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A sequencer shared by every instrument, with the features wanted from each hardware one #56

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opened 2026-10-13 00:10:54 +00:00 by bcox · 1 comment
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 to be cloned. There is to be one sequencer, shared by every instrument, as engine/arpeggiator.h is one arpeggiator: a sequencer does not depend on the sound engine, so whatever it can do, every instrument gets.

How it is to be done

  1. Look at what the hardware instruments' sequencers do. The issues that already exist for single instruments are the list to mine, and that is their whole purpose now:
    • #2, the Poly-800's step sequencer.
    • #5, the SH-101's, 100 steps with rests and ties. Ben expects these two to be much alike, and one design to cover both.
    • #3, the SEM family's: the Two Voice's, the OB-6's and the TEO-5's.
    • #29, the JX family's: the JX-3P's 128 steps and the JX-10's on a cartridge.
    • And those of instruments not built yet, as they come: the Source's and the Memorymoog Plus's (#52, #51), the Prophet-T8's, and others.
  2. Ben says which features are in and which are out. Not decided yet. The kinds of thing to choose among, by his examples: a key that triggers it, a key that gates it, a key that transposes it, running free.
  3. Build one, in engine/, with the features chosen, its settings in every patch as the arpeggiator's are, played through engine/player.h.

What is in scope and what is out

Ben's general rule, of 2026-10-12: it is a performance sequencer, not a production sequencer.

  • In: things for playing with, such as a key that resets it, a key that transposes it, and polyphony.
  • Out: things for making a whole piece, such as chaining patterns into a song, and more than one track.

A feature of some hardware sequencer is weighed against that.

Not decided

  • Each feature, one by one. The rule above says which way a feature leans; Ben still goes through the list.
  • How it sits beside the arpeggiator and the zones: one for the instrument, or one for each zone as the arpeggiator is.
  • Whether its steps are stored in the patch, which is text with a parameter a line, or beside it.
  • Its clock: its own, MIDI's, or the arpeggiator's.

Each instrument's manual is to be read for what its sequencer really does before its features are listed; what the single-instrument issues say is mostly from recollection.

Ben decided on 2026-10-12 that no instrument's sequencer is to be cloned. There is to be **one sequencer, shared by every instrument**, as `engine/arpeggiator.h` is one arpeggiator: a sequencer does not depend on the sound engine, so whatever it can do, every instrument gets. ## How it is to be done 1. **Look at what the hardware instruments' sequencers do.** The issues that already exist for single instruments are the list to mine, and that is their whole purpose now: - #2, the Poly-800's step sequencer. - #5, the SH-101's, 100 steps with rests and ties. Ben expects these two to be much alike, and one design to cover both. - #3, the SEM family's: the Two Voice's, the OB-6's and the TEO-5's. - #29, the JX family's: the JX-3P's 128 steps and the JX-10's on a cartridge. - And those of instruments not built yet, as they come: the Source's and the Memorymoog Plus's (#52, #51), the Prophet-T8's, and others. 2. **Ben says which features are in and which are out.** Not decided yet. The kinds of thing to choose among, by his examples: a key that triggers it, a key that gates it, a key that transposes it, running free. 3. **Build one**, in `engine/`, with the features chosen, its settings in every patch as the arpeggiator's are, played through `engine/player.h`. ## What is in scope and what is out Ben's general rule, of 2026-10-12: **it is a performance sequencer, not a production sequencer.** - **In**: things for playing with, such as a key that resets it, a key that transposes it, and polyphony. - **Out**: things for making a whole piece, such as chaining patterns into a song, and more than one track. A feature of some hardware sequencer is weighed against that. ## Not decided - Each feature, one by one. The rule above says which way a feature leans; Ben still goes through the list. - How it sits beside the arpeggiator and the zones: one for the instrument, or one for each zone as the arpeggiator is. - Whether its steps are stored in the patch, which is text with a parameter a line, or beside it. - Its clock: its own, MIDI's, or the arpeggiator's. Each instrument's manual is to be read for what its sequencer really does before its features are listed; what the single-instrument issues say is mostly from recollection.
bcox commented 2026-10-13 04:27:04 +00:00
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One feature to ask Ben for here, from the MC-202 (#33): its sequencer keeps an accent for each note. Until this sequencer exists, mini-101 gives an accent to a note struck at MIDI's 100 or harder, which Ben confirmed on 2026-10-12 as the stand-in. When this is built its notes should carry the accent themselves.

The Quadra's lead now has its own arpeggio (#36), an engine/arpeggiator.h inside the lead, which shows a second player of notes can live inside one section of an instrument.

One feature to ask Ben for here, from the MC-202 (#33): **its sequencer keeps an accent for each note.** Until this sequencer exists, mini-101 gives an accent to a note struck at MIDI's 100 or harder, which Ben confirmed on 2026-10-12 as the stand-in. When this is built its notes should carry the accent themselves. The Quadra's lead now has its own arpeggio (#36), an `engine/arpeggiator.h` inside the lead, which shows a second player of notes can live inside one section of an instrument.
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bcox/mini-800#56
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