The two I’m specifically looking at are the Metropolix Solo and Torso T1, and noticed the Tato Aline (but there is next to zero content on it, just the creators 11 minute video with a prototype).
I make trap based synth/melodic beats and some sample type trap beats. Looking for a way to generate and inspire new melodic sequences where I can then go add my progressions/bass on top.
Which of these do you think would be best/most fun? And are there any other options. Not looking for Eurorack particularly, although I have an empty skiff. Has to have midi and scale quantization.
Thank you! See this is what happens when you spell a word wrong in search. I’d appreciate other peoples more current insights as well, however, as the last post here was 5 years ago.
Relevant five years later are the various sequencers that have added advanced generative sequencer functions.
The KeyStep MkII and Keystep 37 MkII can be had for very small amounts of money, and the 37 in particular, has the spice, dice and mutate functions which seem very practically useful and creative in a musical context.
ADDED : Their Arp => Seq => Arp, are really powerful too.
I’ve had my eye on the Aline for a while, but while it has a lot of promise, i still haven’t gotten past a hand waving explanation of its features and usefulness.
Also, I was really excited to see Iftah Gabbai teasing a Move implementation of his excellent Sting 2 Max for Live sequencer on his Instagram Stories today.
Creative and happy accidents are contradictory terms, to my understanding. My compositional process involves a fair number of happy accidents (particularly related to timbre and texture), but they don’t particularly reflect on me as a “creator”. Rather, they reflect on the extent to which I approach randomness with aesthetic feedback. Creators approach their work proactively with ideas, rather than merely responding, reactively, to so-called “ideas” spewed out of random algorithms.
Yes, to convey “and” it would be more like “Looking for a creative, happy accident sequencer.”
I’m also not sure I would agree that you can’t have both of these factors present in your workflow or given sequencer. You can use creativity to come upon happy accidents, and conversely, a happy accident can spark creativity.
I respect that. I capture melodic phrases, loops, accidents and how I turn them into music is the creative part. I’ll chop em, pitch em, stretch up reverse em and turn them into something they weren’t. A good melodic idea is sometimes all that’s needed to get going.
Anyway, I went with the Metropolix Solo for now, but will be keeping a close eye on the faderpunk.
My workflow will be midi into daw, out to Tonverk into Octatrack sync’d to daw and my drums. Studio one will be capturing the loops Octatrack captures and in loop/take record will be capturing my OT performances for the foundation of songs. Sounds complicated, really shouldn’t be.
Metropolix is a good choice. I might’ve also suggested checking out the Qu-Bit Bloom V2 or Five12 Vector Sequencer. Both are Eurorack sequencers, but both have native MIDI as well.
If you have an iOS device and some way to get MIDI out of it, check out Neon, which reminds me of Five12 Vector Sequencer, or if you really want to get wild, check out Senode.
