Which sequencer should I buy?

With over 60 sequencers available across the four main computers, how do you decide which will do the job for you? The following questions should give you an idea of the sort of things you need to ask yourself before Buying...

HOW EASY IS IT TO USE?

As in most walks of life, it's usually easier to work with something you're familiar with rather than going through a learning curve for something new. Sequencing programs are a perfect example of this. There tends to be two principle ways in which they work. The first is where each part of a song is encompassed in a pattern - much the same as a drum machine. Such a system can make the composition of a piece of music very easy as a pattern can be created for, say, the first verse and used (perhaps with some minor changes) for ensuing verses as well.

The alternative is to work with linear tracks, rather like you would using a multi-track tape recorder. Each track has a different instrument and by recording a track in, say, four or eight bar phrases, the entire track can be assembled.

Many of the current crop of software sequencers utilise both of these techniques. For instance, you might be able to take the parts from all tracks that lie between bars four and twelve, group them together and then use the grouping as a pattern. This lets you record a song in linear track fashion, and then rearrange it by using patterns if you wish.

A second concern has to be the visual elements of the program. For example, given the right software the mouse can be a very powerful tool for drawing curves in order to fade music in and out and pan sound across a stereo image. Visuals are also important when it comes to editing a sequence; it is usually easier to edit a note represented as such on the screen than by searching through lists of numbers or events. Though of course, different people prefer different methods of working.

HOW MANY TRACKS DO I NEED?

You may think that as there are only 16 MIDI channels, there is little point in having more than sixteen sequencer tracks. Such thinking comes from looking at the 'tracks' of a sequencer in the same way as those of a tape recorder. To give an example: if you had a single microphone and wanted to record a drum kit, the sounds for all of the different instruments would have to be recorded onto a single track. However, if you could use eight microphones, each positioned to pick up a particular instrument of the kit, you could record the drums on eight different tracks. This has the advantage of giving you greater scope at the mixing stage.

In a MIDI sequencer set-up, you might use different tracks for the different percussion instruments such as bass drum, snare drum etc, and so require eight or ten tracks just for the drums. Where these sounds are derived from a single source, say a drum machine receiving on MIDI channel 3, all the relevant tracks on the sequencer would be set to channel 3, but each would be sending out individual note-on messages relating to the instrument assigned to it. Thus, the fact that there are only sixteen available MIDI channels does not necessarily impose a restriction over the number of tracks a sequencer may offer.

The advantage of using several tracks in this way becomes clear when you want to change the sound of one percussive instrument. Let's say that you use a drum machine for the percussion sounds but then decide to also make use of a great snare drum you happen to have on a synth. If the MIDI information for all of the drums is recorded on a single track, you may - depending on the facilities of the sequencer - have to go through every note to change the pitch for the snare drum. If the drums are on individual tracks, a simple track transpose will solve the problem.

Another reason for needing more than 16 tracks is that it is often easier to record Pitch Bend and other MIDI performance information on separate tracks from the notes. This lets you edit information much more easily. Let's say that you've set up a fade-out using MIDI Volume and then decide that the fade isn't quite correct. It is easier to view and edit the data for the fade if it is separated from the note information.

Taking all these extra requirements into account, it is easy to see why some sequencers offer up to 64 separate tracks. There is of course, a possibility that using a large number of these tracks, sixteen MIDI channels really wouldn't be enough. Using a multi-timbral synth or expander with up to eight voices, for example, would drastically reduce the MIDI channel availability if each was set to receive on a different channel.

That's why another point to look for is whether any hardware is available to expand the number of MIDI Outs - especially on Atari ST software. While the Apple Macintosh, PC and Amiga all use separate MIDI interfaces, any expansion of the built-in MIDI ports for the ST requires an add-on.

WHAT KIND OF EDITORS DO I NEED?

This depends on the way that you work and your musical background. If you are a trained musician, the chances are that you will want to work with standard notation. If this is the case, check that the sequencer you choose can also print out the score if you need it to and that it supports the printer that you intend to use.

If you are working with drum rhythms, you will probably need an editor which allows for step-time entry so that you can input the drum notes one at a time without using a MIDI keyboard. Many sequencers have a dedicated drum editor which includes a list into which are entered the names of the percussion instruments used, their MIDI note numbers and a user-friendly grid for note entry. (This and other information is, of course, included in our Buyer's Guide.)

The other most common editor is the one that presents you with a 'piano- roll' type display. This usually comprises a vertical keyboard with horizontal notes in the form of rectangles appearing on an adjacent grid - the length of the rectangles representing the length of the notes. It is referred to as a piano-roll editor because in operation it resembles the action of the old player pianos where holes in a paper roll caused to the notes to sound as they moved past the keyboard. In its MIDI sequencer form, this system makes changing the note value, position, length and velocity extremely easy and quite intuitive.

Many sequencers also offer a MIDI event list which catalogues all notes and other MIDI information along with the time at which they occur. Such lists can be useful for changing certain MIDI parameter throughout all entries, but are generally too number-oriented for most people to feel comfortable with.

Most modern synths respond to MIDI performance messages such as Pitch Bend, Aftertouch and the various MIDI Controllers such as Volume, Modulation, Pan and Sustain Pedal. To simplify editing of this information, many sequencers have a special Editor which allows you to draw curves to control the above MIDI information. This is especially useful with MIDI Volume (Controller #7) and Pan (#10) and some sequencers incorporate this within their Graphic Editor.

IS THE TIMING GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME?

By their very nature, all computers will subtly alter the timing of MIDI information that they record. The accuracy of timing is usually referred to as the resolution of the sequencer and is measured in pulses per quarter note (ppqn). Most modern sequencers have resolutions of at least 192 ppqn with many offering 240, 384 or 480 ppqn. Generally, the higher the number, the less audible the effect of the timing inaccuracies. However, the relatively slow speed at which MIDI itself works has to be taken into consideration at some stage and it is doubtful if extremely high resolutions offer any real advantage, musically.

How audible timing variations are also depends on your perception. Tests have shown that some people start to hear delays when they reach around seven milliseconds, while others remain impervious to them. The only meaningful test is to turn off the sequencers's metronome and to record a series of notes. If you can hear any change on playback, then the resolution of the sequencer you are trying is probably too low for you. But it has to be said, the chances of this occurring with present-day programs is pretty slim.

CAN I DUMP MY SYNTH SOUNDS TO THE SEQUENCER?

Most synths can dump the information for their sounds via their MIDI Out, and as long as a sequencer can record System Exclusive (SysEx) - the format used for such a dump - it can act as a sound librarian. Sequencers will generally handle SysEx in one of two ways: as standard MIDI data in which case it can be recorded and played back on a normal track, or by using a dedicated SysEx librarian. Either of these can be very useful if you come back to a song some time after first recording it, because they save you the trouble of hunting around for the particular sounds that you originally used.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN I'M EDITING?

Rule number one when editing a sequence is to frequently save to disk! That said, most sequencers have an Undo facility where you can take the sequence back to the situation it was in just before the last edit. To do this, a sequencer has to use some of the computer's memory which reduces the available memory for editing. Some sequencers allow you to turn Undo off which you may need to do if you are carrying out extensive editing. Another common trend is that of non-destructive editing which means that you can always return a track, or part of a track, to its initial state. Useful when you make a total mess and haven't saved...

CAN I SYNCHRONISE MY SEQUENCER AND TAPE RECORDER?

Whether you have a cassette multitracker or a reel-to-reel recorder, the chances are you will want to be able to sync this with your sequencer. This will usually require an extra piece of hardware which can record a special sync signal to tape and read it on replay to make the sequencer play in time with the recording on tape.

The cheaper systems use a method called FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) which encodes timing pulses (MIDI Clock) transmitted from a sequencer into a code that can be recorded to tape. Unfortunately, this means that the code has to be started from the beginning each time so that you can't start a song in the middle and get the sequencer to lock on. Slightly more expensive devices use Smart FSK - smart because special song locators called Song Position Pointers are also encoded and recorded to tape, allowing you to start a song from any position on tape.

A more standard tape code exists in the form of SMPTE which can then be converted to either MIDI Clock, with Song Position Pointers, or to MIDI Time Code - another type of sync which many sequencers can recognise.

A number of manufacturers have developed special sync units to go with their particular sequencers. For instance, most companies who support the Atari ST have their own sync boxes which usually include a number of extra MIDI Ins and Outs along with a time code generator. As the Apple Macintosh has to have a separate MIDI interface, connected to its modem and/or printer serial ports, this interface often incorporates a time code generator and so can be used with any sequencer on that computer.

The situation with the PC is rather different in that an internal card is normally used which will vary from having a simple MIDI In and Out to incorporating multiple MIDI ports and a time code generator. Check the PC Card boxout for more information.

CAN I USE THE SEQUENCER TO CHANGE PATCHES ON MY SYNTHS?

Most current synths have a number of patches on-board. These are memories which hold the information for a particular sound or group of sounds. With a multi-timbral synth you can usually call up a group of sounds for a song via a single MIDI Program Change which would usually be sent at the start of a song. Alternatively, one sound within a patch can be altered by sending a Program Change on the MIDI channel for that sound. This allows you to change individual sounds in the course of a song. Some budget track-based sequencers will only let you assign a Program Change per track at the beginning of that track - which does not allow you to easily change sounds during the course of a song. Such sequencers are rare, but it is always worth checking that this facility is available if you feel that you need it.