Martin Doudoroff
Related discussion thread: heavy duty pitch + gate sequencer module comparison (MuffWiggler forum)
2019-02-13 added CFM1
2019-02-10 stubbed out Per|Former (DIY)
2018-09-19 added René 2
2018-07-30 added Pittsburgh and Random Source sequencers, misc updates
2018-04-26 misc updates, added Red Light District, Varigate 4+, and Lifeforms Micro Sequence
2017-11-01 updates to FLXS1, added Squarp and 1010Music Toolbox
2017-08-15 NerdSeq updates
2017-07-03 Corrections
2017-06-29 Added column on gate sequencing features; added Rene, Popcorn and Mattson sq816
2017-06-18 Rough draft
2017-06-19 Various tweaks and additions
There are many sequencer-related modules for Eurorack. This comparison is rather picky, focusing on heavier-duty, melodic-oriented designs with fairly complete gate sequencing ability It includes pretty much everything at the “high end” and excludes pretty much all simpler “utility sequencers”.
This comparison can never be more than a starting place for further research—these modules are amongst the most complex in Eurorack and they are extremely hard to compare fairly and accurately—they each have design biases reflecting different priorities and ideas about “process” (how you work with them). Most of these modules have tons of features that I cannot even begin to describe here. Do your homework. Sequencers are intensely personal tools.
The Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) column describes the number of steps the interface facilitates for editing at one time versus the (max) number of steps in a pattern. This provides a clue about how “playable” or how much “windowing” is going on working with and navigating your sequence.
The UI Style column is an attempt to broadly categorize the operational styles of these different designs:
The Gate handling column is an attempt to characterize how the sequencer treats gates. All these sequencers emit (or at least pass through) gates of some sort, but they vary wildly in capabilities and style. Perhaps most critically, some attempt to provide per-step control over gate length, whereas most do not. Per-step gate length can be critical for use with ADSR- and ASR-envelopes, but this capability often implies a more complex, programmatic user interface for the sequencer.
Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
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1010Music Toolbox Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI | 64 | 8 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step | 4 assignable | 26 | Yes | 600 |
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Audio Damage Sequencer 1 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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x0x | 16/64 | 1 | 1 pitch 3 cv 1 gate 1 aux |
per step length; accent | ratcheting | 2 assignable | 36 | Yes | 699 |
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Bastl Instruments Popcorn Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off; global gate length | 1 assignable | 10 | Yes | 263 |
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Circlefade CFM1 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI | 16/64 | 6 | configurable | per step length | 52 | No | 370 |
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Copper Traces Seek Modular Grid > Web site > |
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x0x | 1/64 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate 1 accent |
per step on/off; accent | 12 | Yes | 299 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
Detroit Underground DU-SEQ Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8/8 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step pulse, ratchet, hold or pass-through | repeat | 2 playback modifier gate ins | 30 | Yes | 500 |
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Doepfer A-155 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8/8 | 2 | 2 cv 1 gate 3 trig |
per step trigger and/or gate (three trigger buses) | 50 | Yes | 375 |
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Five12 Vector Modular Grid > Web site > |
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Cirklon-ish | 8/16 | 2-6 | 1 cv 1 gate 1 mod |
per step length; velocity | ratcheting | 2 assignable | 42 | Yes | 699 |
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Golt Red Light District Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 12/32 | 2 | 1 cv 1-2 gates |
per step on/off (three gate buses) | play mode | 84 | Yes | 900 |
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Industrial Music Electronics Stillson Hammer Mk II Modular Grid > |
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hybrid | 16/16* | 4 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step length and delay | ratcheting | 1 tempo, 2 assignable, 1 cv record in | 32 | Yes | 666 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
Intellijel Metropolis Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8/8 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step pulse, ratchet or hold | repeat | 2 assignable | 34 | Yes | 580 |
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Make Noise René Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 16 | 1 | 2 cv 2 gate (sort of) |
per step pulse or pass-through (see notes) | 6 multipurpose | 34 | (discontinued but readily available) | 500 |
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Make Noise René 2 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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hybrid | 16 | 3 | 1 cv 1 gate |
trigger or pass-through | 5 multipurpose | 34 | Yes | 525 |
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Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 8+ Modular Grid > Web site > |
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hybrid | 16/16* | 2 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off and delay | ratcheting | 1 randomization gate, 1 cv record in | 26 | Yes | 549 |
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Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 4+ Modular Grid > Web site > |
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hybrid | 8 | 2 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off | 12 | Yes | 279 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
Mattson sq816 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8 or 16 | 2 or 1 | 1 cv 1 gate plus extra per-step gate outs |
global pulse, hold or pass-through | 1 transpose cv, 1 clock rate cv | 52 | Yes | 970 |
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Modcan Touch Sequencer Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI | 8/64 | 4 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step length | 1 assignable | 21 | Yes | 600 |
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Monome Teletype Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI/Tracker | 64+ | 4 | 1 cv 1 gate |
programmable | ratcheting, repeat | 1 assignable trigger, 1 assignable gate | 18 | Yes | 480 |
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Ornament & Crime Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI | 16/64 | 2 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off; global length | 4 assignable | 14 | Yes (DIY) | 300 (approx) |
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Orthogonal Devices ER-101 Web site > |
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per-step window | 1/99+ | 4 | 2 cv 1 gate |
per step length | ratcheting, repeat (de facto) | various part selection, assignable modulation and cv recording options with ER-201 expander | 26 | Yes | 600 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
Per|Former Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI | 16/64 | 8 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step length | ratcheting | 4 assignable | 34 | Yes (DIY) |
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Pittsburgh Lifeforms Micro Sequence Modular Grid > Web site > |
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hybrid | 8 | 1 | 2 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off | ratcheting | 1 assignable gate input | 10 | Yes | 199 |
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Pittsburgh Sequence Designer 128 Modular Grid > |
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hybrid | 32 | 4 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per-track length | ratcheting, repeat | 2 assignable | 47 | No | 649 |
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Random*Source Serge Sequencer 8 XL Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8 | 2 | 1 cv shared gate |
per step pulse | direction, hold | 42 | Yes | 630 |
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Rossum Electro-Music Control Forge Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI/per-step window | 8 | 1 | 1 cv 2 trigger/gate |
no per step control; global length | arbitrary behavioral logic | yes (it’s complicated) | 22 | Yes | 499 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
Squarp Hermod Modular Brain Modular Grid > Web site > |
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Tracker | 1-256 | 8 | configurable | per step length | TBD | four configurable inputs | 26 | Yes | 460 |
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Transister Sound Labs Stepper Acid Modular Grid > Web site > |
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x0x | 16/16 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate 1 accent |
per step on/off; accent | 32 | Yes | 395 | |||
Verbos Multistage Modular Grid > |
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classic | 8/8 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step on/off | 30 | Yes | 549 |
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Winter Modular Eloquencer Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI/x0x | 16/16 | 8 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step length | ratcheting, repeat | 2 assignable | 38 | Yes | 616 |
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XAOS Moskwa Modular Grid > Web site > |
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classic | 8/8 | 1 | 1 cv 1 gate |
per step length | 20 | Yes | 349 |
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Product | Style | Steps (UI basis/max pattern length) | Tracks | Per track outs | Gate handling | Ratcheting/repeat | CV ins | HP | Shipping | Approx. Price (USD) | Additional Notes | |
XOR-Electronics Nerdseq Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI/Tracker | 16/64 | 6 | 1 cv 1 gate 1 mod |
per step length | ratcheting | 4 assignable | 32 | Yes | 590 |
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ZetaOhm FLXS1 Modular Grid > Web site > |
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GUI/x0x | 16/64 | 4 | 1 cv 1 gate 1 mod |
per step length | arpeggiation | 4 assignable | 26 | Yes | 699 |
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There are, of course, a zillion MIDI solutions available for Eurorack and related ways to control one’s rack. These are a selection of alternatives to either a heavy-duty sequencer module (per above) or a straight-up MIDI-style approach (i.e., these can all produce CV):
In addition, the modules below don’t quite belong in the above comparison but have been pointed out as being of potential interest:
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