My first little Max4Live project. A monophonic midi step sequencer.
On the surface it’s reasonably standard. It’s a grid based sequencer – notes, gate, tie, velocity and two control changes. What’s unique about it is that you can set different loop points for each of those elements, which allows for anything from simple 303-style basslines to endlessly evolving, rotating, mutating melody lines.
The other unique thing about this is that it’s designed to work solely within musical scales. The sequencer ‘grid’ adapts itself to whatever scale you choose. Choose a chromatic scale, and you get a full 12 steps to play with, but choose a pentatonic scale and the grid automatically adapts itself to show only 5 rows. You don’t need to know any music theory to get great results.
Add to all that a bunch of useful randomisation options and it becomes a really useful tool.
Anyway, this video will explain better.
this looks great, just my kind of thing.
If you’re doing more MFL stuff i would love a version of metal mickey. Thats still a favourite of mine.
Hi Martin,
Great idea. I miss Mickey since I ditched PC like a hot potato. I just need to get my head around audio processing in Max.
Rozzer :)
Thanks, great Step Sequencer! Also many thanks for the video, it gives a very good overview.
Awesome video, and this looks like a great device. I especially love the separate loop points for different attributes… I don’t think I’ve ever used a device where the length wasn’t global. Thank you!
Hey Rory
Enjoying my afternoon with the step sequencer. I’m wondering, however, how do you go about assigning parameters on Live instruments like Operator and Analog to CC numbers? That is, your CC1 and CC2 sequences can be assigned numbers. Many sequencers I’ve used in M4L allow one to just pick the instrument and assign the parameter to “filter freq” or Osc B level” or whatever, which makes it simple. There doesn’t seem to be a way to make CC #8 control something particular.
It works with some VSTs and AUs that allow such an assignment (like Reaktor). But Live’s instruments are whacked this way.
thanks
Hi Brian,
I think you are correct, there is no way to control Ableton instruments with midi control changes. I have to admit it never occured to me to try it with the Live synths. I don’t really use them much. I wrote the sequencer primarily for sequencing outboard synths although I do use it with DCAM Synth Squad occasionally, but that has good midi capabilities.
Rozzer :)
Thanx for this one, very usable with vsti’s.
Btw for some reason, the tie ability is not working for me (notes continue to play from attack phase)..
hi Fluc,
There may be a bug with tie at certain tempos, however, are you sure you have legato or something similar enabled on the destination synth?
Absolutely brilliant!
If you fixed the synchronization issue, adde a remote interface
for iPad or iPhone and made the max 4 Live part standalone (just as the author of Kapture Pad did), you would certainly make tens of thousands of dollars with this.
Awesome sequencer! You make me buy max for live and sell my hardware sequencers (Doepfer Dark Time and Oberkorn) Everything I needed in a sequencer is in yours. I wish you can do an update where you can control the pitch and gate on/off with a midi controller like Behringer BCR2000. That would be awesome!
Panton, that is exactly what i was going to ask was possible! i take its currently impossible?
charlie & Panton – Midi control would be fun. If I’m honest I don’t think I’ll have the time to take on something like that. I don’t really have a suitable midi controller either. I imagine something like a Novation Launchpad would be ideal.
Badass sequencer you have there. Great piece of machinery indeed. Regarding the control of Live’s own synths, it would be easy to do that with Max for Live. But you need somebody who knows how… (that’s not me :)
Awesome sequencer …
is possible to add an reset all to zero button ..
also if possible to add some harmonizer option on the next update
Thanks
Ander – Thanks. Direct control of any parameter in Ableton already implemented in the next version. If I get a moment in the next few weeks, I’ll upload :)
John – Thank you. Harmonizer? Do you mean to do chords?