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Step Noodles


BrettM

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I know it's taken me a while to get around to this, after all Mike Martin posted a video showing step sequencer fun over two years ago:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8mezJkEQT0

 

However, Happyrat's discussion of analog synths in the Members Lounge started me thinking and watching plenty of YouTube videos that showed lots of analog synth noodling. Given that the XWs come with 800! step sequences to experiment with (100 presets x 8 patterns each), I thought it was about time I tried some noodling of my own.

 

From what I've seen, the most fun effects to try are resonant filter sweeps, of course, and delay; so I created a Solo Synth patch with the Solo Synth Delay DSP enabled and assigned it to Zone 1 of a Performance. The last 15 minutes of Mikes clinic discusses a similar set up, except I didn't swap channel 1 for channel 14. For this exercise, I'm more interested in knob twiddling than soloing.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDT81sp0XI

 

To facilitate realtime control, I tempo synced the delay and set Knob 1 to control its timing (CC80:General5) and Knob 2 to control its feedback (CC17:General2). I also tempo synced LFO1 and set it modulating filter cutoff. Raising and lowering LFO1's depth allowed filter automation to be brought in and out quickly and easily.

 

My G1 is especially good for noodling because it comes with slider control of the filter and LFO already built in. P1 owners could assign these parameters to knobs. I also created a bank of nine Multifunction Keys to toggle the DSP lines of each of the nine Step Sequencer channels (only channels whose DSP line is enabled are routed through the Solo Synth) which made switching effects really easy. On the P1, the DSP lines can be accessed via the Mixer.

 

I must admit it's been a lot of fun and I'm now working my way through all 800 sequences! It's been an especially great way to learn about the syncopated rhythms that can be created by tempo synced cutoff and delay.

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