Korg - SQ-64 Polyphonic Step Sequencer + Software Bundle

Product Information

MIDI input and 2 MIDI outputs, USB mic type B, Sync input and output, 3 Melody tracks, each with MODULATION, PITCH and GATE outputs and a DRUM track with 8 trigger outputs to control analogue synths, Eurorack modules and drum machines. They're complimented by mode buttons and encoder knobs, which allow for efficient hands-on editing and a more refined workflow.

You can create a sequence ‘offline’ by holding a step and pressing a note in the keyboard layout, which is fine, but it doesn’t quite have the efficiency of conventional step‑recording. I’m a big fan of simple workflows, especially for drums, so this approach is good, as it’s dependable and means no learning curve. For example, the 3 melody tracks feature pitch, modulation and gate outputs - plus a drum track boasting 8 dedicated trigger outputs - making control of drum machines, Eurorack equipment and analog synths an absolute breeze. If you play legato on one of the melodic channels, meaning you play a new note while still holding down the previous, the corresponding gate output goes low instead of staying high which makes it impossible to record ties or play legato at all using CV/gate.All of the LEDs were suddenly much brighter, making it difficult to distinguish between steps that are on and those that are off. Updates - Five discontinued synthesizer products, Editor / Plug-In Editor for macOS are now available! i've always lurved Korg stuff, spent my early 20's butts deep in an Electribe, was my only hardware. The advantage of recording from external MIDI is that you can record unquantized, so setting a step length of 1/4 note (32, 16, 8, 4, triplets available) and having a pattern length of 64 steps gets you 16 bars unquantized recording which is cool, however there is no way to quantize a pattern after recording it, unless you go to each step and change the offset value for each one.

MusicRadar verdict: An intuitive and very musical bit of gear and one that should stand the test of time. Crafting detailed and varied polyrhythms, melodies, modulations, sequences and polyphonic chord patterns is easy and fun. The four buttons beneath the display are employed to switch between the possible four banks of 16 steps.

So even though in the global settings it expresses the range is 5 (to 10) volts, it's actually moving from -5 to + 5 volts over the course of the mod range.

For this there are eight CV outs, although you can set more complex patterns and output via the MIDI channel. I'm sure they will be working hard to sort this out ASAP as it's a shame it's a little unpredictable. Particularly for beats, the step editing is pretty comprehensive, with the Offset, Gate length, Probability and Ratcheting (Step) all easily accessed for the currently selected step(s), and dialed in on the four knobs. All of the patch sockets are on the back, which means I can’t butt the SQ‑64 up against my rack because of all the cables. However I did find that there was some wonky behaviour when switching patterns that were set to differing step and pattern lengths, when set to Bar snap, I got some odd offsets between tracks that threw everything out of whack, but I couldn't figure out why it was doing that.It's hard to explain, but you can look at Loopop's video from 13:00 to 14:00, it's easier to show than explain. But with all the bugs and half assed implementations of features, it always manages to disappoint me in different ways. Tracks A,B and C are for melodic/chords tracks and all have GATE/CV and MOD control voltage outputs for modular gear (monophonic) using MIDI, you can get up to 8 notes per step.

That’s a necessary check if you are not sure about the port power on a PC, it should be easier to determine if a USB power brick is powerful enough, anything >10A will do the job. All image and audio content is used by permission of the copyright holders or their agents, and/or according to fair dealing as per the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Length goes from zero (which is still something) to 100 percent and then becomes a Tie to the next note; alternatively, holding the Gate button allows you to Tie notes quickly by selecting them. Arp implementation is bizzarre but interesting, think like an alternative way to play a chord inside a single step.The joy of this sequencer is that as well as the basics like setting pitches, bridging notes and sliding notes, you have more advanced options to really make your music the way you want. I mentioned earlier that the SQ-64 doesn’t just output to CV but also to MIDI which really opens things up to any gear you might care to mention, including hooking up to your DAW to sequence software instruments.