What is a step sequencer and how do I use it?

You should check out the CakeTV videos for this. There's also a lot of tutorials on Youtube. Your best resource would be to get Scott's book: Sonar X1 Power.

Check out these vids!

http://forum.cakewalk.com/tm.aspx?m=2130369

And don't ask anymore questions until you've watched them all.

Just kidding...

A1MixMan


A step sequencer sequences steps in a beat. 

I thought mine was the simplest answer?

So, playing Devil's advocate, what's the big deal with the SS compared to entering notes (of any kind) directly into the PRV?

Bristol_Jonesey


So, playing Devil's advocate, what's the big deal with the SS compared to entering notes (of any kind) directly into the PRV?

A step sequencer is intended for creating repeating patterns.

FastBikerBoy

spanky

Bristol_Jonesey


So, playing Devil's advocate, what's the big deal with the SS compared to entering notes (of any kind) directly into the PRV?

I was thinking the exact same thing lol! For me it's so much easier recording what I want first and then editing it next (my mistakes). I can't imagine using the Step Sequencer. It would take me ages to create beats in the Sequencer.

I find the great thing about the step sequencer is the looping and changes on the fly. I know that can be done in the PRV but I find it easier in the SS. Drum names are easier to read and adding things such as flams is real easy (a double click).

Set it running and start clicking left to add right to remove. I find it a very useful way of coming up with unique drum patterns

Exactly. I'm sure if no one had a use for it Cakewalk wouldn't have put it in there. Different strokes for different folks, right? I've messed with the SS, it's just not my thing. I'm so used to the PRV I guess.

mgh


i appreciate that for people used to using drum maps, then they may be more comfortable in that though. no right or wrong, just for me SS is a lot easier!

Don't forget that drum maps will work in conjunction with the SS. If a midi track is outputting to a drum map, the SS rows will automatically adopt the drum names from the map which makes things so much easier. Then when ciircumstances such as the polyrhythmic timings you've described arise, you can switch from SS to PRV and the drum names are automatically preserved. Bloomin' marvellous I say!

My Given name is Dicky, I come from Billericay, and I'm Doing ....Very Well.

Grew up in Southend - moved to US in 77 


I love using step sequencer for drums too - add in track layering and I can set up a Kick snare hat rhythm, layer for cymbals, and another for fills.  I like the time offset too.  Years ago I used to have a sequencer called Vision (ran on an Apple Quadra).  It had a smear control - essentially opposite of quantitize.  You  could use it to add a little reality to a perfect drum sound - make th e2nd kick beat a little late etc.  This is the only control I've seen in Sonar that can do a similar if not identical thing.
Cheers

Grif
 

mgh


good point Steven - and i see you live just down the road (we're in Billericay, but the wife's parents live in Hockley...and she went to school at St Bernard's in Westcliff!)

The step sequencer's great if you want to prgram e.g. Session Drummer, or a similar sample-player.

It has some serious bugs/irritations if you want to use it to control a synth though. For example, if you insert MIDI CCs other than the few "pre-set" in the pull-down controller list into a pattern, then drag out a copy, cut the clips apart and unlink the second clip, all those MIDI CCs will be lost in the newly unlinked clip (Cakewalk have acknowledged this bug).

The assumption that some CC numbers are only used for one thing is a pest as well - if you use the CC the SS pre-assigns to "pan" for example, then the pane where you insert the values only allows you to enter an offset from a central "zero" point, rather than the usual 0-127. Some way to see what the CC values actually are, rather than trying to guess them from the height of the bars would be nice as well.

Having said all that, I use the SS quite a lot - it can do useful  things the PRV can't (e.g. set probabilities that a note will/won't be played).

i am suing the step sequence and changing the routing to addictive drummer and now I have lost all of the names of the drum in step sequence instead I have the notes .. how do I get them back/
 

and if I toggle back to session drummer I need to reload the session drummer map?
  If I want to use a mixture of both?