using seq v4?

MIDIbox SEQ
1

hola,

it seems the basic usage of seqv4 is a bit over my head. I have studied the manual, but it lacks the part I am after. The basics.

Ok…

Lets take an example: i am creating a new song… I have a decent pattern and want to make an another and easily switch back and forth. I have used load from pattern menu and choosed the pattern from there. Is this how it is meant to be done?

I want to loop pattern and record a cool part that is four times as long as the basic pattern. No idea how to proceed…

Well, just first 2 probems this far. More to come :slight_smile:

And if there is coverage about this somewhere… Please share.

Nestle

2

Ok,

I think I found some information about how these things work. but still. I mean 4 tracks is a pattern - but all I have found is mute tracks to choose which pattern is playing. Is there a way just to move between patterns?

I am used to many sequencers and drummachines, and I usually use the pattern mode, so that I can switch between 2-3 patterns. I have midi controller for this - moving between patterns.

Maybe I just must use the Seq more and more :wink: Back to lab :wink:

Yours,

Nestle

3

hi there, and…

…what do you exactly mean with basic pattern? a pattern can be up to 256 steps long, that´s 16 bars…if you need more,

you could use the “song-mode” which you have to switch to “song-mode”, ´cause default is “phrase-mode”, which is not what you are after…

you can save a pattern then, let´s say you´ve saved pattern a1, a2, a3…in songmode you can then chain them…choose a song , a position (maybe a1-a4 <-these are not pattern but song positions),

set youre pattern on each position…

example:

Pos. A1 - Pattern A2,

Pos. A2 - Pattern A3,

Pos. A3 - Pattern A2,

Pos. A4 - Pattern A1,

Pos. A5 - Jump Pos. A1

…then youve created a loop from pos. a1 to a4…

what´s importand is , you must be in “song-mode” not “phrase-mode”, don´t forget! :cool:

sm;)e , nik

ps.: more here in the manual under “song-screen”.

4

…

5

By basic pattern I mean the easiest way to form a pattern and switch back and forth between patterns. I am used to make different parts of a songs in patterns and then smoothly change between patterns. I assume that this is the way pattern based jamming is made. Alas, I don’t seem to find a way to do this.

If I make 4 tracks to a cool sequence… then I choose next 4 empty tracks - can I switch between first 4 tracks and second 4 tracks without going to mute menu and rapidly muting the first 4 and unmuting the other 4… not that dynamic? Od should I go to “OPEN” menu and open a different project… it does also change to pattern right a way and doesnt let the old pattern play to end?

So, now when I want to switch between 2 patterns, how can I ask the seq to play the pattern to end and go to the chosen pattern?

These must be very basic functions but I just cant figure it out :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

The song mode makes sense to me, but before I arrange a song, I would like to switch back and forth searching for patterns that match. Also I have played live like this just jumping from pattern to pattern.

I think I somehow mess up the terms. In a pattern mode I can make 16 tracks - so it is pattern with 16 tracks. One pattern. I have made several others - can I move between patterns in a pattern mode with features like “play to end and go to xx pattern”?

Thanks,

Nestle

6

While it is not classic “pattern switching”, I use the seq mostly by first creating 16 tracks, that can be combined via the mute/unmute menu.

With delayed mute/unmute (Menu->Options), it works very nicely - I spend 90% of the time in the mute menu when using it “live”. 16 tracks is also enough for me for one tune, but your milage may vary, depending on your needs.

Also, although I am not using it this way, I am quite sure that you can switch to “a new pattern, aka four new tracks” in the pattern screen of the sequencer with synchronization (switching, when the old pattern ends).

Greets,

Peter

7

ah…now i got it…hehe

óf course you can force the pattern playing to end…go in utilities-option (Opt.)…there u can define if it should sync the patternchange to bars or not…with measure u define how many bars a pattern should play before it jumps to the next.

even with a 16steps-pattern, you can force it to play 4 times before changing by setting measure to 64 steps.

in pattern-mode you can then switch pattern in sync with the gp-buttons. :cool:

8

Ok, now we are gotting somewhere :wink:

Hawkeye - this is how I have been doing it, but without delay.. I have to study that. For me it was really difficult to mute and unmute several tracks just at the end of the track :smiley: The delay makes sense, but still, it would be nice to program track combinations ready for example the different parts of a song as a preset. But just inside a pattern - several easily switchable presets including track options and mutes.

But maybe the song mode is for that? Back to nuke :smiley:

Nuke - I used the song mode (not phrase :wink: today but… but but… :wink: I mean - when I choose values under G1 G2 G3 and G4 in song mode I really don’t get what I am choosing. Whole patterns? But it seems, I can not choose tracks out of 16 tracks of a pattern? At least I couldn’t get it to work. I made A1 to play A1, A2, A3, A4 x4… Then A2 was 1, B2, B3, B4… But those were not my tracks 5-8.. Instead they were empty. And A1 played 4 tracks that reminded me of the first 4 tracks of the pattern… But A2 was not the next ones… So I load several patterns and choose which of those patterns are playing as a whole (in their 16 track glory)? I am sure I can choose just to play first 3 tracks first pattern after a while I would go to the second 4 tracks etc… inside a pattern.

BUT, I HAVE WEIRD SENSATION THAT I AM GETTING INTO MBSEQv4… Slowly it seems, but it is making more sense to me every time I use it :wink:

Thanks for kicking me in the right direction :wink:

Nestle

9

mmm…it seems that you´re messing up things… :laugh:

let me make it a bit clearer…

the 16 tracks you get when starting the seq_v4 are not 16 patterns nor is this a “whole” pattern…

these 16 tracks are divided into 4 groups, each group consists of 4 tracks which is then called a pattern.

so when you save a “pattern” A1 = (group1->track 1-4) and load another pattern A2, your tracks A1(1-4) are now replaced by A2(1-4)…so is group2->track 5-8…group3->track 9-12 and so on…so by loading a pattern you will replace 4 tracks at a time on your chosen group.

if you , what i think you did, want to change back and forth between track1 to track4, this can be done by muting them, best with synced mute/unmutes enabled ((util./opt.)…but for now you can also save your “patterns” as A1,A2,A3,A4 and copy each wanted track to track1 and clear the other 2-4 after. before that, you should backup your pattern to an unused placeholder like B1 or so…so you can always return to where you´ve started, in case something goes wrong… :cool:

10

mmm…it seems that you´re messing up things… :laugh:

let me make it a bit clearer…

the 16 tracks you get when starting the seq_v4 are not 16 patterns nor is this a “whole” pattern…

these 16 tracks are divided into 4 groups, each group consists of 4 tracks which is then called a pattern.

so when you save a “pattern” A1 = (group1->track 1-4) and load another pattern A2, your tracks A1(1-4) are now replaced by A2(1-4)…so is group2->track 5-8…group3->track 9-12 and so on…so by loading a pattern you will replace 4 tracks at a time on your chosen group.

if you , what i think you did, want to change back and forth between track1 to track4, this can be done by muting them, best with synced mute/unmutes enabled ((util./opt.)…but for now you can also save your “patterns” as A1,A2,A3,A4 and copy each wanted track to track1 and clear the other 2-4 after. before that, you should backup your pattern to an unused placeholder like B1 or so…so you can always return to where you´ve started, in case something goes wrong… :cool:

Ok, thanks for this clarification ;D

Now I understand the basic way to operate. And have slight idea about the limitations.

For me it is quite weird, that I can’t apply mute/unmute -information anywhere and automate it? For example, I save 5 patterns - then arrange 4 different parts out of the 16 tracks. After a while I have messed first pattern and reload it while playing the song mode that includes the mute/unmute -information. When the song is ending I load the fifth “ending pattern” over one of the patterns and know that the mute/unmute automation will close the song as I have thought. This would make the whole process so much easier, as I could create the basic structure of the song and pretty much automate it - now playing live I could just add some flavor and mess with the tracks without the hassle of muting and unmuting.

I play in a band, where we have some other instruments and a singer, so I can’t just jam. There is a structure that we have to apply and I find it frustrating to keep up with it manually.

In the song mode, in the other hand, I can only apply patterns in a specific order? Well - I think I must go back to the lab. So difficult :wink: I got my first children a month ago and had to take all my gear to my studio… Can’t just test and practice :stuck_out_tongue: Maybe I have to bring the SEQ back and use it with VSTs… :sorcerer:

11

For me it is quite weird, that I can’t apply mute/unmute -information anywhere and automate it?

ok …here´s another one… :rolleyes:

go in “songmode” and instead of loading Pattern “A1” on Position A1, you choose “Mutes” with the “Actn.”-encoder before loading your pattern. so Pos. A2 will then be your pattern “A1”…then choose “mutes” again on Pos. A3 and on Pos. A4 your same pattern again (A1)…Pos. A5 is a jump to pos. A1…that´s how you can automate mutes in song-mode, but dealing still with the same pattern…so in songmode you can also put in tempochanges and mixermaps… :sorcerer:

sm;)e , nik

1 Like
12

ok …here´s another one… :rolleyes:

go in “songmode” and instead of loading Pattern “A1” on Position A1, you choose “Mutes” with the “Actn.”-encoder before loading your pattern. so Pos. A2 will then be your pattern “A1”…then choose “mutes” again on Pos. A3 and on Pos. A4 your same pattern again (A1)…Pos. A5 is a jump to pos. A1…that´s how you can automate mutes in song-mode, but dealing still with the same pattern…so in songmode you can also put in tempochanges and mixermaps… :sorcerer:

sm;)e , nik

Yes! :ninja: I will try these new tricks tomorrow!

Nestle

13

Ok, I have advanced a bit with my studies with MBSeqV4 :slight_smile:

New question… It seems I can’t find a right button… When I have longer sequence than 16 steps, I can’t find a button to scroll around. I have to use live -record to add notes to the steps outside of my screens :stuck_out_tongue: I know I am a fool, but I tried a several hours. Khee. Made me think that maybe the SeqV3 enclosure I am using is missing a button or so :wink:

Nestle

14

Made me think that maybe the SeqV3 enclosure I am using is missing a button or so :wink:

Hi there, I also use a MBSeq3 front panel, and yes there are sometimes button functions that you may miss!

I found the bookmarks features a great way to fix this. Press Menu + Select and you can program shortcuts to useful pages that you may not be able to access from the MBSeq3 front panel directly. Personally I have shortcuts to TrackSelect, StepSelect, ToggleSelect - that covers most of what I need.

I think the manual or this section of the forum has TK’s instructions of how to use the bookmarks…

15

i´d totally recommend to use the datawheel to scroll - it´s a new feature since a few revisions - thanks to TK who saved my left/right buttons from being totally worn off :slight_smile: