Which hardware sequencer to start off with ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter rxkevco
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rxkevco

rxkevco

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Hi all,
Been looking around for a used sequencer on ebay, and just wondered which ones you guys would go for ??? I have never used one before, and have spent a lot of time recently , reading up on midi and sequencing and think that now is the time to get one.
Pretty limited on ebay at the moment, but have got my eyes on a yamaha qy 300. Reveiws seem ok (sos etc,,) , but i would appreciate a bit of guidance from some of you guys out there.
Can only spend up to about £80- £100, which is why i am restricted to ebay.
Would appreciate any input on this subject.
cheers,,,,, kev.
 
Kawai Q80. Cheap and very easy to use. 32 midi tracks. I still use mine for live PAs since I can easily dump from my DAW and it is rock solid. Google it for more info. The only drawback is that it has no display like the yamaha but if you use software to sequence, then dump to to the hardware, it makes no difference
 
Thanks for that,
I started a thread in the midi mania section a few days ago, and got told that for me to record drums from my novation drumstation rack, i would need a midi controller to control and configure the drum patterns, then would have to transfer to a sequencer to be able to play the sounds back.
This is the only reason i am buying a sequencer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I dont own any computer software sequencers or anything like that, and would prefer to get acustomed with my multitracker before i go down the computer route. I have always found it best to learn basics first, then jump in at the deep end, only when you have a good sound base of knowledge.

If all my other guitars,keyboards, mics and synths can be plugged directly into the multitracker,,,,, why cant i do the same with the drumstation ????
the novation has 6 seperate outs, and one stereo out,,, surely you could connect it directly to the multitrackers inputs, and using the controller connected (via midi cable ) to the drumstation, play the sounds.
do i actually need a sequencer at all ????
would appreciate any further input.
 
well the drum station is just another synth so if your multitracker has midi sequencing built into it then your all set. What multitracker do you have and what kind of music you going to be making?
 
I have a fostex fd 8,
behringer pre amp,
behringer parametric eq,
novation drumstation,
boss sx 700 fx,
art sgx fx,
samson 170 power amp,
alesis monitors,
patchbay,
mxl 990 condensor mic,
electric and acoustic guitars,
yamaha dgx 300 keyboard,
korg ms 2000 synth,
I also have a decent, powerful computer, but am staying away from software recording for now.
I play a lot of rock and acoustic songs, mostly my own stuff i have been storing up for the last 20 yrs or so. but have recently ( last 5 or 6 yrs ) been incorporating a lot of piano and synth sounds to some of my songs and have been impressed with the sounds i am acheiving. Suppose i play very similar stuff to joe satriani in guitar playing style, and competency, but am mostly influenced by just about anything that makes me turn up the volume.
So in fairness, i probably have 3 distinctive styles of music, although any 2 of them can be combined to acheive some suprising and pretty individual sounds.
Hope this is of some help to you, with regard to what i have to work with.
cheers, kev.
 
quickly scanning the specs on the fostex, a sequencer would serve you well. Since the fostex sends MTC (midi time code) a sequencer will sync to the Fostex so you will be able to record your basslines, leads, whatever without using any audio tracks on the fostex. You can record them when you have everything tweaked out right (you can go back and edit your midi tracks note by note). For your drums, you kinda have a dance box so you are going to get real analog sounding drums but for timing tracks, it will work fine (a sequencer can quantitize everything that needs to be tight)
 
Many thanks for that altitude909, much appreciated. Think i am gonna get the yamaha qy300 sequencer i was talking about earlier.
all the reveiws seem to indicate its a good buy, and as the forums advice seems to suggest , thats the direction in which i should be heading. Sequencers seem to do everything that my fostex was made for anyway,,,,
So,,, if i record instruments like basses, electric and acoustic guitars, vox, and my syths etc, straight into a sequencer, i can edit them and get the tracks as i like, THEN transfer them track by track to the fostex for more tweaking. Is that what you meant.
Cant help thinking that i should be using my computer for all this though. I could probably get rid of a lot of my stuff (fostex included), and start recording directly into cubase or similar. All i would need is an interface with midi and 1/4" jack inputs, then i could do it all.
Dont know what to do really. Its all a bit of a headache deciding which is the best way forward.
Many thanks, cheers.
 
The Yamaha will serve you well (especially if it has a good editor.

All things midi have the advatages of being able to fix notes and play back everything you just played as if you were playing it. I think it is easier to work with than audio since once you record something, thats it, its tracked and you really cannot do a ton of changes without recording it again. With midi, you can go back and fix every note, plus you can adjust the sound while its playing (that korg will do that just fine :) This will obviously will do you no good being a guitar player but everything but guitar and vocals will become much easier to get down (no endless takes)

And dont jump on the computer just yet, dive into the hardware first since once you get a good handle on using it and more importantly, a good workflow making the switch will be fairly easy. Since that Fostex has adat, it will plug right into any DAW software as your main sound board so you might as well get REAL aquainted with it and a sequencer since you will have pretty decent ones. Hardware is a little easier to learn (alot less frustrating also) than software and there is nothing like just sitting down and laying tracks without a mouse or computer to deal with
 
Yeah,,, you make sense altitude909. Will stick to what i have, and keep learning as i go along. The computer phase will come along soon enough, am sure. Thanks for all the advice, much appreciated.
regards,,, kev.
 
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