Squarp Pyramid for sequencing Elektron boxes

Blasphemy right? I’m trying to consolidate all my keyboards and my modular with one sequencer to clock them all and do as much sequencing in as possible. I desperately need something non-DAW that can do linear sequencing…I’ve been thinking of the Pyramid. I’m curious though if you can use it to do P-lock type sequencing with its midi CC control and LFO’s and actually have it feel like it does on the internal sequencer. I have tried it with my sequentix P3 but it seems it transmits the note before the CC change and so it doesn’t work quite right, also not linear. I don’t want to completely replace the elektrons internal sequencer, but there are times I need linear sequencing with p-locks and I just can’t get it on them. So what’s the word?

i think in general external sequencing elektron stuff can work when focusing on note triggers , but when you start needing to change lots of quirky electron things (like sample src on digitakt ) it starts to get a little more involved in getting midi cc’s setup before trigging the note.

the pyramid looks very interesting , i hope to grab one soon , but i suspect i’ll just setup primitive lfo - filter cutoff type things than dig into per step parameter locks , though i think it can definitely do them with os3 on the way (more midi fx etc).

i think its going to be based on the type of melody/beats/structure you want to work within.
maybe do all the parameter locks on a triggless sequence, all the ‘behind the scenes’ weirdness on the elektron but the notes or chords being done externally . you could also then have weird step lengths on the trigs and normal notes on pyramid.

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The Polyend Seq also looks good as a single source sequencer. But, as re5ct pointed out, the nitty gritty of Elektron’s sequencing capabilities won’t be easy, if possible at all, to replicate.

I want a Cirklon but the price and long wait has me on pause.

I was on the list for the first batch of Cirklons years ago, but when it came down to it, the cost was more than I wanted to pay…even the Pyramid is a bit higher than I wanted, but if it was worth it I’d jump. Colin makes a fine sequencer, I especially liked my P3 but having 4 Elektron boxes made it a little redundant. That’s why I need to find something that excels at linear sequencing, I have tried MPC’s, closer to what I want. I would probably suck up and go the computer route If Maschine was a little better, but even it is lacking…doesn’t like aftertouch…

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Polyend is just a step sequencer isn’t it, albeit polyphonic and admittedly I don’t know a lot about it but it doesn’t seem like it could compare to something that does linear and step sequencing?

Squarp looks okay but for that price you could pick up a reconditioned macbook pro circa 2011 a copy of Numerlogy and a Novation Launchpad be dawless but have a way better interface for mono/poly sequence control imo.

http://www.five12.com

Midi interface will bump the price a little.

To be honest, I never really got along with the Numerology interface. I think my expectation didn’t quite match the features.

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You can step lock/p-lock - but it’s not as elegant as on an Elektron box. It’s easy enough to select a CC and place a value on a step. Just requires a couple of encoder twists. But, when you’re in Note mode, the pads are lit showing you where you have Notes on Steps, when you switch to CC Message Mode, the pads go unlit (unless there’s automation programmed already) so you have to remember, ‘OK, kick was on steps 1,3 and 13, that’s where I gotta put my CCs’.

Not the end of the world, and it’s only 4 encoder clicks to spin back to Note view, but a bit annoying vs Elektron where you can always see if there’s a note on a step that you can p-lock.

Also, when you hold down a step to place a p-lock, the CC value you dial in will apply to all subsequent steps. So you have to remember to put your ‘default’ value into the next step. Easy enough to do and not the end of the world. But, your CC Message Mode can quickly fill up with what looks like p-locks on most steps- especially if you have quite a busy pattern. So you’ve still got to remember 'OK, my kick was on steps 1,3 and 13, steps 2,4 and 14 are p-locks for ‘default’ values.

Maybe it’s not so hard to remember 3 numbers though. First world problem, eh?

This reminds me I’ve been meaning to pester Squarp about some UI changes to this. Even a simple toggle between ‘show where notes are and show where automation steps are’ would help. Or a basic overlay of notes in the display window in CC Message Mode so you can see active steps as you are dialling in CCs (as opposed to seeing lit pads).

So yeah - it’s possible. Just a teeny bit more fiddly than an Elektron box.

Oh, you can also define your CCs and give them relevant names like TUN, SWT, whatever. Plus you can filter un-named CCs so you don’t have to scroll through 74 CCs to get to, say, filter. Which is neat.

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That sounds like the way automation locks are done on Maschine and my P3. I think you just told me what I needed to hear. I was hoping that it was the same as Elektrons Plock format, or at least it could give you a preference on how you want it to work. Maybe I’ll just suck it up and stick with Maschine and my laptop for now as my master sequencer.

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