A cheapest tr-like drummachine for sequencing a dr-like?

bandreject · Post by **bandreject** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:20 pm

I think that I found a solution - MAM SQ16.

review

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:36 pm

bandreject wrote:I think that I found a solution - MAM SQ16.

review

Buying that to sequence a Boss DR is like buying $3000 rims and putting them on a $1000 car.

bandreject · Post by **bandreject** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:51 pm

JSRockit wrote:Buying that to sequence a Boss DR is like buying $3000 rims and putting them on a $1000 car.

But it is still a quite cheap way to get the tr-x0x way of playing. And I guess that those tracks that are able to sequence different notes are ideal for sequencing the mb33. And I think that I found one on eBay some time ago and it was quite cheap (about 100 euro if I remember good). I didn't bought it because I didn't had any sound modules to sequence. But probably buying a dr-202 is a better idea (it's not tr-x0x based (isn't it?), but it has more possibilities for live jamming that the dr-550).

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:55 pm

Honestly, I would wait until you get it and then see if it is worth getting another sequencer.

JUGEL · Post by **JUGEL** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:22 pm

If you wanna go MAMSQ16 ... buy an Akai S-950 to go with it and make it worth it.

Sir Ruff · Post by **Sir Ruff** » Fri Sep 07, 2007 10:24 pm

JUGEL wrote:If you wanna go MAMSQ16 ... buy an Akai S-950 to go with it and make it worth it.

does the sq16 have individual trigger outs?

bandreject · Post by **bandreject** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 1:50 pm

JUGEL wrote:If you wanna go MAMSQ16 ... buy an Akai S-950 to go with it and make it worth it.

S-950 - 3 rack spaces is to much, wont fit into my pants.

Post by **Vxster** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:10 pm

bandreject wrote:
JUGEL wrote:If you wanna go MAMSQ16 ... buy an Akai S-950 to go with it and make it worth it.
S-950 - 3 rack spaces is to much, wont fit into my pants.

ronmcdonald · Post by **ronmcdonald** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:35 am

DR550 can only be programmed in real-time, or by stepping through each of the 16 steps and placing the note where you want. It's quite simple to do, as there is a little lcd display that shows what step you're on. If you want a nice cheap X0X style sequencer, get one of the Korg Electribe series, probably an ER-1 is cheapest. You can assign MIDI note numbers to each pad, and then sequence them. DR550 has fixed note assignment as far as i know. Also, i don't believe any of the Roland boxes actually output MIDI note numbers from the sequencer, i thought they just had sync, and that's that. So, even if you found one for a good price, you'd probably still have to deal with the 550 sequencer and play them in sync. You can change pad volumes on the 550 while it's running. Actually i think it's possible to change almost any pad parameter while it's running. You can certainly pad sound and volume.

I'd be interested in buying the 550 off you if it ain't your bag.

bandreject · Post by **bandreject** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 2:53 pm

And what about muting? Is it possible to change bank while playing (so part mute could be emulated by using banks with gaps on selected pads)? And how the pattern changing is done? Is it possible to change pattern in song mode(next position in song)?

ronmcdonald · Post by **ronmcdonald** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 7:01 pm

I don't know! I guess you could write patterns with these bank changes in them, and switch through the ones with 'muted' sections. I think the banks are pattern specific, so each one can use whatever bank you want, out of the four available that is. It is possible to switch patterns in Pattern Play mode.

JSRockit · Post by **JSRockit** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:10 pm

ronmcdonald wrote:I don't know! I guess you could write patterns with these bank changes in them, and switch through the ones with 'muted' sections. I think the banks are pattern specific, so each one can use whatever bank you want, out of the four available that is. It is possible to switch patterns in Pattern Play mode.

Yeah, I used to do that with the DR-660...

Post by **meatballfulton** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 3:27 pm

ronmcdonald wrote:i don't believe any of the Roland boxes actually output MIDI note numbers from the sequencer

The TR-505 has a pretty basic MIDI implementation but still lets you assign note numbers (and MIDI channel!) to each pad. Outgoing velocity is fixed at 48 (way too low) for all unaccented notes and you have a choice of one of six levels of velocity for all accented notes: 48 (no accent), 64, 80, 96, 112, 127.

The critical missing feature is a control for gate time (how soon a note-off is sent after a note-on). The gate time is fixed and extremely short. At 120 BPM the 505's gate duration is only 7/480 of a quarter note!!!! Non-percussion sounds on external gear need to be programmed with long decays and releases in order to be sequenced by a 505.

clusterchord · Post by **clusterchord** » Thu Sep 13, 2007 9:19 pm

ive been looking for the same thing, to make my EMAX a SP-12 of sorts..

it came down to either ER-1, 626 and MAM, but each has pros/cons.. AFAIK the MAM doesn't have swing feature. i presume ER and 626 do. ER is new, cheap, and has lights on 16 step buttons which is much better than 626's grid LCD.

when it comes to velocity ER seems most limited.. it can do normal or accented level, whereas 626 offers six different accent levels per note/step/sound. dunno how MAM works with this.. have to d/l the manual. but i agree its kinda pricey for driving only a the sml Boss box, unless youre running some serious (more expensive) hardware with it.

since im looking for a HW sequencer too, i thought of another option - seems yammie RS7000 has XoX style programming for drums. and it has on-board sampling, so ideally all i need is hook it up to a nice 909 or midied 808, and its best of both worlds..

Sir Ruff · Post by **Sir Ruff** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 4:57 pm

clusterchord wrote:ive been looking for the same thing, to make my EMAX a SP-12 of sorts..

it came down to either ER-1, 626 and MAM, but each has pros/cons.. AFAIK the MAM doesn't have swing feature. i presume ER and 626 do. ER is new, cheap, and has lights on 16 step buttons which is much better than 626's grid LCD.

when it comes to velocity ER seems most limited.. it can do normal or accented level, whereas 626 offers six different accent levels per note/step/sound. dunno how MAM works with this.. have to d/l the manual. but i agree its kinda pricey for driving only a the sml Boss box, unless youre running some serious (more expensive) hardware with it.

since im looking for a HW sequencer too, i thought of another option - seems yammie RS7000 has XoX style programming for drums. and it has on-board sampling, so ideally all i need is hook it up to a nice 909 or midied 808, and its best of both worlds..

the 626 has 4 degrees of swing. jackin'