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Hello! How to tune SEQ to scales?


Metrophage
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I have only recently heard of MIDIbox, which seems like an excellent project! I have a bit of experience with building analog synths, but I have only just started with digital. My favorite sequencers so far have been KCS/Omega on Atari, Max and Numerology on MacOS. Still, the MIDI timing is still not as good for my analog gear, especially over 200 BPM. I am happy to put a dedicated, real-time hardware sequencer together. MIDIbox SEQ looks wonderful for live performance! I am thinking of making one to send MIDI and CVs, but from what I have read on the web pages, I have no idea how to tune it. How does one input or select the scales which are to be played?

Very interesting project here! I am grateful for the work which has been done.

Thanks!

Metrophage

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a quote from the midibox CV page :

With "Note" the appr. CV output will change its voltage level on incoming Notes (1V/octave)

i suppose that the PIC output 0 to 5V voltage ,and you have to adapt your synth for this range...not sure..

and some info about seq+Aout :

http://www.avishowtech.com/midibox/wiki/index.php/How%20to%20use%20AOUT%20%2B%20SEQ_V2?PHPSESSID=1f4c93e010df421d167bb77b97ba94c7

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Hi Moxi! Thanks for the reply. I do know how to make CV scalers from op-amps. On most analog sequencers, and good digital ones, the musical scale can be selected from a bank of possible tunings. On analog sequencers, this is usually a "quantizer" subcircuit using an EPROM. A quantizer of this type works much like an old ROMpler or wavetable synth, one stores a variety of useful musical scales as table data, and steps through them with bank switches. Since digital sequencers are already discrete, quantization is usually handled as part of the package.

I don't mind making a scaler and/or quantizer, but it seems weird to make it separate from the sequencer itself, and would not effect the tuning of MIDI instruments. I mean not just scaling the CVs, but the tuning to musical scales.

M

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Metrophage,

From the software selection you have listed, I'm guessing that your used on working with composition tools, that allow you to work with certain musical scales. MidiboxSEQ isn't like that, you'll dial midi notes directly for steps with encoders (or pots, in vintage version). Thorsten rejected the idea of including scales (or "force to scale") in recent discussion as, I think, he thought it would be stepping on toes of a fellow DIYer Colin Fraser, whose P3 sequencer has such a function.

And AOUT board needs its own power supply of +/-12v and supports full 128 notes in 1V/Oct scaling.

Bye, Moebius

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Hmm... That's too bad. The P3 sequencer is certainly not the only sequencer which can be tuned to musical scales, I'd imagine most of them can!

Now I am in a foolish position. The P3 can be set to scale, but it is only 48ppq resolution, and no analog output. The MIDIbox SEQ has 96ppq resolution and analog output, but to scale it for my MIDI stuff, I'd need to run the MIDI through a computer, which is exactly what I am trying to get away from. Not only can I not find one hardware sequencer which does everything I need, I don't know how I could get two to share the tasks effectively. And besides, I can barely afford one sequencer!

I suppose I'd lean towards the MIDIbox, and see if I can tinker with the firmware to include these features, but I am not very hopeful. Guess I'll just need to find the time to learn to build from scratch... or something.

Yes, Mobius, I do use computer software to do these things now. Lots of it! Software which is called "composition" usually implies non-real time, but of course algorithmic sequencers are also for composition, in real time. As I get into rhythm though I find that the software timing on a general purpose computer is not so good, so I want to use hardware sequencers instead. Unfortunately there are none with all of the capabilities I use in software!

I am still very much impressed with the MIDIbox project, and SEQ. Open-source hardware is a wonderful idea. These projects are at least as good as anything one would buy anywhere.

Thank you Moxi and Mobius for the info!

M

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