Matrix Sequencer

A grid sequencer with many advanced features, such as stochastic step skipping, randomization of values, separate X and Y axes triggers, and 16 different snake modes. A really useful tool for generative music, and for sequencing all kinds of parameters in your VM patches!

Documentation

-View Switch - This switch allows you to change the page of the sequencer between CV, triggers, and skip probability.

-No Skips - This button turns skipping off when engaged.

-Initialize - This button (labeled Init) resets all the knobs in that view to their default position.

-CV Knobs - These knobs determine the CV values that are sent out of the CV and Qntz (quantized CV in semitones) outputs at the bottom right. The range is determined by the Range toggles on the right.

-Trigger Toggles - This grid of toggles determines whether or not a trigger is sent out of the trigger outputs on the bottom right. The XY output sends a trigger every time the switch is on for that step, and X and Y send triggers only when there is a change in that particular axis and the new step's trigger toggle is on (e.g., from step 4 to 5 Y will fire, but not when moving from step 4 to 5). This becomes useful especially with Snake and XY Walk playing modes.

-Skip Knobs - These knobs set the probability that a particular step will be skipped (when No Skips is not engaged).

-Clock - The rate knob controls the rate of the internal clock, and the small gate knob determines the pulsewidth of the clock signal, which affects the gate length of the output triggers. There is a button to select an external clock, located under the respective input on the left side. There is also an output jack that allows you to send the clock (internal or external) to another module for syncing.

-Randomize Panel - Located at the bottom left, this section has controls for randomizing the values of the knobs and toggles in the 3 different layers of the sequencer.

-Randomize Button -This button allows you to randomize the values for all the knobs or toggles on the active layer (selected with the view switch) to easily create new patterns.

-Deviate - The Dev button also randomizes the knobs, but in this case the range of randomization is restricted to the values set by the small slider below it (Dev Range). This is useful for producing small variations without moving too far away from the current sequence.

-Randomize Trig In - This input allows you to randomize the different layers by sending a trigger. Which pages are affected by this trigger is determined by the toggles below the input: V for the voltage knobs, T for the trigger toggles, and S for the skip probabilities. This is very useful for automating random changes in the sequencer over time, for example using a Trigger Counter module receiving the clock from the sequencer, and sending a trigger to this input every X number of beats.

-Play Controls - This section allows you to change the play mode of the sequencer between forward, pendulum, reverse, freeze, random, snake, and XY random walk. You can also start and stop the sequencer from here or, when the selected play mode is freeze, move a step forward, backwards or to a random position. There is also a button to reset the sequence, below its CV input, just to the left of the play controls, and trigger inputs to start and stop the sequencer.

-Snake Mode - This mode has 16 different snake patterns of motion. The easiest way to familiarize yourself with them is to run them with the sequence length set to 16 and No Skips engaged. The snake mode can be selected with the S. Mode knob, or through CV using the input to the right. When a CV signal is connected to control the snake mode, the signal will be scaled by its attenuverter, and then added to the value of the Snake Mode knob. The CV input expects values in the range of -5 to 5, so when the S. Mode knob is at 1 and the attenuverter at 100%, a CV of -5V will select mode 1, and 5V will select mode 16.

-XY Walk - This mode chooses a random direction (up, down, left or right) on each step. It is great for controlled randomness, and is especially useful with the X and Y gate outputs.

-Number of Steps - The length of the sequence is determined by the slider on the top right, and displayed by the Steps digital counter. The current step is shown on the counter just below it.

-Range - The range of CV values sent out of the CV and Qntz outputs is determined by the Range toggles, and can be set to positive 1V, 2V, 5V, or 10V bipolar (+5 and -5).

-Steps CV - This CV input lets you set the number of steps using a bipolar CV signal.

-Play Mode CV - This CV input allows you to use a bipolar CV signal to select the playing mode. There is a small toggle labeled Fz, just above it to the left, which determines whether or not the freeze mode is included in the selection (as this mode behaves a bit differently and causes pauses in the sequence, but this can be intentionally exploited for musical effects).