Favorite complex Eurorack sequencers?

So far I have been learning and enjoying my new sequencers: Eloquencer, WMD Metron, Stillson Hammer MK2, and Euclidian Circles.

Metron is great for programming lot of drum and bass modules and amazing patterns that can be saved and recalled at light speed and with Voltera can sequence 1v/oct and Axxent for adding drum flourishes.

Eloquencer a great sequencer with random, probability, ratcheting and easy to program and fun to use with live record mode.

Stillson Hammer- what Metropolis should have been a fun live sequencer with quantizer, reverse, pendulum, random modes and 4 channels of CV and 4 gates. Love using it for melodic and bass lines.

Euclidian Circles- wacky fun colorful sequencer best used with external clock source.

Varigate 4+ a good random CV generator but not very precise and pain to program.

For me 2021 is the year of mastering sequencers to create songs in live and record session on modular and deepen my knowledge of modular synthesis.

It was Nerdseq. Now it is Black Seq by Erica Synths.

@ural, nice yeah I am trying to decide between the Erica Synths Black Sequencer and Vector with expander for my next modular sequencer. I really like the workflow of my Winter Eloquencer and being able to see 8 tracks at once of patterns and quickly change them on the fly instantly as well as save presets, chain songs, and so forth.

@sacguy71

instead of chasing functionality of different sequencers - have you considered combining the sequencers you have into a complex sequencer?

NE post a weekly(?) question on instagram - recently it was what do you use for a sequencer?

my answer was - "pnw, sinfonion, marbles, bsp, zularic repetitor, branches, erica pico seq and stepfader - patched as a single multichannel sequencer"

instead of chasing functionality of different sequencers - have you considered combining the sequencers you have into a complex sequencer?
...
-- JimHowell1970

Yes I have. I Often combine two sequencers driven by clocks with different speed. A long standing plan is building a smallish case around 3 Penta sequencers. While a Penta with 5 steps at max hardly seems enough to be called a sequencer, combining two will give you complex sequences without much effort. Maybe that's why I'm not in a rush to get a complicated can-do-all machine. These seem to defy the reason and purpose of going modular in the first place.

@sacguy71

instead of chasing functionality of different sequencers - have you considered combining the sequencers you have into a complex sequencer?
-- JimHowell1970

Yes, indeed I have and do this already. I feed external clock from Eloquencer to my Varigate 4+ and use these in my base case and have fun with the tonal variations. On my smaller 6u case, I feed PNW into Mimetic Digalis and mix that with Euclidian Circles for beats. Then modulate it like crazy with Batumi and Quadrax!

For my MDLR 14u case, I use a combination of WMD Metron with Stillson Hammer MK2, Acid Rain Maestro and Rossum mob of emus for pure chaos. This is tons of fun because I can cross modulate with infinite options and flexibility. Maestro has multiple swim lane channels of pattern modulation that can be saved as presets sort of and used with other modules. Mob of Emus has crazy options as well.

So for now, I really don't need any more sequencers as I have a real powerhouse arsenal of sequencers and modulators to my heart's content! I am soo glad that I took your advice to invest in support modules like VCAs, attenuators/attenuverters, mults, logic, matrix mixer, sequential switches and so forth as they come in super useful for patches. At first I had no idea what to do with them but over time, they are used in most patches for random generative stuff.

ok cool - it's great to hear that!!!!

now stop seeing the 3 cases as separate instruments and see a single modular synthesizer - then combine sequencers!!! - I'd use the euclidian circles to clock nearly everything including the sequencers!

...I'd use the euclidian circles to clock nearly everything including the sequencers!
-- JimHowell1970

Right. Erica didn't complain about my using their quad lane Pico Trigg trigger generator to drive the x and y clocks of my Bindubba sequencer (rather than their Pico drums ;-))

EDITED Feb 26th 2021, 18:51

exactly - worst case scenario is you need some utilities to get everything to play nicely together - you could even use a couple of mults or stackcables and do both!!!

I've not seen many nonlinearcircuits modules around - I built a triple sloths which i use a lot - a nice easy smd build iirc - did you build it or buy it?

I have been using the Squarp Hermod from the start of my modular journey, still very happy with it, especially since Squarp has kept releasing significant firmware updates to this day, making it a sequencing powerhouse. I really appreciate such companies who still keep supporting their modules years after release.
I can drive the modular voices via external MIDI, I can have well behaved programmed sequences or completely random and anything in between with the MIDI effects, I can drive mono or multi-timbral voices, you name it. I find it's a very nice option for small-ish racks because the functionality per HP is just insane.
Recently I picked up Marbles and so far, I've been using a small Doepfer quad switch to quickly have a choice of sequencing from Marbles or Hermod for 2 of my voices, and am now looking for ways of combining both sequencers using logic. Lugia came up with a fantastic version of my rack which I'm still wrapping my head around, involving a very complex modulation section. With that golden advice in my mental toolbox, I'm now exploring the logic apps of O&C Hemispheres to find a way to tie everything together. Will also pick up a Quadrax with expander whose numerous gate outputs should provide more ways for the pieces of the patches to interact together.
Suggestions on using modular magic to combine sequencers welcome ! :)

ok cool - it's great to hear that!!!!

now stop seeing the 3 cases as separate instruments and see a single modular synthesizer - then combine sequencers!!! - I'd use the euclidian circles to clock nearly everything including the sequencers!
-- JimHowell1970

Indeed and once I get moved into my new studio space, then I will have my setups organized and connected better. I plan to have a large wall of modular! Then I can sequence my sequencers from all three racks in harmony. Maybe get the large 14u doepfer monster case to put on top of my base case and then I won't run out of room for at least another year. Probably add a few smaller palette cases and another 7U case for travel jams. I do like what I see in the new Erica Synths Black Sequencer, Vector and new Intellijel Metropolix sequencers that offer different things.

exactly - worst case scenario is you need some utilities to get everything to play nicely together - you could even use a couple of mults or stackcables and do both!!!

I've not seen many nonlinearcircuits modules around - I built a triple sloths which i use a lot - a nice easy smd build iirc - did you build it or buy it?
-- JimHowell1970

I use a precision adder like the Doepfer or T43 to combine the pitch voltages coming from the sequencers. Also, a couple of clock dividers (VC over factor is nice) and some logic and a switch/router to jumble things around.

I did not build my Bindubba, our own @RTFM did that.

To get back to the complex sequencer topic: For me a complex sequencer can be as simple as a 4-step sequencer with a reset jack (ok more than one). What makes it complex is what other modules are patched around it, and how.

@ural, nice yeah I am trying to decide between the Erica Synths Black Sequencer and Vector with expander for my next modular sequencer. I really like the workflow of my Winter Eloquencer and being able to see 8 tracks at once of patterns and quickly change them on the fly instantly as well as save presets, chain songs, and so forth.
-- sacguy71

never used Vector. tried Eloquencer for some days while ago - didn't like it.

in terms of workflow Black Sequencer is more spontanous than Nerdseq - less menu diving etc.

Nerdseq has more channels and built-in basic sampler and simple FM synth. i like tracker concept very much, but of course you can't compare Nerdseq with modern trackers.

if i like sequence Eurorack I'd prefer Black Seq now, if I like to do "serious" sequencing - then Cirklon. If I like to use tracker - it is Renoise.

EDITED Feb 27th 2021, 19:40

Interesting...it's worth noting that Serge offered (and still sort of does) several sequencers of various lengths...including some odd-numbered lengths like 7 or 5. Most of the time, these come in handy for making sequenced transpositions, with the sequencer being clocked by a divided clock signal to slow the "odd" sequencer down for that purpose. However, they can also provide things such as envelope timing variations to change articulations, sequence-specific modulation, and so forth.

I guess a lot hinges on what "complex" means, but the Doepfer A-154/A-155 sequencer combo is certainly well-featured.

Today, I finally got my new monster case and placed most stuff in base/monster case so can patch all together. Works great and now I have millions of possible options:

Plus room to grow in the future even. But for now before I buy any more modules, I want to see what music is possible with my setup all together in one space. I do need longer patch cables now to reach the monster case to the base as well as more to patch to the MDLR 14u case and some 1/4 inch to eurorack cables of course. Doepfer makes great cases.