How do You play?

MIDIbox SEQ
1

Hi,

Could you please share how You use your MB SEQ to play your “songs”

I have had my sequencer for a little while, but I have only used it one way that seemed easy and intuitive at the time I started using it.

I treat each Session as a “song” and have each Track mapped the same way in all Sessions. Each Track is dedicated to a specific synth-, drum- or sound module.

This setup works great for playing one “song” at a time, and for creating and recording one “song”, but I suspect it’s not the best way to play a live set.

 

I have tried to understand how Patterns, Songs and Phrase works, but I don’t think I get it totally, or how I would use it.

I guess what I was hoping for was something like a Scene in Ableton Live Clip View, where you can jump to the next line/scene of MIDI sequences with the push of a button, and it is synced.

Is it possible to treat a Session like a scene, and jump to a new Session synced to the beat and measure?

 

How do you guys play a live set with several “songs” ?

Cheers Hal

 

2

Hi,

performing a pattern switch in phrase mode imho is just like a “mini-scene” switch in ableton, 4 tracks are replaced on the fly (i think this can be synced to the measure), when you change a pattern. Also, as you have two hands (hopefully ;-)), you can perform two pattern switches at once, so that would replace 50% of the tracks, definitely something like a scene change in ableton.

Personally, I only use the mute screen and mute/unmute different tracks, 16 of them are enough for my limited music :slight_smile: - here you can definitely have synced mutes/unmutes.

From an organizational view, I would regard sessions rather as full songs, you can quickly load (and start) the next session after the end of the current song via the load screen, there would be only a few seconds of silence. If you are performing a “live act” with the necessity for smoother transitions, i would rather recommend phrase-mode and switching of patterns, you can have many patterns in a session, should be good enough for a long mix! :slight_smile:

Many greets,
Peter

3

Hi Hal,

are you aware of the ? This will allow you to select per track to changeover between the playing and an upcoming pattern. I haven’t really figured it out yet, as, like you and Haweye, I normally do more of a one-session-per-track (or loop…) workflow. But it looks really intriguing. When you use this mode, each pattern save position has an associated Mixer Map, and the PC and CCs get dumped for the tracks where pattern changeover occurs, automatically lining up the correct new sound (PC can also be set in the Track Instrument parameters). So this gives you independent bar-synced switching between two “scenes” (bar length can be set in the options).

If you use phrase mode, you can actually achieve a similar thing with the four independent pattern groups. Lets assume Group 1 plays a poly synth on track 2, an mono line on track 2, bassline on track 3 and track 4 is configured as a transposer Bus track with slow subdivision. Group 2 plays background samples and noises with long release, Group 3 has your main beat split out over all four tracks as 1 basic beat KK Clap or something such, 2 hats, 3 snare, 4 Nth-trigger kind of fills. Group 4 triggers Loops like shakers etc that get automatically timestretched / transposed to the BPM by some awesome sampler. 

Now you can assign the next Phrase to:

-change nothing in Pattern Group 1

-Stop all background samples by muting all tracks in Pattern Group 2

-mute the snare track in Pattern Group 3

-Switch to new loops in Group 4

The Phrase after that will then change over more patterns to the new song etc.

So you can actually get pretty smooth with some preparation! But what I haven’t figured out yet is how to get the patterns from all your different “one-song” sessions imported into and organized in a new “Live Act” session. Is this possible? If you would do that, I think it would be mandatory to always have the same track number have the same function, like Track 9 is the Kick and track 3 is the bassline etc.

I used to do some hardware-only live PAs, but that was mainly with several pieces of gear that all had their own internal sequencers (MPCs, 909, Nord Modular etc), but I want to develop a smaller setup that is transportable. It’s always been a major hassle carting all that gear around, in the small places I’d play I’d normally also have to  bring my own mixer.

At the moment I am thinking about: MBSeq, Ambika configured as a 4 voice poly synth and two mono voices, Moog Minitaur, Nord Modular G2 Engine, Audiothingies Doubledrummer (small digital drumsynth with 128 kits) and I just ordered this Tsunami Board that    turned me on to for sample playback. I also have a EHX 45000 looper that can sync to MIDI Clock and record synced loops on the fly that I really like. That’s still way too much stuff though (would still need some FXs and a mixer…) and needs to get streamlined further.

What would you be cooking up? What kind of music are we talking about?

28 minutes ago, Hawkeye said:

Personally, I only use the mute screen and mute/unmute different tracks, 16 of them are enough for my limited music :-) 

Well, “limited” isn’t the term I would use for your jams, rather “epic” :slight_smile:

4

22 hours ago, u-link said:

But what I haven’t figured out yet is how to get the patterns from all your different “one-song” sessions imported into and organized in a new “Live Act” session. Is this possible?

To answer my own question: yes, go to Utility, Disk, Import (or Export). Learned another thing.

5

Thanks guys for sharing your techniques. I guess there is many ways to play the MB SEQ :slight_smile:

I wasn’t aware or the Pattern Remix Feature, and after a quick glance, it looks like something that could work for me.

Using Phrase mode the way you suggest also looks like it could work. I guess I just need to try it out and work out a way.

 I am just cooking some straight 4TTF Techno-ish stuff, nothing fancy :wink:

The Tsunami sounds great. I have made a sample player module with his former WAV Trigger. It only has a stereo channel, but I pan the samples and use it as a 2x mono sample player.

Looks like this: 

<___base_url___>/?app=core&module=system&controller=embed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fp%2FBcFjrrYA2s2%2F

 

I’ve reused the keypad and display from an old calculator (like the one to the right), added a micro-controller and a MIDI circuit and the WAV trigger.

 

But back to the topic, others on the forum please share your techniques as well

2 Likes
6

Looks like you have been thinking about smaller luggage, too.

7

Quote

Personally, I only use the mute screen and mute/unmute different tracks, 16 of them are enough for my limited music :slight_smile:

I wouldn’t describe your live jams as limited either  

Your "cockpit "and your music is always inspiring 

Cheers,  Hal

8

Thanks, guys! Awesome repurposing of these old VFD calculators, Hal, have you documented somewhere what you did there? Very cool idea!

(And sorry for being offtopic ;-))

Many greets,
Peter

9

I will be off topic too… Hal! Keep the blank 17HP, we will fill it, I didn’t forget… :wink:
https://www.tendance-adhesif.fr/product/Adhesif-Ch%C3%AAne

Best
Bruno

10

 Ha ha :slight_smile: No I will reserve the last space. Don’t worry, no hurry. 

 

1 Like
11

 Thanks :slight_smile:

It’s actually 8 tiny 7-segment display modules. It’s controlled by an MAX 7221 and an Arduino (ssshh, don’t tell anyone else on the forum) the keypad matrix is scanned by the same “microcontroller”. It’s not documented anywhere no. It has a MIDI In circuit, and the code just pass it on to the WAV trigger. The key presses send Note On and Program Changes. 

1 Like