Eurorack Pitch + Gate Sequencer Module Comparison

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

Introduction

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:

• classic means you have dedicated, separate pots/sliders for each step, yielding an operational style comparable to the vintage analog sequencers of yore
• hybrid means there are pots/sliders for each step, but they get used for different modes and often are not accurately reflecting the current state of what you’re looking at
• x0x generally implies a row of light-up buttons for choosing a step and a row of buttons similar to an octave of a piano keyboard for choosing notes—the working style popularized by the Roland 303 etc. in the 1980s
• Cirklon-ish is a more modal push-button UI, often with lots of menus that remap the meaning of the buttons
• per-step window means a form-like interface that focuses on the parameters of a single step, with no overall reperesentation of the sequence available
• GUI means an interface focused on a computer-type display, generally with lots of menus and modes
• Tracker means a spreadsheet-like interface

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.

Comparison

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
1010Music Toolbox Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI	64	8	1 cv 1 gate	per step		4 assignable	26	Yes	600	MIDI interface rhythm sequencer function generators (LFOs) cv recorder
Audio Damage Sequencer 1 Modular Grid > Web site >		x0x	16/64	1	1 pitch 3 cv 1 gate 1 aux	per step length; accent	ratcheting	2 assignable	36	Yes	699	lots of internal modulation options
Bastl Instruments Popcorn Modular Grid > Web site >		classic	8	1	1 cv 1 gate	per step on/off; global gate length		1 assignable	10	Yes	263	requires external clock dual clock inputs supports bi-directional clocking cv and expanders available chain two for 16 steps
Circlefade CFM1 Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI	16/64	6	configurable	per step length			52	No	370	touchscreen UI MIDI sequencer
Copper Traces Seek Modular Grid > Web site >		x0x	1/64	1	1 cv 1 gate 1 accent	per step on/off; accent			12	Yes	299	extensive randomization features
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 >		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	analog no built-in quantizer or storage
Doepfer A-155 Modular Grid > Web site >		classic	8/8	2	2 cv 1 gate 3 trig	per step trigger and/or gate (three trigger buses)			50	Yes	375	analog expander available glide features no built-in quantizer or storage
Five12 Vector Modular Grid > Web site >		Cirklon-ish	8/16	2-6	1 cv 1 gate 1 mod	per step length; velocity	ratcheting	2 assignable	42	Yes	699	hardware implementation of Numerology extensive MIDI support two additional MIDI-out-only tracks expander adds more track outs and gate outs
Golt Red Light District Modular Grid > Web site >		classic	12/32	2	1 cv 1-2 gates	per step on/off (three gate buses)		play mode	84	Yes	900	MIDI clocking focus unique gate timing features
Industrial Music Electronics Stillson Hammer Mk II Modular Grid >		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	per-step delay cv outs can double as gate outs for up to 8-tracks of drum sequencing *sliders do not always reflect state
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 >		classic	8/8	1	1 cv 1 gate	per step pulse, ratchet or hold	repeat	2 assignable	34	Yes	580	shuffle transpose
Make Noise René Modular Grid > Web site >		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	requires external clock dual clock inputs supports dual-axis sequencing more a gate processor than gate sequencer (conditionally generates pulses or passes through and merges externally-generated gates) separate aux cv output (arcane)
Make Noise René 2 Modular Grid > Web site >		hybrid	16	3	1 cv 1 gate	trigger or pass-through		5 multipurpose	34	Yes	525	requires external clock(s) multiple clock inputs supports multi-axis sequencing z-axis supports sequencing through states
Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 8+ Modular Grid > Web site >		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	provides additional six gate-only tracks probability features *sliders do not always reflect state
Malekko Heavy Industry Varigate 4+ Modular Grid > Web site >		hybrid	8	2	1 cv 1 gate	per step on/off			12	Yes	279	can be four gate channels, four cv channels, or 2 gate+cv channels integrates with Varigate 8+ and Voltage Block
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 >		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	midi output gated run control
Modcan Touch Sequencer Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI	8/64	4	1 cv 1 gate	per step length		1 assignable	21	Yes	600	touchscreen UI (some users may need a stylus)
Monome Teletype Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI/Tracker	64+	4	1 cv 1 gate	programmable	ratcheting, repeat	1 assignable trigger, 1 assignable gate	18	Yes	480	additional outputs per track available with expander reliant on external QWERTY keyboard for programming (included)
Ornament & Crime Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI	16/64	2	1 cv 1 gate	per step on/off; global length		4 assignable	14	Yes (DIY)	300 (approx)	requires external clock includes other sequencing-related programs
Orthogonal Devices ER-101 Web site >		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	requires external clock ER-102 expander adds addressable parts, CV modulation, various CV recording features, and SD card storage
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 >		GUI	16/64	8	1 cv 1 gate	per step length	ratcheting	4 assignable	34	Yes (DIY)		MIDI modulation tracks deep feature set
Pittsburgh Lifeforms Micro Sequence Modular Grid > Web site >		hybrid	8	1	2 cv 1 gate	per step on/off	ratcheting	1 assignable gate input	10	Yes	199	various playback modes, including self-transposition
Pittsburgh Sequence Designer 128 Modular Grid >		hybrid	32	4	1 cv 1 gate	per-track length	ratcheting, repeat	2 assignable	47	No	649	midi support quantization euclidean and random features more
Random*Source Serge Sequencer 8 XL Modular Grid > Web site >		classic	8	2	1 cv shared gate	per step pulse		direction, hold	42	Yes	630	per step gate outs
Rossum Electro-Music Control Forge Modular Grid > Web site >		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	really an arbitrary function generator, but can be operated as a step 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
Squarp Hermod Modular Brain Modular Grid > Web site >		Tracker	1-256	8	configurable	per step length	TBD	four configurable inputs	26	Yes	460	tracks can be configured for polyphonic or velocity/aftertouch use so-called cv effects MIDI interface cv recording
Transister Sound Labs Stepper Acid Modular Grid > Web site >		x0x	16/16	1	1 cv 1 gate 1 accent	per step on/off; accent			32	Yes	395
Verbos Multistage Modular Grid >		classic	8/8	1	1 cv 1 gate	per step on/off			30	Yes	549	analog no built-in quantizer really an arbitrary function generator, but can be operated as a step sequencer
Winter Modular Eloquencer Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI/x0x	16/16	8	1 cv 1 gate	per step length	ratcheting, repeat	2 assignable	38	Yes	616	extensive random/probability features MIDI expander available
XAOS Moskwa Modular Grid > Web site >		classic	8/8	1	1 cv 1 gate	per step length			20	Yes	349	no built-in quantizer two units can be chained with expander for 16 step sequences
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 >		GUI/Tracker	16/64	6	1 cv 1 gate 1 mod	per step length	ratcheting	4 assignable	32	Yes	590	probability MIDI I/O with expander tables includes sample playback feature and synthesizer cartridge-based voice expanders
ZetaOhm FLXS1 Modular Grid > Web site >		GUI/x0x	16/64	4	1 cv 1 gate 1 mod	per step length	arpeggiation	4 assignable	26	Yes	699	extensive arpeggio features LFOs tracks individually clockable MIDI I/O

External and partially-external alternatives with direct Eurorack integration

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):

• Analogue Solutions Generator (direct patch)
• Arturia Beatstep Pro (direct patch)
• Arturia Keystep (direct patch)
• Novation SL MkIII (direct patch)
• Monome Ansible w/Grid or Arc (direct patch)
• Koma Komplex (direct patch)
• Korg SQ-1 (direct patch)
• Kilpatrick Audio Carbon (direct patch)
• Squarp Pyramid (direct patch)
• Polyend SEQ (w/Poly MIDI-to-CV interface module)
• Sequentix Cirklon (w/CV output module)
• Signal Arts TetraMAPS (Lemur/TouchOSC eurorack hardware + iPad solution)
• Social Entropy Engine (w/CV expander)
• uCApps MIDIbox SEQ (DIY)

Further alternatives

In addition, the modules below don’t quite belong in the above comparison but have been pointed out as being of potential interest:

• Catalyst Audio Time’s Arrow (random melody-focused 16-step sequencer)
• Malekko Heavy Industries Voltage Block (8 independent tracks of quantizable 16-step CV sequencing, but no gates)
• San Pedro Labs Klee Sequencer (teensy-based module with various sequencer programs)
• Twisted Electron Cells (compact grid-like, dual sequencer)
• Tiptop Z8000 Mk2 (novel cv-only grid-based sequencer with many outputs)
• Percussa SSP (multi-function device that, amongst other things, can run a flexible number of 64-step cv+gate sequencers)
• Noise Engineering Mimetic Digitalis (novel compact cv-only grid-based sequencer with four outputs)

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