Re: rackmount midi sequencer

[mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com>]

Ill have to look at it further... 

Heres another couple of Q's.. 

Question #1
What about a hardware seq that could effectively make a way of "scripting" EDP´s .. exactly like the mobius does. 

I currently do this (as I have mentioned many times before) by programming midi notes into my drum machine. And Per, you have mentioned the old classic Alesis seq... But what both these techniques have as a problem is that hareware sequencers are often completely horrible to edit, no cutting and pasting of bars of notes... etc...

So can anyone think of something that is more... um user friendly that a drum machine?

Ages ago there used to be a box, forget the manufacturer, which could be a hardware PLAYER of midi sequences, so you would program things on your midi seq of chice, and then transfer them (via floppy disk I think, how quaint) and then this box just had play stop on it.

Im imagining  a device that sould have a UI not unlike the mobius er.. "timeline"... divided into quantised divisions, and that commands (or notes) could be queued up in advance. one could save "midi loops", and name them dependant of their function.
I do exactly this now on my drum machine, and it works GREAT in performance, its just a slow and tiring job to program.

Question #2

I havent tried to do this yet, and I could, but maybe Per remembers, or Andy knows.... but one clever thing I thought of wopuld be to program the settings of the edp via a drum machine. So instead of changing premade "presets", one uses the midi command for the PARAMETER button, and then the midi command to select the parameter, then the command to change the parameter. Now if I did this... how FAST would EDP accept these changes? could I program each command one 64th apart, faster? 

I know this seems very laborious, but it has 2 advantages, one... it would become quite quick to use once you had a few sequences worked out (if you can cut n paste a number of notes at a time) and 2 you could leave your EDP at home, and just bring this one box... borrow an edp, and not care if their settings were the same as yours, cos your sequencer would set the setting for you...

who has done this... and why is it a bad idea?

Mark

PS Im still looking for a loopable midi sequencer too... with VERY chunky quantise (like 16th) so I can play on my guitar synth, its recorded and then looped (till I play notes that occur on the same beat as a previous note, in which case they are replaced... was this what you did on the Alesis Per?)... do i have to mention... not software???

On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 1:20 AM, Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:

Yeah, there was an article on that this morning on Create Digital
Music (the blogg). There were also a link to Native Instrument's forum
where I learned that it sucks because it "can't record incoming midi".
Looks cool though. Some people say they like an MPC much more for that
job. The instant sampling wasn't demonstrated though, so it is still
not verified that it works as a looper. This was not a public review
though, just a vendor that thought it was so cool that he posted an
improvised demo video right on the spot. There will soon be more in
depth reviews on MD out there.

I've been thinking about using iDrum on my looping laptop, since it
can now record and quantize midi (like from drum pads) even into non
16 step grids. My point is not to just "have drum sounds" but to
visually play them into the loops from drum pads.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se
www.perboysen.com

On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 12:58 AM, mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com> wrote:
> However , on a related note.. has anyone (directing a bit at you Per, as you
> are in the country, and in the job) tried out the elektron macine drum...
> rather pricy, but apart from a drum machine, it has a sequencer.. I think...
> for external things (whats the way to program this?) and (veering on topic)
> a sampler.. read something abaout atht you could sample incoming audio to
> loop with the drum machine... and you could even samole the drum-machine and
> send it flying backwards.... now methinks this is sounding alot like a
> looper... anyone had an experience...?
>
> Mark
>
> On Wed, Feb 25, 2009 at 12:52 AM, mark francombe <mark@markfrancombe.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> I have the Future Retro Mobius sequencer... its great, for what it is...
>> which is a midi AND CV sequencer.. however does NOT do what JJ was asking,
>> as its programed in an analog stylee, and not live input, record style.
>>
>>
>> mark
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 24, 2009 at 10:35 PM, Rev Fever <revfever@ubergadget.com>
>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Not rack mount, but still kool:
>>> http://www.future-retro.com/orboverview.html
>>> These guys are a family owned and operated business, have been around
>>> since 1996 and make some great equipment. I have purchased from them before
>>> and can personally testify to the high quality of the workmanship and
>>> features of what they produce. They are also very personable and far better
>>> to deal with than some giant mega-corp.
>>> http://www.future-retro.com/company.html
>>> They used to offer this great rack mount sequencer, but unfortunately it
>>> now seems to be out of production.
>>> http://www.future-retro.com/mobiusoverview.html
>>> All the best to you,
>>> -Rev. Fever
>>> http://www.spiritone.com/~rvfever/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Feb 24, 2009, at 1:16 PM, J Johans wrote:
>>>
>>> howdy ya'll -
>>> im curious if a product like this exists - i see the functionality im
>>> looking for in drum machines.... but i just want a bare bones midi
>>> sequencer-
>>>
>>> basically i want my e-drums to go into the midi sequencer and record the
>>> pattern i play... then loop it untill it gets recorded by my looping
>>> software...all the while outputting the midi data to my sound module for
>>> drum tones...
>>>
>>> i would also have to be able to send it midi messages from my foot
>>> controller to start/stop midi recording...
>>>
>>> basically...im a shitty drummer... and since i loop to a click.... im
>>> looking for a way to quantize the drum parts i play to that click
>>>
>>> the korg M3 is a powerful sound module with a midi seequencer built in...
>>> but the tech guys werent positive i could control it in such a manner-
>>>
>>> any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
>>>
>>> ty
>>> fro
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> www.markfrancombe.com
>> http://vimeo.com/user825094
>> http://uk.youtube.com/user/markfrancombe
>> http://www.myspace.com/markfrancombe
>> www.looop.no
>
>
>
> --
> www.markfrancombe.com
> http://vimeo.com/user825094
> http://uk.youtube.com/user/markfrancombe
> http://www.myspace.com/markfrancombe
> www.looop.no
>

-- 
www.markfrancombe.com
http://vimeo.com/user825094
http://uk.youtube.com/user/markfrancombe
http://www.myspace.com/markfrancombe
www.looop.no