Sequencer question

[saxomohawh]

I have a question about the Pro 2 step sequencer, but I guess it is about step sequencers in general. Isn't there any parameter for how long each key is held on? It is a little difficult to describe in text what I mean, but imagine a bass line played manually where each note is played with the key held down as long as possible. No spacing between the notes. This is impossible to duplicate with the sequencer, where every note is played "staccato" more or less. There is long space between each note. This is most obvious at a slow tempo. It can of course be covered with a long release time, but this is not the same. Is there any way around this?

[jg666]

What you need to do is make use of the ‘tie’ facility. Basically this means you play the same note for 2  steps for example and then you can tie the steps together which turns them into one longer note. You can also specify a step as being a ‘rest’ step so it leaves a gap between the 2 steps surrounding the rest step.

[saxomohawh]

Well, that will not do it. I am familiar with the "tie" function, but then I will have one long note instead. I am talking about more subtle differences. Notes of a certain time value (for instance a quarter note) can be played long or short, but still as separate notes. I am pretty sure it is not possible with the sequencer but I may be wrong.

[Mr.Dezent]

I am pretty sure it is not possible with the sequencer but I may be wrong.

It's hard to find something u wouldn't be able to do with this sequencer.
First of u could assign Velocity via the modmatrix to AmpEnvRelease so even when entering notes via the record button u can already adjust note length by pressing harder. Velocity can also be altered afterwards in track 1 via the corresponding soft knob. Slew parameter can help as well for fluid transitions between individual note accents. Otherwise or in addition u can set a SeqTrack to AmpEnvDecay and adjust in real-time by holding record and turning the decay knob or afterwards by holding the individual step and turning the value knob in the seq section. Again slew parameter which works with all seq destinations can help. With a more basic Sequencer you would have to increase the resolution up to 32nd's notes and then use tie.

The more natural feeling u want to achieve is rly just a matter of adjusting the envelopes of individual steps. For more of a ringing effect individual to each step, program a delay with time 1(instant repeat) and adjust its amount and feedback with a SeqTrack.

Hope you can achieve what you're looking for. For me these do the trick for more pronounced sequenced basslines.

[saxomohawh]

Thanks! I will play around with this. But still, there is no parameter for "note-on-dration", or "key-press-time" or whatever it could have been called.

[jg666]

None of the synths I own allow you to specify that as far as I know. They do have 'clock divide' and 'gate time' (depending on the manufacturer) but that is global for every step in the sequence.

[saxomohawh]

Well, "gate time" sounds like what I am asking about! It doesnt necessarily has to individual for each step. But the Pro 2 does not have that as I understand.

[Quatschmacher]

Gate length (often given in percentage) is the parameter you’re talking about.

[Soundquest]

I wish phrase recorders never got phased out.  Maybe not enough people were familiar with them, who knows.    Alesis Micron and Roland Gaia had them and they were capable of recording note lengths, velocity, chords, and real time w/o steps for about ~ 45 seconds or so.  You could repeat it as a loop similar to a sequencer and transpose on the fly.    I retained the Alesis simply for that function alone so I can midi it to my other synths.