Before I sold my Waldorf Pulse 2, I started delving deep into it’s arpeggiator. I only scratched the surface but it was nice, love arps on analog mono synths. Sounded great!
I think they have a wonderful, unique sound as synths, due to the z-plane filter and powerful modulation system. But this might not be your best choice if you’re after the most pristine, realistic acoustic instrument samples like piano, violins, and that sort of stuff.
Yes, the arpeggiators can send MIDI. Up to 32 simultaneous patterns, each with its own sound and pattern length.
Command Stations are great sequencers! I used to program some songs for my next record on an MP-7. Unfortunately, had to sell… They are getting harder and harder to find.
regarding piano: there is a dedicated ROM with piano sounds, called Holy Grail, compatible with all E-Mu Proteus-2000 line, in particular with Command Stations.
there are also several compatible Orchestral ROMs containing that sort of sounds.
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Those ROMs were made in a different time, when storage capacity was not like today’s. Today we have talking about multi-GB piano multisample libraries and stuff.
Not talking smack about old Emu ROM samples but just trying to present a realistic POV to the other guy who asked the question “is the sound quality good?”. If he is the kind of customer who is more attracted to multi-GB sample libraries than a kickass synth engine, the Command Station is not what he’s looking for - maybe a Roland Integra or something, because for him “good sound quality” means state of the art samples.
For me “good sound quality” is something else. I’m more of a synth person than a sample lover.
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Siedlaczek Advanced Orchestra ROM was an option too which I believe worked with the Command Stations
Had the yellow Command Station back in the day, was impressive back then but I think I would find the sequencing to be too limiting today. If there was a way to put Morpheus (or UltraProteus) filters in it, though, I could definitely see past it.
The Proteus 2000 had zplane filters as I recall. Did the command stations not?
I mentioned them earlier today
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FAQ for Command Stations - lots of info on the arps, z-plane filter, etc.
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It’s a 16-track sequencer with capacity of 300,000 notes, true linear sequencing as well as step/pattern style.
Quite a bit more capability than most Elektron sequencers.
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i’m tired to wonder why in 2018 vendors make hardware with far more limited sequencers then they were back in the days 15—20 years ago.
only a few things like Pyramid make me believe that the progress still happens.
New gear does seem to drop the ball at times when comparing to the old stuff in some areas, especially Sequencers. It’s been a hot topic in quite a few different forums.
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absolutely.
i got into all that venerable groovebox stuff when i wanted to get rid of laptop on stage and looked at modern gear like electribe 2 to know whether it’s capable to do sequencer job.
mass market gear definitely won’t. it’s suitable for doing some sort of techno made of <=8 tracks and 1 to 4-bar patterns of 16th notes, but even 25 years ago it required drugs to tolerate its boredom.
advanced gear, like Pyramid, rocks, but uneasy to get for people outside the western world.
so, old / second hand machinery is my holy grail 
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I wouldn’t want Elektron machines if they had linear sequencers; imo trackers are way better for that kind of thing because of the mouse/keyboard interface. The 16 step sequencer interface is good for immediacy, of course they’re not great for prog masterpieces but hey, neither is anything else but a tracker (again imo!)…
It’s interesting that in 2018 people still have trouble differentiating between the concept of a step sequencer and the concept of a linear MIDI events sequencer.
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Trig conditions and individual track lengths are what make the difference for me.
I see what you mean by “limited” with respect to your needs.
The workaround for individual track lengths on the Command Station is to use the arpeggiator functions.
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I have an MP7 with the additional XL7 ROM for sale… though I’m not sure I’m selling it now.
I love the sounds, hate the programming.
I know this is a function of not having spent “enough time” making patches so that I can really fly on it.
Favorite features:
- MegaMix - taking any track from any song and dropping it into what you’re doing now while the sequencer is running.
- Using the sub outputs as inputs.
- Nice pads
I’m not sure I’m going to sell mine at this time… it still does what I want it to, which is a linear sequencer to work alongside my Elektron pattern stuff, and the polyphony… it took going from hardware, to software and back again for me to learn about voice stealing *and how much I use ITB.
this is not that surprising, because last 2 decades were the DAW era, and almost all DAWs are built in linear paradigm (actually, on a reel-to-reel tape recorder metaphor), while pattern sequencers were almost abandoned.
but pattern sequencers may be of different complexity. so, i wonder what makes vendors sell us all that primitive 16-step toys in 2018 again.
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