Sequencing

[Country Guy]

My question is what exactly is a sequencer, and where does it go. I know that i need it, because i record guitar and voice on my four track (SONY MDM-X4 mini disc recorder), and then drums and bass and keys and whatever else on my computer. So I i would like to know if I can buy software that is recording software and a sequencer, and how i hook it up. I have midi in/out/thru, but i also have a 5/6 track that is for imputing the output of a computer. do i use bot? or only one? What is better to use midi or the 5/6 track? and if i have to buy a seperate "box" that is a sequencer, where do I put it?
sorry to ramble, but I am a little confused here, any help would be great. Thanks

 

[drstawl]

A sequencer is a device (in software or hardware) that stores instructions for a synthesizer and plays them back. It can also store control information (known as MMC) to synchronize the playback of other audio equipment, like tape decks, DATs or HD recorders. A drum machine is just a sequencer and a drum synthesizer built into one unit. Computers really have the edge in this department because of the flexibility of the user interface available and the huge display area they have. Not to mention the almost unlimited storage space available when using the MIDI format.