I need an current production, desktop, analogue sequencer that most closely supports the Little Phatty’s +/-5V CV range & 0V=Off/+5V=ON gating requirements WITHOUT the need to buy the CP-251 or any other unit to make it compatible. CV is preferrable but MIDI would suffice considering I’m at the end of my rope in selecting a unit.
Sequentix P3 (looks pretty good but out of production) Elektron Music Machines (too many other functions) Future Retro Mobius (needs the CP-251 & is out of production anyway) Oberkorm MK3 (a possibility but rack-mount & don’t need the I/O) Surfin Sequencer (rack-mount) Technosaurus Cyclodon (too old, etc.) Voice of Saturn Synthesizer (too simple, no gating or silent steps)
Contenders:
1. Spectral Audio Cyclus 3 (MIDI only) 2. MFB Step64 (too many functions buried in boot-up keystrokes) 3. Future Retro Orb (very nice unit but probably needs the CP-251 to provide -5 to +5v right?)
I realize sequencers come up in threads from time to time but I REALLY would like to have a simple, yet capable & new unit that actually works with the Little Phatty out of the box.
Here is what I am considering, and it might work for you too:
The DotCom Q119. Sure, it’s modular, but DotCom offers something that I think a lot of people overlook: The QPS2 is an AC to DC wall wart power supply with 8 module connectors on the end, and it only costs $95. There, you’ve got your power all set up, and no need to mess with dangerous live AC voltage. You could rack mount it, or build a simple wooden case for it.
Man its like you have too much criteria the unit must pass before its perfect.
Im wondering why a sequencer really needs to be 1 vpo or match up with a synths voltages. Im thinking that if you tuned a sequencer to play a C on your Phatty, and the next stage to play a D…it should be able to get around the voltage differences, its just sending a different voltage but getting the same note.
Right?
I wish you would have listed the prices of all of those sequencers because Im in the exact same boat. I need a sequencer bad for when my T3 arrives.
Orb + CP seems like the best route for you. You’re going to want the CP unit to attenuate the Orb’s gate signal (+12v) as it’s too hot for LP (+5v). You might also want the CP so that the Orb’s CV out can be tweaked to match the LP’s needs for .93V/oct. You’d probably also want a CP so that the Orb’s accent (+10v) can be attenuated down for use w/ say the filter cv in on the LP
Regardless of what unit you get, I highly suggest getting a CP unit, they are really useful to ensure your non-Moog toys play nicely w/ Moog stuff.
Future Retro is a really cool company, support them and their awesome sequencer!
You could also spend 200 more and get a 303 clone thrown in…
EricK: Sorry mate. To make it short, I’d just like to have a simple desktop sequencer that work out of the box with the LP.
CTRLSHFT: Tks as always… I usually throw this topic up once/year & you never fail to advise. I use the Magic-6 MF’s with my guitar so a CP-251 would mostly just sit there providing compatibility support to a hardware sequencer for the Phatty. I was hoping for a simpler solution.
I understand the MFB-64 is 1v/Oct implying 0 to +5v CV output, it halves the # octaves it can reach by not supporting the -5 to 0v, correct?
Why shouldn’t I consider the MIDI sequencers like the MFB-64 or Spectral Audio Cyclus 3 http://www.spectralaudio.ch/cyclus3.htm & forget the incompatibilies with the others?
The Cyclus looks pretty damned good with its display (which helps configuration & settings) as opposed to booting the MFB-64 with certain buttons held down to set things up. ick.
That’s a good question about supporting negative voltage values on the MFB. I know my XS stops responding when I go below a certain point when using my Little Phatty to control it, so it’s probably a good bet that it has something to do w/ that limitation. I’m not sure if the Orb has that issue as well or not, but keep in mind you can always transpose down an octave on the sequencer (at least w/ FR products dunno about MFB), that should probably give you enough breathing room to do what you need to do. Short of testing this stuff out I’m not sure what else you can do unless you can find somebody who has used the MFB before.
The boot-up keystrokes are not a problem at all. There’s one for 5 vs. 10V gate voltage, and another for pos. vs. neg. gate voltage. If you’re using only your LP, you set these once and never have to mess with them again.
The other boot-up options are which mode you want to use…these I vary, usually between mode 1 (one 16-step sequence with 4 different CV controls), or mode 3 (4 x simultaneous 16-step sequences). So I hold down either Seq1 button or Seq3 button when I press the ON switch…big deal. That is the boot-up keystroke hassle you are complaining about.
I love mine. For 325 clams, I can simultaneously control 4 voices…3 from my dotcom system and another from my Voyager OS. Usually I run in mode 3 with 3 sequences running my dotcom, one being a bass line, while I fool around playing lead lines over the top of the mess with my OS.
The Step64 can store 118 sequences in each mode memory bank (there are 4), and can store 16 songs. That means, when I’m in mode 3, I can gang together a string of up to 128 sequences, chosen from any or all of the 118 in the memory bank. Ordering sequences together into songs, with 3 simultaneous sequences happening, it’s enough to make you crazy.
The midi out on the Step64 connects to my MFB 502 analog drum machine and syncs the clocks together. The 502 has its own memory, and drum patches and fills can be strung together into songs.
The “key,” or starting note that the Step64 is playing can be changed by playing different keys on a midi keyboard connected to the Step64’s midi in jack.
For a small box, it controls a helluva lot. don’t get hung up on the boot-up thing…it’s not a problem. In fact I never think about it.
1V/oct is positive only. 5 octave range. If you want wide range, you program starting in range C3 (it goes from C1 to C6 and everything in between) and set your steps from there, giving you a couple of octaves in either direction. I believe C1 is -zero- volts.
If you’re running steps programed down in the C1 range and hit a key on your controller (LP, Voyager or external midi keyboard) that takes you below -zero-, the sound gets bumped up to the C5-6 range…apparantly the voltage, when triggered into the below -zero- range, gets bumped up to the highest octave.
Good info, thanks. All things considered I’ve never really had an issue w/ this before w/ my mobius which has the same limitation, you are able to get rediculously low if you want.
program the sequencer using its lowest range, and use your keyboard’s lowest octave switch setting…that will be as low as you can go. which will probably be low enough.
