This is very unusual but compelling due to it’s low cost.
$123 for an 8 step CV/Expression output sequencer in pedal format. Time divisions, midi input, presets, # of steps and more. Expand to 99 presets with an add on programmer. Pretty funky.
Doesn’t have any notion of GATE, however and doesn’t seem to have a clock output which could have been used to drive a gate sequencer or even a single gate input on a synth and that’s a shame; but even with what appears to be shortcomings, this thing might have a home on your pedal board especially if you are into Foogers and want presets.
very interesting. I can surely use one or two of these for some of my foogers and such.
Too bad it doesnt have any kind of clock input aside from midi.
What would make it really useful, as an accompaniment to MoogerFoogers would be for it to have say 4 channels and just a bunch of presets also.
Sort of like a MP-201 but without the EXP pedal (but with the EXP input as they have here) in addition to the sequencer. The other great add would be the 8 step gate switches and a gate out.
Jack the price up to $150 if need be, it will be worlds more useful.
Yeah! I saw that one yesterday and thought about posting here!
EHX is obviously aiming guitars geeks more than synth geeks, which explains why there is no gate. Maybe they are taking a curve into making both modules and pedals, like Malekko or Snazzy FX…
…plugging that one into the pitch CV in of the Phatty, and having the same Phatty MIDI syncing it, the arpegiattor could become a sequencer à la SH-101…
I suppose if you got creative with it you could make it a “gate” signal of sorts… You would just have to stop and reset the sequence each time…
And yes from a bassist / guitarist perspective it is a pretty neat tool. I wonder what voltages they have used as maximums, and if they have considered competitor gear or only EHX stuff?
Also would be interesting to see exactly what the midi in controls… If its only rate, that would be a shame…
I suppose you could sync this via midi with an MP201, then have the MP201 output a square wave (offset of course) as the gate.
Might take some fiddling to get the timing right, but I think you could imitate a “real” sequencer that way. Though synths with s trig will sound kind of off time.
This might fit my needs perfectly. Depends on the voltage range. Gate is not an issue as I use midi for note pitch and length. Just planning to using it as a mod source on my LP and x0xb0x filter cutoff CV in mod. Glide on/off per step would have been great but for the price. CC controllable probably to much to ask, but hopefully it responds to transport. Glide on/off and clock divide change by CC would be a huge bonus.
Probably a very dumb question, but…would something like this allow me to run a note sequence on my Voyager Old School? I’ve been looking for a sequencer for a while that isn’t too expensive but don’t know much about them. Thanks
Not exactly. External clock is a signal you send into the sequencer. Short story: in order to run, a sequencer needs a clock. Most of the time, it has its own (internal) clock. However you may want to synchronize it to any other equipment and then you tell the sequencer to run on an “external clock”.
In my previous post, I was rather talking about the signal the sequencer outputs. Let me explain. When you play your Voyager Old School keyboard, two things happen (amongst others):
a gate signal is generated and is sent to the envelopes so that they start evolving, especially the amp envelope which allows the audio signal to pass through
a CV signal is generated and sent to the oscillators so that they know which note to sing.
The EHX 8 step thingy is a CV sequencer, meaning it generates only the pitch part of the above mentioned envents (BTW, you will be able to plug into whatever CV input you want: filter, etc.). You still need something that triggers the envelopes so that the signal is audible, aka a gate generator of any sort, to run in sync with the 8 step sequencer.
The suggestion to accompany with an MP-201 is a good one (square wave clocked to Midi) if you have one.
Another is to get/use a Kenton Pro Solo Midi-CV or if you have modular, any of the Midi-CV converts usually have clock out, some with more control than others.
Pittsburgh Modular sells one that does duophonic CV out from Midi and a clock output for about $150 (not sure how clock division works, however it seems pretty simple from the panel).
The Dopefer MCV2 (about $100) converts Midi to Sync24 output but also has a 1/8" output that can be used as clock depending on the type of gear you are driving (dip switches select on the 24 ppq are converted into a clock signal; I use this to drive my STG Time Modules and you might benefit if you have old Roland gear).
Or if you feel like inhaling some solder, have a look at this: http://www.maxmidi.com/diy/metro/index.html and extend the design to take the red LED voltage into an op-amp circuit to generate a clock; there are plenty of very simple LFO schematics using a minimum of components that can be borrowed from to create a circuit that does the clock portion of Midi to CV for gate only.
You can also do this with your DAW depending on what type of audio interface you have. Certainly, Expert Sleepers is a good solution but if you had that you could use it for everything (sequencing of analog CV gear, etc). One of the guys on Muffs created a WAV of a pulse that you can drop into Logic or whatever and just drag across intervals (1/8 notes or 1/4 notes for instance); again, if you have a DC coupled audio interface you can output that (it’s a strong enough signal on the voltage scale to make most CV gear react as if a leading edge gate signal is coming in). If you are interested in trying it, let me know and I’ll dig it up.
Obviously if you want a somewhat lo-tech solution (no laptop), this is out of the question. (I’m that way) I strongly suggest either picking up a MP-201 or a Kenton. On the used market, the latter can be had for $150-$200 on eBay. Sure that doubles, and then some, the cost of the Sequencer above, but it provides a bunch of other modular type functions that you might not otherwise have access to.
Certainly the most elegant solution, and the most useful for other MoogerFooger purposes is the MP-201.
I’m really looking for a low(ish) cost single unit that will run note sequences while I’m turning knobs, etc. “On the Run” type stuff. I have a simple setup (voyager os, 351, mxr delay) and will hopefully add a ring mod soon.
In that case, a Baby10 variant will serve you well. Has a built in clock or can be clocked from you square wave out of the VX-351 that way you mod wheel can be timed if you want that.
I bought the kit, sans enclosure years ago but never built it. It’s simple enough to assemble, the board is large, well marked etc. The whole thing is based on a 555 timer + 4017 decade counter IC + a simple buffer/stage output.
These pop up all the time on ebay. In some cases, somebody put it into a curly maple box and wants $400 for it. In other cases it’s in an altoid tin (nearly). One thing to keep in mind is that unless you have a very good ear, you won’t have any quantizing going on. All of the pots used are Alpha type (same as what is in your voyager likely) so no worries there.
Well first off, the first few seconds of this video are the best of all time because Mike Matthews looks awesome in a beard! First I thought it was Lee Sklar and I thought “what the hell is he doing there”.
Fast fwd to 4:10 for the ‘demo’ of the sequencer. Clearly the guy that was demo’ng AND the guy that was to do all of the talking have no idea why somebody would use such a device. Via HOG, he’s got it mapped to non musical harmonics, aka mayhem as if S+H was mapped to generate arbitrary pitch.
There must be better demos out there… anybody got any?
Wait, if you left the gate open (via the handy dandy switch on the right half of the machine) and just ran the EHX sequencer into the pitch, you could sequence the pitches?
(I dont have my voyager OS yet… or an EHX sequencer… just spit-ballin)
It certainly would but the envelopes wouldn’t fire so it would be rather blah…
But what you could do if you have a Voyager is have the LFO sync’d to clock (and the sequencer running by clock), LFO running square wave patched into gate. I don’t have a Voyager, just a poor Old School owner here.
Another option would be to just have the LFO run Gate according to it’s own free running clock. It would be perfectly sync’d to the step but it would enable better timbres.
Shame the EHX doesn’t have an analog voltage clock in.
