Step Sequencer Thor’s Step Sequencer is a further development of the step sequencers which were often present in vintage analog modular systems. It can be used for programming arpeggios or short melody sequences. Alternatively, it can be used purely as a modulation source. You can have up to 16 steps, and each step can be programmed with various values such as Note pitch, Velocity, Step Duration etc. Basic operation The main parameters and functions are as follows: The row of 16 buttons are used to program each step’s on or off status. A lit button means that the step is active, and a dark button means that the step will be a rest (silent). Each step button has a knob above it, which is used to set values for the corresponding step. The Edit knob determines what value you set with the step knobs. The available Edit values are Note (pitch), Velocity, Gate length, Step duration and Curve 1 and 2. The Run button starts/stops the step sequencer. What exactly happens when you press Run depends on the Run mode - see below. Setting the Run mode The Run mode is set with the lever beside the Run button. The set mode governs how the step sequencer is played back when you press Run. The options are as follows: Repeat mode - this will repeat the sequence continuously. Click the Run button again or use the Transport to stop. 1 Shot mode - this will play the sequence once then stop. Step mode - the Run button steps the sequencer forward one step at a time. Off - the step sequencer is inactive. Setting the direction The Direction parameter is used to set the direction of the step sequence. The following options are available: Forward - plays the sequence from the first step to the last. Reverse - plays the sequence from the last step to the first. Pendulum 1 - plays the sequence from the first step to the last, then from the last step to the first. I.e. the last and first step is played twice when the sequencer reverses direction. Pendulum 2 - plays the sequence from the first step to the last, then from the second last step to the first, i.e. without repeating the last/first step when reversing direction. Random - plays the steps in a random order. Programming step note pitch To program step note pitch, you proceed as follows: 1. Make sure that the Step Seq Trigger button is activated in the Controller panel. 2. Set the Run mode to “Repeat”. You don’t have to use Repeat mode but it makes it easier to follow the following steps. 3. Start the step sequencer by pressing the Run button. You should now hear a sequence of repeated notes, each with the same pitch (C3). The current step is indicated by a yellow LED above the step buttons. 4. Make sure that the Edit knob is set to Note. 5. Turn one of the step knobs above one of the steps. A tooltip shows you what current note pitch the knob is set to, and when the sequencer repeats you should be able to hear the change in pitch for that step. Turn clockwise to raise the pitch in semitone increments. Turn counter-clockwise to lower the pitch. You can set the knob’s note range by using the Octave lever to the left of the step buttons. Available note ranges are 2 Octaves (i.e. one octave up and down from the middle knob position (C3), 4 Octaves (i.e. two octaves up and down from the middle position (C3), or Full (-C2 to G8). Note that the octave range can be set independently for each step. Each step memorizes the current octave range when the pitch is set for that step, and will keep this octave range until you change the pitch for the step with a different octave range setting. You can either program steps “on the fly” (with the Step sequencer running) or step by step (Step mode). In Step mode, you press Run to forward the step number one position so you can set step parameters for one step at a time. By using this general method you can continue to enter note pitch for other steps. Inserting rests To make step sequences more rhythmically interesting, you can program rests for steps. This is simply done by pressing one or several step buttons so they go dark. Dark steps will be rests. Note that the Step Duration value still “counts” for rests. Setting the number of steps You can set how many steps a sequence should have before starting over using the Steps knob at the far right on the panel. Up to 16 steps can be used. The lit LEDs above each step button show the number of steps currently used. You can also change number of steps by clicking on a LED directly - the sequencer will then stop/start over at the selected step. Setting Rate The Rate knob determines the rate of the step sequence. • You can either use “free running” rates (i.e. not synced to main sequencer tempo) or synced tempo. This is set with the Sync button on/off status. If Sync is active you can set the tempo in various beat resolutions. Setting other values for steps For each step you can also program other parameters with the step value knobs apart from note pitch. You use the Edit knob to set one the following: Velocity - if this is selected as the Edit mode you can set a velocity value for each step. Default value is 100, range is 0-127. Gate Length - if this is selected as the Edit mode you can set a Gate Length value for each step. Default is 75%. Gate Length determines the length of the note played for that step. Step Duration - if this is selected as the Edit mode you can set a Step duration value for each step. This parameter determines the total length of the step, which is a factor related to the sequencer rate. Range is 1/4 to 4. E.g. if Rate is 1/16, “1” means a 1/16-note will be played, a “4” means a 1/4-note will be played, and so on. The Curves 1 and 2 allow you to set values for each step that can be sent to control parameters of your choice. This is done in the Modulation bus routing section, where these two independent Curves are selectable as Source controllers. You can compare these curves to the Curve CV output of the Matrix - they simply represent a series of values which can be applied to anything. Step Pattern functions You will find some specific Step pattern functions on the Edit menu (and on the device context menu). These are as follows: | Function | Description Randomize Sequencer Pattern The Randomize Pattern function creates random patterns. The function only randomizes the selected Edit value (e.g. if set to Note, only the note pitch values are randomized, not velocity, gate length etc.). Shift Pattern L/R The Shift Pattern functions move the pattern one step to the left or right. All parameters (rests, note pitch, velocity etc.) are shifted one step.
