TI Sequencer Mode - Wow!

[mw7]

I've been working with multitimbral synths for a long time, but I have to say I am very impressed with the TI's sequencer mode.

I haven't seen much written about this... If you're doing sequencing with the TI, you owe it to yourself to try this feature.

After playing with this for a while, it seems as though sequencer mode is just like having 16 TIs, all in single mode. You can have 16 "single" patches assigned to 16 different parts - but here's the cool thing - you can easily edit/tweak the singles as much as you want, without having to subsequently store the edits in RAM. You simply do an "arrangement" bulk dump of sysex into a MIDI track, and when you re-load the sysex in sequencer mode, you get all of the patches, but in their edited form.

The other convenient thing about sequencer mode is that volume and pan are controlled by your sequencer's mixing board (Digital Performer, in my case). These setting don't seem to be stored in the sysex dump, but I can easily use DP's mixer snapshot feature to set those levels at the beginning of a song (or at any other time during the song, using snapshots or fader automation).

Good stuff, Access.

BTW, I am using a Polar simply connected with MIDI cables as an old-fashioned hardware synth.

[Sleepwalker]

You simply do an "arrangement" bulk dump of sysex into a MIDI track

Good to know! Can I ask how you do it?

[mw7]

You simply do an "arrangement" bulk dump of sysex into a MIDI track

Good to know! Can I ask how you do it?

Sure.

- Hit the CONFIG button on the TI and page through until you get to "Transmit MIDI Dump" (this will appear at the top of the screen).

- Set the Type to "Arrangement"

- In your song, create a new MIDI track set to the TI. Start recording, and press the STORE button on your TI. This will record the sysex dump into a track.

- When finished, simply stop recording and hit the EXIT button on your TI to go back to sequencer mode.

Be sure to mute the MIDI track with the sysex so that you're not sending it every time you start your song. In Digital Performer, when I want to load the sysex, I simply solo the track with the sysex data and "play" it into the TI.

Other sequencers may have different ways of handling this, but this is an easy way to store the sysex as part of the sequence. I used to use Cakewalk, and it had a separate feature where you could dump sysex data into the song without making it part of a track, per se.

Additionally, there are standalone sysex librarian programs available... I have a freeware one for the Mac, but don't use it, as I simply record the sysex into the file I am working on.

Hope this helps.

[jasedee]

Crikey!

Im having trouble believing people are just discovering Multi mode, especially in your case where you have owned a virus in the past...

I always work in multi mode (or sequencer mode as they call it on the TI)

Glad that you are enjoying your TI by the way, gives me hope that I can one day own one bug free...

Edit: I think I may have mis-understood your post. Im sure you know exactly what multi/sequencer mode is and have been using it for years, but maybe you are impressed with the TI specifics? Just out of interest, the Virus C can do this too, yeah?

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

I always work in multi mode...

Yep, how is the multi-timbriality of the Yamaha CS-10 these days? :lol:

DS 8)

[jasedee]

I always work in multi mode...

Yep, how is the multi-timbriality of the Yamaha CS-10 these days? :lol:

DS 8)
HAHA! Smart arse.... ;)

The CS-10 is multi timbral though, I just have to record my first sound, then change the "preset" and record my second sound. In fact, it's like having having 16 CS-10's in one project!!!

:lol:

[DIGITAL SCREAMS]

Btw.......welcome to the forum Michael. Im checking out your tracks right now....very nice tunes interesting style - nicely produced aswell.

How long have you been into music and synths?

Nice to have you around....really like some of your sounds

DS

[Hollowcell]

I always work in multi mode...

Yep, how is the multi-timbriality of the Yamaha CS-10 these days? :lol:

DS 8)

Hehehe, nice one!

And yep the Virus C does this too - my guess is the B would as well.
It's really handy as you edit patches for a track instead of having to edit/re-edit single patches.

A nice feature indeed!

[mw7]

Crikey!

Im having trouble believing people are just discovering Multi mode, especially in your case where you have owned a virus in the past...

I always work in multi mode (or sequencer mode as they call it on the TI)

Glad that you are enjoying your TI by the way, gives me hope that I can one day own one bug free...

Edit: I think I may have mis-understood your post. Im sure you know exactly what multi/sequencer mode is and have been using it for years, but maybe you are impressed with the TI specifics? Just out of interest, the Virus C can do this too, yeah?

As I understand it, the TI has both multi mode and sequencer mode.

The virus I've been working with - the Indigo - is a virus B. I haven't owned it very long (came across it used in a store and figured I'd play with it for a while before investing in a TI). As far as I know, on the Indigo, single edits are not stored as part of a multi sysex dump. Perhaps they are on the C, but I've never worked with one.

I think what I like about sequencer mode on the TI is how simple and straightforward it is. You just load a single into a part, twiddle knobs as much as you want, and set the volume and pan on your sequencer's mixer. Save it as a sysex dump. Done.

I haven't fiddled with multi mode on the TI, but it has more options, and isn't quite as simple and intuitive as sequencer mode (at least for me).

I, too, have seen posts from people who only use single mode and just record parts one at a time. Certainly, there was an advantage to this on pre-TI synths with limited efx.

[mw7]

Btw.......welcome to the forum Michael. Im checking out your tracks right now....very nice tunes interesting style - nicely produced aswell.

How long have you been into music and synths?

Nice to have you around....really like some of your sounds

DS

Hey, thanks. It's good to be here. Glad to hear you're enjoying the tunes.

I studied classical piano for 13 years and majored in piano and composition in college. Started playing with synths in high school back in about 1972 (YIKES!). Played piano and synthesizers in a prog-rock band in Los Angeles back in the late 70's - early 80's. A whole Genesis/ELP/Supertramp/Cars power-pop thing. Spent several years in Ohio playing synths in a cover band in the mid-80's (Rush/Journey/Van Halen/etc.) After that, it was MIDI composing in the 90's (lots of music for video games that never hit, CD-ROMs, websites, and some radio/TV jingle work).

So I guess you could say I've been at it a little while. :)

In recent years, my "day job" really took off, so I don't have nearly as much time for my music as I used to. So it goes. :)

[Hollowcell]

As I understand it, the TI has both multi mode and sequencer mode.


I just assumed the TI was the same as the Virus C in this regard. On the Virus C the two are called Multi-mode and Multi-single-mode. Maybe the B series isn't capable of this after all.....

Have to admit on the C I tend to record part by part these days. I have been using my C for pads and FXie style sounds recently, so the voices tend to run out pretty quick when running it in multi-timbral mode. :cry:

And also welcome to the board Mw7. I took a listen to your tunes as well and they are well put together. Nice work.

[Mister Orange]

...here's the cool thing - you can easily edit/tweak the singles as much as you want, without having to subsequently store the edits in RAM. You simply do an "arrangement" bulk dump of sysex into a MIDI track, and when you re-load the sysex in sequencer mode, you get all of the patches, but in their edited form.


Slightly different way of working for me... I kinda like having the edited patches in RAM so that I can recall the edited sounds in different projects, or even when I'm not using a sequencer. I keep a whole bank of RAM purely for edited sounds, and store the program numbers in my sequencer for recall.

I totally agree though, the TI sequencer mode is the simplest and most user-friendly implentation of a synth's multi timbral setup I have ever come across. I love the way it even keeps the settings after powering down.

Mr O (Happy TI user) :)

[Gopal]

Even the old B series has multi mode and multi-single mode.

[aisling]

I've been working with multitimbral synths for a long time, but I have to say I am very impressed with the TI's sequencer mode.

After playing with this for a while, it seems as though sequencer mode is just like having 16 TIs, all in single mode. You can have 16 "single" patches assigned to 16 different parts - but here's the cool thing - you can easily edit/tweak the singles as much as you want, without having to subsequently store the edits in RAM. You simply do an "arrangement" bulk dump of sysex into a MIDI track, and when you re-load the sysex in sequencer mode, you get all of the patches, but in their edited form.

The other convenient thing about sequencer mode is that volume and pan are controlled by your sequencer's mixing board (Digital Performer, in my case). These setting don't seem to be stored in the sysex dump, but I can easily use DP's mixer snapshot feature to set those levels at the beginning of a song (or at any other time during the song, using snapshots or fader automation).

BTW, I am using a Polar simply connected with MIDI cables as an old-fashioned hardware synth.

Hi-

How is the latency in dp. I also use dp 4.6 but have only owned my virus a few weeks and am a guitar player first, so my tech time gets eaten up by my creative time. I have not even worked with a sequencer yet, I'm still trying to lay more neurons to accomidate the intese sonic euphoria I get......

I also have the jv1080, how do the 2 work together for you. To be honest I dumped hardware synths for REASON about 4 years ago, and have just "rediscovered hardware"..........Since the virus has newer technology, the bit rate/sample rate/and over all tambre is going to be richer than the jv 1080? (i say this ignorantly since not being a synth player, I used the jv just for midi sequencing)

[mw7]

Hi-

How is the latency in dp. I also use dp 4.6 but have only owned my virus a few weeks and am a guitar player first, so my tech time gets eaten up by my creative time. I have not even worked with a sequencer yet, I'm still trying to lay more neurons to accomidate the intese sonic euphoria I get......

I also have the jv1080, how do the 2 work together for you. To be honest I dumped hardware synths for REASON about 4 years ago, and have just "rediscovered hardware"..........Since the virus has newer technology, the bit rate/sample rate/and over all tambre is going to be richer than the jv 1080? (i say this ignorantly since not being a synth player, I used the jv just for midi sequencing)

I have not used the Virus Control software with my Polar and DP - don't even know if it is compatible. I've just been using it as a hardware synth with MIDI cables and 1/4" cables.

The JV1080 is a "rompler" synth which is a different animal than the Virus. As you know, it sounds great when it is doing what it does best - playing back samples in ROM, doing bells, strings, pianos, etc. I have several expansion cards for the JV, the best being the Session card, which has nice pianos, acoustic guitars, winds, etc. I also have the drum/bass card, and while the drums are mediocre, the basses (electric, slap, fretless, etc.) are awesome. I also have the vintage synth card, which is horrible compared to the Virus.

I think the two sound great together, but only when the JV is NOT being used for vintage/analog type sounds, which the Virus handles spectacularly.

[aisling]

[quote=aisling]
I have not used the Virus Control software with my Polar and DP - don't even know if it is compatible. I've just been using it as a hardware synth with MIDI cables and 1/4" cables.

The JV1080 is a "rompler" synth which is a different animal than the Virus. As you know, it sounds great when it is doing what it does best - playing back samples in ROM, doing bells, strings, pianos, etc. I have several expansion cards for the JV, the best being the Session card, which has nice pianos, acoustic guitars, winds, etc. I also have the drum/bass card, and while the drums are mediocre, the basses (electric, slap, fretless, etc.) are awesome. I also have the vintage synth card, which is horrible compared to the Virus.

I think the two sound great together, but only when the JV is NOT being used for vintage/analog type sounds, which the Virus handles spectacularly.

Thanks. I also have saome expansion cards...world, dance, hip-hop and techno......
Funny as I began to dislike the REASON "sound" I broke out the jv and got a kick out of the rich bass.........and now a virus to add.
The jv has a great array of sounds great for commercial work, retro......