which hardware MIDI sequencers have the best interface?

[morefun2compute]

Hi, I'm kind of new to this world, but I've got a pretty good idea of what I need and just need some pointers to my best alternatives.

I've got a bunch of gear for making sounds (drums, keyboard synths, etc), all MIDI-capable, and now I want to get one or more sequencers to run it all. Obviously, I could do it all from software, but I feel like special-purpose hardware is generally more dependable than general-purpose computers. More importantly, I shudder at the thought of using a mouse to edit music sequences. Computers just don't have a natural, intuitive interface for this sort of thing. So what are my best options in this situation?

My requirements seem quite minimal:
* I need to be able to program drum patterns with both real-time and step sequencing.
* At least 8 drum parts on a single midi channel.
* Hopefully, drum programming could be done in such a way as to generate external MIDI events while sequencing so that I can hear it on the device that is actually going to be sequenced.
* I want to program pitched note events with step sequencing, using input over MIDI, ideally with the option for polyphony.
* I need to be able to assign sequences to specific MIDI channels when arranging a song.
* At least 16 or so sequences on different MIDI channels played back simultaneously.
* Obviously, it would be nice to have a good interface for arranging patterns into songs and organizing, backing-up, and restoring pattern and song data.
* If I get separate sequencers for drum sequencing and keyboard sequencing, then I'd obviously want them to be easy to coordinate.

Obviously, I've found a number of fancy, expensive devices that do that, usually along with a million other things. But my requirements seem so minimal that I'd expect there to be a pretty cheap way of doing that stuff with hardware.

In particular, I don't need to generate any kind of sound from the sequencer -- only MIDI events. I don't care if the thing has sounds built into it. But that's not what I'm getting it for so I don't want to judge my options based how good the thing sounds. I know there's a lot of drum machines out there that could work as drum sequencers, but all the reviews and comparison focus on the sounds they make and only mention the programming interface as an afterthought.

Any advice?

...Aaron

[xparis001]

this might be what you're looking for. Unfortunately, they're pretty rare.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb00/a ... amsq16.htm

[Bitexion]

It's an even more harrowing experience to edit onboard some old hardware MIDI sequencer with a 3-digit LCD display and dozens of menus, trust me. On a computer you can at least see everything you need at once.

You'll end up pushing a dozen buttons just to do a simple thing like quantizing.

[Z]

Genoqs Octopus?

[ninja6485]

It's an even more harrowing experience to edit onboard some old hardware MIDI sequencer with a 3-digit LCD display and dozens of menus, trust me. On a computer you can at least see everything you need at once.

You'll end up pushing a dozen buttons just to do a simple thing like quantizing.

I can quantize in 6 keystrokes on a yamaha Qx3, which takes about as long as it takes to move a mouse from one end of a screen to the other . But I use computer sequencing and hardware together, depending on their strengths.

For Op, I would reccomend either a Qx3, or an roland mc-500 variant. The Mc loads its os everytime you want to go into a sub menu, which can get tedious. The Qx allows you to access everything instantly. But the Mc has very powerful tr-style drum sequencing on a dedicated rythm track. The mc also loops seemlessly while you work, where as the Qx has to be in chain mode to loop seemlessly. Again, this isn't a big deal unless you're trying to do a 'live 4 bar loop that you edit while you play' kind of thing. In practice, on a liniar track it's not noticable. The qx3 has much better "microscope" editing, as the function is called on the mc, and manually inputing notes is better. You can more easily input a note that's several bars long. The Qx also has 16 tracks over the mc's 8 + rhythm. Plus yamaha build quality is just better. Honestly, it's impossible to say which one I prefer, or which one is more fun, although I'm glad I had the qx3 first... although there are features of the mc that I wish I had all along. Together, and with maschine when I want to look at a screen for a complex melody I don't want to play, it's bloody awesome.

[mute]

closest you'll get besides the MAM is an Electribe .. maybe one of the roland MC boxes...

[silikon]

Perhaps the Midibox Seq v4...

Loved mine while I had it, died a little when I had to sell it.

Have a look at the website; http://www.ucapps.de/midibox_seq.html

...it's a DIY thing, but 'I know a guy' who might be interested in building one for you as he did for me.

[pflosi]

Zyklus MPS 1. Does everything you list except only 12 sequences simultaneously (on 4 midi outs). Good luck finding one though

[Hugo76]

How about a Yamaha rm1x?

[White]

I have had three Alesis MMT8's and found them really easy to use. I still use one in my sketch pad set-up

[blavatsky]

Roland MV8000 or MV8800 fills most (if not all) needs. I use it to sequence multiple samplers and synths , great great sequencer. Kind of a big machine.....you can use mouse + monitor or not, I also hate sequencing on a PC but the MV is like a weird middle ground that works for me.
Bad to the bone as a drum machine to boot.

[StepLogik]

The mv-8800 is my recommendation as well. I've owned/tried/used just about every hardware sequencer (I hate using a computer to write music) and the MV is tops and really has no peer. It is basically the Atari version of cubase in a box with rock-solid timing and stability.

Roland made a ton of these things so they're readily available (ignore the ebay asshat price gouging, you can find them on craigslist for dirt cheap if you live near a major of city).

My only concern is long term reliability, I'm on my second one and it' already has several switches and a few LEDs that no longer work

[StepLogik]

Regarding the genoqs octopus, lots of fun but horrible UI. Maybe the worst ever. I sold mine a while ago and it is one of the few pieces of gear that I had absolutely zero seller's remorse once it was gone.

[somebedroomdj]

It's probably overkill in some aspects, but I find the MC-909 to be an excellent sequencer and they can be picked up for peanuts these days. The big screen makes editing a breeze. Also, with my Minibrute, all of this can be transmitted as CV (I sequence my Monotribe in this way). So if that's a direction you ever wish to go, I emphatically recommend an MC-909-Mini/Microbrute combo. But I digress.

Not sure if it will meet every requirement you listed but let's take a look:

* I need to be able to program drum patterns with both real-time and step sequencing.
Pretty much everything you could hope for. You've got real-time recording with various degrees of quantize/swing and TR style recording. I use it as a looping pattern sequencer and it's great but all you need to do is set the measures for the pattern to whatever length you want up to 999 measures and it's also a linear sequencer with a nice microscope mode for editing. Easy as pie, IMO. Here's a screen shot of the editing mode:

* At least 8 drum parts on a single midi channel.
If I'm understanding right, the answer to this is yes. As long as the drum kit on your sound module lets you assign note numbers to each sound (I would think that most do?), you can sequence all of the sounds on the channel that you've assigned it to. Apologies if I'm mistaking what you mean by this.
* Hopefully, drum programming could be done in such a way as to generate external MIDI events while sequencing so that I can hear it on the device that is actually going to be sequenced.
Yes, when in microscope edit mode, the notes play as you scroll through the event list. And also in TR mode it will send external note messages.
* I want to program pitched note events with step sequencing, using input over MIDI, ideally with the option for polyphony.
I haven't had my coffee yet so I'm not sure if I understand what you mean here. But I think the answer is yes. Maybe someone else would chime in.
* I need to be able to assign sequences to specific MIDI channels when arranging a song.
Well, the way it works is that it has 16 parts and the midi channel for each is fixed. But with RPS mode, you build an RPS set by assigning to each key a midi sequence from any of the patterns saved on the machine. Then if you select the track that corresponds to the midi channel you want to transmit on, turn on RPS and hit the keys, it will play the sequence that is assigned and will trigger either internal sounds, external sounds or both. If I'm understanding correctly, this would meed this requirement. I really like this aspect of the 909 because I can design a patch I like and easily play a sequence I like from a different pattern without having to get the whole thing down perfect again. Do this while recording and it will catch every note and nuance.
* At least 16 or so sequences on different MIDI channels played back simultaneously.
Yes, 16 tracks simultaneously.
* Obviously, it would be nice to have a good interface for arranging patterns into songs and organizing, backing-up, and restoring pattern and song data.
This is actually the main reason I would suggest this piece of kit. Editing on the big screen was a major epiphany for me, it made my workflow infinitely more efficient. Backing up data is, admittedly, cumbersome when it comes to samples but if you're mainly saving patterns for external sequencing, it's simple. Just pop in a smartmedia card and you've got hundreds of slots.
* If I get separate sequencers for drum sequencing and keyboard sequencing, then I'd obviously want them to be easy to coordinate.
I've toyed around with using my KT-76 for sequencing my synths and the 909 for drums and it was simple. Just set the 909 as master and you're off. People will says it's cheesy, but I love the turntable slider because it transmits midi clock. Can also be assigned as a pitch bend if you need it. This may be immaterial in your situation, but it's there.

[adekoyote]

RS7000 is a great sequencer. it allows each track to have different bar length and different time signature.