@gero_ said:
I don’t understand either, but I have another answer: If we’re talking strictly step sequencing, the answer is 16. Right now there is no way to put in notes on “sub steps” other than recording them live. So when you’re using the step sequencer, no matter the step length, you will only be able to place 16 “things”; a thing is a group of notes where the number depends on the track, up to 4 on the chord track. There is no way to nudge individual notes, only the whole “thing” can be nudged.
Right! I realize that you can have longer sequences by playing live, too. I’m recording notes live instead of inputting them into the step sequencer.
So, here’s a different example, which I think will get right to the heart of this question.
Let’s say I want to play a different chord on the keyboard every 1/4 note. Let’s say the chords I play are C, A, B, D. I play them live so that the first 16-step sequence or bar is as follows: Step 1 is C; Step 5 is A; Step 9 is C; and Step 13 is D. The way I tend to think about this—and maybe this is my mistake in understanding sequencing in general—is that when the sequencer finishes its cycle through that bar of notes, I still call it a 16-step sequence, even if in the scenario above only 4 notes active.
Now, let’s say I want to do various configurations of those chords and have the sequence automate these chord changes on playback (for chord change variety) so that it looks something like this:
_(*And when I say 16 steps below, that should be taken to mean an entire bar with only 4 active steps, with the rest inactive.)
_
Bar 1 (first 16 steps): C, A, B, D (just as I stated above)
Bar 2 (next 16 steps, or 17-32): A, B, D, C
Bar 3 (next 16 steps, or 33-48) B, D, C, A
Bar 4 (next 16 steps, or 49-64): D, C, A, B
…and so on, across subsequent bars with different chord progressions. A 64-step sequencer, like the one on the Digitakt, allows me to do those 4 bars with different chord changes.
With this in mind, how many times can I have the sequencer, which I’ve played live in recording mode, automate different chord changes for those 16 step bars?
DJ