Old-school step sequencing returns

colin fraser's p3 and the midibox seq are two great hardware step sequencers. i recently sold my quasimidi polymorph, but intend to replace it with a p3 soon.
 

Nothing beats a step sequencer. I'm personally in love with the Doepfer Schaltwerk/AbletonLive4 combination - the best of both worlds.
 

Long live oldskool tracking progs.....
 

Oh my god - are the Norton boxes going for that much?!?! We literally threw several away a few years ago. Trash bin. Out. Done.

Then again - in the mid 80's when I worked at a music store I would TRY to GIVE away 808s and 909s to people who bought other gear because NOBODY wanted to buy them....It was easier to sell the 505 than the older 808.
 

Live Step Designer (LSD) is a step sequencer that is especially created for live-manipulation of loop regions and controls.
NEW: Polyrhythm function (beat to next beat division) and Swing percent !
You can use LSD with GM (General Midi), for example with your soundcard, with external synths, samplers or drumboxes, and, if you install a "Midi loop back" (ex: Midi Yoke), with software-synths like Reaktor, Absynth, VST-Plugins (with [free] VST Hosts like saviHost), etc...
Synchronization (via MIDI clock) with programs like "Ableton Live" is also possible.
If you don't want to use the predefined GM names, ex: for more experimental music, enter your own sound names in the User-Instrument-List.
NON-STOP-MUSIC:
You have never to stop the sequencer while you are playing.
You can load new LSD-sets, save LSD-Sets, edit beats, beat-divisions , dynamics, MIDI controls, store patterns, restore patterns, change MIDI programs, MIDI channels, loop regions, store and restore loop regions, etc...
AND, the best of all: all your edits will be saved in a MIDI file.
You can then edit this MIDI file in a program of your choice. (F2 key)
Notes, velocities and controls don't have the same loop region, that means for example that you are able to apply a velocity moving in a 3/16 loop to notes moving in a 8/16 loop with a MIDI control moving in a 5/16 loop.
Possibilities are endless.
You have 32 patterns pro LSD-Set (Song), but don't have to stop the sequencer to load new ones, so you can fill your whole harddisk with LSD-Sets, if you want.
On the bottom of the screen is the part of the program, where you have the direct control on parameters of the synth(s) you play.
All faders can send different MIDI ctrls to different MIDI channels.
The mini-keyboard is useful to trigger notes, effects or simply to test sounds.
If you are a mini-keyboard-virtuoso, you can do more...
Although LSD is designed for drum'n'bass, breakbeats, IDM or minimal music in mind, it can be also useful and fun for all styles of music where groove plays an important part.
Requirements: Pentium II-600 or better, Win98/NT/2K/ME/XP, at least 128 MB Ram.
Screen: 1024x768
 

sadly, colin fraser has discontinued production of the P3 sequencer....I so wish I had bought one...it was a kit or pre-built. I dithered, waited, and missed the boat... however, the midibox seq has just been updated to version 3.2... it looks like a really well featured step sequencer... but you have to build it yourself !!
check out www.ucapps.de/
and www.midibox.org for lots of info on this and other great stuff.....it's so cool that talented designers are making their plans, circuits, software etc available for no profit at all..... Thorsten Klose you are indeed a cool dude...I must build my midibox seq soon !! do not dither !!
regards to all people into old school techniques from
highflight
 

The original really did look like a toilet seat lid. I wonder who thought that was a good idea?