Midibox SeqV4 Pattern Remix

Pattern Remix is a Midibox Sequencer workflow for mix your MIDI pattern tracks in live situation, giving you the possibility to make smooth transitions between tracks or simply remix in the studio all your MIDI material to get new and fresh unexpected sound tracks.

What it is all about?

The main focus of Midibox SeqV4 Pattern Remix is to bring some of DJing workflow ideas into the universe of MIDI pattern music. Think about the workflow of a DJ on the stage and is easy to realize why sometimes a good and well done Dj Deck to Deck Mixing is more audience interactively than a Live PA.

Djing workflow handling in general is simplier and more well defined than the various and complex ways of setup and handle a Live PA workflow. The simplier workflow, the more time you have to concern about your music and your audience instead of technical aspects of your Live PA.  

Pattern Remix Main Features

Remix your Track Pattern Elements individually: It means smooth transitions! Instead of change the hole Track Pattern Elements doing abruptly pattern change you can gradually choose only specific elements of the current track pattern playing to be remixed without your audience feels the change – like remix only the Bass line and Lead line elements of current track pattern playing by the Bass line and Lead line elements of the next chosen track pattern to be remixed. 

Mixer mapping dumped at Remixing time per Track Pattern Element: A Mixer Map also helps you to get back all Track Pattern Element configuration at the moment of mixing providing individually per element the parameters: +MIDI Port +MIDI Channel +Program Change +Volume +Panorama +Reverb +Chorus +ModWheel +4 Free Assignable CCs

Reference chronometers: Live PA is about freedom, to go and get back whenever you feel its good for the floor. But even if a only 1 pattern loop could looks good for you for about 30 minutes long, its good to remember that you are probrably more entrenteined by lots of colored leds, buttons, lcd screens and knobs than your audience, so its always a good ideia to apply timming metrics – be then whatever you feel good about – to not boring them at the floor. Pattern Remix provides the following chronometers to help you achieve your metrics: +Per Pattern Total elapsed time +Per Remix Total elapsed time +Live PA Total elapsed time 

Visual Search pattern library: You can search visually over all your MIDI Tracks library without affect the track pattern playing at the moment to decide the best track pattern init point option you have to be remixed over the currently one. 

Djing Workflow vs. Pattern Remix Workflow Comparison

1. Load your initial DJ Set LP Track into one of your Decks: In live pattern midi music workflow a Track can be composed of 1 or more patterns. The most common workflows of a Live PA use generally 4, 8 or 16 patterns for total Track composition, but this is totatly up to you. Midibox SeqV4 organize patterns in 8 groups of 8 patterns each one. From group A to G, each one with patterns numbered from 1 to 8. Lets take as example a Track composed with 4 patterns, each one labeled as above:  

Acid Mountain Track A1: Acid Mountain Intro (Gm7) A2: Acid Mountain Part I (Am7) A3: Acid Mountain Part II (Am7) A4: Acid Mountain Drop (C7)

Pressing play thats the first screen you get

Pressing one time one of the most rigth 8 GP buttons you can search/check the pattern label info behind that pattern inside the current pattern bank – But this still doesnt change the pattern

Pressing again the same most rigth GP button you change the pattern  

2. Feel the audience feedback and search into LP library for the next Track to be mix: After you feel that your 4 pattern tracks were enough played, you can search over all your pattern midi library to load exactly that Track init point like intro, drop, part x,y,z or whatever you think it will fit better to start your remix. Lets take as example another Track composed with 4 patterns, each one labeled as above:  

Jupter Jazz Track E1: Jupter Jazz Intro (Am) E2: Jupter Jazz Part I (Am) E3: Jupter Jazz Part II (Am) E4: Jupter Jazz Drop (Am)

Lets also considering that we are now playing the pattern A4, “droping” the Track.

Pressing one of the most left 8 GP buttons you change pattern bank and also entering into pattern search mode – so it doesn’t change the current pattern it self. In our example we push the fifth most left GP button – Pattern Bank E – to get this screen Now we can search for the better init point to start a remix using one of our most right 8 GP Buttons. In our example we are going to start the remix by the Jupter Jazz Intro.

Pressing one time the first most rigth 8 GP buttons we will find the Jupter Jazz Track Intro part at the second screen

3. Load on a free Deck the chosen LP Track and start the mix: Now that you have your track pattern init point you can start your remix process. To do that, you simply choose 1 or more track pattern elements to be remixed with the current track pattern by pressing and hold the Pattern Remix Page Button and enter into the Remix Page.

Pressing and Hold the Pattern Remix Page Button we are going into the Pre-Remix State Screen In our example we are playing the “Drop” part of track pattern A4: Acid Mountain Drop (C7), lets start choosing the track pattern elements “T01: 303 Bass Line” and “T05: Moog Lead Line” to be Remixed. When we talk about Remixing T01 and T05, we are saying that we want the sequencer to keep the T01 and T05 track pattern elements untouched and change all the rest of track pattern elements on a pattern change request.

Still Holding the Pattern Remix Page Button we press once the GP Button related to the track chosen to be remixed, in our case, press once GP Button 1 and 5 and you will see the Track Pattern elements marked with a “M” showing us that we are ready to start remixing booth track pattern elements 1 and 5

Release the Pattern Remix Page Button and we are going to see this screen At this point we have “X” marked for elements T01 and T05 of Track Pattern Part “E1: Jupter Jazz Intro (Am)” saying that if we change the Pattern now, we are going to change all the Pattern elements but not the T01 and T05 that belongs to Track Pattern Part “A4: Acid Mountain Drop (C7)”

Pressing again the first most right 8 GP Buttons we are going to start the Remixing Process. Now You got a Remixed Track Pattern composed with Pattern elements 1 and 5 from Track Pattern “A4: Acid Mountain Drop (C7)” and all the rest of the Track pattern elements from Track Pattern “E1: Jupter Jazz Intro (Am)”. Also a clear mark “MIX” on the right side of first screen indicating that you are into Remix process.

4. Drive and Finish the mix: At this point, just like a DJ doing a Mixing, you need to drive and finish your remix to turn the Track.

Press and hold the Pattern Remix Page Button and we are into the Remix State Screen Here your only option is to “Demix” a Pattern element, what it means, get the original pattern element of the track pattern being remixed into the remix.

Still Holding the Pattern Remix Page Button we press once the GP Button related to pattern element we want to demix and then the indication “M” will turn into “D” indicating that the pattern element will be Demixed as soon as we release the pattern remix page button. In our example we are going to demix pattern element T05 firstly

Releasing the Pattern Remix Page Button we got this screen Now only last one pattern element to be demixed, the “T01: 303 Bass Line”.

Press and hold the Pattern Remix Page Button to get back into the Remix State Screen and then press GP Button 1 to select pattern track element “T01: 303 Bass Line” to be demixed and end the Remix process

Releasing the Pattern Remix Page Button we get done our Remix process Now we got the full Track pattern “E1: Jupter Jazz Intro (Am)” running with all its original elements.  

5. Search into LP library for the next Track to be mixed… and the story goes on : The same process described will going to cylce until the end of your Live PA show.