Sequencing
Drum Seq
A drum machine’s grid: four lanes of sixteen steps, one trigger output per lane.
Learn about it in Rhythm: clocks, gates & sequencers
How it works
Each CLK tick moves one step to the right (patch Clock 1/16 for a bar of sixteenths). Lit cells fire their lane’s trigger. Click a cell to toggle it; click a lane’s name to clear the lane. Length shortens the loop — odd lengths drift against the beat. Chance lets hits drop out at random. The lanes are named for a kit, but each output is just a trigger: patch it anywhere.
Inputs
| CLK | Steps the playhead. |
|---|---|
| RST | Back to step 1. |
Outputs
| KICK | Kick lane triggers. |
|---|---|
| SNARE | Snare lane triggers. |
| HAT | Hat lane triggers. |
| OPEN | Open-hat lane triggers. |
Knobs and switches
| Length | How many steps before the loop repeats. |
|---|---|
| Chance | Probability each lit step actually fires. |
Patches to try
- Lanes into Drum Trio KICK / SNARE / HAT.
- Lanes into four Samplers loaded with your own hits.
- Length 12 on one Drum Seq against a second at 16.
Lessons that use the Drum Seq
Each one opens as a working patch in the synth.
- 09 · Drum Seq: Program a Beat
- 30 · Burst: Ratchets & Rolls
- 44 · Stereo Mixer: Width & Sends
- 46 · Compressor: Punch & Glue
Words to know
- Sequencer — Plays a repeating pattern of notes or values, one step per clock pulse.