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SH-101: the step sequencer #5

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opened 2026-10-12 01:05:01 +00:00 by bcox · 2 comments
bcox commented 2026-10-12 01:05:01 +00:00
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The Roland SH-101 has a step sequencer on its panel. mini-101 has none: instruments/sh101/synth.h lists it as not done.

Wanted: the SH-101's sequencer for mini-101, played through engine/player.h as the arpeggiator is, so that the instrument's synth.h does not know of it.

What the owner's manual says of it (pages 33 to 36; linked from docs/references.md):

  • It holds up to 100 steps, all of one length. With LOAD on, each key pressed stores its pitch as a step, however it is played. Loading stops by itself at 100.
  • The REST button (the KEY TRANSPOSE button, while loading) stores a step of silence. A longer note or rest is several steps.
  • The LEGATO button (the HOLD button, while loading), held while the next key is pressed, stores a slur or a tie to the step before.
  • PLAY repeats the sequence from its start until pressed again. Every step is played detached except those stored legato, and slurs are only heard with the envelope's switch at GATE. With the switch at LFO the envelope follows the clock and not the steps.
  • It steps at the LFO/CLK rate, or one step for each pulse at the external clock input.
  • The transpose switch works while loading (so 56 keys can be stored) and not while playing; key transpose moves a playing sequence; the bender and portamento work while it plays.
  • A sequence is corrected by playing up to the place and pressing LOAD there; what is loaded replaces what was stored step by step, and anything stored beyond it stays.
  • The sequence is kept while the power is off, by the batteries.

Open questions for the owner:

  • whether this, the Poly-800's (#2) and the Two Voice's (#3) share anything in engine/;
  • whether a sequence is kept in the patch file or beside it, the hardware keeping one sequence and no patches;
  • how steps, rests and ties are entered with no hardware panel (the page, MIDI, or both);
  • whether its clock is the shared arpeggiator's or the instrument's own LFO, as on the hardware.
The Roland SH-101 has a step sequencer on its panel. mini-101 has none: `instruments/sh101/synth.h` lists it as not done. Wanted: the SH-101's sequencer for mini-101, played through `engine/player.h` as the arpeggiator is, so that the instrument's `synth.h` does not know of it. What the owner's manual says of it (pages 33 to 36; linked from `docs/references.md`): - It holds up to 100 steps, all of one length. With LOAD on, each key pressed stores its pitch as a step, however it is played. Loading stops by itself at 100. - The REST button (the KEY TRANSPOSE button, while loading) stores a step of silence. A longer note or rest is several steps. - The LEGATO button (the HOLD button, while loading), held while the next key is pressed, stores a slur or a tie to the step before. - PLAY repeats the sequence from its start until pressed again. Every step is played detached except those stored legato, and slurs are only heard with the envelope's switch at GATE. With the switch at LFO the envelope follows the clock and not the steps. - It steps at the LFO/CLK rate, or one step for each pulse at the external clock input. - The transpose switch works while loading (so 56 keys can be stored) and not while playing; key transpose moves a playing sequence; the bender and portamento work while it plays. - A sequence is corrected by playing up to the place and pressing LOAD there; what is loaded replaces what was stored step by step, and anything stored beyond it stays. - The sequence is kept while the power is off, by the batteries. Open questions for the owner: - whether this, the Poly-800's (#2) and the Two Voice's (#3) share anything in `engine/`; - whether a sequence is kept in the patch file or beside it, the hardware keeping one sequence and no patches; - how steps, rests and ties are entered with no hardware panel (the page, MIDI, or both); - whether its clock is the shared arpeggiator's or the instrument's own LFO, as on the hardware.
bcox commented 2026-10-12 21:45:36 +00:00
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A note from the MC-202 work for #33 (written by Claude): the MC-202's sequencer was not built and belongs here with the SH-101's. By its owner's manual (August 1983) and service notes:

  • Two channels. One plays the built-in synthesizer, the other a second monophonic synthesizer through EXT SYNTH OUT's CV and gate; which channel plays which can be swapped. About 2600 steps of memory between them.
  • A note is a pitch, a step time and a gate time, each a count of clock steps set as a note length (the table of counts was not read closely), with rests and ties, and may carry an accent and a portamento. Portamento sounds only on notes marked for it, both channels sharing the one time knob; accent only on the built-in synthesizer.
  • Entered three ways: typed with the STEP, GATE and NUMBER keys; pitches from the keyboard with the rhythm tapped; or played against a metronome.
  • Edited by the bar: step forward and back, correct, insert and delete notes, add, delete, move and copy bars, transpose.
  • Tempo 40 to 300, DIN sync in and out (two outs), a sync tone that can be recorded to tape, and save, verify and load to cassette.

mini-101 now has the accent as accent.level and accent.filter, given to notes struck at velocity 100 or more for want of a sequencer. When this sequencer is built its steps should carry accent and portamento themselves.

A note from the MC-202 work for #33 (written by Claude): the MC-202's sequencer was not built and belongs here with the SH-101's. By its owner's manual (August 1983) and service notes: - Two channels. One plays the built-in synthesizer, the other a second monophonic synthesizer through EXT SYNTH OUT's CV and gate; which channel plays which can be swapped. About 2600 steps of memory between them. - A note is a pitch, a step time and a gate time, each a count of clock steps set as a note length (the table of counts was not read closely), with rests and ties, and may carry an **accent** and a **portamento**. Portamento sounds only on notes marked for it, both channels sharing the one time knob; accent only on the built-in synthesizer. - Entered three ways: typed with the STEP, GATE and NUMBER keys; pitches from the keyboard with the rhythm tapped; or played against a metronome. - Edited by the bar: step forward and back, correct, insert and delete notes, add, delete, move and copy bars, transpose. - Tempo 40 to 300, DIN sync in and out (two outs), a sync tone that can be recorded to tape, and save, verify and load to cassette. mini-101 now has the accent as `accent.level` and `accent.filter`, given to notes struck at velocity 100 or more for want of a sequencer. When this sequencer is built its steps should carry accent and portamento themselves.
bcox commented 2026-10-13 00:10:54 +00:00
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Ben decided on 2026-10-12 that no instrument's sequencer is cloned: one sequencer is built for every instrument, #56, with the features he chooses from each hardware one. This issue stays open as a reminder to mine this sequencer for features, and is not to be built as it stands.

Ben decided on 2026-10-12 that no instrument's sequencer is cloned: one sequencer is built for every instrument, #56, with the features he chooses from each hardware one. This issue stays open as a reminder to mine this sequencer for features, and is not to be built as it stands.
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