Modes
Playback mode
The Meta Sequencer is in playback mode when the mode switch is in the leftmost position. While in playback mode, the top display will show the step location in the sequence and the bottom display will show the value at that step.
"realtime knob recording": While in playback mode, you may perform "realtime" knob recording by pressing in in the VALUE knob while turning it. You must be clocking the module during realtime recording.
Edit mode
The Meta Sequencer is in edit mode when the mode switch is in the center position. Sequence playback will not be interrupted during editing, but the STEP and VALUE displays will show the note and value are being edited instead of the notes being played.
Editing the sequence is easy:
- Turn the STEP knob to select which step you'd like to edit.
- Turn the VALUE knob to edit the value.
Important hint: Sequence values range from 0 to 4095. Normally it would be tedious to dial in numbers of this size. However, both knobs have built in switches that can be activated by pushing in on the knob. When adjusting large values, pushing in on a knob while turning it will accellerate the value entry.
Settings mode
The Meta Sequencer has a variety of settings and function. The Meta Sequencer is in settings mode when the mode switch is in the right-most position. The STEP knob is used to select setting or function. The VALUE knob is used to adjust settings or activate functions.
Some functions, such as clear (CLEr) and randomize (rAnd), require you to press in on the VALUE knob to activate the function.
Settings Mode pages:
| LEng |
Sets the pattern length. Ranges from 1 to 64. Default value: 8 |
| cdiv |
Clock division. Divides the incoming clock signal at CLK. Ranges from 1 to 128. Default value: 1. |
| SCAL |
Scale output. Default: none. Quantizes the final output of the module to a musical scale. Scales are: |
| rAnd |
Randomize sequence. Press in on the VALUE encoder to randomize the sequence. |
| CLEr |
Clear sequence. Press in on the VALUE encoder to clear the current sequence. |
| SH [[ |
Shift sequence left one step. The value at the beginning of the sequence is shifted to the end of the sequence. |
| SH ]] |
Shift sequence right one step. The value at the end of the sequence is shifted to the beginning of the sequence. |
| SLiP |
Slip. Default: 0. This value is a percentage chance (0 to 99) for the sequencer to ignore incoming step inputs. Ignored step inputs will not cause the sequencer's playback position to increment. |
| Dr-P |
Drift percentage. Drift settings (percentage and amount) allows the sequence values to drift from their original values. The drift amounts do not affect the underlying sequence and are reset when the sequence is reset. Great for slowly evolving CV output. |
| Dr-A |
Drift amount. |
| hd-o |
Hold offset. Hold settings (offset and threshold) applies a Sample & Hold to the sequence output based on a gate pattern derived from the hold setting (0-255). |
| hd-t |
Hold Threshold |
| Son1 |
Sequenced arpeggio pattern select #1 |
| Son2 |
Sequenced arpeggio pattern select #2 |
| LEdS |
Brightness setting of the LEDs |
| rSt |
Used to reassign rst input as a sample-and-hold input |
Settings mode - additional details
Scales
| none | None |
| MAjo | Major |
| Mino | Minor |
| ioni | Ionion |
| dori | Dorian |
| LYdI | Lydian |
| PHrY | Phrygian |
| MoLY | Mixolydian |
| AEOL | Aeolian |
| Locr | Locrian |
| MajP | Major Pentatonic |
| MinP | Minor Pentatonic |
| dimi | Diminished |
| chro | Chromatic |
| GAtE | "gate" (+0 or +5 volts) |
"Hold" settings (hd-o, hd-t)
The Meta Sequencer has a built-in sequenced sample & hold. Setting the Hold Threshold (hd-t) to 0 disables this feature.
A 16 step sequence in the Meta Sequencer might be visualized like so:
As this sequence plays back, if the value output is greater than the Hold Threshold, then that note will be held at the output. If the value is less than the Hold Threshold, then the output won't be updated.
For example, if the Hold Threshold is around 70%, only the following CV values will be held at the output:
This is great, but as the threshold is increased, only the upper-limit of the sequence is output. To offer more variation, the Threshold Offset may be used. When deciding if a value should be held or not, instead of looking at the current step's value, (step + offset)'s value is used. Here we see the same sequence using a Threshhold Offset of "3" and a Threshold of around 70%:
(The arrow illustrates that the first note will be held because the note at step (1+3) has a value over 70%.)
Son1 / Son2 settings
The Meta Sequencer contains 16 transposition sequences. They are:
0) none { 0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0 },
1) Subtle { 0,0,0,0, 2,2,2,2, 0,0,0,0, 2,2,2,2 },
2) Subtle+{ 0,0,0,0, 2,2,2,2, 0,0,0,0, 9,9,9,9 },
3) Launch: { 0,0,0,0, 2,2,2,2, 36,36,36,36, 9,9,9,9 },
4) Tadeoffs { 24,0,24,0, 12,36,36,2, 29,10,29,10, 9,9,9,9 },
5) Return Home { 0,14,-6,14, 0,-3,-12,14, 0,-5,20,10, 0,12,7,24 },
6) Octaves { 0,0,-12,-12, 12,12,0,0, 0,0,-12,-12, 12,12,0,0 },
7) Down & Up { 0,0,-3,-3, -6,-6,-9,-9, -12,-12,-4,-4, 7,7,10,10 },
8) Fast Acention { -11,-9,-7,-5, -3,-1,1,3, 5,7,9,11, 13,15,17,19 },
9) Movement { 0,0,0,0, -7,-7,-7,-7, 4,4,4,4, -10,-10,-10,-13 },
10) Extremes { 0,0,-48,-48, 48,48,-36,-36, 36,36,-24,-24, 24,24,-12,-12 },
11) Fairly Random { 0,30,-4,-19, 14,5,-11,24, 22,6,-6,-12, 24,14,-12,2 },
12) Arp up { 0,2,4,2, 4,6,4,6, 8,6,8,9, 8,9,11,8 },
13) Arp up down { 0,4,8,4, 8,12,8,12, 16,12,8,4, 8,4,0,-4 },
14) Wider { 0,1,-1,2,-2,3,-3,4, -4,5,-5,6, -6,7,-7,-8 },
15) down slide { 9,8,7,6, 5,4,3,2, 1,0,-1,-2, -3,-4,-5,-6 },
16) Baby steps { 0,1,2,1, 0,-1,-2,-1, 0,1,2,1, 0,-1,-2,-1 }
Son1 (meaning, "song1") adds one of these arpeggio patterns to the sequence playback. The Son1 arpeggiation patterns are stepped at the same rate as the main sequencer. However, Son2 is stepped at 1/2 rate of the main sequencer. Both Son1 and Son2 can be applied to the output of the main sequence simultaineously.
