Korg SQ-1 - my first jam with this simple and awesome, old school style sequencer

The Korg SQ-1 is an old school style sequencer that is cool as hell and really easy to figure out. I had not really had it or played around with it for long before I recorded this jam. I think I love this little box. It's simple, rock solid, battery powered and a load of fun. I took to it almost immediately. I will probably do a review on it once I've had more time with it.
As always, this will sound a lot better through decent headphones or speakers.
Want to know how to set MIDI out channels? • Korg SQ-1 - How to Set...
The SQ-1 sequenced my Yamaha Reface CS which was played through the EHX Canyon Delay. The delay pedal had its feedback and mix level raised throughout the entire piece, plus the modulation on the reface was raised steadily along the way. The 2 effects play so well together, creating a wall of almost self modulating sound. The sound builds and little, random quirks can be heard.
Drums were handled by the Novation Circuit with the clock being set by the SQ-1, sent via midi.
Valhalla room reverb was present across the entire piece.
Any questions or comments, please go ahead below. I love talking about this stuff and am usually very responsive.
If you enjoy this piece, please consider a thumbs up/like and maybe even a sub! I have plenty of cheap gear reviews and a bunch of music on my channel, with a lot more to come, so feel free to look around.
Cheers.

[@Bowzee303]

Love my SQ1 ❤ the pitch dials are gold...

[@wtc175]

Out of all the SQ vids - yours is the 1st I've come across which gives great synth sounds and demonstrates what can be achieved.

[@thedigitallost]

Awesome! Thank you! It's such a simple sequencer but it just works so well.

[@mattcero1]

I saw one on CL locally and have watched 5 videos so far to research this device. Your video is the only that has sold me on this device. Thank you and nice job!

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! It’s a fun device, for sure.

[@guiremcguire743]

Very nice. I can imagine playing this on a long drive on a highway at night. Thanks for the great piece. Subscribed.

[@thedigitallost]

Awesome! That's an oddly specific compliment and exactly the feel and mood I love! Cheers!

[@josepha891]

That was awesome!

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you very much!

[@riccardotorri8648]

soft, hypnotic. amazing.

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you very much!

[@marcuunk8564]

The Beauty of Simplicity!!!

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! Exactly! The SQ-1 is such a fun thing to use. So well designed and well made, I can't believe they sell for so little.

[@PerAnkh418]

LOVED IT! 😀

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you!

[@eturnigy]

Your stuff is always interesting, keep at it mr. Lost :)

[@thedigitallost]

Well thank you! I legit appreciate it. And thanks for watching and commenting! I'm always happy to hear from people. Cheers!

[@PandaKattPk]

Awesome!

[@thedigitallost]

Cheers, mate! Glad you enjoyed!

[@discojockeys]

very ambient and cool !

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you!

[@ekaj7466]

wow i love it!!!

[@thedigitallost]

Great! Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching!

[@fugitivephilo]

Dug this. Also wanted to say that your camera work and vid presentation is superb.

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@Pamberjack_]

Awesome

[@skipper6528]

Well done

[@thedigitallost]

Cheers!

[@patrickmcginn4435]

Very creative bud. Nice one

[@thedigitallost]

Cheers! I appreciate it!

[@unclemick-synths]

Great sound. I love my CS and SQ-1 though they rarely get to play together.

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! Oh yeah, the CS and SQ1 are both awesome together and on their own. Hopefully yours can get together again sometime soon!

[@Pamberjack_]

Superb. Subscribed.

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

[@keirmckeon]

Nice

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you very much!

[@Raku777]

Thanks for sharing this. I like your composition notes. I also like how you use the SQ-1. It seems that you do some real time dial tweaks that I have not witnessed in other videos.

[@thedigitallost]

Thanks again! The SQ-1 is such a simple thing. Making step changes is easy. It's that simplicity that makes it so cool; you're kinda forced to start thinking about ways to alter steps and the sequence. So, most changes in time and sound come from dropping in additional steps as the piece progresses and changing the odd note. Actually, the delay is the biggest factor in sound changes rather than the SQ-1. Really though, it's all about having everything timed and synched up properly and having it all work together. No one thing is more important than another. Cheers!

[@Raku777]

@@thedigitallost You inspired me to get one! I traded some old music equipment (a mixer) to get one and it arrived in a package a few days ago. I am pairing it with the Behringer Neutron and a Cloud Module (plus a delay/reverb pedal and a chorus pedal).

[@emilhaller1004]

I like the vibe! I feel like the pedals add a lot, the clean signal would be interesting for comparison, but good job!

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! If it helps, the delay is pretty minimal at the beginning. I love to turn up delay as a piece of music progresses. So yeah, the sound by the end is very colored but the start is pretty low key. The SQ-1 adds nothing to the sound. Thanks again!

[@havijergarcic6227]

Hello man, nice stuff and sounds, very relaxing, I just bought a korg sq1 and I want to create some sequences with some Korg volcas that I have but I'm not able to find how to make everything works properly

[@thedigitallost]

Thanks! Making things work properly is just a case of going over every point and making sure it makes sense… if that make sense. First you’ll need some kind of midi splitter/multi output adapter, other wise you’ll only be able to sequence 1 volca! Like, make sure cables are correct and properly connected. Makes sure your midi channels match. I’ve used this with Volcas and it works well. Check my videos and see a more recent one where I go over how to set up the sq1. Maybe it might help a little! But yeah, there aren’t a lot of places where it might go wrong so just any connection point, midi channels as well as checking the Volcas manuals for any setting that might need to be changed there. (Things such as midi channels and start/stop messages) Good luck!

[@havijergarcic6227]

@@thedigitallost I was thinking that about midi channels however I tried to do with sync connection, is it possible sequence from this port?

[@thedigitallost]

@@havijergarcic6227 The sync port is only good to sync the clocks of all your instruments. It will keep them in time, but not sequenced.

[@robertswanson5373]

Great sequence. May I please steal it ?

[@thedigitallost]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for asking first if you could "steal it"! My work typically stays my property, but it has been used in other people's work in the past without issue. I just ask to check first and, if it's all good, always give me credit. I just like to know where and how something might be used and to also make sure it hasn't been promised to someone else. Feel free to email me if you have any further details or questions. Cheers!

[@ronaldlundbohm815]

Very cool! i have the Novation launchpad pro that doesn't have the sequencer in it Its just collecting dust will this work on that?

[@thedigitallost]

Hello, and thank you! The launchpad pro is a sequencer, as is the SQ1 in this video. So yeah, you could certainly make similar music with the Launchpad pro but the way it sequences is quite different from the SQ1. I'm using the Novation Circuit here, but only for drums. It's not really doing any of the sequencing of the tune. But I do have the Launchpad pro as well! It's probably my favorite dedicated sequencer. As much as I love the SQ1, it's a very simple device which can yield results really quickly, but the launchpad pro just offers so many more options. It just might take a little longer to get a tune going. If that makes any sense.

[@viktorzabarkas]

Is it possible to use analog rytm to send clock to sq-1? Or i need any korg volca to be connected to rytm via midi and then sent clock to sq-1 through in sync port ?

[@thedigitallost]

I've never used an Analog Rytm, but I had a look and I don't see any sync ports. I have seen others connect the sq-1 as a clock slave to other equipment via a Volca, so that's probably what you'd have to do. Or you could use the sq-1 as the master clock! It does send clock via it's mid port. Though that does limit clock speeds a little. Recently I made the sq-1 a clock slave to the Pamela's New Workout module as the master. The sq-1 reacts well to being the clock slave. So yeah, in your case you'd probably have to route through a Volca or similar. If there's anything else you want me to check, just let me know! I'll certainly try and help.

[@viktorzabarkas]

@@thedigitallost thanks for reply

[@juneaftn]

Great performance with a simple gadget! So SQ-1 is sequencing reface CS and its clock is also sent to novation circuit? You must be using a midi spliiter.

[@thedigitallost]

Thanks! It's a great piece of kit. Yes, the SQ-1 has its midi out to a Midi Solutions Quadra Thru that simply puts out all midi it receives and distributes all the info into four separate outputs, so the receiving midi device will only accept whatever signals are relevant to their set midi channel.....if that makes any sense! My Reface is set to receive only on channel 1 (factory default is to receive on all channels), so even if the Quadra Thru is receiving signals from multiple midi channels, the Reface will only "listen to" channel 1. The circuit is sequencing itself but the time and start is dictated by the SQ-1. Easy!

[@agsekai]

@@thedigitallost thanks for sharing this video - beautiful in its simplicity in approach (yet somehow complicated!) If we were to ask for a follow up, can it be a walk through your CS and SQ-1 set up? I never thought of doing this and I'm so down to dive into an SQ-1 now!

[@thedigitallost]

@@agsekai Thanks! I have considered doing a video looking at the SQ1. It's a really cool box but it really is very simple. It's just connected via MIDI to the CS. And then it just uses that classic CV style knob turning and button pressing rather than pads or keys typically found on MIDI controllers. But yeah, even after all this time I'm definitely still considering doing a video on the SQ1. If you haven't already, consider subscribing! That'll be the best way to know when new videos are released. Cheers!

[@thebmxband1t]

@@thedigitallost i was wondering if the cs reface has midi jack out/ soft thru output which could also pass on the midi clock to the novation circuit? im not versed in the cs reface so maybe its ports are limited.

[@stevesmith3990]

Great sounds, could I somehow connect by guitar to this?

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you! Not sure how one would connect a guitar though.

[@returnofthenative]

Yes absolutely Steve, simple & cheap fix too. There are others, but I'd recommend you use a Behringer MX882, its a 6 chan mixer/splitter, can be used as 6 in 1out mixer or 1 in 6 out splitter, (not some of both), & its quiet. You can run separate pedal trains for synth & guitar on the input side, or common train on the output side. The 882 will give you some some redundancy for other goodies in future. I have one myself, its excellent, saves me firing up the Tascam 24 just to mess around a bit at home' & very versatile otherwise too. You won't need this for what you're doing with it now, but in the future needs may change, & you may want to put it to other uses. So know that its balanced on all ins & outs therefore you can use it at instrument level signal (before an amp) remember pedals are all instrument level only, & you can use either balanced (guitar) cable or unbalanced (speaker) cable, or at line level signal, (after amp) just plug in, it auto compensates, eg you want to mix signals from multiple amps, or split signals from multiple amps, but then obviously you can only use it as line level signal mixer or splitter so absolutely balanced cable only, most important, don't forget. It can also be used as a superior sort of patch bay, its a really good thing to have.

[@DylanFerno]

Nice video! What does 2x8 sequencer mean for the SQ-1? Can it only record 8 steps per sequence and can overdub 2 sequences at once? The sequences on my synths are at least 16 steps. Thank you

[@thedigitallost]

Hello, and thank you! The SQ1 can play sequences differently, depending on the position of the main knob at the top left. You can have 2 separate 8 step sequences, or you can have a single 16 step sequence. These steps can go backwards, forwards or random. Notes can be held and repeated. This can be sent via midi or cv. Notes can be changed live/on the fly by way of turning the small knobs. It is a quite simple sequencer, but that is the joy of it. For more complex works I use a Novation Launchpad Pro mk3. But for belting out some fun, old school stuff, I love the SQ1. Any other questions, go ahead! Cheers!

[@DylanFerno]

@@thedigitallost Thank you so much for the detailed answer. Extremely helpful. I'll check out the launch pad. I would like more layers to work with a single Volca

[@thedigitallost]

Launchpad would be great for a Volca. Maybe even overkill! The nice thing about the Launchpad is that it has midi in and out, rather than just USB midi. It'll sequence 4 channels with 8 note polyphony, so it'll still be really capable should you get something beyond the Volca. Man, maybe even something like the new Circuit Tracks would be even better; it has the same style sequencer with all the same capabilities, plus it has drum machine and two synth engines. But now we're getting ahead of ourselves! Again, the SQ1 is great and a lot of fun, but quite simple.

[@DylanFerno]

@@thedigitallost Thanks again ya the circuit tracks looks awesome but a bit out of budget range for now. Can you record a sequence into the SQ-1 while playing another sequence on your synth on top of it? Or will the SQ-1 only be able to sequence whatever the synth is playing in that moment? Essentially I would like to sequence a percussive or bass loop and then play another preset over that to get something like a 'multitimbral' jam

[@thedigitallost]

Yeah the SQ1 is definitely a live sequencer. You can't really save anything in the background to play later on. It's a kind of a what you see is what you get sequencer. Its joy comes in the simplicity and immediacy of the whole thing. But yeah, that's why I mostly just use it for simple little bits and pieces, and use the Launchpad for more complex things.

[@rp8564]

Supercool! Are these sounds onboard the SQ1? Not counting the drums and delay, I mean...

[@thedigitallost]

Hello, and thank you! The SQ1 is what's known as a sequencer; It does not make the sounds itself. It connects to other instruments and tells them what notes to play and when to play them. In this case, it is connected to the Yamaha Reface CS. The rectangular buttons on the SQ1 tells the Reface CS when to play a note, and the small knobs above the rectangular buttons dictates what that note should be. The SQ1 is a great example of a very simple sequencer. Some sequencers can get quite complicated, so having a simple sequencer that just says what note to play and when to play it can be quite nice! Thanks again!

[@rp8564]

@@thedigitallost dang was hoping this was an "all in one"

[@thedigitallost]

Yeah, I hear you. There are plenty of synthesizers out there with built-in sequencers though! Too numerous to mention here. Though if you're new to this, look at the Korg Volca range. Really cheap and simple synthesizers and all of them have a built-in sequencer. Plus, they are all only a touch more expensive than the SQ1 here! Just a thought!

[@mishuga]

Nice, but I kept waiting for the VI major.

[@jadedphase7829]

Sexy peace of hardware !

[@thedigitallost]

Sexy and functional!

[@beatzavod8708]

Hello ! Do you know how to change the speed of notes 1/4, 1/8, 1/16? on korg sq-1

[@thedigitallost]

I sure do! Hold down the start/stop button while powering on the unit. This enters global parameters mode. Turning the main/sequencer mode knob selects different timing resolutions: 1st position is 1/4 notes, 2nd position is 1/8, third position is 1/16. After you have selected your speed settings/resolution, press the power button again. This exits global parameters and restarts the SQ1 and you can continue as normal. I hope this helps!

[@beatzavod8708]

@@thedigitallost thank you very much ! I will definitely try! 👍

[@thedigitallost]

Great! Yeah you can do other things in the global parameters menu like changing MIDI channels and that kind of thing. It is in the instructions, but granted those Korg instructions are all really terrible.

[@beatzavod8708]

@@thedigitallost another problem is that I am from Russia and my English is very bad 😭

[@thedigitallost]

Oh, you're good! Your English is great and much better than my Russian! How is Russia this time of year? I just hope that I explained my answer well enough! Korg's instruction books are famously bad, so absolutely no problem to ask for some help. As always, if you have any further questions about it feel free to ask. I'm more than happy to help.

[@doctorlemon7844]

Como se tocan las notas en el sq1

[@thedigitallost]

¡Hola! ¡Gracias por verlo! Las notas se cambian girando las pequeñas perillas sobre los botones. Los botones encienden y apagan las notas. ¡Espero que esto ayude! (Hello! Thanks for watching! Notes are changed by turning the small knobs above the buttons. The buttons turn the notes on and off. Hope this helps!)

[@zimnynick]

Hi, great video! Did you have any troubles connecting SQ-1 to Yamaha CS? I tried to connect it via midi cable, but it doens't trigger a sound on synth. I checked the midi setting (it is on). Not sure what I am doing wrong there.

[@thedigitallost]

Thank you very much! Connecting a MIDI device to any of the Reface synthesizers is a bit of a convoluted process. The plugging in is fine, just make sure you have all of the correct MIDI adapters for the Reface and the SQ1. But you also haveto make sure all of your MIDI channels match. First of all, you'll need to know and decide what MIDI channels you want the SQ1 to be outputting. The SQ1 has a menu that is accessed by holding down (I think...) something like the function button and then turning it on. Then certain button presses can set things like the MIDI channel and the PPQN settings. You really will have to check the manual though because I cannot recall exactly how to do it offhand, but it's all pretty simple. Believe me when I tell you though, that it is really buried and hidden in the (typical of Korg) complicated manual. The Reface will be a bit more annoying. If you find the accompanying manual for the latest firmware updates from Yamaha, there are some detailed instructions on how to set the MIDI channel on the Reface. It's a weird and complicated process that involves holding down certain keys. Again, it all seems more complicated than it needs to be, but if you follow the instructions it's pretty straightforward. Just don't overthink it like I did! But yeah, I imagine that if you have all the correct MIDI channel setup, oh, and also make sure that you are using the MIDI adapter that came with the SQ1, there's no real reason that it should not work. Hopefully what I've said here makes some kind of sense! If you need any further clarification, or if this doesn't work, feel free to check back. I'm more than happy to try and help. That's a really cool combination. Thanks again!

[@zimnynick]

@@thedigitallost thanks for detailed answer! So the problem could be in the fact, that I didn't use the Korg adapter (I used straight mini jack -> MIDI with dins, and then to Yamaha adapter (to have 2 cables rather than 3). I am going to buy another MIDI today and check how it will work with original Korgs's adapter. I am going to update you.

[@thedigitallost]

Assuming you have the channels set up correctly then having the wrong MIDI adapter types is all I can think of that might be wrong. (Outside of some deeper electrical fault issue.) Yeah, there are two different types of midi adapter. Type A and type B. It's ridiculous and annoying that there are two types for something that should be so simple. I think it's to do with what the five pins do and how they are routed. I THINK that the SQ1 uses type A, but you probably want to double check and, to be certain, try to use an actual Korg adapter. I should also add that the five-pin midi cable itself should not be an issue. They are all pretty much the same, it is just the 3.5mm adapters that can differ. Also, I am assuming that you are using the MIDI adapter that came with the Reface as well. Apparently, the one that Yamaha uses looks a lot like existing ones, but is also different. I think it's some proprietary wiring inside there that requires you to use an actual Yamaha adapter made specifically for the Reface.

[@simonburns1055]

whats the note res?

[@leewightman8619]

Doe it sequence its own sounds or does it sequence other synths ?

[@thedigitallost]

Hello! This does not make any sounds on its own. You use it to trigger notes on other synthesizers. It’s a pretty simple box but it’s also a whole lot of fun. Well worth the purchase.

[@trikOsk]

!ecin yllaeR

[@thedigitallost]

!!uoy knahT

[@mochiboy420]

Corny

[@STOKER_DayZ]

trolly