[sdiy] The quest for an analog sequencer (long)

[Jim Johnson]

I've decided to share the source of my angst with the list. Hopefully it
will be thought-provoking,or at least entertaining.

My modular has been sitting idle of late, primarily because I'm weary of
playing it with just knobs. This is no surprise. I had always planned to
control it with a sequencer, either analog, faux-analog (SQ-16, etc) or my
own Seq-303. Alas, nothing I've tried does the trick. (In the case of
Seq-303, this is due to a need to get away from the computer: I write code
all day, and playing a mouse-based sequencer just doesn't give me the
release I need).

I've been through a couple of different sequencers in the last year, and
neither did it for me. The SQ-16 was too damn hard to use, lacked knobs,
and forced me to do a lot of mental bookkeeping ("track 1 is assigned to
MIDI channel 2, which is routed to output 4 on the Expressionist", etc. Too
much like work.) The Mobius lacked knobs and was non-intuitive to program. 

So I'm looking again, and I thought I'd solicit advice. What I want is
something that can create complex, polyrhythmic patterns, under real-time
control, with pitches entered from knobs or sliders, and with lots of
options for permuting the sequence, either by patching or via controls. I'd
like to have at least one 16-step CV channel, at least two 8 step (min)
channels, and an equivalent number of trigger channels. Quantization would
be nice; I haven't decided if it's essential. Ease of interface with my
banana jack system. Rack mountable. MIDI sync.

After ruling out the Serge stuff (just too fucking expensive and hard to
get), the Schaltwerk (too expensive and no knobs), and the Regelwerk
(maybe?) I've decided that my options are as follows:

1) An MAQ 16/3
2) 1.5 panels of Doepfer modules, consisting primarily of a pair of A-155's
and assorted support modules, and then either
    a) Sergiying the Doepfer by replacing the mini's with bananas;
    b) Sergifying the Doepfer by ripping ALL of the module guts out and
mounting them behind a custom Schafer panel, or 
    c) Building a very large banana to mini conversion panel
3) Going the DIY route, perhaps enhanced with a few gutted Doepfer modules
(the quantizer, for example). This might not be as hard as it seems at
first, due to the availability of PC boards for some interesting sequencer
designs. However, as my wife points out, time is not something I have a lot
of.

For reference, the synth I'm looking to control is a Fenix combined with a
single Serge panel: four VCO's, four filters, 8 VCA's, and attendant
goodies.

Any comments? Suggestions? Outright ridicule?

Jim Johnson 
Metaphoric Software
-------------------
Makers of Techno Toys
Software for Electronic Music
http://www.technotoys.com
info at technotoys.com