Roland MSQ-700 Quantisation | Highly unpredictable and fun - borderline bizarre

Roland MSQ-700. The sequencer that keeps on giving.
I'm using Howard Jones' "Things can only get better" intro to demonstrate the quirkiness of the quantize engine of the MSQ-700. I don't play the correct chords, but I use them rhythmically correct. Played a little off-beat to test the quantize settings.
The way the MSQ-700 quantize not only the notes forwards and backwards, but also their lengths are very interesting and I've used this many times as a source of inspiration.
Find my music here:
Bandcamp: espenkraft.ban...

[@RayR]

I love the tight timing. Modern MIDI can be do laggy and latent unless you have the correct setup.

[@patrikknoerr9777]

One has to admit that thing looks beautiful.

[@wackerburg]

Lovely unit. I like how they JUST work.

[@keyboardkingpin]

Like nine cans of shaving powder, that's funky.

[@juanpabloazambuyo4964]

Dude, "6", or "12" means the "hits" done in each step.. so machine will match the original chord timing to the setup that you give: 6, 12, etc..

[@dacidthorn]

Is this the only Roland model with this particular ‘quantize quirk’?

[@Fuaxxd]

What is the drum machine in the background it sounds great!

[@EspenKraft]

Roland TR-8s

[@RaffRobinson]

This sequencer reminds me a lot of the Mc-303, with his shuffle/swing/quantize that you can adjust with a subtle amount

[@orincat10]

you could probably make something out of those chords

[@jeffryarchambeau5441]

I liked quantization of 12 on your first recording.

[@MrTfortiger]

I really like the funky riffs you are playing,would be great for an 80s style video game!

[@dadonutslvl90]

Definitely attributed to the early YMO sound especially as with the MC

[@RecordingStudio9]

This brings so many memories of me using it some 35 years ago. Thanks

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@RuslanKentawrus]

😂Думаю про Akai force и представляю будущее сим салабим напиши музыку в стиле рэп ну там шоб сибемоль 3 штуки было и погрустнее😂😂😂

[@JonniArmani]

I love this machine

[@normalizedaudio2481]

AI from the 80s.

[@felixvortex9]

I see your metronome switch is missing - so is mine, and is stuck on ON which is etremely loud! Does the switch still work? I have tried poking mine with a screwdriver to turn it off but there is no movement and 'I don't want to damage it

[@EspenKraft]

I have the switch and I will glue it on eventually. You can use a screwdriver, but it works more as a lever so you have to jiggle it just right.

[@felixvortex9]

@@EspenKraft helpful, thank you!

[@govorit_i_pokazivaet]

It has no 64th.

[@marcogarza4457]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing.

[@mimoochodom2684]

I s'pose in the 80s, this machine, a synth bass, a vocal splashed in reverb and you had a hit?

[@EspenKraft]

No.

[@poofygoof]

This unit seems like it would be straight-forward to clone, either physically or virtually. The firmware is key, but is small enough that it might be feasible to clean-room an implementation of the quantize algorithm like early PC BIOS to mitigate copyright risk. My MSQ-700 was stolen in the late 2000s; I only completed one track exclusively with it since I also had (have) an ASQ-10, but every time I see it used I miss it a bit. Flat UI, completely linear editing, it's about as straightforward to use as can be.

[@EspenKraft]

I think the guys at Retrokits tried that with their RK-008 sequencer, at least the quirkiness of the quantize algo. Don't know if they succeeded though.

[@poofygoof]

@@EspenKraft I thought the RK-008 was aiming for the alesis MMT-8, not the the MSQ-700?

[@EspenKraft]

It is, but they wanted to implement the quirky quantize on it too. After I made the comparisons video.

[@starhavven]

really cool!

[@palbrnlund6701]

I hope you are aware that you did this video a year ago? 😅

[@EspenKraft]

I didn't.

[@HenritheHorse]

Your played parts sounded much better than the quantisation. I never use it in my DAW either. It has ruined music just like autotune.

[@HowlingMoonCinemas]

No it doesn't 🤦‍♂️. Don't try to compare autotune with this. They are completely different things. Electronic music should more often than most be very quantized and exact, like in side-scroll video games or sheet music, mainly when the tracks have a fast tempo. The perfection is what gives it a polished finish. Yes, there are times when more natural, slightly off timing imperfections are charming or even elegant in music, but for electronic music (mainly during tracks with higher tempos), exact timing is more often better, because all the sounds are more evenly spaced, sound more clear and organized - everything is more pleasant to the ear. It's like the way a good metal guitarist is liked for playing very "clean" notes and precise timing.

[@HenritheHorse]

@@HowlingMoonCinemas Don't get me wrong, I do have synths and samplers with sequencers and have played tight tech death on guitar. Just too much "perfection" in todays music.

[@HowlingMoonCinemas]

@@HenritheHorse One way I like slightly off timed notes is usually for really good lead solos while the background music is kept quantized.