ENSONIQ KT-76, Musician'S Manual

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Section 10 — Understanding the Sequencer
ENSONIQ KT Musician’s Manual 1
Section 10 — Understanding the Sequencer
This section contains an introduction to the KT sequencer and all the information you’ll need to
start sequencing.
If you’ve turned here first because you can’t wait to start sequencing, you should turn back to
Section 8 — Understanding Presets. The Presets section contains important information on
choosing and playing tracks, setting performance parameters and MIDI controls, that is integral
to the sequencing process. We recommend that you read that section first, then come back and
familiarize yourself with the many other sequencer controls and functions described in this
section. This is the only way to truly take advantage of the power of the KT
sequencer.
Digital Sequencing
Multi-channel audio tape recorders have many physical tape tracks onto which you can
magnetically record complex polyphonic information. Digital sequencers simulate this by
recording events that describe a performance onto virtual tracks in computer memory. When
these sequence tracks are played back, the recorded information can play KT sounds or can be
sent to remotely controlled sound generators to recreate the performance. A digital sequencer
records and plays back the “control information” rather than the actual notes. This means that
there is no degradation of the sound in the recording process no matter how many times you
overdub or re-record a part.
It is important to bear in mind that a sequencer only records what you play. Sequencer memory
is used up by Events (keys struck, controllers, etc.), while a tape recorder’s memory (the tape) is
always used up by the same amount over a fixed period of time.
This means that a digital sequencer will use virtually the same amount of memory to record 100
notes, whether you play those notes over ten seconds or ten minutes. When you strike a key, the
sequencer records a Key Down event. It then counts the clock pulses until you release the key,
when it records a Key Up event. The amount of time between the key down and the key up
doesn’t really affect the amount of memory required to record the note. Compare this to an
audio tape recorder. With tape, time is the important factor. A tape recorder will use the same
amount of tape to record a minute of music, whether the signal contains one note or one
hundred.
You might say that tape is linear — it is spent at a fixed rate — while digital sequencer memory is
dynamic — it is used only as needed. Understanding the difference will help you to manage the
KT sequencer memory. For example, while key events (the notes you play) use up relatively little
memory each, controllers such as mod wheel, pressure, etc., are recorded as a flood of numbers
that can fill the memory quickly. So if you’re trying to squeeze one more track into a sequence
when there isn’t much memory left, you know to go easy on the controllers.