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So, I'm trying to decide on what to use to play/control my SV-1 Blackbox. I've decided to make this my birthday present to myself, and my budget's $200. So far I'm thinking about using a microbrute, or getting a good interface and some apps to use with my ipad? I'm very open to other suggestions.

iPad:
-pros: potential to sequence multiple things at the same time and have long sequences. Being able to record stuff.
-cons: it's an ipad. I don't really like using computers for music stuff.

Microbrute:
-pros: expands the patching ability of the SV-1. has a flexible sequencer. is a kickass synth on its own. the sequencer can be transposed easily.
-cons: only sends midi via usb and would need to be modded to send midi any other way (i can sequence the sv-1 using the pitch and gate outputs, though). only sequences one thing.

What do you folks think? Is there something else I should consider? The beatstep pro looks promising, but I don't know how much fun it'd be to use as this kind of sequencer? Also, I don't want the SQ-1, it's a little too simple for what I want to do.

I think you'll get a lot of replies saying Beatstep. I have a Beatstep Pro coming this week to use with my 0-coast, I'll report back!

Perhaps a keystep? You can use the iPad as a regular sequencer (I guess?) and the keystep has a sequencer and stuff in it too

worra wrote:I think you'll get a lot of replies saying Beatstep. I have a Beatstep Pro coming this week to use with my 0-coast, I'll report back!

please do! Are you going to be sequencing anything else at the same time? This seems like a good solution because you can sequence multiple things via midi at the same time. Unless I'm mistaken on that?

fcknoise wrote:Perhaps a keystep? You can use the iPad as a regular sequencer (I guess?) and the keystep has a sequencer and stuff in it too

This does feel like the obvious answer... Though, I feel weird buying a standalone controller that only has the ability to sequence one thing? I know the microbrute has the same restriction, but it has the benefit of also being a rad synth

I was under the impression that there were lots of cool midi apps for the ipad? Lemur and Cubasis look like they have really powerful midi sequencing functions?

Have you ever used your OP-1 to sequence anything else? Can you use it for additional drums/sounds while it's sequencing something else? I haven't been able to find information about that?

Do you want a controller/keyboard thing or a sequencer ?

Things that are nice enough and within your budget : Keystep (would probably be my first choice), quNexus, Beatstep Pro (more sequencing but no real keyboard).

I'll preface this by saying that I haven't used them for modular (though plenty do), but I have a BSP and a QuNexus and really like both of them.

01010111 wrote:

worra wrote:I think you'll get a lot of replies saying Beatstep. I have a Beatstep Pro coming this week to use with my 0-coast, I'll report back!

please do! Are you going to be sequencing anything else at the same time? This seems like a good solution because you can sequence multiple things via midi at the same time. Unless I'm mistaken on that?

fcknoise wrote:Perhaps a keystep? You can use the iPad as a regular sequencer (I guess?) and the keystep has a sequencer and stuff in it too

This does feel like the obvious answer... Though, I feel weird buying a standalone controller that only has the ability to sequence one thing? I know the microbrute has the same restriction, but it has the benefit of also being a rad synth

I was under the impression that there were lots of cool midi apps for the ipad? Lemur and Cubasis look like they have really powerful midi sequencing functions?

Have you ever used your OP-1 to sequence anything else? Can you use it for additional drums/sounds while it's sequencing something else? I haven't been able to find information about that?

Ideally I'd be using it to sequence the 0-coast, another synth like the minibrute, and a drum machine (maybe a drumbrute? I don't have one yet)

oscillateur wrote:Do you want a controller/keyboard thing or a sequencer ?

Things that are nice enough and within your budget : Keystep (would probably be my first choice), quNexus, Beatstep Pro (more sequencing but no real keyboard).

I need a sequencer, but I want one that I can use to play stuff as well. The Keystep looks good, except it's a lot of real estate to only have the ability to sequence one thing at a time.

The Beatstep Pro really looks the most promising. I can set two separate channels for midi or cv sequencing, and I can use the gate sequencer to do weird stuff in modular world. However, I still find myself really attracted to the idea of using the microbrute for this, its sequencer has similar functionality to a single channel of the beatstep pro.

Don't forget about old midi recorders like the Yamaha qx7 and a midi/CV converter. I picked mine up for $20 and it records my keystep. Instant second sequence.

SQ-1 has more depth when using it as two separate sequencers and syncing it to a trigger/clock source. If you have a way to extract triggers, you can sync the rhythm to any live instrument (or something with a simple sequencer with no/weak interface like boss dr-55). I guess the same could be said for the arturia gear (I just hated the beatstep but I like keystep....It just gets a bit boring sometimes for some reason but it works great and easily)

Does the QX7 have presets? From what I can find the only way to save sequences on it is by exporting them via cassette? It also looks like it's more like a midi looper than a sequencer, is that true of all midi recorders?

The sq-1 is very flexible, but I don't want to be limited to 16 steps and something that isn't easily playable....

The keystep does look really straightforward and simple to use.... What did you hate about the beatstep?

Beatstep just didn't feel natural to me. I've seen lots of people to great things with it, but I couldn't get the notes it was sending to sound good or anything. The midi channel thing seemed kinda glitchy on mine too (like it wouldn't switch sometimes). I think part of it was the lack of visual feedback in setting a sequence of notes. I prefer the sq-1 because I can limit the possible values to 1v or 2v. The beatstep pro probably is more for me, but I'm happy with sq-1 (using an adder or something like the Toppobrillo quantimator can really make 8 note sequences sound much more complex....Basically cycling an arpeggio around a sequence).

Qx7, I thought it had memory but it was kinda hard to save iirc (it's been put away for months during some movement). I know most save like 10k + notes on disc and stuff. I mostly used it kinda live; I would just play something I liked on keystep and have the qx7 record/quantitize and then play over it on some different things.

Keystep I like mostly because it is easy and I like arpeggiators for quick writing/jamming/figuring out notes.