SEQTRAK and Midicake ARP Inspiring Creative New Ideas

🎹 How do you combine the mechanics of creating melodies with the musical theory that guides and underpins good music, without years of learning and practice? 🎵
🎶Yamaha's Seqtrak is a battery-powered groove box, synthesizer and sampler touted as the Ultimate Music creation station. It has great sounds and some very neat tricks. However, I have 3 big issues, not just with Seqtrak but with step-sequencer groove boxes in general. 🎧
In this video, I'll go through my issues and how to solve them by plugging in a Melody Designer like Midicake ARP. I'll show you how to get more from your Step Sequencer and how powerful sequence generators can inspire new musical ideas with amazing ease.
00:00 Intro
01:00 The Big Issues
01:20 Recording Woes
01:55 Piano Skills
02:37 Clumsy Step Sequencing
02:55 Arpeggios to the rescue?
03:10 All out of ideas
04:00 How do you solve a problem like Maria?
04:29 Easy Melodies with Midicake ARP
05:40 Recording into Seqtrak
06:30 Building Variations
07:00 Keeping everything in Harmony
08:20 Cumbersome Drum Programing
09:04 Inspiring Drum Sequences
10:00 Crazy Modulations
10:44 Performance Demo
11:45 Conclusions
12:36 Outro
Check out SeqTrack at: yamahasynth.com
Ⓜ️🆔ℹ️🍰
For everything Midicake ARP, check out: midicake.com
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#seqtrak #Yamaha #review #demo #tutorial #sampling #jam #sounds #app #midi #sampler #performance #ideastation #groovebox #sequencer

[@lummsmusik3219]

Just take any multi timbral gear + Midicake Arp and let the magic begin. This piece of hardware brought much inspiration to me. Thanks! As a non native english speaker I also love your unhurried calming voice.

[@midicakemidi]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. 🥰

[@simonc8265]

Really like these vids. Thankyou. Trying to get my head around the midicake. New expanded manual is really helpful. It needs time but I really liked how you can setup one arp then have the others offset against it to sound different but in sync / in tune. My main thing at the moment is understanding groove rhythm and customisation and how the seeding of the FX works. But I love the applied design of the controls...it just makes sense...and works.

[@midicakemidi]

Thank you for you support. I'm so pleased to hear your appreciation for ARP and that you are enjoying making music with it. If you have any questions feel free to contact us via the website or on our forum.

[@Javeton]

"No.2" and "No.3" LOL I feel you brother. I have been making some cool songs learning music this year but the lack of knowledge is what makes me hit a hard wall most of the time. Its hard to get inspired when you are missing some skills, but the sequencing part is always what keeps bringing me back because it lets me make certain mistakes that I can quickly fix and go on from there.

[@midicakemidi]

Cheers. It's one of the reasons I built ARP; to automate my way around those skills. 😊

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

@@midicakemidiSo I just had a look at the manual . It seems each pattern begins with 16 beats and you can shorten it if you want . So this means I can have. Single bar of 3/4 or 5/4 within an otherwise 4/4 song?

[@midicakemidi]

@@WyattLite-n-inn Yes, Absolutely. You can create pretty much any time division you want. Take a look at this intro to the Time parameters: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qHiXn4Wdhr1jha8si=lrDVgXRNJTgWWA5D&t=35 There's also a more detailed walkthrough here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJDWiqF8o7ulnJo

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

@@midicakemidi wow, thanks!!!

[@m0osebeard]

So this video nudged me over the edge to buy the midiCake. I picked up the seqtrack and was wanting some more help in making music with it - then .. . I found your video. . .and just placed my order for the midicake.

[@midicakemidi]

That's brilliant. Shipping today. I hope you enjoy your ARP! ❤

[@Rothidern]

Lol this video made me buy arp ❤❤❤

[@JakeSweeper]

I do love my Creamsicle (I got the orange and white model), but it does need some outside assistance to really shine.

[@liotier]

I just checked and, by pressing the shift button, the MPC can arm multiple tracks at once for recording MIDI - perfect with the Arp !

[@vertigev]

Very cool!

[@MariaCalfaDePaul]

Wow you are so clever! That Yamaha has a really nice sound. I may have to save up for that one or sell some gear (not my arp though) !! looks like it is a nice pairing ! Thanks for the video

[@midicakemidi]

Thank you for your kind comments, Maria! For the sounds alone SEQTRAK is definitely an interesting device and very versatile. It's a bit like a cut down DAW for out and about but you need the app connected to get the most from it. Without the screen it's very easy to tweak the wrong thing. :) Great fun though once you get your head around it.

[@MariaCalfaDePaul]

@@midicakemidi awesome. Enjoy :)

[@Rothidern]

Buy the way I have this exact combo I had seqtrak and now I bought the arp, looking for more videos on what I can do with it Now just reading manuals

[@midicakemidi]

That's brilliant! I hope you have a lot of fun with this combo. More videos on the way. ❤️

[@Javeton]

Also wait, from what I'm picking up from the video, you believe the step sequencer is limited because or you just didn't read the online manual? Unless you figured it out by now, the sequencer drums and synths length can be adjusted and every single track from the 3 bulbs can be set up listed individual and turned off or on however you please in song building mode.

[@midicakemidi]

No, my issue is the efficiency of sequencing this way in general. Why program every step when you can set some rules and let the sequence build. I'm not 100% against step sequencing, it's just a bit clunky sometimes.

[@micemincer]

my way for overcoming technical barier is to create something intentionally (happy accidents come along the way) - not messing around but trying to create something that I have in mind before I turn the device on.

[@midicakemidi]

Of course. Music is a human endeavour and it needs the drive and ideas as the spark that makes it your own. I personally am not a fan of random based generators (as you can tell from Midicake's tagline). I feel that these take too much creative control from you and, from a performance perspective, lose the repeatability that is required for memorable melody, at best they provide a sonic filler. ARP's approach however is to follow the ideas and musical structure (through scales) that you define and allow you to explore possibilities within those bounds. A little helping hand, automating the mechanics of melody creation, removing the more tedious programming aspects of electronic music creating and hopefully inspiring new ideas along the way.

[@WyattLite-n-inn]

I like the way you think!

[@synthebo]

🤩🤩🤩👏👏👏👏👏

[@DJisaacAnthony]

I think @midicake ARP would work well with the MC101/707 as well, they are class compliant in "generic" mode.

[@midicakemidi]

I completely agree, they are both excellent bits of gear. Demonstrated to great effect here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGHVk3iIqsdobZYsi=x4UQSrhPB6EnDc5B There's also a list of multitimbral synths that would pair with ARP here: www.midicake.com/forum/general-discussion/a-list-of-multi-timbral-synthesizers

[@OliverMooney]

I'm really tempted by the arp, but I don't know how I'd use it with my own musical phrases. Are you tied to using the Arp to generate the initial phrase, or can you supply one and let arp manipulate it and base other channels on it?

[@midicakemidi]

Hi, Thanks for the question. ARP was originally conceived to add layers over the top of your performance, so yes you can absolutely feed ARP MIDI data from your keyboard, sequencer, controller or DAW and it will generate melodies using that input. Here are some links to videos on the topic, I hope you find them helpful. If you have any specific questions, please contact us via midicake.com and I'll be happy to answer them. -- I'd recommend this video for information on how ARP responds to external input. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIipgHueob-snLM For a performance demo that shows how to use ARP to accompany live playing a synth, check out this from Jay Hosking. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmbbfGdtZt2fgJo Also, many of the videos in the Demo Tracks Playlist show ARP with Keyboard Input. Try this one. kzbin.info/www/bejne/kGjLgqGIj9RreZY

[@jmsobe]

Wonderful, waiting for my SEQTRAK to arrive. Do you have a reseller for midicake in the United States like Perfect Circuit?

[@midicakemidi]

We do not, currently, use resellers and only sell directly from our website. Which we have found to be the most cost effective solution for our customers. We are proud to be an independent and innovative maker and simply cannot afford the markup that resellers expect. I explain the reasons in a little more detail in our FAQ pages. midicake.com/faq

[@coolwebinars_easysoundsshop]

A very interesting approach. I wasn't aware of Midicake ARP which seems to be very powerful. I also like your video “Lanky Nerd Reveals All”. Extremely likeable! Looking forward to maybe meet you @ SUPERBOOTH 2024. 😉

[@midicakemidi]

Thank you. Yes, we'll be at Superbooth with the modular setup. It'll be great to see you there!