16 step/button Sequencer Track! Roland TR-808/FL Studio style

Cubase
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1

An awesome new innovative feature for Cubase would be to make use a 16 Step/Button, Step Sequencer track like what you see on the old Roland TR-808 and in FL Studio. You know, the 16 squares all representing 16 16th notes. These 16 Steps are viewable AND clickable/Programmable from within clips in the arrangement window when you zoom in as well as editable/programmable from the lower zone.


To get started you right click or click the plus + symbol, “Add Sequencer Track”… The track opens blank, just like any other track. When the mouse hovers over any empy space on the track, it turns into a pencil. Click and drag creates a blank clip to the bar length you held down for. Clicking on the clip shows a 16 step sequencer in lower zone (large) and inside the clip itself when zoomed in. You can give the clip a name in the lower zone and also reduce or enlarge the bar length/clip length in there as well as toggle between 2x and 1/2 speed and can swap to 32 steps per bar if you want. You can loop a clip in the arrangement window just by dragging it’s edges outwards which will do an automatic copy and paste. Drag and click anywhere on the Step Sequencer track to create a new clip with a new step sequence. In the lower zone, You can display 6 or so 16 step sequences on top of each other FLStudio style. On the left of each 16 step sequence line is a note. You can double click to manually type in another note. Above the notes is a drop down menu for Presets. Where you can save and load presets. It comes presets for Groove Agent, Geist, Maschine, MPC, EZ Drummer/Superior Drummer, Addictive Drums. You can load any VST instrument into a Sequencer track just like any other VST instrument track except there is no midi in, the Sequencer track automatically outputs midi to the VST instrument that is loaded into it.

Now you have 16 note step sequencer programming inside your DAW! How awesome would that be for lovers of hardware step sequencers and FLStudio. It will make FL Studio look silly.

When will Steinberg hire me to come up with awesome ideas like this?

2

Have you tried Beat Designer? It’s layout is very similar to fl studio.
It has it’s limitations, but I’m afraid that it’s as good as it’s going to get, for now.

3

I asked for that too, but for it to be included in Groove Agent SE, or update Beat Designer with more layers and ability to save presets.

4

+1 for FL style. But it needs to have all of the FL functionality as well (all of the lanes, like time shift, etc, not just velocity).

5

+1

I find the idea of ​​having a Step Sequencer Track very interesting. If Steinberg wants to invest in this type of feature, it needs to be adapted to the needs of 21st century users.

However, it is still possible to perform this type of musical programming in Cubase with MIDI, Instrument and Sampler Tracks using Beat Designer in MIDI inserts of the track (4 inserts are possible). It is possible to insert the patterns programmed in the track used. All VST types can be used as a sound source. It is also possible with the MIDI and Instrument tracks to use Drum Map to program all the music you want. It is however necessary to create containers in the track to be able to program. Cubase already offers a lot of possibilities and flexibility to carry out this type of old-fashioned programming.

But a track specifically dedicated to this task without the need to insert Beat Designer or Drum Map would be an addition certainly very interesting and especially good if it is designed according to current musical realities.

6

I forgot that you can simply open the drum map editor from the MIDI menu for a container to have access of this kind of task.