Music Sequencer

In the field of electronic music, a sequencer is a device or piece of software that allows the user to record, play back and edit MIDI data. Sequencers do not record audio, only the control information for synthesizers to recreate the composition. Though the term 'sequencer' is today used primarily for software, some hardware synthesizers and almost all music workstations include a built-in MIDI sequencer, while drum machines generally have a step sequencer built in. There are still also standalone hardware MIDI sequencers, though the market demand for those has diminished greatly in the last ten years.

Many sequencers have features for limited music notation, and most are able to show music in a piano roll notation. (For software designed specifically for music notation, see scorewriter.)

Music can also be sequenced using trackers such as ModPlug Tracker, and some of those are able to sequence MIDI events too.

Contents [hide]
1 History
2 Step sequencers
3 List of software sequencers / DAWs with sequencing features
4 Hardware music sequencers
5 External links



[edit] History
Early analog music sequencers used a control voltage/trigger interface, but were replaced by digital hardware- or software-based MIDI sequencers, which play back MIDI events and MIDI control information at a specified number of beats per minute.

As computer speeds increased in the 1990s, audio recording, audio editing, and sample triggering features were added to the software. Software so enhanced is called a digital audio workstation (DAW) to distinguish from sequencers and multitrack recording programs. DAWs almost always include sequencing features but, strictly speaking, go beyond what a sequencer is.


[edit] Step sequencers
A special case of sequencers are step sequencers. Instead of recording played notes or drawing notes by hand on the piano roll, the user composes patterns using a grid of (usually) 16 buttons, or steps, each step being 1/16th of a measure. Step sequencer patterns are monophonic by nature, but usually a single pattern may contain individual subpatterns for a number of different instruments. These patterns are then chained together to form longer compositions. Step sequencers are mostly used in drum machines and grooveboxes.


[edit] List of software sequencers / DAWs with sequencing features

Cakewalk's Home Studio 2002.
Steinberg's Cubase VST.For a list of trackers, see the tracker article.
Also see: List of MIDI editors and sequencers.

Commercial Sequencers:

Acid and Cinescore from Sony
Cubase and Nuendo from Steinberg
Digital Performer and AudioDesk from MOTU
FL Studio from Image Line Software
Live from Ableton
Logic Pro, Logic Express and Garage Band from Apple
Pro Tools from Digidesign
Reason from Propellerhead
Samplitude, Sequoia, Music Maker and Music Studio from Magix
SAWStudio from RML Labs [1]
Sonar, Project5 and Home Studio from Cakewalk
Storm from Arturia
Tracktion from Mackie
Open Source Sequencers:

Jazz++ [2]
LMMS [3]
MusE
Rosegarden
Seq24 [4]
Hydrogen

[edit] Hardware music sequencers
In alphabetical order (and by no means exhaustive):

AKAI MPC series
Alesis MMT-8
Clavivox, keyboard synth patented in 1956 by Raymond Scott
Doepfer MAQ 16-3
Doepfer Schaltwerk
Doepfer Regelwerk
Ensoniq ASR-10
Ensoniq ESQ-1
Ensoniq EPS-16
Fairlight CMI
Frostwave Fat Controller
genoQs Octopus
Infection Music Phaedra
Infection Music Zeit
Latronic Notron
Kawai Q-80
Korg SQ-8
Korg SQD-1
Korg SQD-8
Manikin Schrittmacher
Moog 960 Sequential Controller -- part of the Moog modular synthesizer system, and possibly the earliest sequencer.
Radikal Technologies Spectralis
RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer (Victor). Room-filling device built in 1957 for a half-million dollars. Included a 4-polyphony synth with 12 oscillators, a sequencer fed with paper tape, and a shellac record lathe for output.
Roland MC-4
Roland MC-8
Roland MC-300
Roland MC-303
Roland MC-327
Roland MC-50
Roland MC-50 Mk2
Roland MC-500 Microcomposer
Roland MC-505
Roland MC-808
Roland MC-909
Roland MV-30
Roland MV-8000
Roland SB-55
Roland TB-303
Sequential Circuits PolySequencer
Sequentix P3
Yamaha PSR-3000
Yamaha QX1
Yamaha QX3
Yamaha QX5
Yamaha QX7
Yamaha QX21
Yamaha QY10
Yamaha QY300
Yamaha QY700
Yamaha QY100
Yamaha RM1x
Yamaha RS7000
Zyklus MPS