking the audio back into MuLab and through an effects rack for processing as part of the overall project, alongside some VST synths
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- KVRAF
- 13865 posts since 24 Jun, 2008 from Europe
Oops you're right, sorry, i was confused by that other new module added in M6.4.6, the "Note Dispatcher". Indeed the "MIDI Channel Remapper" is already available.AndreasD wrote:According to http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 5#p6067039 it is in M6.4.5 and according to the changelog in http://www.mutools.com/forsythia/ folder it's in since 6.4.4. What I want to say is, the midi channel remapper is in the open.