GRP getting ready for the R24 Sequencer

Finally! The remarkable GRP A8 / GRP A4 sequencer can soon be had as a stand-alone version. To be honest, the new machine can do much more than the original sequencer. The GRP R24 is bristling with new, exciting features, a real must-have music tool!

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-01

The R24 is an individual unit complete with case and power supply. Because of its size (5 units high), it can also easily be built into every Synthesizers.com, COTK and Moon modular system (an option for which it was also designed).

The R24 highlights:

  • 24-step sequencer – 3×8, 16 + 8 or 24 steps
  • CV/gate – MIDI – USB
  • 128 memories, 4-digit display
  • Memory bulk/dump transfer via MIDI or USB
  • It can act as CV/Gate sequencer or as MIDI sequencer, with separate rows for MIDI Note selection and for Key Velocity
  • 6 different play modes (FW, BW, FW/BW, pendulum, alternate, random)

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-04

  • PW front panel control for adjusting the global legato/staccato note length output
  • Vast CV-connections. Each row has the following modulation inputs: transpose, row repeat, step repeat, clock divider, order). Just think of modulating the step repeat function by other stuff, interacting with the rest of your modular gear … this looks fantastic!

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-06

Each of the 3 sequencer rows features:

  • Glide
  • CV range (2/4/8 octaves)
  • Sample&hold (on/off)
  • Quantizer (on/off)
  • 6 different step-advance patterns (playing a little loop, sort of an algorhythm). With the GRP A8 / A4 this was called “N, N+1, N” (note, note+1step, (original) note again) … These algorhythms are now called “Order”.

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-05

  • Step repetition x2/x3/x4
  • Row repetition x2/x3/x4/infinite, very useful when running the R24 with 16+8 or 24 steps
  • Clock divider (for analog TTL clock or MIDI clock)
  • Row C can be used for global PW modulation (as mentioned above), but also for (internal) clock speed modulation …

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-03

All 3 rows are completely independent of each other. If needed, the adjustments of row A can be transferred to row B and row C. A great feature if you’re using 8-step loops to create a 24-step melody with a minimum of variations (maybe a “c” instead of a “d”or a “g” instead of a “f”, …).

Each single step (within each row) can be:

  • … freely programmed and adjusted in semitones (with quantizer in ON position)
  • … routed to Gate Bus 1, Gate Bus 2 or no Gate (off)
  • … rhythmically repeated in “Rachet Mode”: single note (off), double note or triplet
  • … switched to: Normal Mode / Skip Mode / End Step Mode (for individual step numbers of each row, etc.)

GRP-R24-Sequenzer-02

The future may see some small changes, of course, but the R24 in its present form is already extremely sophisticated. Price and the exact date of release will be posted at a later date.

Paolo Groppioni has told us, in any case, that the sequencer should be out by the fall of 2014.

Filed under General

“Es genügt, einen Ton schön zu spielen” sagte der Komponist Arvo Pärt im Jahre 2005. Diese Aussage ist ebenso einfach wie ich auch exzellent: Es braucht kein Meer an Tönen, denn entscheidend ist der Klang. Dass so mancher Vintage-Synthesizer der 70er und 80er Jahre teils unerreicht hochwertige Klänge liefert, steht außer Frage. Doch tatsächlich leben wir “heute” in einer nahezu perfekten Zeit. Einerseits hat man – mehr oder weniger – noch Zugriff auf die Vintage Analogen, andererseits wird auch bei Neugeräten die wichtige Komponente des hochwertigen Klanges wieder zunehmend berücksichtigt. Doepfer, Cwejman, Synthesizers.com, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Studio Electronics, COTK, John Bowen und andere Hersteller bauen hervorragende Synthesizer, die den “Klassikern” in nichts nachstehen. All diesen (alten wie neuen) “großartigen” Instrumenten ist Great Synthesizers gewidmet. _________________________________________________________ In 2005 composer Arvo Pärt said: “Playing one tone really well is enough”. In other words, it is sufficient to play one tone 'beautifully'. I agree with that. All musical efforts are focused on the sound itself. Although I studied classical music (piano and drums), it’s the electronic sound that inspires me. Synthesizers are the epitome of new sounds and exciting tonal spheres. Today, many companies produce high-quality - excellent! - synthesizers: Doepfer, Cwejman, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Synthesizers.com, COTK, Studio Electronics, John Bowen and others. It's their products I'm really interested in ... apart from Vintage Synthesizers, which I have been collecting for 20 years. Subsequent to our former websites Bluesynths and Blogasys, Peter Mahr and I have now created GreatSynthesizers. We hope you like it.