Step Sequencers - why do they have to be so conformist?

[Paul Maddox]

Paul,

> Hi Paul (no internet for last 24 hours..)

awww, that sucks....

> Sounds hot!!  If you can get some of this stuff into hardware, it would get
> lots of interest.

ok, let's go through this.

>
> Some more info on the M185 from AH (sounds frickin ACE!):
>
> -------------------
> Basically, this sequencer works by advancing the pattern through (up to) 8
> stages.

>  Each stage can have have anywhere from 1 to 8 clock pulses that are
> advanced through.

I don't know how many different note lengths there are in GorF, but
they go from 1/8 of a beat (i.e. 32 per 4/4 bar) to 1 bar... so you
can have a single step that is a beat long, then 2 half beat steps,
and so on, I think there's like 32 different lengths including
triplets and such.

> Each stage has a note value.

Well, it kinda goes without saying, would be a pretty shit sequencer
without this :-), GorF does this.

>  The stage operates in 1 of
> 4 possible gate modes:  Mute, Single, Multi, and Held.

let's do this one mode at a time.

>  In mute mode, the stage is silent for however many clocks it is set for.

With GorF you "disable" a step, the time the step is "on" still
applies but no note/gate is sent.

>In single mode, the
> note triggers for the first clock of the stage, and then it is silent for
> the remainder of clocks (if any) in the stage.

This is the normal mode for GorF, you enable it, it plays a note and
stops, the note duration is half the step length. so if you have a
note set on one beat duration, the "gate" time is 1/2 a beat.

>  In multi mode, the note is
> retriggered for each clock of the stage.

This it doesn't do, but I have been thinking about adding it.

> Finally, in held mode, a single
> note is held for the duration of all of the clock pulses of the stage.

in GorF you can use a legato mode, when enable that steps "note off"
isn't played until the next steps note on is sent.

in addition, you can change the velocity of each step and send 2 midi
CC values per step and pattern chaining (so you can get 16 step
sequencers).

Probably best explained in the videos;
GorF Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqOCyT9hetI
GorF Part 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2CtahUnbvU

in the demo video for Tron, I use a Tron and a GorF with GorF playing
the bass line from "Hard Times" by the human league, this has
different length steps.

Paul
P.s. Yes, I'm planning another run of GorF kits when I've sold more Tron kits.