It’s all permutations.
A side note (on which the mods will probably pounce – it’s definitely off topic):
I believe that true random isn’t possible from either humans or software. It requires dedicated hardware.
Mad innit?
Yes, and within the constraints of whats possible in a TB-3 pattern, there are a finite number. So when we say “randomize”, I guess we just mean randomly selecting one. Like the library of babel, this idea is interesting… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfXn_ecH5Rw
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Wasn’t there something with the original 303 when the batteries got low it would corrupt the memory and randomizer the stored patterns? I think this was almost considered a feature.
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Is anyone thinking of building a custom case for one of these bad boys?
As an industrial designer myself, think I’m going to give mine a proper face lift.
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I’d say if you do a nice job it’s pretty hard to argue with a sick custom enclosure!!! Can’t wait to see the results.
metal enclosure would be sick
@Hawk & @acidhouseforall, will post the result when I’m happy with it.
First need to get my hands on one of them!
Let’s try doing the math? Someone will probably correct me, I’ no math person… 
The TB has 3 octaves (=37 notes I guess), each of which can have a slide (x2) and/or an accent (x2). So that’s 37x2x2=148 possibilities per step. We can add 1 for the rest (which ignores the pitch/slide/accent settings), and get 149. So a 16 step pattern has 149^16 different permutations, right? That’s a huuuuuuuge space.
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Yes. A lot of classic acid was made this way.
A lot of techno is just random sequences. From what I understand.
The machines are better than me at making acid lines. No shame in my game 
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This is worth a watch the whole way through. John Selway talks about the limitations producers had a long time ago and how those limitations defined the music some of us covet today.
The point is to bring those limitations and tools into the modern day with daws, step sequencers, randomization, etc.
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nice math
for me the random thing would be more interesting (and more OG) if the step length was randomised also.
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love this. thanks for sharing 
The reason I don’t use this kind of randomisation is that the resulting pattern is not going to confirm to any type of scale. Do people who use it go through the pattern and reassign notes before using it in a production? If this is the case I’d rather just write my own patterns
Just because you start with a randomization doesn’t mean you have to end with it. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a scale or not - if the results inspire you and you hear a couple of notes that sound wrong, change or remove those notes until it sounds right to you
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thank you man, you know…
Koenig Cylinders - 99,9 all the way, one of the best evil hardcore acid techno-tracks. this one turned me on at a high magnitude every time i played it 
Just chiming in to say my TD3 arrived last Friday and I couldn’t be happier. Updating the firmware was a simple process and I’ve been in bleepy bouncy bassy heaven ever since. Sequencer took about 10 minutes to wrap my head around but I really like the fact that it requires a different way of thinking about melodic sequencing (the piano roll is so ingrained it’s nice to have a device that forces you to think outside that paradigm).
Also really enjoying the interaction of the envelope, decay and accent controls to transform programmed sequences. My only previous experience with a 303 interface was way back with Rebirth (on MacOS9!), and with the TD3 in front of me now I can really appreciate how critical tactile control is to making the 303 work. Fun times ahead.
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So I’m sequencing this thing with my squid. So if I’m doing a tie, this is not the same as a slide? Can someone explain the difference?
No, that’s wrong. You took the batteries out for an hour then put them back in. But that trick didn’t work on all 303’s. Unlike the 606 you took the batteries out and put them back in you would get garbled and random patterns, usually most or all of the patterns would be filled with drum patterns that resembled a road drill.
My 606 puts a really annoying 7/16 beat into all the patterns when the batteries are replaced.