Developer Dan Nigrin has announced that his software Klee Sequencer is now available. The app, available for Mac and Windows, is a software version of the Klee step sequencer.

Features:

• MIDI output to any hardware or software synths
• Internal or MIDI clock control
• 10 preset slots for instant recall of parameters
• Presets can be saved to and loaded from disk
• Built-in clock divide capability
• Synchronous load – loading of pattern happens on clock pulses, and not in between
• Load on Play feature to allow for loading of pattern each time clock started
• MIDI-controllable baseline note
• Custom definable note range allows for alternative scales

Klee Sequencer retails for $40. 15% of the net proceeds go to support electro-music.com. A demo version is available.

WOK has announced ClockWOrK, a MIDI step sequencer plug-in for Windows that promises to let you create hypnotic sequences like Klaus Schulze or Tangerine Dream.

Here’s an audio demo:

ClockWOrK Features:

• Clear and easy interface
• Number of steps selectable (up to 16)
• Note per step selectable from 3 octaves with display
• Additional row for velocity or MIDI CC
• Each step can be muted or skipped (!)
• Sequence transpose by MIDI input
• Selectable speed (clock divide)
• Manual step thru the sequence with button or MIDI key
• Reset to a specific step manually or on bar start
• Play only when MIDI key is pressed
• Random play
• Supports automation by your host (like “Learn” in Reaper or Energy or Novation Automap)
• MIDI-ouput; any plugin or synthesizer can be used as sound source

ClockWOrK will be available as a VST instrument plug-in for Windows PC. No release date has been announced.

via rekkerd

This video demonstrates ducino2’s BBox Drum Generator – an Arduino-based MIDI sequencer housed in a banana box:

The BBox Drum Generator is an Arduino-based Midi sequencer mounted inside a Banana Box. The BBox contains a few preset drumbeats. These drumbeats form the basis for a drum variation algorithm. The amount of introduced variations is controlled by the blue rotary knob.

The two top buttons navigate through the functions of the BBox. The two lower buttons change the value of the function.

The BBox only generates midi messages, the sound is generated by a Roland Juno-D.

More photos and info are available at the Projectify site.

via hackaday

Sugar Bytes’ Eloquence is a powerful MIDI step sequencer plugin that gives you control over just about all aspects of your favorite MIDI devices.

Description:

Use Eloquence to create varied and organic bass lines, screaming leads, pulsating chords, and organic pad sounds in the studio or on stage.

For live musicians, Eloquence provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard: you can transpose, manipulate, twist up, mutate, and mangle your patterns without even getting near your computer.

Eloquence is a plugin which can be used with any major Windows or Mac VST or AU host. This includes Cubase, Logic, Kore, and Ableton Live, among others. It is 100% MIDI compliant.

Eloquence will be released on August 15 and will cost 99€ / 129USD. Registered ERA users will receive a crossgrade offer for 69€ / 89USD.

This video demos Lennon Luks‘ sick matrix-style MIDI sequencer, his senior design project for earning his BS at Western Carolina University.

Luks summarizes the project like this:

This project was to design and construct a hardware MIDI control device that will aid an electronic musician in the performance of electronic music. The main intention was to give the user as much versatility as possible without the need of a helper application running on a computer, so the device can be used to control audio on any device that accepts MIDI data, whether it is a computer or not.

The main feature of this device is an 8×8 grid composed of 64 LED-lit buttons, which can be used as a step sequencer. Another feature of the device is 8 knobs, one to control the tempo of the sequencer, and 7 to control various audio parameters via MIDI.

The device also has an LCD for displaying various settings, the current tempo, and status of the sequencer. Five buttons are used for navigation through the menus on the LCD and for changing settings. Three other buttons are used to control the sequencer. The design is centered around the ATMEGA644 microcontroller and the firmware is written in C. The avr-gcc toolchain was used for the software development.

Luks’ matrix sequencer shares a lot with other designs, such as the monome or the APC40 – but Luks’ sequencer is designed to interface directly with instruments via MIDI, independent of a computer.

via hackaday

This is organofqwerty’s first attempt at a Tiction piece, triggering various instruments in Ableton Live 8.

About Tiction:

Tiction is a nodal music sequencer.

Each node represents an event, and a connection from one node to the next triggers the next event after a certain number of tics. Nodes send MIDI note messages and/or MIDI controller change messages when triggered. Connecting nodes in a circuit lets you start a repeating pattern when one of the nodes is triggered.

A node can change its pitch and controller values based on its position on the screen. When a node is triggered, it performs some physical action: either repelling or attracting other nearby nodes, or nudging itself in a random direction. The physical interaction between nodes allows you to construct complex, rhythmic melodies and effects without having to draw filter envelopes or touch a traditional sequencer.

It’s available as a free download for Mac, Windows & Linux.

This video demos MIDI clock control of Synthesizers.com Q960 analog sequencer.

via davidryle:

To control the clock timing for synchronizing to Cubase, this patch was created on my Synthesizers.com modular.

Future Retro has introduced a sextacular new MIDI/analog sequencer, the Future Retro Orb Sequencer.

It’s an evolution of the Roland TB-303 inspired sequencer that’s the heart of the company’s Mobius Sequencer, Future Retro 777 bassline synth and Revolution synth, but redesigned as part of FR’s XS analog synth line.

While the Orb offers a fraction of the connectivity options of Future Retro’s earlier Mobius sequencer, it has a much more elegant design and some unique sequencing options.

The Future Retro Orb Sequencer retails for $550.

Details below.

If you’ve used the Orb, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Description:

The Orb is a single track, step-based digital sequencer, designed to be ideal for controlling Future Retro’s XS semi-modular synthesizer, as well as other analog CV/Gate or MIDI synthesizers. The Orb is also a perfect solution for controlling 303 clones which often lack the essential sequencer.

According to Future Retro’s Jared Flickinger:

The Orb provides an intuitive interface that we feel most accurately represents the principles of time and music. From ancient sundials to modern day analog clocks, time has been represented as the circle, a cycle which never ends. For time itself is nothing more than our perception of the revolution of planets as they journey through their celestial orbit. It is this motion that we call time that can be measured, divided, and arranged to provide the foundation of music. This circular cyclic theme can furthermore be found throughout music in everything from song structure and repeating rhythms to the fundamentals of sound itself, being the sine wave. With this understanding we must conclude that music is cyclic and should so be represented in its natural form.

The Orb sequencer is housed in a rugged aluminum chassis with a high contrast white on gun metal grey finish for easy viewing of controls in dark environments, and bright blue LEDs all around. New spherical switches allow quick selection of multiple steps by sweeping through the surface of step keys.

The Sequencer

The sequencer’s interface is circular, which provides several benefits over the traditional linear-style step sequencers. Visually, it is easier to divide a measure of music into equal parts. The circular interface also provides a more intuitive way of displaying patterns playing as cyclic loops, either forwards or reverse, and will help you better understand the underlying geometric symmetries used throughout the remixing process. This design also allows the user to carry out all sequencing functions with a single hand.

There are 256 recordable patterns available, each recording note duration, pitch, accent , glide, loop point, time signature, and swing amount. Pattern editing features include copy/paste, pattern shifting, pattern transposing, multiple pattern cueing for chaining patterns together live, and LED chase. In addition, all pattern editing and recording can be done while the sequencer is running, and it will automatically save all your edits so you don’t have to stop creating.

The Orb also provides the ability to play patterns forwards or backwards, as well as remotely select patterns to play using MIDI program change messages.

There are 16 songs to arrange the patterns in, each recording its tempo, the bank/pattern for each step, the transposition of each step, and the song’s loop point. Each of the 16 songs can contain up to 3,580 measures, and multiple songs may be chained together so they play sequentially.

In addition, the Orb provides a Remix feature, which gives 256 variations for every pattern and song, for more than 65,000 possible patterns right out of the box.

Patterns and songs can be backed up via SysEx dumps to other Orb units, Revolution units, or your computer. In addition, all patterns and songs created in the Orb can be played in the Revolution units, just as all Revolution patterns and songs can be played in the Orb.

Interfacing

The Orb provides separate 1/4″ jacks for the CV out (1V/oct standard) with adjustable Glide Time control, Gate out (positive polarity type, 0 to +12V), and Accent out (positive polarity type gate, 0 to +10v) for playing most analog synthesizers. Or if you prefer, the Orb can act as a MIDI to CV converter allowing any MIDI keyboard/controller, or sequencer to contol an analog synthesizer. It’s also possible to sync most pre-MIDI analog sequencers and arpeggiators to MIDI clock by using the Gate out signal as a programmable clock source.

MIDI In/Thru/Out are all provided for syncing playback with external sequencers, playing MIDI sound modules, or using the Orb as a MIDI to CV converter.

Specifications:

• Number of Patterns: 256 patterns (16 banks x 16 patterns each)
• Recorded Pattern Content: note duration, pitch, accent, glide, loop point, time signature, swing amount
• Number of Steps Per Pattern: 3/4 time = 12 steps, 4/4 time = 16 steps max
• Note Pitch Range: C1 – D#6 (internal), C2 – D#7 (MIDI)
• Loop Point: 1 to 16 notes per pattern to loop
• Pattern Transpose: from -36 to +36 semitones
• Other Pattern Features: pattern remixing, play patterns forwards or backwards, copy and paste patterns, pattern shifting, permanent pattern transposing, multiple pattern cueing (for chaining patterns together live), LED chase, real-time editing of pattern information while the sequencer is playing or stopped, sequencer automatically saves all editing
• Remix: 256 instant variations for playing each pattern and song
• Number of Songs: 16
• Number of Steps Per Song: up to 3,580 measures each
• Recorded Song Content: tempo, bank/pattern for each step, transpose value for each step, song loop point
• Song Pattern Transpose: from -36 to +36 semitones for each song step
• Tempo Range: from 20 to 250 beats per minute
• MIDI Functions: on/off, channel selectable from 1-16, Program Change messages for selecting patterns remotely
• MIDI Sync: internal or external
• MIDI Sysex: for backing up patterns and songs (sysex dumps compatible with the Revolution synthesizer)
• MIDI Data: note on/off, pitch, velocity (transmitted and received)
• MIDI to CV Converter: Converts internal patterns or external MIDI note data into control voltage, gate, and accent signals for controlling other analog synthesizers
• MIDI: in, thru, out
• 1/4″ Jacks: v/oct CV out, +12v gate out (positive polarity), +10v accent out (positive polarity)12 volt AC input, current rating of 1 amp or 1,000 mA7″ length, 6″ width, 2.75″ height
• 1.75 lbs.

Warranty

• The Orb comes with a 1 year limited warranty covering any failure of components being electric or mechanical.
• For your warranty to be effective, you must register your unit within 30 days of purchase.
• Any modifications done to the Orb automatically void the warranty!

Here are a couple of videos that demo Matt Mower’s Elysium, a new visual generative sequencer. 

Here’s how he describes it:

1. Elysium is a sequencer, that means it’s designed to produce sequences of notes that can be layered to form music.
2. Elysium uses MIDI which means that it doesn’t make sounds itself but can drive MIDI based synthesizers, samplers, and other instruments. It also means that Elysium’s output can be recorded, and manipulated, in a DAW such as Logic or Ableton Live.
3. Elysium is generative which relates to the way the music is created by building up a “system” composed of layers, cells, tokens, and playheads that combined, when “played”, to produce a sequence of notes.

Click here to view the embedded video.

In this piece Elysium is played through Logic 8 with the Sculpture synth patch “Classic Marimba” loaded.

This is a demo of the GorF, a minimal step MIDI sequencer that offers analog-style sequencing.

It sends MIDI notes and velocity on a user selectable MIDI channel, along with two MIDI CC’s (user selectable. the GorF offers variable sequence length. You can also turn steps on an off using the buttons, though this is not demo’d.

The sound is coming from the MonowaveII sound skin.

via Vaco Loco

Genoqs Octopus Sequencer 1

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a short tutorial on the Genoqs Octopus that shows how to use custom direction maps and step events to perform a simple modification on how a sequence plays.

Genoqs Octopus Sequencer 2

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a demo of how to build a basic arpeggiator on the Genoqs Octopus sequencer.

Genoqs Octopus Sequencer3

Click here to view the embedded video.

This is a short tutorial on the Genoqs Octopus on building multiple clusters and automatically switching between them. This is useful for building song structures or moving between songs in a live performance.

Políssonos is a free loop-based MIDI sequencer for Mac & PC designed to “elicit the relation between the rhythmical division of time and the shapes of polygons.”

A simple midi sequencer at its core, Políssonos is mainly a proposal for a loop orientated alternative to the traditional “piano roll” interface.