HY-SEQ16x3v2

I've hesitated to write a review of this, because I just can't decide if my unbounded enthusiasm for it is is just too wrapped up in my own way of making music. But here goes. . .

It's a step sequencer. It is heavily inspired by old-school step sequencers of the sort you'd use with a modular rig (in particular, the Doepfer MAQ16/3, but the basic design is found everywhere on old hardware). As with those old units, you turn knobs to set pitch and then it will repeat a sequence for you.

But what this really is, is that old-school workflow re-imagined with lots of modern amenities. So there's actually three sequencers on this unit. And LFOs. And built in scales. And randomization functions. And ways to set gate ratios, and swing, and probabilities, and velocities, and. .. you get the picture. It's not the kind of full-blown music creation environment that you get with Numerology, but as a mono-note step sequencer it might actually be more feature-rich. It's something like Sugar Bytes Thesys, perhaps, but it's easier to get way out into bonkers territory with it, and I think the UI is actually a lot nicer. And certainly, it's cheaper than either of those two. It is not an arpeggiator. It knows nothing of chords. It would be painful to program drums with it. But honestly, if you want to control a synthesizer in the "classical" manner, this is -- I think -- the best piece of software out there. Very niche, but absolutely dead on.

The developer has a real thing for step sequencers, and has coded several. It's very well put together, and rock solid.