I think I see. Would this be accurate, then?
The track has no “length”, itself, per se. But it does have a Length parameter that controls the default length of new patterns created within it?
Also, nice detail I just noticed watching the RMR video, every fourth button has a pleasingly rounded corner. This both acts to group buttons together as “pads” in drum mode, but is also a nice visual indicator to divide rows into “four beats per bar”.
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I took some time to revisit the Octatrack manual. I had forgotten that one Project on the Octatrack is intended - as the manual states - to hold a collection of songs, with one Bank representing one song. This is different than a Project on the MC-707, whose reference manual says “data for one song is handled as a unit called a Project”.
Man, I will have tons to relearn when I get around to doing a song on the Octatrack. I’ve only used it for improvised looping and soundscaping. I’ll probably have to create a spreadsheet to keep track of what Bank represents what song, as I don’t recall ever being able to assign a name to a Bank.
Hapax appears to have gone with the one Project is one Song model
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I’m only a few minutes in. He keeps talking about channels, when (I presume) he is referring to tracks. It is confusing the crap out of me, lol. Or am I missing something?
I believe RMR was referring to MIDI channels that the Hapax is sequencing i.e. one Hapax track sequencing one MIDI channel. For instance, the Waldorf Blofeld is multitimbral so he assigned multiple Blofeld parts to different MIDI channels and sequenced the Blofeld parts via multiple Hapax tracks.
Maybe he was, to me it seemed like he frequently used channel to refer to track on Hapax, like “let’s mute these channels”.
I kept on thinking “does Hapax have channels and tracks, and what is the difference”.
Anyway, I quickly checked the manual and saw there was no ‘Channel’ construct in Hapax, just Tracks (with each track configured to a MIDI channel).
Maybe I’m dumb, but I was confused initially.
when I emailed Perfect Circuit here in LA this week, they said (1) they absolutely do intend to carry the product and (2) they were entirely dependent on Squarp supplying the product, which currently they do not have.
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This thing will be great for me.
I have used the Deluge as a drum machine while sequencing syths. Loved the drum step programming but not the external synth sequencing.
I have used the Pyramid for external synth sequencing and love it…but never liked it for drum sequencing.
This thing I will use one bank of 8 tracks for midi from each lane to my Digitakt. So, can program Drums and samples like with a deluge. Then, the other bank of 8 for synth playing. Best of both worlds. 32 bars is more than enough for me.
Got in before they were sold out…at least I think I did!
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I just called them and they said there will be a pre-order phase, but that hasn’t even begun yet.
I was actually hoping it was bigger. I wouldn’t mind at all.
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That’s what she said.
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yeah any smaller and I think you would be giving up some playability.
I am pretty curious about what you can do with the CV inputs, like if I can use the 0-ctrl with it to record in note data with pitchbend offsets and its funky timings then I might have to actually get one of these… it would keep me form needing to print stuff to audio as much which would be great.
- looking at the manual a bit it does look like you can capture CV/Gate, makes me wish for a few more CV inputs but still that is great, not positive if they have a good way for them to convert this to midi data or if it is trapped in as CV only. Obviously for pitch it might depend on what your midi synth can accept as far pitch bend ranges go.
An aside - Just like, my opinion, man, but if you ask me, coloured LEDs are a pox. When engineers eventually manage to achieve more discrete levels of brightness and a more tasteful spectrum of colours, I’ll consider issue resolved, but at this point in time it feels like a compromise that treats my eyeballs like garbage cans. Applies not just to music gear, but a lot of stuff being being introduced to the visual environment these days.
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I’m hoping that we’ve got full RGB and brightness control over LED palette with Hapax, but we’ll see. I agree with you completely, though, the info can get overwhelming with too much going on.
LED brightness itself is also a point of contention for me…that whole “simulating dimness” by extreme rapid blinking is annoying and weird looking, yet so common.
Heheh, I’m guessing you’re not a big fan of the QuNeo 
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Looks very well executed. Kudos to the squarp team, some really nice engineering.
I wish the likes of Digitakt or OT had a few more dial-in send a midi chord or sequence algorithm smarts. and master key track …
So many toys to choose from, I’m never going to make the hit parade until I have them all.
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I am also averse to colored leds and hate the pro-gamer colored led vibe of so many things these days (like my 61sl mkIII), but in some cases (like this one) it is actually very helpful so you know what is actually going on. For what its worth this is the best looking rgb pad hardware I have seen, they did their best to keep it classy while still being functional. As a counterexample the waldorf irridium pads are not only unhelpful, but ugly as hell.
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LEDs are the future
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Mate, they’re clearly there for those difficult conversations with partners that go something like “wait, what you spent how much on this toy, don’t you know we’re saving for… [toggles power] … oooh pretty”.
I know that’s a bit offensive as a generalisation, but I’ve basically had that convetsation with maschine studio - that colour sweep at the start saved my bacon. All other led criticism is fair.
Also, between a Circuit, Maschine, Blackbox, iPad and QY700 do I need the Hapax? Hell yes.
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Slept on my order overnight and now I’m back ordered til June - oh well, something to look forward to!