Step Sequencer with realtime "mute / turn off step" functionality??

[m.arthur]

I'm looking for a step-sequencer player or RE that allows me to turn any given step on and off on the fly (that is, while it's playing), thereby *removing* it from the sequence while it's off. E.G. a sequence of 8 steps, if I then 'mute' or turn off any given step, is now a 7 step looping sequence until I un-mute / turn back on that step, and so on.... (Note: This is completely different behavior than simply not having a note play in a given step, since in that scenario the overall loop length remains the same).
Classic analog sequencers like those used by Tangerine Dream / berlin school sequences had this ability to "on the fly" turn steps on and off, thereby changing the pattern as it played back, making it shorter and longer, etc -- it becomes like an actual performance method. So far all the step sequencers I've seen don't offer this behavior, unless I've missed one....thoughts?
My VST plugin Numerology 5 can do this, but Reason doesn't support MIDI output from VST devices, so I can't use it

thanks,
-M

[eXode]

I'm looking for a step-sequencer player or RE that allows me to turn any given step on and off on the fly (that is, while it's playing), thereby *removing* it from the sequence while it's off. E.G. a sequence of 8 steps, if I then 'mute' or turn off any given step, is now a 7 step looping sequence until I un-mute / turn back on that step, and so on.... (Note: This is completely different behavior than simply not having a note play in a given step, since in that scenario the overall loop length remains the same).
Classic analog sequencers like those used by Tangerine Dream / berlin school sequences had this ability to "on the fly" turn steps on and off, thereby changing the pattern as it played back, making it shorter and longer, etc -- it becomes like an actual performance method. So far all the step sequencers I've seen don't offer this behavior, unless I've missed one....thoughts?
My VST plugin Numerology 5 can do this, but Reason doesn't support MIDI output from VST devices, so I can't use it

thanks,
-M

I think Analog Sequencer | AS-16 is what you're looking for.

https://www.propellerheads.com/shop/rac ... sequencer/

[buddard]

Step Note Recorder has fully automatable Rest (Mute) buttons, and in addition it also has a Mute CV input, that mutes notes as long as the signal is > 0, so you can mute notes from another device like Euclid, Elementary, PSQ, or another Step.

[m.arthur]

Step Note Recorder has fully automatable Rest (Mute) buttons, and in addition it also has a Mute CV input, that mutes notes as long as the signal is > 0, so you can mute notes from another device like Euclid, Elementary, PSQ, or another Step.

But does muting a step remove it from the sequence (and thereby shorten the sequence), as described in my post? I’ll check it out tonight, but confirmation here would be useful, thanks!

[buddard]

Step Note Recorder has fully automatable Rest (Mute) buttons, and in addition it also has a Mute CV input, that mutes notes as long as the signal is > 0, so you can mute notes from another device like Euclid, Elementary, PSQ, or another Step.

But does muting a step remove it from the sequence (and thereby shorten the sequence), as described in my post? I’ll check it out tonight, but confirmation here would be useful, thanks!

Ah, sorry, I misunderstood you, I thought you just wanted it to be silent?

But no sweat, you can also automate the Repeat Count individually for each step, and a Repeat Count of 0 means that the step is skipped.

There's no CV input for this (yet), though.

[two shoes]

There are a number of ways to mute a step on the fly for several different sequencer REs and you can do something similar with the realtime beat manipulators like Buffre and Distillery. Unless I'm misunderstanding your question the hard part is shortening the sequence by a step when you mute it - really what you're wanting is a momentary switch you can bind a midi key or button to that removes a step when pressed and adds it back in when released as opposed to just muting the step which wouldn't shorten the sequence right? Off the top of my head I can't think of any way to accomplish that in the rack, but I'm just a dabbler compared to some folks around here - I've no doubt that someone will chime in soon with a solution if it's possible.

[m.arthur]

There are a number of ways to mute a step on the fly for several different sequencer REs and you can do something similar with the realtime beat manipulators like Buffre and Distillery. Unless I'm misunderstanding your question the hard part is shortening the sequence by a step when you mute it - really what you're wanting is a momentary switch you can bind a midi key or button to that removes a step when pressed and adds it back in when released as opposed to just muting the step which wouldn't shorten the sequence right? Off the top of my head I can't think of any way to accomplish that in the rack, but I'm just a dabbler compared to some folks around here - I've no doubt that someone will chime in soon with a solution if it's possible.

There are many step sequencers plugins out there (not REs) that just have this functionality built in by default, because it's a trick the old analog (pre-MIDI) sequencers used to do, like the Moog Modular sequencer.

Exode helpfully pointed me toward an RE that can do this. It's not some wild notion that requires lots of setup. It's just a matter of functionality, and fortunately the "Analog Sequencer" RE has this functionality. Most other REs do not.

When you can alter a sequence on the fly, adding and removing steps (not creating Rests, but actually *removing* them) it becomes a sort of perfomance / realtime sequencing feature.

[m.arthur]

I think Analog Sequencer | AS-16 is what you're looking for.

https://www.propellerheads.com/shop/rac ... sequencer/

Thank you for directing me toward this, now this is a product that is definitely doing precisely what I'm wanting / talking about

[two shoes]

There are a number of ways to mute a step on the fly for several different sequencer REs and you can do something similar with the realtime beat manipulators like Buffre and Distillery. Unless I'm misunderstanding your question the hard part is shortening the sequence by a step when you mute it - really what you're wanting is a momentary switch you can bind a midi key or button to that removes a step when pressed and adds it back in when released as opposed to just muting the step which wouldn't shorten the sequence right? Off the top of my head I can't think of any way to accomplish that in the rack, but I'm just a dabbler compared to some folks around here - I've no doubt that someone will chime in soon with a solution if it's possible.

There are many step sequencers plugins out there (not REs) that just have this functionality built in by default, because it's a trick the old analog (pre-MIDI) sequencers used to do, like the Moog Modular sequencer.

Exode helpfully pointed me toward an RE that can do this. It's not some wild notion that requires lots of setup. It's just a matter of functionality, and fortunately the "Analog Sequencer" RE has this functionality. Most other REs do not.

When you can alter a sequence on the fly, adding and removing steps (not creating Rests, but actually *removing* them) it becomes a sort of perfomance / realtime sequencing feature.

thanks, i didn't know that about early analog sequencers or the AS-16 - i bought that on sale a few months ago just because it was a different type of sequencer - i need to play with it more to see what other tricks it can do.