Snapshotlike Functionality

[mongrol]

Social Entropy's Engine sequencer has a nice tool called "Snapshots". Snapshots are an entity type (along with Patterns, Chains, Songs etc) on their system that gives a pretty fast way to generate song structures. Simply, you get a loop running with whatever track configuration you like and press "Snapshot". It then saves all the track config, mute states etc in a "Snapshot" object. Tweak away, change some mutes, or track config (channels, FX, etc) and press Snapshot and you get another save point. You can recall these snapshots back again and it instantly recalls the track config states. Handy...

To me the real magic, though is in song mode. There you can recall snapshots as song patterns and chain them together. It's a fast way to play live, take snaps on the way then quickly chain a song together.

Now, I don't want an Engine when I've just bought a Midibox. So how could we get similar functionality? The Seqv4 doesn't have a concept of Snapshot, and probably doesn't have the memory for it either, but we could fake or borrow the concepts to do something to make song generation easier.

1. Knock up your tracks in phrase mode, set your mute states, feel the groove and press "Save <something"
2. Seq saves a pattern
3. Seq adds a song step of current mute states
4. Seq adds a song step of x4 and the current pattern groups (x4 is defineable to other lengths)
5. Tweak your loop, mute states, FX, up that groove big daddy'o!
6. Press Save and GOTO Step 2.

That could be doable without Seqv4+ and would be a much faster method of song generation without taking you out the zone.

[escargot]

I like that idea! saving individual track lenghts, mute states, arp on or rec on or just anything that u come up with within the seq just for one part of the song....

[mongrol]

I've noticed in the Song mode there's already something existing that's almost Snapshots but not quite. Pressing SELECT in song mode brings up a utility menu with options on the right screen called "Takeover Patterns" and "Save & Takeover Patterns". I can't figure out what takeover patterns does as the manual doesn't elaborate it but "Save & takeover patterns" save's the current mutes, mixer and patterns into one of the bank slots.

It's not quite snapshots though as you only have 16 bank slots and a manually written song sequence could be much longer than that. This function could be tweaked a bit to provide a more fluid workflow. I shall read and think and come back.

[jjonas]

Is this section in the Beginner's Guide helpful? (EDIT: for understanding 'Take over Patterns'.)

"On the PATTERN page you can select the four patterns that you need and see their names while you do the selection. (Naturally this requires that you've given your patterns a category and a label when you've saved them individually earlier.) After selecting the desired pattern for each group, you can press & hold SONG to select 'Take Over Patterns' with GPB13–14. This will copy the four selected patterns into the current song position on the SONG page, overwriting what was previously in that position. 'Save & Take over Patterns' does the same, but saves the patterns as well."

Edited September 20, 2016 by jjonas

[mongrol]

Thanks jjonas, somehow I missed that bit in your guide. Note Save & Take over patterns enters the current pattern set (and saves it) in the pattern mode slots, A1, B1, C1 etc. and it enters it in the same song slot (A1, B1, etc). It's not the same as "Take Over Patterns" which enters it in the currently selected song position. I've just tested the ToP and it's very nearly a Snapshot as it correctly copies the mute states into the selected song slot. The following long would enhance it even more.

Advance song position to next blank position (End position?)
If mixer map has changed from previous create entry with current mixer map
Advance song position
Take over patterns to position.

A default loop x option would be handy which sets the song slot to play X number of times.

Thoughts anyone? I'm trying to make a song workflow that gets a start to end song draft down as fast as possible with minimal interruption to the creative flow. Also hopefully with minimal development effort.