A music sequencer (also MIDI sequencer or just sequencer) is software or hardware designed to create and manage electronic music. Originally, music sequencers did not include the ability to record audio. Instead, they only managed "remote-control" information (such as "note on" and "note off" events) to be sent to electronic musical instruments to produce the audio output. Most modern sequencers now feature audio editing and processing capabilities as well. Consequently, the terms "music sequencer" and "digital audio workstation" are often used interchangeably. Although the term 'sequencer' is today used primarily for software, some hardware synthesizers and almost all music workstations include a built-in MIDI sequencer. Drum machines generally have a step sequencer built in. There are still also standalone hardware MIDI sequencers, though the market demand for those has diminished greatly in the last ten years. Many sequencers have features for limited music notation, and most are able to show music in a piano roll notation. (For software designed specifically for music notation, see scorewriter.) Music can also be sequenced using trackers such as ModPlug Tracker, and some of those are able to sequence MIDI events too.
Contents |
History
Early analog sequencers used a control voltage/trigger interface, but were replaced by digital hardware- or software-based MIDI sequencers, which play back MIDI events and MIDI control information at a specified number of beats per minute. As computer speeds increased in the 1990s, audio recording, audio editing, and sample triggering features were added to the software. Software so enhanced is called a digital audio workstation (DAW) to distinguish from sequencers and multitrack recording programs. DAWs almost always include sequencing features but, strictly speaking, go beyond what a sequencer is.
Step sequencers
A special case of sequencers are step sequencers. Instead of recording played notes or drawing notes by hand on the piano roll, the user composes patterns using a grid of (usually) 16 buttons, or steps, each step being 1/16th of a measure. Step sequencer patterns are monophonic by nature, but usually a single pattern may contain individual subpatterns for a number of different instruments. These patterns are then chained together to form longer compositions. Step sequencers are mostly used in drum machines and grooveboxes. A commercial sequencer that works in this manner is Freestyle by MOTU.
List of software sequencers / DAWs with sequencing features
For a list of trackers, see the tracker article.
Also see: List of MIDI editors and sequencers. Commercial Sequencers:
- ACID Pro and Cinescore from Sony
- Cubase and Nuendo from Steinberg
- Digital Performer and AudioDesk from MOTU
- FL Studio from Image Line Software
- Live from Ableton
- Logic Pro, Logic Express and Garage Band from Apple
- Pro Tools from Digidesign
- Reason from Propellerhead
- Samplitude, Sequoia, Music Maker and Music Studio from Magix
- SAWStudio from RML Labs [1]
- Sonar, Project5 and Home Studio from Cakewalk
- Storm from Arturia
- Tracktion from Mackie
Open Source Sequencers:
- LMMS [2]
- MusE
- Rosegarden
- Seq24 [3]
- Hydrogen (drum machine)
Hardware music sequencers
A list of hardware sequencers and synthesizers, grooveboxes and drum machines that contain a sequencer in alphabetical order (and by no means exhaustive):
- AKAI MPC series
- Alesis MMT-8
- Clavivox, keyboard synth patented in 1956 by Raymond Scott
- Doepfer MAQ 16-3
- Doepfer Schaltwerk
- Doepfer Regelwerk
- Ensoniq ASR-10
- Ensoniq ESQ-1
- Ensoniq EPS-16
- Fairlight CMI
- Frostwave Fat Controller
- genoQs Octopus
- Infection Music Phaedra
- Infection Music Zeit
- Latronic Notron
- Kawai Q-80
- Korg SQ-8
- Korg SQD-1
- Korg SQD-8
- Manikin Schrittmacher
- Moog 960 Sequential Controller -- part of the Moog modular synthesizer system, and possibly the earliest sequencer.
- Radikal Technologies Spectralis
- RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer (Victor). Room-filling device built in 1957 for a half-million dollars. Included a 4-polyphony synth with 12 oscillators, a sequencer fed with paper tape, and a shellac record lathe for output.
- Roland DJ-70
- Roland DJ-70mkII
- Roland Fantom-X
- Roland MC-4 Microcomposer
- Roland MC-8 Microcomposer
- Roland MC-09
- Roland MC-300
- Roland MC-303
- Roland MC-327
- Roland MC-50
- Roland MC-50mkII
- Roland MC-500 Microcomposer
- Roland MC-505
- Roland MC-808
- Roland MC-909
- Roland MV-30
- Roland MV-8000
- Roland SB-55
- Roland TB-303
- Sequential Circuits PolySequencer
- Sequentix P3
- Synthesizers.com Q119
- Synthesizers.com Q960 & Q962 Sequential Switch
- Yamaha PSR-3000
- Yamaha QX1
- Yamaha QX3
- Yamaha QX5
- Yamaha QX7
- Yamaha QX21
- Yamaha QY10
- Yamaha QY300
- Yamaha QY700
- Yamaha QY100
- Yamaha RM1x
- Yamaha RS7000
- Zyklus MPS
