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you may want to reconsider your statement. Propellerheads from Sweden/REASON crew have the best step sequencer out there. They have for a very long time. You're right, everyone else forgot about it, Reason based the core of their system on it back in 98/99. Matrix is awesome. Big love from the left coast of Canada,. keep up the great work.
The joy of analog step sequencers is decoupling moving to a new step from the regular tempo. So instead of moving on at regular intervals like 16th notes, the trigger to move to the next step comes from a different trigger sequencer like a euclidean trigger sequencer or a trigger sequencer set to a length that doesn't fit nicely. Then having the sequences reset at regular intervals... like every four bars. With this small amount of controlled entropy, you can create a nice amount of complexity from very simple tools.
Yeah, you're right! The sequencer is there in many different implementations, if you know what you're looking for - but if Ableton is your first DAW, you may not realise it, and may not use it as a useful compositional tool I think :)
@@GuyGamer1 no its still as terrible as 10s. literally ever daws piano roll sucks. fls is super nice. most fluid sectional looping, navigation, immediate access to chord tools/arping/randomization. not to mention the important stuff like moving placing and deleting notes. i like ableton alot, and i use it alot, its timeline editing is really good, but compared to fl studios piano roll its terrible yes i use 11. i find it no different than 10s
@Tym K Functionality aside, I even think it just looks way better than most of its competition. I know people like to meme on FL's "try-hard gamer UI," but I've never felt the piano roll had much of that, especially in newer versions. TBH, I like how FL isn't afraid to have some style. Ableton, for example, really does look like something you'd do taxes on.
Ableton has a fancy little button on the piano roll in the clip window that says scale. It will let you choose a root and like 30 different scale options. Then it colors the piano roll with the right notes. Boom.
I do not let often commentary on a vid, i almost never did, but i'm impressed! you're also becoming one of my favorite electronic music teacher around here ! greeting from paris!
Before I could afford any MIDI gear, as a teen I used to write my tunes in tracker software, using any 8-bit samples I could hack from games, and as soon as I managed to get a MIDI sequencer I basically used the piano roll as a step-sequencer, like APTracker but turned on its side!
Indeed! Sometimes Ableton's stock synths don't get as much love as synths like Serum, and I think one of the reasons is that Ableton doesn't build many FX into its synths - all reverb and delay is added separately, which means the Wavetable presets sound less epic than those of VST synths with FX. But it's very powerful nonetheless :)
Despite alternatives I still use my Korg SQ-1. One big failing of almost all digital step sequencers is the lack of keyboard tracking/modulation which necessitates tediously programming the same sequence at different transpositions and sequencing those sequences (using fiddly keypresses on the Roland Boutique JP-08 to pick on one). I know that analogue sequencers don't actually transpose but the way they are used provides that essential feature and digital sequencers aren't used that way. There is also the ease of live tweaking on an analogue step sequencer.
Interested to hear your take on trackers. Renoise (DAW) and the plugin version Redux are in my opinion far superior to even the most advanced sequencers. It has a slight learning curve for sure, but actually looks way more intimidating than it really is. Using Redux within a DAW of choice is the best of both worlds.
Full disclosure, I've never used trackers myself! I have seen them in all these old legendary music production videos and it looks pretty powerful, and I know it's used in some modular stuff as well like NerdSeq. Hadn't seen Redux, looks tasty as heck. Maybe for a future video?
Please guys, make pre-recorded Ableton lessons (that last a couple of hours and are in depth dive into the particular topic). For example sound design masterclass (sounds suitable for progressive house, melodic techno, techno genres - today's mainstream music), mixing masterclass, mastering, drum programming, etc...), so we can rewatch those classes and particular segments as many times as we want and to learn at our own pace whenever we want, once we purchase it of course.
I love this guy! The work he does here has given me a great foundation for getting started. I wonder, does anyone know if a step sequencer does something that can't be done manually? Or is it just to make things quicker/easier? As well, does a step sequencer route sound from a separate instrument? Sorry for so many questions.
It will be a good video if you explain or help us to understand the difference between a Step Sequencer and an Arpeggiator, no only the functions, but how we can implement these tools in the parts when we do a song... which could be good in certain part etc.
Sure! They are similar, but an arpeggiator specialises in taking multiple notes that are being played at the same time, and then outputting them 1 by 1 into a sequential pattern (playing 1 note at a time) That's the fundamental function of it. Then, some arpeggiators have more options than that, and sometimes you can programme a sequencer like an arpeggiator (like Sylenth's internal sequencer lets you choose notes to create arpeggiator-like lines). Many ways to get similar results :)
No Reason did not Forget that. We reason users have Matrix Sequencer But sadly they forget lots of other basic functionalities that are found in other DAW's😅
Hey guys, LOVE this mans knowledge and expertise and the way he can so easily dissect and get into details on these topics - I am very interested in your courses, however coming from a country with a MUCH lower exchange rate I was wondering if payment plans could be organized for the classes? The price is understandable as from these videos alone I can see the value however to pay it all off in one shot for me would be quite a tall task so thought it wouldnt hurt in asking. Cheers!
Hey Liam! I totally understand, it's annoying to me that Belgian prices means that the classes are out of reach for some. I'm currently working on making prerecorded courses that should be available at a fraction of the cost, hopefully. In the coming months they'll start coming out if all goes well!
For more of an old school flavour you can also try the Max for Live Step Sequencers such as MonoSequencer by Stretta: ruclips.net/video/UM933qu0BFY/видео.html. Don't forget that you can unlink modulations and create more varied textures/approaches.
Question - is there any device that I can load a few of my own (wav) samples with - and then trigger those samples using an external midi device by sending only one midi note? I have a Roland SPD-SX and it has no sequencing capabilities. I have a kick drum trigger that fires a wav file in the SPD-SX - Since the SPD-SX has Midi out, I am trying to use the midi out note (from the kick drum) and have it step through a sequence of Wav files. I am looking for this type of device - any help would be appreciated - Thank you in advance - (For Gigs) - cant bring a computer
I was wondering if it's possible to use ableton as a more traditional step sequencer for hardware synths. I have a Minilogue XD, Volca Bass and Volca drum that I want to hook up. The minilogue xd is already getting MIDI over USB, but for the Volcas I'd probably need a MIDI interface. I also have a Novation Launchkey Mk3 that I often use to play in stuff and it has a 16 pads, some knobs and faders. I was wondering if that could somehow be used as the physical interface to control everything with. It just seems like a waste of money to buy a step sequencer that's basically a computer in a box.
great content as always! I would not call Ableton's piano roll amazing, it seems they have not changed it much since initial software release which was like 20 years ago and you still can't even glue two notes together or split one note into multiple etc. Besides that, its a great piece of software
Why Ableton and not Logic Pro? Great video as always. But could you show more around this please and how to make sure you don’t play the wrong notes or something that sounds off on it’s own and on all sounds in the mix? Any way to control that as a beginner?
Super insteresting ! I would like to be able to trigger a note pattern using a sequencer routed to an analog synth. But at the same time send , for example, the velocity , to mod the filter cutoff ( the synth has a cutoff cv in). I would use another analog synth to to route midi to cv to do this, but I dont know how to send both sequences at the same time: notes and velocities (different channels I suppose). I dont know
Have you tried the M4L CV tools extension? It's included in m4l, and I tested it yesterday with my analog synth that needed an external clock, and it worked!
@@OscarUnderdog I saw the M4L CV Tools, too complicated. Why do I want to do any sequencing using an audio interface when I already have 3 analog synthesizers with Midi inputs ? And I see that not all audio interfaces work with CV Tools, and that you need special cables to not damage the audio interface. Did you do all that ?
Oh sorry, I figured you were trying to control your synth using CV, like I do here with my modular synth. That definitely works, and I didn't need any particularly strange cables, just my modular patch cables hooked up to the sound card. If you're controlling MIDI-enabled synths though, that is a WAY easier way to control them :) If you want to do modulations using CV anyway, perhaps the Beatstep Pro can help? That can output CV directly into your synth I think.
@@OscarUnderdog Yes, but I already have the Midi in for the notes. I have the BeatStep Mk1. But its only 16 steps. Anyway, what I want to do is MIDI my notes to the MIDI in and using the midi to cv from another synth to modulate the filter of the first synth. Dont know if you are following. My english is not so good.
It’s extremely heartbreaking that ableton doesn’t have a step sequencer mode for its piano roll, so damn hard on the eyes and unnecessary to have tiny piano roll notes if I’m trying to sequence hardware
When you say DAW you mean Ableton. Most other DAW's have a step sequencer. And please don't encourage people to draw a song in the Piano roll. Be a good music school and teach them how to play an instruments. And a step sequencer is not an instrument.
Please stop. You are just another clickbait troll with *clearly* unsubstantiated claims. Step-sequencers come with almost any DAW out there- Cubase, Logic, FL, Reason, Studio One. Not only that, there are hundreds of plugins which are or include step-sequencers. At least a dozen in Reaktor alone. Do everyone a favor and *learn something* before you try to teach it.
Find Oscar's video courses here: courses.underdog.brussels 🖤🖤🖤
Join the Underdog Discord channel: discord.gg/z5N9CTA 👾👾👾
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Both Logic and Bitwig have step sequencers
you may want to reconsider your statement. Propellerheads from Sweden/REASON crew have the best step sequencer out there. They have for a very long time. You're right, everyone else forgot about it, Reason based the core of their system on it back in 98/99. Matrix is awesome. Big love from the left coast of Canada,. keep up the great work.
@@aaronbarrett9894 the problem is he’s stuck in Ableton world, and hasn’t even looked at any other daws.
i realize I am kinda off topic but does anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online?
@Sebastian Ryder Flixportal xD
The joy of analog step sequencers is decoupling moving to a new step from the regular tempo. So instead of moving on at regular intervals like 16th notes, the trigger to move to the next step comes from a different trigger sequencer like a euclidean trigger sequencer or a trigger sequencer set to a length that doesn't fit nicely. Then having the sequences reset at regular intervals... like every four bars. With this small amount of controlled entropy, you can create a nice amount of complexity from very simple tools.
Reason and FL Studio didn't really forget it.
This is the comment I get the most on this video haha. I probably got a bit too melodramatic with the title. 😁👍
Reason's like "Hey, you like step sequencers? Here's like five different ones."
To be honest this video changed a lot for me. Thank you. you are a very cool teacher
FL Studio is built around this principle! The very heart of the DAW is a step sequencer. The piano roll is there more for fine tuning, in my opinion
Yeah, you're right! The sequencer is there in many different implementations, if you know what you're looking for - but if Ableton is your first DAW, you may not realise it, and may not use it as a useful compositional tool I think :)
Well not to be nit-picky, but ALL daws are built around step sequencers basically.
@Tym K ableton 11 says hi
@@GuyGamer1 no its still as terrible as 10s. literally ever daws piano roll sucks. fls is super nice. most fluid sectional looping, navigation, immediate access to chord tools/arping/randomization. not to mention the important stuff like moving placing and deleting notes.
i like ableton alot, and i use it alot, its timeline editing is really good, but compared to fl studios piano roll its terrible
yes i use 11. i find it no different than 10s
@Tym K Functionality aside, I even think it just looks way better than most of its competition. I know people like to meme on FL's "try-hard gamer UI," but I've never felt the piano roll had much of that, especially in newer versions. TBH, I like how FL isn't afraid to have some style. Ableton, for example, really does look like something you'd do taxes on.
Beautiful. Your channel is gonna pop - because your energy is lovely. Nice to see 👍🏼
Awwww 🌈💙
Ableton has a fancy little button on the piano roll in the clip window that says scale. It will let you choose a root and like 30 different scale options. Then it colors the piano roll with the right notes. Boom.
I'm really glad Apple implemented their great step sequencer in one of their last big Logic Pro updates.
I do not let often commentary on a vid, i almost never did, but i'm impressed! you're also becoming one of my favorite electronic music teacher around here ! greeting from paris!
You can use the envelope follower to modulate the cut off or other parameters too
Thank you for making this video!! I watched it 3 times! I feel like it unlocked a door in my brain.
Best sequencer in Ableton tutorial I found in YT! (--::
Your intro tune is so amazing I always play it like four times before watching the rest of the video 😂
man i love that you threw moroder in there such a tune :D
Before I could afford any MIDI gear, as a teen I used to write my tunes in tracker software, using any 8-bit samples I could hack from games, and as soon as I managed to get a MIDI sequencer I basically used the piano roll as a step-sequencer, like APTracker but turned on its side!
Great video, I have not gotten into exploring Wavetable yet but these are some really interesting ways to play with it!
Indeed! Sometimes Ableton's stock synths don't get as much love as synths like Serum, and I think one of the reasons is that Ableton doesn't build many FX into its synths - all reverb and delay is added separately, which means the Wavetable presets sound less epic than those of VST synths with FX. But it's very powerful nonetheless :)
You should check out the player devices in Reason! Almost all of them have great techno arpeggio potential.
Reason since the start had a great sequencer, piano roll etc....
@@stephenroldan5107 yhea but the player devices are really fun still ^^
@@TheMorMor agree
* laughs in FL studio *
*yells at fl studio*
Despite alternatives I still use my Korg SQ-1. One big failing of almost all digital step sequencers is the lack of keyboard tracking/modulation which necessitates tediously programming the same sequence at different transpositions and sequencing those sequences (using fiddly keypresses on the Roland Boutique JP-08 to pick on one). I know that analogue sequencers don't actually transpose but the way they are used provides that essential feature and digital sequencers aren't used that way. There is also the ease of live tweaking on an analogue step sequencer.
Fast becoming my favourite production teacher on RUclips.
Keep up the great work
High quality video, thank you very much
Interested to hear your take on trackers. Renoise (DAW) and the plugin version Redux are in my opinion far superior to even the most advanced sequencers. It has a slight learning curve for sure, but actually looks way more intimidating than it really is. Using Redux within a DAW of choice is the best of both worlds.
Full disclosure, I've never used trackers myself! I have seen them in all these old legendary music production videos and it looks pretty powerful, and I know it's used in some modular stuff as well like NerdSeq. Hadn't seen Redux, looks tasty as heck. Maybe for a future video?
@@OscarUnderdog the underdog Renoise/Redux tracker definitely warrants an Underdog review :)
@@rico77yt yep, piano roll + step seq + tracker and you are all set when it comes to sequencing, btw I too would like to see a vid regarding redux
You can use some arturia VST they're really good
Please guys, make pre-recorded Ableton lessons (that last a couple of hours and are in depth dive into the particular topic). For example sound design masterclass (sounds suitable for progressive house, melodic techno, techno genres - today's mainstream music), mixing masterclass, mastering, drum programming, etc...), so we can rewatch those classes and particular segments as many times as we want and to learn at our own pace whenever we want, once we purchase it of course.
✌Will do that!
I love this guy! The work he does here has given me a great foundation for getting started.
I wonder, does anyone know if a step sequencer does something that can't be done manually? Or is it just to make things quicker/easier? As well, does a step sequencer route sound from a separate instrument? Sorry for so many questions.
I can’t wait
Awesome done explonation
i love this sound thank you!!😉😊👍👍👍💥
Thanks Sophia :D
It will be a good video if you explain or help us to understand the difference between a Step Sequencer and an Arpeggiator, no only the functions, but how we can implement these tools in the parts when we do a song... which could be good in certain part etc.
Sure! They are similar, but an arpeggiator specialises in taking multiple notes that are being played at the same time, and then outputting them 1 by 1 into a sequential pattern (playing 1 note at a time) That's the fundamental function of it. Then, some arpeggiators have more options than that, and sometimes you can programme a sequencer like an arpeggiator (like Sylenth's internal sequencer lets you choose notes to create arpeggiator-like lines). Many ways to get similar results :)
Ya like tool?
Thanks!
No Reason did not Forget that. We reason users have Matrix Sequencer But sadly they forget lots of other basic functionalities that are found in other DAW's😅
Hey guys, LOVE this mans knowledge and expertise and the way he can so easily dissect and get into details on these topics - I am very interested in your courses, however coming from a country with a MUCH lower exchange rate I was wondering if payment plans could be organized for the classes? The price is understandable as from these videos alone I can see the value however to pay it all off in one shot for me would be quite a tall task so thought it wouldnt hurt in asking. Cheers!
Hey Liam! I totally understand, it's annoying to me that Belgian prices means that the classes are out of reach for some. I'm currently working on making prerecorded courses that should be available at a fraction of the cost, hopefully. In the coming months they'll start coming out if all goes well!
For more of an old school flavour you can also try the Max for Live Step Sequencers such as MonoSequencer by Stretta: ruclips.net/video/UM933qu0BFY/видео.html. Don't forget that you can unlink modulations and create more varied textures/approaches.
Who's gonna tell him most DAWs are centered around the step sequencer?
Question - is there any device that I can load a few of my own (wav) samples with - and then trigger those samples using an external midi device by sending only one midi note? I have a Roland SPD-SX and it has no sequencing capabilities. I have a kick drum trigger that fires a wav file in the SPD-SX - Since the SPD-SX has Midi out, I am trying to use the midi out note (from the kick drum) and have it step through a sequence of Wav files. I am looking for this type of device - any help would be appreciated - Thank you in advance - (For Gigs) - cant bring a computer
Thank you!
My pleasure!
There are a few in Reaper too. I use Mega Baby.
I was wondering if it's possible to use ableton as a more traditional step sequencer for hardware synths. I have a Minilogue XD, Volca Bass and Volca drum that I want to hook up. The minilogue xd is already getting MIDI over USB, but for the Volcas I'd probably need a MIDI interface. I also have a Novation Launchkey Mk3 that I often use to play in stuff and it has a 16 pads, some knobs and faders. I was wondering if that could somehow be used as the physical interface to control everything with. It just seems like a waste of money to buy a step sequencer that's basically a computer in a box.
How did you make Sylenth make that sound? It's incredible.
Awesome!
great content as always! I would not call Ableton's piano roll amazing, it seems they have not changed it much since initial software release which was like 20 years ago and you still can't even glue two notes together or split one note into multiple etc. Besides that, its a great piece of software
dude you're good
Super interesting, thank you!
Thanks for the support Un Jota Pe!
Why Ableton and not Logic Pro? Great video as always. But could you show more around this please and how to make sure you don’t play the wrong notes or something that sounds off on it’s own and on all sounds in the mix? Any way to control that as a beginner?
step sequencers are awesome. ABletons step sequencers are fine too, if you have push.
I think you should give Bitwig a try!
i use cubase and ableton ..but the reason why i really like maschine software is because it's a step sequencer !!!
Amazing thank you...
My pleasure man :D
Studio One has had a very robust step sequencer for a while...
great video!
Thanks Sam!
late 90s you had arturia storm, it was pretty cool
I bought Storm on sale in 2006 and first installed it in 2007 and it felt so dated that I never used it. I wasted my ca $100
What is this mixing board behind?
Is the background music necessary?
this channel is great but I hope you add some non ableton content. reason, reaper, bitwig are all very capable too
Reason is class
You are awesome
You're a sweetheart
This seems a bit redundant. Why not just use Sibelius + Rewire to create/edit sequences using traditional notation and tweak them in Ableton?
Isn't a step sequencer like one of the main parts of Ableton?
Bitwig makes me feel at home because of the modulation possibilities. mwahahaha
💘
MORE HUMAN THAN HU-MAN
What was the name of the guy with the mustache? Maroder?
Giorgio Moroder!
Super insteresting ! I would like to be able to trigger a note pattern using a sequencer routed to an analog synth. But at the same time send , for example, the velocity , to mod the filter cutoff ( the synth has a cutoff cv in). I would use another analog synth to to route midi to cv to do this, but I dont know how to send both sequences at the same time: notes and velocities (different channels I suppose). I dont know
Have you tried the M4L CV tools extension? It's included in m4l, and I tested it yesterday with my analog synth that needed an external clock, and it worked!
@@OscarUnderdog No, I havent, but I ll look at that. Is it included with Live ?
@@OscarUnderdog I saw the M4L CV Tools, too complicated. Why do I want to do any sequencing using an audio interface when I already have 3 analog synthesizers with Midi inputs ? And I see that not all audio interfaces work with CV Tools, and that you need special cables to not damage the audio interface. Did you do all that ?
Oh sorry, I figured you were trying to control your synth using CV, like I do here with my modular synth. That definitely works, and I didn't need any particularly strange cables, just my modular patch cables hooked up to the sound card.
If you're controlling MIDI-enabled synths though, that is a WAY easier way to control them :)
If you want to do modulations using CV anyway, perhaps the Beatstep Pro can help? That can output CV directly into your synth I think.
@@OscarUnderdog Yes, but I already have the Midi in for the notes. I have the BeatStep Mk1. But its only 16 steps. Anyway, what I want to do is MIDI my notes to the MIDI in and using the midi to cv from another synth to modulate the filter of the first synth. Dont know if you are following. My english is not so good.
Piano roll is not a new invention, its been around for over 35 years and I believe it started with C-Lab Notator for Atari ST :)
Ok ik ga subscriben ben zelf belg
Vet
Use Logic Pro X :-)
... or simply use one of the dozens of free or paid Max and VST sequencers readily available.
It’s extremely heartbreaking that ableton doesn’t have a step sequencer mode for its piano roll, so damn hard on the eyes and unnecessary to have tiny piano roll notes if I’m trying to sequence hardware
Bruh, there are dozens of free and paid Max and VST sequencers.
The best modern step sequencer is Elektron with the vast number of plocks
The velocity was so basic, I feel stupid for not using it for other modulation parameter
I use these sequences but then find my patters are too repetitive:/
Cubase has been around since 89
Watched the whole thing. None the wiser. I wanted to know how to handle the piano roll. Im used to the step sequencer of Reason
Are you implying that your Music School is only for Ableton users?
Bitwig .
Elektron into Bitwig
Quite sure I use a step sequencer almost every time but OK.
Got to have that analog only step sequencer... so much warmer sounding than those digital ones smh
Why don't DAWs put these step/mod sequencers in? Piano roll is so uninspiring.
They do. The video author is a clickbait troll.
Reason
Reason is laughing at this video.
You rely too much on Ableton. Try using a KRONOS workstation for a change. No respect for loop assemblers.
When you say DAW you mean Ableton. Most other DAW's have a step sequencer. And please don't encourage people to draw a song in the Piano roll. Be a good music school and teach them how to play an instruments. And a step sequencer is not an instrument.
Please stop. You are just another clickbait troll with *clearly* unsubstantiated claims. Step-sequencers come with almost any DAW out there- Cubase, Logic, FL, Reason, Studio One. Not only that, there are hundreds of plugins which are or include step-sequencers. At least a dozen in Reaktor alone. Do everyone a favor and *learn something* before you try to teach it.