[No post edit or delete in here? Let me know if I am wrong.]
I tried out the Zaquencer demo firmware last night and it's quite fun. The scale mode makes an amateur like myself seem like a composer. But I'm not sure if my idea of ratcheting is what it really is. I had this idea that step ratcheting would have the sequence step backwards for the number of steps set from the ratchet point, then move on forward again. This seems to repeat the step a set number of times at a set length apart. I was using my Tetra to try out the demo and ratcheting sounded terrible. I might not have a grip on how it's supposed to work (well obviously not how I thought), I'll try it with monophonic patch tonight.
As there is no saving on the demo, I can't try out pattern chaining, but I'm sure there is no surprises with that.
The two MIDI CC levels per step is quite some fun and put it on par with the Evolver sequencers as far as them being a modulation source on top of sequencing notes. NRPN's would have been even better, but can't have it all.
I've not done anything with the LFO yet.
Step mute is pretty usual for a stepper, but this also has step skip, similar to the Volca series Active Step mode. Again great for making dancers fall over when you start dropping steps out.
Chord mode is fairly flexible even though you set a root note for the chord then select a chord formation from a chart. The chart includes all the regular chord shapes; major, minor, 7th's, 9th's, 11th's etc, as well as the ones I can't name and then the same again an with the tops notes an octave higher and then another set two octaves higher and finally intervals (best mode for a 4 voice poly
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The 20min limit on the demo and my need to sleep meant I have a little more to sus out on the Zaquencer, but come payday wednesday, I'll be ordering my full firmware. Gonna pencil in the knob labels to the scribble strip I think, looks more ghetto that way.
You know the Engine Sequencer is looking quite appealing as well. Although I'm not sure how confusing it would get without a menu. I guess like anything, once you get used to it, it'll become second nature.
I think it has lights over the steps to indicate which are active and the 3 digit display tells you the value. BSP does well with that method and touch sensitive dials to allow peeking at the values without changing them.
One company who made their name on sequencers (with a sampler attached) is Akai. They dropped the ball in the mid 00's but are back again. Check out the MPC X. Stand alone for a start puts it firmly on my gas list, then there are the 8 CV out's which can be configured to CV or GATE. Two MIDI in's and four out's is ridiculously good. Then there is the sampling/audio io side of it being just as good. The instrument is being talked up as an Ableton beater (without actually saying "this thing will give Ableton Live a run for it's money")