An introduction to the Step Sequencer

Stop getting lost drawing random notes into your DAW's piano roll. Instead, learn why analog producers use step sequencers, and use that logic in your productions instead!

Step sequencers have been used in music production since synthesizers exist, and they have driven most of the music you have learned to love. Piano roll tools like Ableton Live's are awesome and way more powerful than analog step sequencers, and yet, if you don't know what a sequencer is you might get lost. Simplify your life, learn what a step sequencer is, and start banging out tasty basslines, riffs and modulates sequences like a pro.

Content:
0:00 Intro
1:15 What is a Step Sequencer (infographic)
3:08 Examples in Ableton Live

[fakshen]

The joy of analog step sequencers is decoupling moving to a new step from the regular tempo. So instead of moving on at regular intervals like 16th notes, the trigger to move to the next step comes from a different trigger sequencer like a euclidean trigger sequencer or a trigger sequencer set to a length that doesn't fit nicely. Then having the sequences reset at regular intervals... like every four bars. With this small amount of controlled entropy, you can create a nice amount of complexity from very simple tools.

[nathanbryers]

Beautiful. Your channel is gonna pop - because your energy is lovely. Nice to see 👍🏼

[s_v]

To be honest this video changed a lot for me. Thank you. you are a very cool teacher

[b_markovic]

Reason and FL Studio didn't really forget it.

[rickyroberts]

Ableton has a fancy little button on the piano roll in the clip window that says scale. It will let you choose a root and like 30 different scale options. Then it colors the piano roll with the right notes. Boom.

[andreas]

I'm really glad Apple implemented their great step sequencer in one of their last big Logic Pro updates.

[chibidib]

Your intro tune is so amazing I always play it like four times before watching the rest of the video 😂

[violetsprite]

Thank you for making this video!! I watched it 3 times! I feel like it unlocked a door in my brain.

[thibault.iacono]

I do not let often commentary on a vid, i almost never did, but i'm impressed! you're also becoming one of my favorite electronic music teacher around here ! greeting from paris!

[neoromatik]

Best sequencer in Ableton tutorial I found in YT! (--::

[shen]

man i love that you threw moroder in there such a tune :D

[BustApsycho]

"Alright. Weird!" - Very fun and encouraging hearing that from a teacher ;) Just joined your channel, really enjoying the videos and your content. Thanks mate

[skamarfire]

You can use the envelope follower to modulate the cut off or other parameters too

[threedog]

FL Studio is built around this principle! The very heart of the DAW is a step sequencer. The piano roll is there more for fine tuning, in my opinion

[jimmywheelo]

Fast becoming my favourite production teacher on YouTube.
Keep up the great work

[DeepFilip]

Great video, I have not gotten into exploring Wavetable yet but these are some really interesting ways to play with it!

[natioffline]

High quality video, thank you very much

[TheMorMor]

You should check out the player devices in Reason! Almost all of them have great techno arpeggio potential.

[mikebailey]

Before I could afford any MIDI gear, as a teen I used to write my tunes in tracker software, using any 8-bit samples I could hack from games, and as soon as I managed to get a MIDI sequencer I basically used the piano roll as a step-sequencer, like APTracker but turned on its side!

[MickyplaysProgressiveHouse]

Please guys, make pre-recorded Ableton lessons (that last a couple of hours and are in depth dive into the particular topic). For example sound design masterclass (sounds suitable for progressive house, melodic techno, techno genres - today's mainstream music), mixing masterclass, mastering, drum programming, etc...), so we can rewatch those classes and particular segments as many times as we want and to learn at our own pace whenever we want, once we purchase it of course.