Sequencing With No Sequencer?

[SeatedFigure]

I am fairly new to modular synthesis and recently gathered some modules and started my modular journey. It is amazing, I cannot get enough of it.

I have a Rene, Maths, STO, Dixie II, URA, Optomix. I find myself needing more sequenced CV (more than quantised and unquantised outs of Rene) and I cannot think of anyways to create them. I am sure there are ways to create sequences without a sequencer. I thought that I ask you guys what clever ways you have crafted to sequence without a conventional sequencer. I am not asking how can I use it in "my" setup, please let me know whatever you use for this matter.

I hope all of this make sense

[drip.feed]

For tonal music one of the simplest voltage sequencers can be achieved using a Sample and Hold output fed through a voltage quantizer. You can't control the actual musical progression because it is basically a random series of notes, but it can sound pretty cool.

A simple gate sequencer can be achieved using a sequential switch or pulse divider.

[moremagic]

running an lfo to a s&h and another to clock it can make nice patterns instead of just random notes like when its sampling noise, and it gets more fun when you fm your lfos with each other

[cthonist]

The Maths is a treasure trove of voltages
Before I had any sequencing I mostly used it to control various v/oct & FM. You can also use the Optomix to open & close 2 outputs from Maths with CV from some other env or gate generator

The octocontroller's arpeggios are pretty cool; you can make a very short sequence sound pretty interesting with gate/env patterns that don't correspond to each note change (but are rhythmically related.. or not)

[SeatedFigure]

For tonal music one of the simplest voltage sequencers can be achieved using a Sample and Hold output fed through a voltage quantizer. You can't control the actual musical progression because it is basically a random series of notes, but it can sound pretty cool.

A simple gate sequencer can be achieved using a sequential switch or pulse divider.

I am thinking to get a clock devider of some sort next. Still looking for options. Is there anything that create patterns instead of simply divide or multiply?

running an lfo to a s&h and another to clock it can make nice patterns instead of just random notes like when its sampling noise, and it gets more fun when you fm your lfos with each other

Nice, I'm gonna do that now with Dixie and URA

The Maths is a treasure trove of voltages
Before I had any sequencing I mostly used it to control various v/oct & FM. You can also use the Optomix to open & close 2 outputs from Maths with CV from some other env or gate generator

The octocontroller's arpeggios are pretty cool; you can make a very short sequence sound pretty interesting with gate/env patterns that don't correspond to each note change (but are rhythmically related.. or not)

Maths is the king of my setup indeed. I am yet to try to process cv with Optomix. This could be a good start.
I am thinking about an octocontroller. Lots of modulation and trigger possibilities. Does it spit out quantised/unquantised v/oct's as well? or just triggers and envelopes?

[mdoudoroff]

Some good suggestions above, but I’m not sure what a “conventional sequencer” really is—to me, they’re all over the map!

Here are some that are either quasi/pseudo-random sources or otherwise aren't an array of pots you set:

Turing Machine
Noisering
Lightstrip/Lightplane
Tonnetz Sequent
Nexus CV Looper or other cv looper
Monome Teletype
Pittsburgh Modular Game System
Vectr HackMe
any number of arpeggiators

[maudibe]

1/ Voltage sources switched through with a clocked switch.

2/ Something like a Sound Machines Lightplane (which can memorise your gestures) into a quantizer.

3/ Multiple oscillators, each tuned to something different (also allows for great changes in timbre) then stepped through. The RxMx is very cool for this - also smaller and cheaper, the Mutamix.

Really, the mutamix is a great solution for you.

It will do the following:

Generate six independent voltages and step through them. It will also mix them, as well as any externally generated voltage (from a quantised lo for example). It is a 6 channel mixer with up to 3 outputs. It is also a programmable mute device, so act as a sort of 'switcher'. Mental fun. I have often used it as a sequencer, but now mostly use it as a mixer.

Hope this helps

[SeatedFigure]

Thanks mdoudoroff and maudibe, Great.
Lightstrip and Mutamix were not under my radar and they seem super nice for my purposes. At the moment, somehow, I have a feeling that quantisers would make the process of patching a little bit boring for me (I don't know why) but it might be impossible to avoid it.
and I still need to get my head around how clocked switches can be beneficiary for me, they seem to be useful.

[Dcramer]

Similar to what Maudibe is describing: any modules that can create random or sequential gates can be used as a sequencer simply by mixing the gates together in a CV mixer attenuating each gate down to be a note value. Of course quantizing once mixed can give you scale tones.
Here's a video of mine in which I do something similar using square wave LFOs, setting up an ever shifting melody of predictable notes:
[video][/video]

[cthonist]

I am thinking about an octocontroller. Lots of modulation and trigger possibilities. Does it spit out quantised/unquantised v/oct's as well? or just triggers and envelopes?

I just got it yesterday so I may not know all of its functionality yet but here goes-

It doesn't do envelopes unfortunately, though I can understand why since it would need a different set of knob labels to adjust AD(SR?) and it only has clock in rather than gate in for specific outputs

However it does do square, sine, ramp & triangle LFOs, S&H CV, digital noise of various weird flavors, and 10 different arpeggios. All can be divided & multiplied w.r.t. the clock, as well as offset 0-360 degrees. These parameters have 12 increments. There are several flavors of clocked & semi-randomised or polyrhythmic gates as well.


Oh! and they can all be switched between quantised & free-running

[geecen]

Dcramer great idea! I love the combination of simple elements to interesting effect - it's what modular is all about

[solaris]

the URA (you say you have one) gives you 3 s&h voltages...

[kafin8ed]

I didn't hear anyone mention a Brain Seed - seems to be popular and only 4HP?

[mdoudoroff]

Dcramer: very cool, thank you. I’ve been able to easily produce a rudimentary version of your concept employing a Batumi, mixer, offsetter and (because I’m a lazy wretch) quantizer.

Can you envision a technique that will ultimately trigger an envelope whenever the pitch changes? I can easily sync one LFO to a clock and trigger a regular envelope, but much beauty in this approach is that the pitch changes are irregularly spaced.

[XponentOne]

What quantiser are you using? Many have a trigger out on pitch change.

[mdoudoroff]

What quantiser are you using? Many have a trigger out on pitch change.

The wrong one—µScale II.

[joem]

Not quite what you're asking, but you could get a used Korg SQ-1 for fairly cheap. It's a sequencer, yes, but it's external to your rack (can even run on batteries), and you can have 2 simultaneous sequences running at once. It's very playable. So, while it's not exactly "without a sequencer" it is at least "without a sequencer module taking up precious HP and $".

[euromorcego]

as others have said: a clock divider with multiple outs makes a pretty good sequencer (like the a-160). You can also use it to gate envelopes and then mix the whole thing.

Also a clock source and the A-115 make a pretty good sequencer (check some videos from plogbidman).

[pwranml]

The s&h + quantizer setup doesn't get enough credit. You can totally get controllable and repeatable sequences if you feed the s&h the right stuff.

Low frequency digital oscillators with abnormal shapes are great. The e350 is amazing for this. Going into a s&h at low frequency and syncing it every 16 bars or whatever can yield really complex and long sequences especially when you modulate the x input for example.



here its running like e350 x/y -> S&H -> quantizer -> rings
also e350 z -> a-152 -.> eg & lpg's of quantum rainbow, a-110-4 and braids
the e350 is synced every 8 bars. y and z are rearranged as well via pressure points.

[pievo]

I use LFO, Wogglebug and a quantizer most of the time.

[plogbidman]

as others have said: a clock divider with multiple outs makes a pretty good sequencer (like the a-160). You can also use it to gate envelopes and then mix the whole thing.

Also a clock source and the A-115 make a pretty good sequencer (check some videos from plogbidman).

[video][/video]

[Moogus]

The s&h + quantizer setup doesn't get enough credit. You can totally get controllable and repeatable sequences if you feed the s&h the right stuff.

Low frequency digital oscillators with abnormal shapes are great. The e350 is amazing for this. Going into a s&h at low frequency and syncing it every 16 bars or whatever can yield really complex and long sequences especially when you modulate the x input for example.



here its running like e350 x/y -> S&H -> quantizer -> rings
also e350 z -> a-152 -.> eg & lpg's of quantum rainbow, a-110-4 and braids
the e350 is synced every 8 bars. y and z are rearranged as well via pressure points.

I have to try this (although don't have an E350), so will sub with LFO with slew (a146) that should get some goodness going!

It's on tmrws 'to do' list

[geh2oman]

Sticking in the realm of random generation, the ADDAC501 Complex Random has switches for quantization and Brownian motion which give the random outputs a very, very melodic sense. Their website even has a little scripted tool you can see how it works (here)!

[plogbidman]

[video][/video]

[SeatedFigure]

Wow, I was a little bit worried posting here but how welcoming you are all. Thanks. Some very nice advices and tricks as well. It feels very good to be part of this community. My first forum experience and it's great.

Dcramer This is a very nice approach and exact approach that I was looking for. Thanks. I need to get some more utilities and vca's very soon.

cthonist Thanks for the info. I think I have to put the octocotoller in the my shopping list since it would do lots of modulations for my small system.
One more question: does it do clock division as well? No where it's stated that it does but I assume since it syncs to clock it should be possible to get divided pulses out of it.

solaris, pwranml & pievo yes, I tried that yesterday (without a quantiser) and very interesting results has been emerged Apparently investing in a quantiser at some point is not bad after all. The question is which one pack the most features in a small space?

pwranml I daydream about the E350 a lot, but Piston Honda haunts me back every night. Again the question is which one can do more for a small system?

plogbidman Thanks a lot for sharing this. Again kind of an approach that I was looking for. Nice videos, following your channel from now on. I see you have more than one Maths in your setup. I was thinking to get another maths as well. Do you think that would be good or I better of with a PEG instead?

kafin8ed Can you give me an example how do you use Brain Seed to make sequences of CV?

geh2oman thanks man, I'll have it in mind. Although I have to say URA is accommodating my needs for randomness and S&H pretty well