quick sequencing overview
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- Опубликовано: 10 дек 2023
- I made this video a while ago after someone I was buying a Moog off asked about how I sequence modular - so I made this video to give a little insight. Hopefully might answer a few questions I’ve been getting in the comments lately! :)
a couple of things I forgot to mention - each of the 3 ground control sequences can be anywhere from 1 to 64 steps, and they can run at 2x, 1x, 1/2, 1/4 steps (and once summing them, you can get a lot of variety using very little effort)
Another slight advantage of the ground control is that it can be a power supply for a row of modules (you just need a DC power brick). You can probably power a 104hp row with it (bit too puny to power more than that).
A little bit of music theory goes a long way when summing arps! It can be very easy to sum 3 arps together and get absolute garbage, so II tend to stick to simpler arps using roots / fifths / thirds for any summed over the base sequence. It is possible to run those 4 summed outputs through a quantiser (e.g. Shakmat bard 4 channel), which I know a fair few people do to good effect, but I find that approach doesn't quite fit my live workflow.
I would stress though that no eurorack sequencer is perfect - they all kinda have a few quirks and drawbacks. It's definitely worth spending time watching a few in depth tutorials, reading the manual, and getting a feel for how much menu diving / stange-button-combos you need to learn.
Hope that helps! 
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Stumbled across your channel just now, and the first thing I get is an explanation of how its done. Absolutely incredible!
Haha me too! 🎉
What I recommend is very much going to depend on what *you* want to achieve with it. Someone asked a similar question on my sequencer overview video, and I posted a very long response there (which is probably worth a read!!)
There are some modules you’ll buy that will never leave your rig. Some modules may be stepping stones. Some will end up being the entirely wrong choice.
The more of your purchases that land in the first category, the better! If you suspect it may be a stepping stone, buy it second hand (because when you come to sell it, you won’t have lost any money!). Identifying modules that land in the third category prior to purchase is something you only gain through experience (so ask me, or any other modular synth nerd for advice! Trust me, modular nerds are MORE than willing to talk for days on this subject!)
The minimum I’d need to be able to play a live set is a REALLY good sequencer, two synth voices (bassline and lead), a kick drum, a clockable delay, a reverb, and a side chaining compressor (I’d probably want some boring utilities as well - a couple of buffers multiples, a basic mixer, and a load of VCA’s)
Your modular rig is as good as the control you have over it. Period.
‘Learning to play a modular synth’ is not really a thing. You’ll be learning to play a sequencer, so DO NOT SKIMP on that aspect. If I take the sequencing modules I use with me, you could put me in front of any modules, and I’d be able to play a 2hr live set with zero prep. Put a different sequencer in front of my rig, I’m going to be utterly fooked!
The Behringer system 100 modules are by far the best for learning how modular synthesis works (but they are stepping stones - they won’t be in your rig in 2 years time!!). [ie the 150, 140, 130, 121, and 112 (all stepping stones). Add a 297 and a buffered mult (you’ll need those modules, and they’re the keepers)]
A pair of Behringer craves is the best option for learning how to ‘play’ music (the craves are just knock off clones of the mother-32’s, and given that they’re my the main two voices in my rig, I can say with a reasonable level of confidence that they will do the job!!). You’ll probably want to add the quad LFO and quad VCA modules into that mix (another pair of keepers!), which will work around all the deficiencies of the mother-32.
Stick to two oscillators initially, preferably identical! Keeping two voices in time and in tune takes a hell of a lot of practice. Each time you add an oscillator, it will double your workload, and quadruple the time you need to spend maintaining your rig (in winter your rig might be in tune, by summer the temp difference will have probably caused it to drift by more cents than you’d like!).
Even digital oscillators can require recalibration from time to time (or more specifically the 1v/oct analog inputs to the digital modules!)
Yesterday I added back my 12th oscillator to my rig. For the last 7 or 8 hours, I’ve been adjusting tiny pots on the back of my modules with a tiny screwdriver, just so that they all track the 1v/oct inputs in roughly the same way!
If you want a big fat sound from both the bass lines and melodies, get two oscillators with sub octave outputs. Two Nano ONA’s will shit all over 2x Behringer 112’s in terms of phatness, whilst being 4x easier to keep in tune. It’s worth paying the extra 50% in price imho!!!
I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to repost your question and my reply into my sequencer video comments. (And if you have ANY questions at all, no matter how dumb, I’m happy to answer them over there!). I kinda figure putting that advice in one place may help others :)
thanks that was really interesting to hear.. I've always liked the idea of using synths like this but have tended to use the computer based sequencer ever since the atari days
but if i get the spare cash it would be cool to try this for sure just for the creative flow vibe of it (once i figure out how to make it actually work!:)
i hope you have a good one
glad i found your channel
Rob, I am just saying: you could totally compose music for a game soundtrack. Every time I listen to your music I get so giddy because it reminds me of games I've played in the past (specifically Portal 2 and Celeste).
The best channel I ever discovered, thanks to the RUclips recommendation.❤❤
This is so cool!! Just got recommended to your channel and your music is incredible, really special! I’ve always been fond of analog music and what are your doing is really amazing! Thank you for sharing:)
Thank you Dr Rob! Synth music man.
I could listen to these sounds all day. What a talent and privilege to get to make them!
Awesome. Thanks for peek into your control system.
Thanks for taking the time to talk about it all.. Thanks for making the sounds...
great explanation. really like that idea of using euclidian rhythm for gates whilst not using the Endorphines‘ gate out. Gotta try this.
That’s incredible.
Thanks Rob! I love your work, its a good day finding a diamond in the rough
Thanks Rob! I have a ground control also and was wandering how you sequenced your arpeggios. Unfortunately, i now want another module in the Quantus Pax 😂. Really enjoying your videos. 👍
Love it! We need a live stream.
if you press the wrong button on that it sets off the phaser array.. and the quick key combination known only to the Helmsman and the Captain flips the ship into warp speed
Bro could’ve done the entire cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack.
or TRON movie
🥰
In response to your description the OXi One is the perfect sequencer and getting better all the time with constant firmware updates. Plug a keystep into it if you prefer using keys and it's workflow, it's creativity, it's control and it's connectivity is completely unbeatable 😁
Yeah, but that’s the problem, space! Currently my rig fits onto a standard DJ riser, just! That makes it pretty easy to line up gigs at most doofs/festivals/clubs. Anything that takes up a lot of desk space, and has cables running out the back, is a total non starter just because of space.
Also I’m a firm believer in never changing anything (even if that means working around flaws). My sequencing setup probably isn’t optimal, but at this point I’ve spent years learning how to play it. The notion of ‘upgrading’ my sequencer makes as much sense to me, as ‘upgrading’ your guitar to a drum kit. It’s one of those changes that always sets you back a few years imho! :)
@@robthebloke Haha all good, I'm just gushing about how much I love it!
Mmm bass that start circadian rhythm sounded soothing n interesting
DUDE YOU NEED TO COLLAB WITH CHRIS CHRISTODOULOU!!!!!!
Hi. Awe inspiring tutorial 🙏 I'm unclear on if the 3 CV summed seq/ARP/patterns are going through the circadian/eqludilean circles unit...is circles only outputting gate to add to the incomibg CV sequence?
The summed CV just goes direct into the 1v/oct inputs. The Euclidean circles is just generating the triggers for when the note should be played (eg it’s output plugs directly into the gate input if the mother…)
Thanks for replying.love your work- very high grade shizzle🙏.its very groove and melodic focussed in a very soulful way. Surpassses other bigger nanes out gigging in the live techno scene and ive seen many at festivals like freerotation etc
So when you show circles adjusting the sequence is it at that point the base sequencer (solely creating the notes) or is ground control sending note on/off info and then circles is adjusting the info it receives?
@@awaken-your-highest-self it runs off the clock output from the ground control. Each circle is independent, and you can choose anywhere from zero to 16 steps (which will be evenly distributed over the 16 steps), which gives you a lot of rhythmic variation wig very little effort…
So sometimes you choose to sequence via ground control and sometimes on the circles? And if on circles its just receiving master clock timing ? Do either of them give you swing/shuffle/nudge back or forward of sequences ?
@@awaken-your-highest-self sorry - YT doesn’t let me know when people have responded to comments, so only just came across this comment!
The short answer is that CV and gate sequencing doesn’t need to come from the same sequencer.
I can pull workable CV pitches from either ground control, or from the sinfonion.
I can pull gates from pretty much anywhere (GC, Euclidean circles, circadian rhythms, clock dividers, multipliers, logic modules, Pam’s, it doesn’t matter).
If I’m playing a live set, the only way to keep going for an hour or more, is to keep mixing/matching those sources. Experiment for fun :)
Yeah, circadian rhythms can start imparting swing on things if needed. Honestly though, I usually avoid swing (and purposefully use the sub-steps on the circadian rhythms to go off beat deliberately - that’s just me I guess!)
What essential bits would you recommend for someone looking at building their own rig?
It depends on what your goals are tbh. The most important thing for me is control. You can have 20 of the worlds best oscillators in your rig, but if all you’ve got to sequence them is a keystep, you’re going to have a bad day. Your rig is literally as good as the control you have over it!
What kind of control is best for you is very subjective. I had piano lessons as a kid, so ground control is an interface I can cope with. If you were looking at making tracks in a DAW, something like the ES9 would probably be the way to go.
Only buy delays that have a clock input.
Only buy oscillators that can accept negative voltage in the 1v/oct input (which is the reason why no Erica synths oscillator remains in my rig!)
Only but oscillators with multiple waveform outputs at the same time (waveform selector knobs are kinda rubbish!)
If an oscillator has an octave switch, great! If not, it had better have a fine tune knob. If it doesn’t have either of those things, don’t buy it (eg I think the Moog mavis is WAY better than the mother-32; however I can’t use it live because the pitch knob has an insane range!). The only exemption to this rule is the Behringer neutron, which has octave switching, yet for some reason has a 50 octave range on the tuning knob (you could use a crave live, but there is zero chance you can use a neutron - avoid!!!!)
If a module has a 3.5mm midi input on it, DO NOT BUY IT. That module will work with as a standalone unit with a keystep, but it won’t work in the context of a larger rig like mine!
If a module has a CV input on it (excluding 1v/oct, gates, and triggers!), you really want that input to have an attenuator on it! For example, I have two electrosmith filters in my rig, and I absolutely love them! Whilst they have CV inputs for cutoff and resonance, they don’t have attenuators. My envelopes are instruo ceis, which only kick out the full voltage. If I want to use the two together, I’d also need an attenuator module to make that work.
I’ve heard other people recommend that “you really need to plan your modular before you spend money on modules”. I think that’s shit advice. Modular is a bit of a catch-22. Until you’ve actually played about with modular, how can you know what’s right for you? (I’ll return to this point shortly!)
Only buy buffered multiples (stackable cables and passive mults DO NOT WORK in a live setting!)
Honestly, two Behringer craves (buy them second hand!!!), a kick drum, endorphines ghost, make noise XOH, a buffered multiple, a mixer, AND A REALLY GOOD SEQUENCER!! If you want to just play music, that’s probably the best starting point.
‘Learning modular’ has 3 main components to it.
1. How do the modules work?
2. How can my modules interact with each other?
3. How do I play the sequencer?
That last one is the most important!!! If you buy a cheap sequencer with the aim of upgrading it later, you’ve just spunked a load of money up the wall!!
I cannot stress this point enough tbh! If you’ve spent a year learning to play the trumpet, you’re not going to be ‘upgrading’ it to a violin. You’re going to be back at square one. Control is everything!!!!!
So why the craves? Well, they’re kinda shit, but they were designed by Moog, so they’re actually playable musical instruments (I use two mother-32s, they can go fat!!). There’s enough within them to go deep without spending a fortune, and if you decide they’re not what you want, flog ‘‘em and get the modules you want instead (again, that’s why I’m suggesting second hand!!!)
Don’t buy modules because they are cheap. Buy modules that you’ll never find a resin to get rid of! (Eg Nano ONA would be an oscillator that will last a lifetime, Behringer 112 will last six months to a year in your rig).
Finally, just realise that everyone who’ll give you advice has a bias. Someone using modular to create Foley sound effects, is going to have a very different opinion. Also, if you see a RUclips tutorial on modular synths, created by someone who’s just started out in modular synths, don’t listen to their advice! It’ll save you a lot of money in the long run! (Eg I love starskey carrs content, he’s great, but he fucked up hard when he bought his first set of modules!!!)
@@robthebloke I think you are completly right with what you are saying, and it sheds a lot of insight into your setup. I am currently on Elektron instruments, which are tied to their sequencer, and that sequencer aspect is what makes them such great instruments. I agree that you have to learn your sequencer first, and this is one of the most important choices when planning to do it live. The hands on aspect /menu diving aspect is something to be considerd. I run with a Octatrack as center piece, but it has the sampler function, FX stuff , resampling in it, it takes years to master it - i am still thinking about sourcing the sequencing out to a bit more hands on solution, and saw your video - the timing you had with it seemed to be about right -i.e. it quantizes your input when you add notes?
Acabei de me inscrever no canal amigo eu amo muito música eletrônica 🙏🏻🔊🇧🇷
Hello Maestro!! Is there any link or video where we can see/hear you play live in a gig or something like that? It would be awesome, great content i just discovered. Thanks RUclips!
I have a few ancient gigs recorded on my mixcloud, for example this was my very first modular gig: m.mixcloud.com/robthebloke/new-syd-18th-june-2022/
My most recent gigs have all been in surround sound, which I don’t have any way to record at the moment sadly. I’m heading out into the bush next week, so I’ll be recording something a little different then :)
@@robthebloke Perfect!! Thank you. Looking forward to hear that different thing hehe
@@joaquintraversaro5944 I’ve uploaded a couple of live sets since this comment was posted, eg “tranceNdance”, and “cloud9”
@@robthebloke Wow! Thank you for having this comment in thought. Will check those out!
are you on soundcloud or spotify sir? if so what's your handle there, also i would love to see you make a technical video where you unpack all that you're doing on the synth
I’ve gone from 73 subscribers to 7300 in the space of 4 weeks. I need a moment to catch my breath first!
I once uploaded a single track to Soundcloud many many years ago, under the same user name, but that was just a guitar track tbh
@@robthebloke fair haha, but yeah if you upload this stuff on soundcloud i'm pretty sure many of your subcribers would flock to it, whenever you wish to do that just let us know cus i'm soo looking forward to it
Hello, I would like to feature your music on some of my website pages as ive come to love it and want my users to experience it with your permission :)
Sure, go for it