Modular Tips: Sequencing eurorack with the Korg SQ-1

[@johnspink6957]

Hi and thanks for this great video. Your explanation is very clear. I've only had the SQ-1 for a month and am still discovering it's amazing possibilities!

[@TheGrrson]

Just ordered one today for my modular. Can't wait to try it out. Thanks for the video!

[@Ciudadana_Cero]

Great use of this little machine! Thank you for porting this great piece!

[@minisynthmaniac]

Very helpful as I am waiting for my SQ-1 to arrive 👍🏻👍🏻

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Nice been looking at the Korg SQ-1 as a sequencer option. thanks for sharing saved me some time.

[@tomwardsynth]

Glad it helped.

[@TrondGjellum]

Really helpful video! Very useful tips.

[@sebastiank.5137]

Great looking eurorack case.

[@opwave79]

Appreciate the tip about master clock source and using the SQ-1 as a slave.

[@tomwardsynth]

Glad that helped.

[@whitenoisefromelectronicto1728]

Very good explanation thank you

[@returnofthenative]

Thank you very much Tom.

[@jamesl5944]

I have my first euro and agree that the SQ1 is just a darned sensible thing to have. I gave my two to my GF for her Lyra but I’m thinking of buying a couple again. Particularly if you’re using a computer it’s great for making loops, and if you’re using software it’s still interesting for composition (I like trackers so it’s handy for changing things up).

[@tomwardsynth]

It is a pretty versatile tool. I haven't used mine with software that much, but I think the workflow and interface would work well in a variety of applications.

[@jonaseggen2230]

Lyra 8 I suppose? How does she use them with the Lyra? I mean, the Lyra reacts to CV in a strange way?

[@whitenoisefromelectronicto1728]

Hey man I love your rack case! Can you send me a link to that?

[@violinmodulations4032]

Great stuff!

[@adammccoy1062]

If I'm looking at the manual right, it seems like the first three options for clock are "Sync x2" and then Quarter, Eighth, Sixteenth respectively. Then the next three options, with double leds, are "Sync x1" Quarter, Eighth, Sixteenth notes. Which seems like you would end up with 8th, 16th, 32th, 4th, 8th, 16th note divisions of the leading clock signal starting the dial from the left moving right. I'm sure the benefit in this has something to do with complex time signatures, but I'm not exactly sure why they would organize their clock division this way. Any ideas?

[@tomwardsynth]

When I originally made this video, the manual was not very clear about the “Sync x2” and “Sync x1”. Not sure if it has since been updated, or maybe I just lacked understanding of what it was saying at the time. Your breakdown of the divisions seems accurate, assuming the leading clock was the same source when cycling through the modes. I think the “x2” vs. “x1” must be to account for different leading clock types/systems, which send a different number of parts-per-quarter-note (ppqn). This way, the SQ-1 is able to have the same resolutions in both systems. The fact that we can use it to extend the available resolutions is a nice bonus.

[@freddiefranklin1]

Just wanted to pick up your comments on slaving to a master clock. This is what I'd ideally like to do (clocking from Pamela's New Workout) but is it true that you can only get 8th note division? I know there has been an FAQ doc created which shows different sync options. Can you get 16th note division using these somewhat hidden options?

[@Amavi151]

Hi, great video. I have a question, If you use SQ1 as a slave how do i get it to reset to the first note? It starts where it left of thats a issue because all my other seq. start at the beginning of the pattern. Any info is welcome. Thanks

[@tomwardsynth]

Hi Frits. I have this issue as well. As far as I know, the SQ-1 doesn't slave its transport completely, only the clock is synced. It is a [potentially big] gotcha with this device. I find that I need to use the play button to stop the sequence, manually set the step, then hit play to resume/unmute the SQ-1 sequence.

[@bentheintern]

Not a great solution but using active step will always just go from whatever step you hit, this is def met more as a creative tool for arps and stuff but it's kind of a dirty solution

[@re8et355]

Do you know if it spits out midi clock over usb also?

[@daxu9605]

Very curious as to how you build your case. Could you give some info on your case please? :D I really want something similar. Thank you!

[@drowninreverb9067]

thanks!

[@manne3d]

Can you tell me how good and stable the sync would be going form a analog LFO to the sync in on the SQ-1 and the out via the MIDI clock? how well would the midi clock work (jitter at high speed etc?)...Would the sq1 be able to keep up even if you changed the masterclock LFO abruptly to audiorate and back to normal...how fast/slow would be usable ranges to use on the masterclock ( analog LFO). To be clean Analog LFO --> SQ-1 sync IN ---> MIDI OUT ----> To some digital midi device with a sequencer set as midi slave. Thanks

[@tomwardsynth]

Great questions. I'll need to try the exact path you've described and report back about that, but in general the SQ-1 is fairly stable while synced from an external source. There are some caveats I've come across here and there. I've had plenty of issues with double-triggering when syncing the SQ-1 from various sources. If you use a square wave from your LFO, it should at least be predictable. You may want to play with the step resolution on the SQ-1 itself to dial it in. Setting to a single step per clock pulse (described in this video) has been the most stable for me by far. In terms of clock rate, extremely fast/audio rate clocks do work. Slower clocks may give more issues than faster clocks, if the SQ-1 is not set to 1 step per clock pulse. In those cases, the second step tends to fire prematurely, in my experience. I haven't had any issues with adjusting clock rates abruptly. Hope that helps!

[@manne3d]

Oh double triggering, that is a bitch, maybe it triggers on both the up and the down on the squarewave? But i think i read somewhere (or was it in your video) that the step advance resolution did not work when using the analog sync in jack..it was alway 8th notes?? or maybe i mix it up with something else. Good info, thanks a lot. Really helpful. This could be a cool way of integrating midi sequencers/grooveboxes with modular...but not use the groovebox as a "boring" static clock...but modulate the clock with booleans and ratcheting and other stuff from the modular...would be nice to see how well it would act with a more non steady clock...but i guess that will depend on how well the midisequencer/groovebox will take suck a clock also. Good thing is sq-1's are cheap enough to buy and test out..it would be a cool setup if it worked! again thx for the time, please report back if you get the time to test it. thx

[@tomwardsynth]

It will trigger on both up/down of the square wave. That's at least controllable. I've had issues with other input sources with more erratic excess triggering, but for the use-case you described I think you'd be ok. When you are using an external source, you can basically choose between 1/8 and 1/4 note resolution. This isn't documented, but interestingly the Volca model documents mention it. In my experience, any resolution setting that causes one of the mode lights to illuminate will put the unit in 1/8 resolution (2 steps per clock pulse for external sync), and any setting that causes two mode lights to illuminate will put the unit into 1/4 resolution (1 step per clock pulse). The latter, combined with a square wave from an LFO, will give you a controllable setup. From there you've still got room to mess with the settings and find a setup you like.

[@iantanner7579]

changing the external clock division rate will produce 1/16 notes /bar

[@tomwardsynth]

Yes. I find it easier to look at the SQ-1 resolution as either 1 step/clock pulse or 2 steps/clock pulse, even though the manual breaks it down as 1/x. Then the external clock can be any division or multiple you like, and you get either 1 or 2 steps from the SQ-1 per pulse.

[@therealzakkain]

Great video! Came for the SQ-1 talk, but also.... what case is that?

[@tomwardsynth]

Thanks! That case is a standard gear case that I mounted some vector rails in. It’s about 84hp x 6U, but I only get ~82hp usable because of the way I mounted the rails inside. The case itself is a Duratool 18x14x7” that I found on Newark. There are other brands and sizes too. I paid about $35 for the case itself, plus rails and an Intellijel power supply.

[@therealzakkain]

oh cool! Thanks for the reply :D

[@indiefilmcomposer]

would you mind confirming how you go from 3.5 m modular cable to a stereo TRS pair .....for use into a sound card or studio mixer.....I only see headphone adapters ( 3.5 female to TRS or a stereo 3.5 male to split TR male cables available .....and wondering what provides a true stereo path....thanks and BTW how do you like the data module?

[@tomwardsynth]

Stereo has actually been on my mind a lot lately. Right now most things coming out of this system are mono. I run everything through fx chains, one per 2hp Mix module in the system (on the far right), and the final outputs from the fx are in stereo. Those are going through an audio interface into the computer in stereo, so the reverb can be stereo but there's no panning happening with the original signals. It is possible to mult an audio signal, and pass a copy to each 2hp Mix module, then use the levels on those to effectively give a panning ability. Either way there are two mono output cables, which could be condensed using some adaptors. There are a variety of modules with true stereo outputs in TRS format and panning ability, but I don't have any currently. About the Data...I love it! I use it in almost every patch.

[@johnrichardson3297]

I'm a Novice at this, but upon skimming/ through reviews on youtube, I have seen some essential Benefits to be had: Ornaments & Crime Line 6 Helix - (External: Better=/No CPU) Audio Interface (Effects are better/hear-able(adhereto/aptly - adept/suited to Mono, it can take Polyphonic Signal... 4 Synths and if you convert the Mic ports an extra 4)) Arturia Keystep/Beat step pro (use w/ Ornaments & Crime) Rebel Technology - The Wizard (Monophonic Algorithm Pure Data Mixer) BASTL DUDE (Mono Mixer) Next the Unafordable options Oberheim TVP Moog Sub 37CV

[@tonymann848]

What’s in your rack?

[@FastRCToys]

I have two of them... ;)

[@indiefilmcomposer]

here is what i decided to go with if you are interested , note two TRS out and 22 channel sub mixing in the rack.... www.modulargrid.net/e/racks/view/556965

[@tomwardsynth]

Nice, I like that mixing setup.

[@dbrucie]

tip#1, have lots of money.