Analogue-sequencer

Folks,

I've uploaded the latest beta P3 firmware to Yahoo files.
This version adds "auxiliary events". More on this in a moment, but 
first...
Despite trying to avoid doing so, I found the memory layout was 
getting a little bit too complicated to work with, so I have 
rationalised it significantly in this version.
You MUST DO A SYSEX BACKUP BEFORE installing this update, and do a 
RESTORE AFTER.
You will also have to reset your midi channel setup.
I hope that this re-arrangement will mean future updates don't 
require a backup/restore, although I know some of you do it 
routinely anyway, which isn't a bad idea.

Anyway, I digress...

As you'll know, each pattern in the P3 has note, velocity, delay, 
length, status, and four 'auxiliary' values per step.
Up until now, the function of each 'auxiliary' was a midi cc.

There are now two types of 'auxiliary function'.
The first are midi continuous controllers, as before.
The new type of aux functions are 'events'.
Events can be used to make temporary modifications to the pattern 
step about to be played on each track.

To configure the function for each aux A to D, you no longer use 
the 'aux func' softkey - it's gone.
Simply enter 'aux' edit mode using the upper function key.
Then press FUNC + <key function>.
This will take you to the new 'aux config' page.
Here you use the DATA knob as before to scroll through 128 possible 
options. Additionally, you use the PAGE key to toggle between the 
Midi CCs, and the Events.

BTW I've added a shortcut to aux edit mode - if you're not already 
there, FUNC + <key function> will jump straight to it.
Also, in the aux conf page, if you press <key function>, it will 
save the current aux config, and move on to edit the setting of the 
next aux function.

The initial set of Events are as follows:

	grab note trk n
	grab velo trk n
	grab leng trk n
	grab dlay trk n
	xpose abs +n
	xpose rel +n

When you configure an aux with one of these events, any active steps 
will carry out the assigned event using the step value.

e.g. 'grab note trk n' with a value of 1, will replace the note 
value about to be played on the track with the most recently played 
note value from track 1. This will do interesting things when you 
are grabbing a few notes from another track where the pattern is 
looping at a different point.

The 'xpose' events make use of another additional feature.
These are 'transpose accumulators'.
There is an accumulator for each track, whose value is reset to zero 
when a new pattern is selected on the track.
Notes played on each track are transposed as usual by 
PXPos, and any playlist transpose, but also by the current 
accumulator value.
The event 'xpose abs +n' simply sets the accumulator for the 
track to the value set on any active aux step.
The event 'xpose rel +n' *adds* the value on any active aux step 
to the accumulator for the track.
So if you assign aux A to 'xpose rel +n', and make step 1 active 
with a value of 5, each time your pattern passes through step 1, it 
will be transposed a further 5 semitones up, until it reaches a 
preset limit and is reset. A future release will provide 
accumulators for velocity and one of the auxes, with configurable 
reset points and a choice of wrap or rebound.

The initial set of events are mainly there to test the event 
handling routines and user interface.
Mr Nagle and I have a long list of possibilities that will fry your 
brains, so I'll break them to you gently.
These will include such options as randomization of values 
(including randomization of aux values that will modify something 
else - grab notes from random tracks for example), and events which 
can modify things such as tbase, direction, pattern length, etc.
Enjoy !

Cheers,
Colin f