I tried loads of MIDI sequencers. One is king (by far).
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
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There have been many MIDI sequencers over the years, both hardware and software. Some of the early stuff like the Yamaha QX1 makes essentially zero sense to use today unless you want to impose deliberate creative restrictions. The much more advanced Yamaha QY700 is also pretty much just a relic of the past now. But some machines like the AKAI MPC 3000 are still pretty much in use today and taken very seriously especially by hip hop producers. Then there's the modern stuff by Squarp, Cirklon, Polyend, Arturia and the eurorack based stuff like eloquencer, metropolis, Rene, varigate.
Can these hardware machine really be better than the software sequencers? Some small niche group of producers people still swear by Notator on the Atari ST but most people nowadays are using cubase, logic, FL studio, Ableton, reason, bigwig etc. But what about trackers like Renoise? Or hardware trackers like nerdSEQ?
I discuss my experiences with everything I've tried in this video. There's a bunch of stuff I committed like the korg electribe stuff which I had fun on back in the day, and with the exception of the Cirklon, I'm not discussing anything I haven't owned or used extensively, hence why I may not have discussed your personal favorite sequencer. But I cover most of the significant ones here.
Destroying marketing hype and debunking audio myths are definately the best things that you can do. I appreciate it.
*definitely
@@h3xag0nal I don't giva a fuck.
agreed
Also agreed. You’ll never win over those commenters.
Propellerheads dropping Rebirth was a disastrous move which took some time for me to recover from. This was a fun and enlightening tour ....good to see you get excited about things.
I've used MIDI sequencers since the 1980s. There is no one "king". There are simply different ones which excel at different purposes. Pioneer Squid, Squarp Hapax, NI Maschine+...I use those 3 together for live, computer-free improvisational techno, funky tech house, and UK garage.
@@rhythmdroid Have the Hapax and Squid. Squid is highly underrated. The chord progression component is so intuitive.
@@rhythmdroid Have the Hapax and Squid. Squid is highly underrated. The chord progression component is so intuitive.
I have to admit, I love the MPC3000. It does what I want from a hardware sequencer and sampler. Yes the tech is now 31 years old but it still works 31 years on since it was released. Fully maxed out it has 3 minutes of sample time or something like that plus individual outputs so my simple bases are covered and I can get on with making my music with what I have. I'm happy with that
i agree with you. in the early 2000s, the mpc3000 linn edition maxed out was my 2nd hw seq and i loved it to the max. this was more of a traditional sequencer. howver , today, i am aiming more for the kinds of torso t1 as a clever performance sequencer. fact is, you just need a little gear that suits your needs. there is no right and wrong.
The fact that you even know what Renoise is gives you mad props. My favorite software sequencer of all time! I've seen the Hapax around for awhile, but never really dove into it until seeing your video. It kinda makes me want to seriously consider it. Especially since before this, I was considering buying a used Akai MPC1000.
hapax is better than 1000 IMHO but that's just my opinion. i bought renoise i think in 2006
@@TheLivingTempest If you get an MPC 1000, consider buying JJOS2XL firmware.
I love Renoise. I do tracking in Renoise and mixing in Ardour, unless I use hardware, in which case the MPC 1000 is the sequencer.
@@EdwardCashin Thank you for the MPC vote too. Of course Id get JJOS if I go MPC...its the only way to really get everything out of it. I've considered doing a hybrid setup where Renoise and MPC are best friends feeding audio and MIDI into each other, but now I have more to consider.
@@TheLivingTempest Renoise is uncommonly good at allowing for latency adjustments, but having software control my hardware via MIDI wasn't nearly as fun as having the MPC control the hardware via MIDI. This was about 2018 - 2019, but I'd expect things to be the same today. (But if you like a technical challenge, you would probably get a kick out of trying to make the MPC and Renoise be best friends!)
@@EdwardCashin I have "exported" sequences via MIDI from impulse tracker to an ASQ10...renoise has always seemed like it would be my cup of tea, but every time I fire it up it reminds me how much I've forgotten from my tracker days, but it's close enough that I feel stupid for not being able to find things in the UI, even though being lost is completely reasonable for new software.
I was definitely my most productive music-wise when using trackers, but being a teenager with few responsibilities and lots of free time was the more likely driving productivity factor. :)
Anyone who has a Cirklon and complain about it abosolutely don't deserve it. After many years with different types of gear it's the only sequencer / usb interface that was able to clock and sequence every type of instrument. From DIN SYNC for old x0x, to YAMAHA inverted TRIGGER and Hz/octave, to regular 1v/octave instruments, to regular midi clock... Not only that but you can "tune" the CV outputs to compensate for potential "out of tune" analogue oscillators. All of that on a slick box with 909 buttons ( is there anything more fun than 909 buttons? ), elektron style "parameter locks", song mode, USB cable ( so you can sequence everything from your DAW via MIDI like if it's a plugin ).
You have "FILL" buttons and what not. I mean, if you complaining about your CIRKLON, then sh** ** and sell it, someone will find good use for it.
you only have to look at the electronic musicians that have one to understand how versatile and good it is...
i'm sure it is the most full featured but did that come at the cost of fast jamminf abilities?
@APMastering Can you explain more what you mean here?
@APMastering absolutely not. Happy to jump on a call if you would like to talk about it. My serial number is 320 something.
@APMastering i was always curious to try the pyramid stuff. So perhaps we should talk and you tell me about your favourite and i tell you about mine ( :
I own a hapax squarp love it so much for jamming. Best sequencer ever.
you are not being negative, you are being HONEST. exactly the reason your content is GREAT.
😁
People often confuse negativity with realism.
Not negativism: telling them things they don't want to hear. The echo chamber is very strong.
Here's somebody who actually makes a living making music, and they get upset because a professional has an opinion that is different from theirs.
fully agree!!
I agree, but I think I'd phrase it the other way around... people often confuse realism with negativity...semantics and maybe I'm wrong.
@@inmitchno I think you're right here
There was also a sequencer from the company Opcode called Studio Vision. It allowed you to start different sequences with different BPMs at the same time.
@@6meter9 Oh really! I was wondering how I could do that.
@@mrstephenpariah ua-cam.com/video/rwfX0k-fqK0/v-deo.html This was 1998!
ua-cam.com/video/rwfX0k-fqK0/v-deo.html minute 38:00 shows the sequenz stuff.
I loved, and long for, Studio Vision.
@@seandflemming Ah, cool. So it's software? I've been dreaming of a hardware sequencer that sync multiple different bpms.
I recently bought a hardware sequencer and looked at the options you’ve shown above as well as some others and ended up getting an Oxi instruments Oxi one which is 4 separate sequencers in one unit. For more I/o you can add the Oxi split for midi or the Oxi pipe for Eurorack.
ALL IN ONE
4 FULLY CONFIGURABLE SEQUENCERS
HARMONIZER
ADVANCED CHORD ENGINE
8 LFOS
4 LOOPERS
SNAPSHOTSnew 4.2
ADVANCED ARPEGGIATOR new 4.2
8 CVS & 8 GATES FULLY ROUTABLE
ADVANCED MIDI & CV MATRIXnew 4.2
DRAW & PERFORM MODULATIONS
UP TO 32 INDEPENDENT MODULATION LANES
CVs CAN BE LFOs, ADSRs OR MOD CURVES
40+ INTERNAL MODULATIONS
TONS OF RANDOMIZATION OPTIONS
EUCLIDEAN & DRUM PATTERN GENERATORS
LOAD ANY PROJECT INSTANTLY
SONG ARRANGER
PERFORMATIVE KEYBOARD LAYOUTS
MIDI USB HOST
BLUETOOTH & BATTERY POWERED
COMPACT & SLEEK
BUILT TO LAST
the MPC60 is my favorite sequencer of all time. I like sequencing on traditional MPCs, but the groove of the 60 is really special. However, I started getting into doing things multitimbrally, like splits on a midi controller with different channels on each split, etc. So, I got realllllly into the MMT-8 which can record 16 midi channels at once (on one track). It's amazingly freeing never having to mess with your sequencer to control what instrument or channel you're working on. Then after the battery crapped out on me and I lost sequences multiple times, I gave up on it...but then I bought the Retrokits RK-008, which is like a modern MMT-8 (and can take MMT-8 backups). I have to say, after two years of having it, and seeing all the crazy creative stuff they've added, it's in my opinion one of the most powerful sequencers of all time, especially when used with other midi controllers, AND with other midi sequencers. It's real time, so if you're not a real time guy, it's not for you. But, aside from nitty gritty editing which can get to be a pain, it does everything I need and more, and it's so easy to operate, and pocketable. And has all kinds of analog sync options on it for old school and new school stuff. It's a sleeper sequencer, that is for sure.
I was trying out dawless music with a hapax for a few months, it was absolutely amazing and intuitive, if I hadn't splurged on a push 3 it would still be in my collection, and who knows, it might even return to it someday. a truly awesome sequencer.
It's nice to see you talking excitedly about this 😊
I actually love what novation did in their Circuit series.
Circuit Tracks is awesome in terms of sequencing and performance power, but just in midi aspect, not CV.
Of course, it has its limitations, but I love how fast I can jam in ideas and perform.
But sequencer you highlighted is also a masterpiece of engineering, completely agree.
Not gonna say "I was here before your channel blew up" because you're already blowing up. Keep the good work coming dude!
While I own a Squarp Hapax and love how precise it records MIDI in (even off the grid and at slow bpm) and how it controls MSB, LSB, PC and CC and just the vast amount of channels and patterns ... I hate its song mode and still use a Polyend SEQ for making the Hapax loops into tracks (where I can also run one track at 4x the speed or 1/4, and not only at max. 200%). I wish the song mode was simpler like just linking patterns together like in the SEQ.
You can bury me with a copy of renoise on a thumb stick full stop. I'll never use anything else.
The hapax is utterly incredible, it's almost a little 'under the radar' now as the oxi is the cooler kid, but the hapax is unbelievably powerful and deep, can zoom in and do polyrythms if you want, works with MPE (and I've tested that out too!), keeps getting updated and improved and is generally a joy to use, plus the automation is insane, and the effects are bloody incredible. AND it has LFOs and yeah. Spot on... glorious thing!
💯
wouldn't call Oxi the cooler kid. it's the cheaper kid.
As an OXI one owner, I often wish I had a Hapax. The oxi is great but can be buggy and complicated.
Completely agree. I owned the Pyramid, sold it and got the Hapax. It’s incredible.
The amount of equipment this guy has bought is insane. Super valuable data
Used Renoise for years, it certainly is incredible... crazy thing, especially when you are into breakcore/IDM music
yeah it's boss as a tracker
Renoise and Redux are super tools.
Cool video, I totally agree on this sequencer from a multifunctional do lots point of view. But I usually gravitate more towards Feel over functionality, so I’m usually sucked into oldschool sequencers for that matter
But do you think analog sequencing sounds better than digital sequencing? 😂 Good vid!
lol
Great joke.
Although... MIDI timing can be a bit off, and analogue timing can be much tighter.
@@mickeythompson9537 bruh before I bought some good quality midi thru splitters and was just using synth built in midi thru to chain MIDI.... my lord, timing was unworkable xD
@@mickeythompson9537 no. Just no.
Ok kid.
Good joke, try to micromodulate pitch with a digital sequencer vs an analog and you can get the difference.
There's no good and bad there are use cases. You can do things with analog seq that you can't do in digital.
My best experience with HW MIDI sequencer is Elektron - Digitakt (Digitakt II). I have allso MPC One but it is ultra uncreative and overtechnological. Majority use Digitakt as sampler/drummachine, but its real power is MIDI sequencing. You can control multiple external synthesizers and all their parameters as a king.
@@gxlxn hear hear love the digitakt too!
Yes, it's a DAW, but there is a section for project modulators in Bitwig Studio, so you can easily assign an LFO to tempo, for example. Also, there is a concept of operators to handle things like probability (with variable distribution) and conditions. They can be applied to both MIDI notes and audio events.
I looked at the Pyramid a few years back, and then again at the Hapax, but I got into being a bit less proscriptive about my sequencing so went for the Torso T1 , which gives me the fun of Euclidean sequencing but also the ability to program more directly. No screen, just buttons and knobs, it’s lovely. However, the best sequencer I ever used was the one I used for longest. For over 20 years. It was the internal sequencer on the Korg 01/w FD. Now I’ve tried to understand why my creative output was so much better using that than other machines, and I know some of it is down to the fact that I was 21 when I bought it, and my creativity was at its peak. But the real reason why it was so good, aside from being fantastically easy to use, was that it was based on songs. It pushed you forward. You didn’t just loop 8 bars, you always moved towards a goal. Sure, you could record a loop, but in front of you was the song, and you laid that loop down across a whole arrangement. It’s not that different to the default views in Logic or Pro Tools, but it drove me in a way that DAWs never have. I lived for 20 years with that keyboard, a drum machine, an akai sampler and occasionally an SH101, and I never felt restricted.
I also got the T-1. Fantastic how portable it is and still loads of innovative functions.
After reading the title, I didn't know what to expect. But I was pleasantly surprised by the choice. Absolutely agree with you. Our stories are completely the same in this respect).
Currently, I am 100% a Hapax aficionado, but before that I used a Synthstrom Deluge as my primary sequencer, in addition to a Polyend Seq. I also had a Pyramid at one point, but I sold it to get the Deluge. Similarly, I sold the Seq to make room for the Hapax. However, I still have the Deluge and I must say, it's only just behind the Hapax for sequencing for me. Incidentally, I also had an Octatrack mkII at one point, but I would sequence it externally because I didn't like the on-board sequencer.
Another couple of cool sequencers I have are (1) Sixty Four Pixels Noodlebox and (2) Gotharman Little Deformer 3. The Noodlebox is compact, super intuitive, fast and fun, but it's rather limited; it's nice as a sidecar for a modular setup where you have limited space. The Gotharman LD3 is something of an experimental groovebox, in the sense that it does sampling and synthesis, with plenty of onboard modulation options, but it also has two different kinds of sequencers in it: a note sequencer and a pair of modulation sequencers. The LD3 sequencers are extremely powerful and although I am screen-averse, the LD3's touchscreen makes changing sequences on the fly immediate and hands-on.
wow there's some sequencers i've not even heard of! cool that you came to the same decision that hapax is boss. i certainly respect what the other companies are doing!
@oiartsun I don't know when you had the Deluge, but it now also runs on a community firmware and has become a very powerful groovebox with an amazingly fast workflow.
Great you mentioned renoise kudos!!!
been meaning to shout out renoise for a while!
@APMastering is there any chance you could give some opinions/ideas about a renoise tool i've been building since 2011? it introduces hundreds of new features to Renoise.
I moved from a Toraiz Squid to the Hapax mostly because i wanted a song mode integrated. Now I'm happy 😊
The MPC60, and the 3000 will always have a special place in my heart. But in all honesty, I can do things that were unheard of back then with Ableton and faster than I dreamed. So HW sequencing for me is meh at this juncture. But I do appreciate the videos. Keep them coming.
I'm new to music, just over a year, and have tried many virtual synthesizers and DAWs. I haven't tried the controllers you're talking about, but I haven't used Piano Roll and many VSTs in about 4 months. I completely changed my music production workflow because I bought the Avenger 2. Incredible production virtual rig, all inside one VST. It is, if I may say so, a small DAW inside a DAW, with a built-in piano roll and drum machine.
I wish everyone a good mood, try something new, do not dwell on the old.
CHECK OUT THE DELUGE!
it's interesting for sure
Love the deluge most intuitive peice of gear I've used in 30years of doing this imo ableton is the most powerful sequencer I've ever used and I've tried most daws and many of the hardware mentioned here but I've never tried the harpex that looks really cool
My favorite the Squarp Pyramid. I have been using it for about 4-5 years now and my only complaint is transposing notes is a major pain, but I can always drop the files into a DAW and edit there. With the Pyramid I am able to sequence ALL of my synths and drum machines. For me ... more is more when it comes to a sequencer and the Pyramid has been my trusty partner. I also have the Beatstep Pro and love it to death. If I could combine the two ... perfection.
Big question: does it work well with the DRM1 MK3? It really is a crap shoot for that device, some MIDI sequencers make it trigger multiple voices at once, spread note triggers all across the octaves, don't allow hat choke etc. Yea.. I'm looking at you, Beatstep Pro.
Are you getting the Squarp Pyramid II?
@@6Sparx9 hopefully someone can answer that question, I do not have that drum machine.
@@RoomAtTheTopStudio maybe? 😆I must confess that while watching this video I was eyeballing the Pyramid wondering if I could fit a Hapax in the same space 😂Cheers!
Ok, title says ' I tried every midi sequencer'
-2 of them are not midi seq
- you haven't used the cirklon but repost a random guy whining about it.
The cirklon waiting list is now down to 1 year (just look at the forum). Lots of v1 cirklon for sale at less than retail price.
I own a cirklon and have owned pretty much any sequencer you mentioned here and many more and I can def say that the cirklon it's the most fun and deep of them all.
It just opens your synths and softsynths in a way that you can't imagine. Having all these modulations available for midi ccs with different time signature and applying all sort of logic to them is something that it would take time to recreate even with a mouse.
Cool thing is, even if you don't use the complex stuff it's still super jammable.
I mean, everyone can have opinion, but talking about something you have t even touched it's not fair.
Owned an hapax too and I just sold it with no regrets when I got the cirklon.
the reason you know i haven't used it is because i explicitly stated this in the video and then said i can't say too much about it for that reason
@APMastering What's with that clickbait title? "I've tried every MIDI sequencer-one is king."
You haven’t actually tried all the ones you mention in your video.
You said, “I read people saying it’s not fun or intuitive,” but you didn’t mention that for every person who says that, five others say the opposite. Backing it up with a video from a UA-camr who complains about something different in every video and always tries to moralize everything.
A better approach would have been, “I tried xN sequencer. One’s my favorite, and here’s why.”
But yeah.... Synthfluencer doing synthfluencer things.
If you have the chance, check out the RM1x or RS7000 by Yamaha. I have the Pyramid, but i still prefer these two.
I have a Deluge which can basically do everything the hapax can do, a few less ins outs. But I'm curious to try the hapax and see if it suits my workflow even better
not sure it can do everything but sure it can do more with sampling and synth as the hapax is pure midi
It all depends on what type of music you want to make. I've gone down a similar path as you and owned the last four or five including the Hapax. While i had the Hapax i also owned the MPC Live mk1 spent some time with those two and when the Oxi One was out after a few firmware upgrades i looked into what it could do and replaced the Hapax. The music i make is more in line with modern pop, Trap, RnB and Hiphop. For me hands down the MPC is a no brainer, it can have a groove that doesn't feel like it is tied to a grid, If i beat box a thought i can immediately switch the MPC on and finger tap that same idea on the Pads and work on it or save it for later. If i'm out and about i voice record it on my mobile and save it for later to replicate easily on the Live. You have all the instruments and chord patterns you could wish for built into it standalone and complete a song or beat then export and master it in a DAW (i use Cubase). If the mood takes me i can at a press of a button have the MPC in standalone mode sequence my hardware synths via an hardware midi controller The Oxi One is the best generative hardware tool for coming up from scratch musically pleasing idea's and i spent too much time achieving anything musically pleasing on the Hapax, yes it's deep as hell and it is in my opinion the perfect sequencer to use with a hardware modular setup for that kind of thing.
Great video,mate. I love modern MPC. Its only a little screen but makes the functionality so accessible.
You clearly never understood Reason and how much more powerful it is. Few people do. Reason was developed by the Nord Lead developers.
i never said it was shit
First video from you that i happened to stumble upon. Absolutely fantastic, and your enthusiasm is dangerously contagious. Well done, i appreciate it. Haven't looked to squarp for a long time. Do occasionally sequence with a Klee software sequencer, the challenges of which i really like and get nice results of. Was looking for the Oxi One but not in a position to buy that for at least 1.5 year. So i've got time to think about it and certainly will take the Squarp Hapax into consideration as well.
For me it comes closest to, and beyond, working with Notator. Actually that is combining multi-track recording and playback with professional sequencing options.
Beanie is out, gentleman's coat is in, ok we'll work with that! Is it cold there?
yeah im no longer doing construction work. it's pretty comfortable with no heating here in spain
@APMastering ok now you have earned my sub!
Cirklon forever. amazingly creative without limits.
how quick do you find it?
Limitfull
Ngl, came here ready for some extreme takes, like the clipping videos, but this was dope, my dude!
I disagree slightly about the mpc, but then again, I'm using it as a performance sampler, and recording into a neve 88m in stereo, not the normal use case.
as an all in one performance sampler it's probably one of the best out there
As you pretend to have tried every sequencer, do you prefer the Yamaha QX1 over the QX3? And why?
He's q clown jus5 did this to give props to his favourite tool that garbage he said is better than mpc dose he not onow mpc is stand alone usable with head phones and nothing else he's fake vid is pure cap he dose not onow top equipment just look at what he uses and he's music sounds like a bit 16bit game really don't know what this video is really about prob for the clap back he's been making trying to debunk music what a clown of a human can't call him a man as he reeks of pure simp
QX3 for sure. The QX1 is frustrating because it writes to the floppy disk so often and you spend ages waiting for it to finish. The QX3 is my favourite sequencer with the later Roland MC models as a close second (MC-500, MC-50 and the version in the W-30 workstation). So fast to use once you've got used to them, and I prefer their linear approach to the pattern based one of the more popular Alesis MMT-8 or Akai MPC series.
@@chriswareham LOL
QX1 has the most hitpoints.
I actually sold my Hapax, it was just too bulky for me to be comfortable with using. I'd picked it up, the Synthstrom Deluge, the Oxi One, and more specialised stuff like the Midicake Arp & Torso T-1, all on the hunt for the ideal sequencer (for me). None of them are "bad", it's just the workflow and joy that each of them spark that I'm looking for.
I would argue and also mention the Oxi One and my current seq the Torso T-1. Fantastic gears.
there's many great sequencers nowadays
FWIW, I don't think you're a shill.
Reaper is the very best DAW.
All of your takes on things are dead on.
What about the OXI 1? That looks like a killer sequencer.
it's good but i prefer hapax. if budget is tight then maybe i'd be more drawn to it
You said "Its not dificult in our days, standlone sampler, hook it up to the Midi seq, ready to go", exept it costs 1500...
An underrated gem is the Electribe 2, the sequencer is awesome. Always on quantisation is a bummer but otherwise it's a banger.
Aaah Rebirth. I was already making music on Atari ST running Cubase, sequencing JV1080, TX81Z and Akai S3200. But Rebirth and later first version of Reason were really amazing, although I always used rewire and Cubase as a master. Now, I am happy you liked Renoise because trackers were my first music software, and yeah it was a fresh take on old format. And I also have Eloquencer still in the rack, although I use Oxi One as main modular sequencer. And Cirklon as "main" sequencer". I think Hapax is the king of sequencers now, feature wise etc. I think I will be swapping Cirklon with Hapax.
The kurzweil K series sequencer(s) are overlooked and quite powerful. Not as fast (initially intuitive) as an MPC or Ensoniq, but pretty advanced for hardware.
Is there a modulargrid link to see your Eurorack System????
i could make it public but it's comprised of 3 different sized bays
@APMastering no problem in check them all out!
I have a Squarp Pyramid and an old Yamaha QX3, but I find myself going back to my trusty Roland MC50 that I’ve had since the 90s. 😬👍🏼
Another Roland MC and Yamaha QX fan here - currently using a QX3 with an MC-500 as a backup.
Love Renoise. Polyend is making Tracker and Tracker+ now, they are amazing.
yeah i love trackers. audio nerdseq but i don't love staring at screens
Thanx for the video..would you, please, make a video, of your music process on the Harpex?
@blev866 that would be a good video
Still using Cubase 3.0 and an Atari ST.
I see no point in changing that ..
There's already some love for Renoise here, but I thought I'd add some moar! I'd rather not be staring at a screen either, but that's the main downside, and given the choice between staring at a small screen and a big one...
You missed out on Octatrack, but HAPAX is the king of MIDI/CV sequencers. Nothing comes close. (I pair with Octaatrack, among other things).
It is foolish to ignore the massive influence Elektron has had on the sequencer market.
“It’s just. Not. Fun.” 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
yeah said by someone that moralize on everything and bashes instruments at every video, you know... I'd take it with a grain of salt
Ive ended up using my mpc one as an over priced midi hub and run other sequencers through it. Quite good for routing , filtering and muting other sequencers
yeah, the MPC live made my beatstep pro more useful. there's also just no way that i can work without a piano roll or something analagous for polyphonic arrangements, and most DAW piano rolls have been pretty stagnant in development in recent years anyway so I don't mind that Akai's is just-ok from a more conventional composer/arranger POV. i wish i could graft FL studio's piano roll onto everything else without a bunch of extra hassle. but at least the MPC doesn't do anything non-musical that threatens to distract me or mess with system resources. of course you can have a dedicated laptop that's airgapped except during updates/registration, but the (contemporary) MPC for me is that in a tidier package. the BSP and max4live are better at raw generative stuff, but not as much while also acting as the central hub of composition, at least in my experience. max is a lot more fun if it's compartmentalized and i don't care as much when a patch crashes the whole set. i don't know, it seems like the "best sequencer" question is even more personally idiosyncratic than the broader "best DAW" one.
@sweeterthananything 👍I'm running a beatstep aswell , it's a nice combo with the mpc. I'm almost thinking more sequencers and less drum machine/synths might be the way to go for me. I can have a lot of sequences running and mute, unmute diffrent combinations/routings using tracks on the mpc.
Nice Video!
In Ableton you can just put an LFO on the Song Tempo. it takes 1 second.
In the Moment I have the Octatrack as a sequencer for my Eurorack with the Befaco Midithing 2 which is quite nice and easy actually, but yeah, you have to learn the octatrack a bit. But the Harpax seem also to be an amazing sequencer which I would like to try.
Great video, I love my hapax. It's hard to own one and not sound like a hapax salesman :) great stuff
My hope for the future of hardware sequencers is a bigger, better, more idiot proof selection of modular DIY kits that can run open source software curated by great communities. Make your sequencer what you want to control your latest fave instrument or vst. I think the seeds of this exist but not there yet.
that's because hardware is a massive part of it. you can't really just have a generic sequencer hardware unit
this is just an opinion ... the best sequencer is the one you have the best & quickest results , the rest is opinion based
sure that's why i didn't get on with octatrack for example and beatstep is great despite being limited
Ableton has Max For Life, you can simply put an LFO on the BPM, in less than 15seconds, they got also a Tool that follows the tempo of what a live drummer is playing.
@@tonybeatbutcher right? Same for Reaper. You can definitely do all that in a daw these days.
@@Haintly And you got also Bigwig and FL with modulators, don't know if they can Map the whole DAW functions. And then we didn't talk about Push.
@@tonybeatbutcher they have global modulators as well so you can modulate the bpm of the track and fade ins
@@Haintly Or just set up a midi rotary in reaper for some hands on tempo mashing. Power of Reaper is in Actions customisation or customisation in general although that can get a bit of a down the rabbit hole journey.
Love your videos ! I still use my MPC4000 everyday, it's still my best gear, i sold my mpc one tho..😉 I'm gonna try the Hapax!
Cirklon is for jamming. Not for composing or songs.
everyone says the opposite
@APMastering Everyone is lying! I know someone pretending he tried EVERY midi sequencer. It's a lie too!
I've always been interested in the Squarp sequencers. They look great.
Are far as hardware sequencers are concerned, the Polyend Play is incredibly powerful and fun. It does far more than the Elektron sequencer.
Interesting.
What about the OXI one.
Why is this not even part of this comparison?
i didn't personally own it. it's good but i think hapax is better
@APMastering But you said you tried every sequencer in the description!
@APMastering I own one and its amazing, very flexible with a lot of eurorack connections and amazing fresh features... but don't want to complain about you're video, thanks for doing this...
I love this "not quite" stream of consciousness, is very useful analysis.
Also, negativity, positivity, I don't fall for that. Be you however you are.
I also use the Hapax and Pyramid. I only regret that the Hapax is unideal for Polyrhythms / Polymeters. You can do PM's, but to apply differently across parts of a drum kit, for example, each part must be a different kit. And polyrhythms are simply not happening. The Pyramid feels more designed for those tasks.
I thought I was the DON of Midi sequencers but I realize after this video that I know nothing about modern Midi sequencers lol. I used Cakewalk and then a very nice but obscure EnergyXT for computers and the EnergyXT works great and has a tight midi timing where as Cakewalk Pro Audio does not. As for hardware I always used the Roland MC50, Brother PDC100 and then Yamaha built in sequencers on the SY77, QS300, QY20,QY300,RM1X, and RS7000. But the Korg PA600QT oriental arranger has that Triton like sequencer I have just grown to love the most and I kinda do not know what is better out there for modern midi sequencing in 2025. I like realtime recording and have it be more than 1 bar loops(Volca and AN200 I am talking to you!). I would love a hardware FL Studio since in computers it is the most modern midi sequencer I do use that does what I want so a hardware box version would be nice since it does synths,sampler and midi sequencing in one and is both step grid style like old drum machines and more versatile realtime recording at once.
I (also) use the Retrokits RK-008 combined with a RK-006: A no nonsense, basic, compact sequencer, based on the Alesis MMT-8.
Do you have your own music I can listen too? I noticed some real fire stuff coming from that Euro rack you were using
check out these hidden hands and shards. shards is harder to find because other people are called it, search shards untitled 🙂
i think polyend play got quite nice sequencing options as well for midi, you should check that out
the ox sequencer is dope the circuit rhythm and tracks are great sequencers to for standalone or controlling
Great video, introduced me to some gear I'd not heard of. I use the SQ64, with midi, 3 tracks of gate, pitch & mod cv and 8 trigger drum cvs. Enough for my small setup.
12:37 I feel you need to try bespoke synth, it's a pretty new open-source daw where everything is modular so basically you can not only add an LFO to your bpm you can actually add a procedural event in your file that will change or modulate the bpm. It's not perfect there are still some bugs in it, but unlike other modular setups it's not trying to re-contract the way all of it looks or how analog behaves and connects, everything is very fast and on the fly.
Thanks for sharing your musical journey! I looked into the Hapax, which looks very cool, love the DJ-style architecture. Instead I went with the OXI One for portability. I agree with the approach to get the best sequencer and you can always get a mini sampler.
remember hardware sequencers are still computers with a very small and limited screen. I have the oxi one. i have the deluge and i still think that nothing beats ableton live and some max for live sequencers combined with max live devices. i just get a level of customization that is not possible with hardware sequencers. I have used trackers for 20 years. 6 years ago i've switched to ableton live and i just regret not having switched sooner. trackers suck for arranging and structuring music.
depends on workflow. my workflow is generally midi based sketches recorded in aa audio and then my final arrangement is done as audio in a daw
im an mpc guy myself been through lots of gear but the mpc one+ is perfect for what i do boombap lofi ect
What do you think of the Oxi One or Intellijel Metropolix? I have hardware synths and am looking to get more handson with them with a midi sequencer
Metropolix isnt a full featured enough sequencer to make whole tracks. it's just a tool for one or two melodies or CV sources. The oxi one is good.
Did you ever try the RM1X? It was a good mix of fun and power.
The newer MPCs are definitely flawed but screens aren't the only reason to move away from a computer. The MPC and Force have dedicated controls for everything on them. You aren't going to get interrupted with emails or Microsoft advertisements on an MPC. You're not going to have your MPC hijacked by malware or viruses. If it all comes down to avoiding screens then sure, the MPC doesn't add up but for many of us it's about having a secure dedicated hardware unit with a focused workflow and hands on control.
Chris Titus Tech - debloat that Windows OS and then OO-Shutup for all the phone home crap they throw in. Windows can be tamed or there is Reaper on Linux.
@@pierrebroccoli.9396 Who the fuck is Chris Titus Tech?
No love for the Deluge? I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of its capabilities. I’ve sequenced an insane level of steps on it. I’ve composed stuff so quickly on it controlling all my stuff with midi and then using it as a drum machine on the audio output.. Then by itself the synth engine is so darn cool. Does the Hapax have a limit on the amount of steps you can have on a sequence?
Almost all changes on the MPC required the sequencer to stop. This is no fun
@@psicolor That’s the strength of the MPC’s. The step sequencer.
The new MPCs & Force don't need to stop to do most things. You can even play the seq while saving the project. All MPC are a pain to use because they don't have clips & this makes it so that if edit a track on seq & you have 16 seqs, you'll have to keep copying those edits to those other seqs. The Force which has 999 clip per track is better at this. The clip matrix & the copy/delete buttons makes super fast to keep things in order.
@@TheRealCompensator What? How is having to stop the seq to edit something a strength?
@ I didn’t say “stopping” the MPC is the strength. I am referring to the workflow of the MPC sequence.
The MPC sequence is the strength of the MPC, they why one can build and subtract notes.
I do own different devices besides multiple MPCs, but I prefer the MPC workflow over other brands.
@ Your first reply to @psicolorthe doesn't make sense. They didn't like how the sequencer has to stopped to make some changes & you said that's one of the MPCs strengths. Maybe you misread it.
I've used & still the MPC1k/2500 & think the RS7000, Pyramid, Akai Force is way better than the any MPC sequencer, but do you.
First off, I absolutely love your content and appreciate your opinions. However, you dropped the ball here with the Cirklon. You start of by stating that 'everybody said it's amazing, it's the best sequencer in the world´, but then you don't even give it a try? Come on man, that´s not what I expect from you 😊 You´re welcome to use mine, I'd really appreciate your opinion. Thx!
i couldn't even buy one! was a 3 year waiting list lol
@APMastering I hope you find one soon!
Saying you’ve “tried every….” while skipping or overlooking hardware like Cirklon, Midibox (due to difficulty in obtaining or researching them) and software like Numerology by Five12-along with many other hardware and software is both misleading, cringe and dishonest.. just my 5 cent.
Also didnt try the Octatrack, or any Elektron sequencer!?
@ yes I bought an octatrack
Cool overview, thanks. Curious what you’ll make of the Reliq, which should be released imminently
If you are staring at your mpc screen all the time you have not taught yourself well enough. Every feature has a dedicated button. A calculator screen is not your solution.
Thank you big bruv! Your insight’s are much appreciated 🌊✨🌊
Did you check the Torso T-1? The most intuitive sequencer I have used so far.
it's cool but not in the same league as hapax
Do you have an mpc 3000? I feel like you low key want one, desperately 😅
no im happy with hapax. i never was an mpc guy
Looks dope. The MPC live ii is actually super fun btw
It is your opininin after all. You say that. Thanks for that and your enthusiasm. Follower 🎉
There is a certain magic when you switch off the screen and let your ears do the listening. No DAW day is soon.
Reaper shill here, i'm right. Best product, best price, what is the problem?