I have never glued with any software sequencer until lately, the Live piano roll is actually the reason I got my first Elektron, I hate it for drums or anything really, it’s terrible and I don’t like it AT ALL.
I did try many m4l sequencers like rozzer and they are much better but not perfect and I never got to fully use them or like them. MDD_snake also lots of fun and I was using it the most, but like rozzer the jumping between pages was kinda bummer.
lately I got Stepic and it’s much more fun and easy to use, I really like the way I can both generate and export quickly the sequences, it’s very capable to both randomize or fine tune a sequence and it’s all in one screen, I really like it.
I still would prefer the p-locks on the elektron for some things like sample locks on AR or when I want to start something on the boxes and not in Live but if I have Live open I can generate several melody / rhythm clips quickly in Stepic and just throw them around trying stuff.
I only got it for couple of months but from my experience with other software sequencers it’s the only one I’m going to really open and use.
That’s just one of countless valid ways tho. 
I never plan anything.
I wish Elektron would give their seqs a little facelift. It would be so cool to be able to modulate the direction and have different playmodes, like every other step, which in combination with trig conditions would make the existing features glorious.
Knowing nothing about coding I’d still guess it wouldn’t be too big of a challenge.
It would revolutionize and modernize things nicely and possibly attract new users too.
That was my initial impression too but after 20 minutes of exploring it and watching some tutorials it became obvious that it’s really simple and immediate to use, and I’m an absolute moron with this kind of stuff.
Check out the short seq32 tutorials here and you’ll see it’s very well thought out:
https://www.youtube.com/@hy-plugins7638
I never got inspired by DAW sequencers except Numerology, which is why I got the Five12 Vector as hardware option.
But what actually is some kind of DAW is iPad sequencers: Especially Fugue Machine, Poly 2 and Patterning are such great sequencers, I use them quite a lot. Also Gestrument is a lot of fun!
I loved the OP-Z sequencer above all others, but recently I have been using Drambo, which is kind of an Octatrack in iPad/Mac app form.
It’ll work inside Ableton on M1 and M2 Macs, but you can’t get midi out of it and into other instruments. So it’s better on the iPad. The sequencer is amazing.
the elektron sequencer is so creative and fun due to its quick assignment options that, personally speaking, a DAW sequencer with mouse clicks is boring. the only thing the daw can do better is polyphony.
if i were to replace the elektron sequencer, then at most with the cirklon. I think this sequencer is the pinnacle because it can do everything.
Actually you could, either by using it inside AUM or with CoVariant
For me it’s hardware 100% for sequencing, DAW / ITB 100% for mixing & mastering.
I want hands-on control of the creative/creation process where it’s a back and forth between intention, discovery and iteration…I feel the ITB process of sequencing (and even of recording raw audio) is just one layer too far removed/too abstract for me to interact with it in real-time.
When mixing however, I don’t need that directness as it is a more cerebral, intellectual and structured process for me…
That said, I have friends that do it exactly the opposite way, ie compose ITB, mix on outboard gear exclusively.
…nothing beats the hardware klak klak zak zak swedish step sequencing style, if it’s about fast beat and single sound grid layouts…
while stepsequencing in the box via software is not half the fun…
but anything beyond, especially once entering chord and lead progression terretory that must work within nonstandard patterns and measures, sequencing via an itb piano roll editor is simply a must…
pad fingerdrumming stuff ala mpc is no exclusive hardware pleasure anymore, since all latest mpc’s are nothing but little wannabe daws…if u can get an older model, u still get that no latency at all ultra direct response feel, which really makes a difference…but if u never experienced that, most half solid pad controler will do totally fine…
I enjoy my elektron boxes for sequencing but also enjoy what the daw offers. I use ableton push as a step sequencer and a midi keyboard for playing in melodies etc. dont really use the mouse to input notes but do use it to edit what I’ve inputted via my controllers. This gives me accuracy to move, lengthen and shorten notes quickly.
I also like the many generative sequencers max for live offers and then you have modular sequencers in vcv, reaktor blocks and cherry modular.
So in a nutshell I like both and use each for different wants and outcomes.
I loved the torso t1 when I owned one and may get another one day. Really enjoyed the hands on and the flow of inputting and changing notes etc
The things that are most interesting to me at the moment are Fors Opal, which is currently only available in Ableton as a Max for Live plugin. It’s outstand, interesting and inspired. I also really love the Fors Plugin “Roulette.” I’m a fan of anything that pulls me in directions I can’t anticipate. Neither of these has the option of extension hardware integration, which is a shame, but they both flow quickly.
Something that seems like it might become a very viable option is using VCV Rack as a midi AU as sequencer skiffs. VCV is finally working its way towards being functional as an AU and once things are working well, it seems to me that I could create various step sequencing setups that map to CC’s and modulation sources and feels very dynamics and hands on.
I’m not a power user of VCV to say the least, so I’m still just learning things constantly, but I’ve been trying to build out preset sequencer setups that I can just drop into songs as needed. I’d like a Rene-like sequencer, a Metropolix-like setup, etc… VCV has modules for both of those and many, many more. I’m hopeful that it could offer a flexible, endlessly variable option.
i don’t like DAW sequencers – they inherit too much from medieval input device (piano style keyboard) and recording machine of the past century (tape recorder).
however, they have one significant advantage over all kinds of hardware sequencers – arrangement view, so one can assemble arrangements conveniently.
Same here! I mostly “discover” music, rather than “writing” it
I like sequencers a lot. I have couple analog (SQ-1, Dark Time), more traditional (Keystep), then MPC1k workflow is very different, same with euro modules, 303, 606 etc… While I do quite a lot of the sequencing usually nowadays in DAW, for certain projects or songs I choose to work with hardware sequencers. It is all about the UI, twisting series of knobs on Dark Time gives you a different end result than playing it with keys, Roland-style x0x sequencing is different too etc. If I feel adventurous, I will use hardware sequencer, if I have to do something quick (like game soundtrack) and have a clear idea, I use DAW.
Not inside Ableton, unfortunately
Excellent thank you. Apparently I bought this years back when it was less refined, I re-registered it last night and will go through those tutorials.
There are so many insanely powerful sequencers in Ableton Live. It’s almost overwhelming…lol.
I typically build my basic idea on hardware sequencer boxes like an MPC or this new Polyend Play I just got, import into Ableton session clips, add more stuff with ableton sequencers, arrange and done.
Awesome!! Let us know how you like it after you’ve had some time with it and the GUI stops feeling intimidating.
I’m doing most things in Bitwig now, but I do find the piano roll sequencing pretty uninspiring.
I find starting tracks on the Polyend Tracker often helps in that regard as it’s a good idea generator.
I’ve just bought a Launchpad Pro so hopefully that will bring me a bit closer to a hardware experience.
Sequencer junkie here I admit. What I like to do is get a few cool backing sequences cooking and play my Virus or Oberheim keyboard live. Super fun too!
For those of you using a hybrid approach (sequencing some stuff in the daw, using hardware for other stuff) do you ever record the midi from your hardware sequencers into your daw for further editing/fine tuning or do you keep that part totally hardware through to recording the audio?