#1

Here is a little firmware update that gives you more control over a group of STEPS, and makes Stages more usable as a standalone step sequencer.

In order to access this extended sequencer, simply put a HOLD or RAMP segment at the beginning of your step sequence. For example, to create a 4-step sequence with extended control, create a RAMP STEP STEP STEP STEP group.

The first segment will not be part of your sequence, but will control the playback and the quantization:

  • The pot at the top of the first segment controls the playback mode: forward, backward, pendulum (middle position), random, and addressable.
  • The GATE input of this first segment continues working as a clock, and the sequence CV is also being output by the first segment. When using the addressable playback mode, the clock signal is ignored.
  • The TIME/LEVEL CV input (and its slider) either serves as an address CV control when using the addressable playback mode, or as a reset input, when using one of the other playback modes.
  • If the first segment is a HOLD segment, no quantization is applied and the output range is full (a range of 0 to 8V is selected by the slider). If the first segment is a RAMP segment, the output range is limited to 0-1V, and the steps are quantized to semitones (ie, increments of 1/12V).
  • If your segments contain a loop, playback and addressing will be restricted to the looped portion.

The reset input works as follows. A rising edge on this input resets the sequencer to the first step, and inhibit the next clock pulse if it comes within the next 5ms. The clock is also inhibited while the reset input is held high. Let me know if you have better suggestions of implementation for this input.

Latest version here: Stages: extended sequencer firmware

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Reset Stages in sequencer mode?
Stages - qiemem's alternative firmware
#2

Hello Émilie :slight_smile:
This is fantastic news thank u very much!

One stupid question
As is now has a random mode with steps that are on hold, as it seems to be in the video, do You, have any idea how to generate gates that follow that sequence:)?

Johannes

#3

The only way to generate gates is to patch the outputs of the steps you want to an OR module (or a mixer).

I don’t understand the bit about the “random mode with steps that are on hold”.

#4

As You turned the shape/time of the first hold segment counter clockwise
The steps beginn to be random selected some of them last a little longer/ or the timing shifts
As The sequence now is changing it would be cool to have gates that fit the sequence
But with the OR module u Might have already answered my question :blush:
Sry my language skills are not so good
And the question was dilettante

#5

No the steps are not lasting longer! They are still aligned to the clock, it’s just that the steps are chosen at random, and nothing prevents the same step from being chosen several times consecutively (unless there’s this implicit assumption that the “random” mode in a sequencer will always jump to a different step? Is that how it works with other sequencers?).

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#6

Wow this is great i and will give stages some more sequencing power…I’m look forward to using the random mode with a more out there clock.

Any though to add the slower looping modes from the alt firmwares out there…that is the one thing that I would love added to stages as I’m often adding voltage to the cv to slow down the looping and have all the stages set to the lowest position…anyways thanks for the continual firmware inhancments.

#7

This is not something I will do. I will publish soon the code for these extended sequencer features, I’m sure it’ll be easy to integrate them into the alt firmwares!

4 Likes
#8

Quick question, is the chaining logic intact? So I could use two Stages and make an advanced 11 step sequence? :slight_smile:

#9

Yes, the chaining logic is intact!

2 Likes
#10

The code is here.

I normally would have waited a bit before sharing it (in case there are bugs or little improvements that can be made), but if this can speed up the process of merging this in an alt firmware… well it’s there!

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#11

As the developer of one of the alt firmwares, thank you! Really appreciate you facilitating that process.

This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it out! CV-addressable sequencer :heart_eyes:

Edit: Well that was significantly easier than I thought it was going to be: https://github.com/qiemem/eurorack/releases/latest

2 Likes
#12

Wow, this sounds fantastic! Can’t wait to try it out!

#13

7 posts were split to a new topic: Stages alternative firmware

#20

Thanks a lot for the nice official and alt updates !

#22

this is great!

my only nitpick is that it would have been convenient if the gate signal were not ignored in the addressable playback mode, as then (assuming it’s feasible to implement a sample & hold of the CV that’s updated by the Gate, and that’s disengaged if Gate is unpatched) we could have the option of our stage selection being temporally quantized, or not (if Gate is unpatched).

#23

The gate needs to be patched no matter what to mark the grouping of segments!

#24

Emilie, any chance to have bipolar and attenuable lfos in the future?
The problem is to not make the module even more complicate I suppose.

#25

The module is already complicated enough! Attenuation and offset can easily be delegated to another module…

But you can try qiemem’s alternative firmware!

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#26

Oky super fair! We can’t steal the Blinds work :D!
Are you planning to update the website firmware releases (https://mutable-instruments.net/modules/stages/firmware/)?

#27

Not for now… I’d rather get some feedback on the implementation of the reset feature!