Tone Report Weekly Issue 155 | Page 34

stepping into sequencers In this modern age of pedal-pushing future vibe, there are some interesting crossover opportunities available that have never been possible before. Guitarists and bassists can now play the role of the synth tweaker without learning a new instrument or having to shell out big bucks for a new instrument. As gearheads, many of us have taken the dive into the world of synth and discovered a Marianas Trench of tonal possibilities outside of our little world of guitars, amps and pedals. But, somehow it just isn’t in our DNA to be physically satisfied tapping on keys to get our noises. Luckily for us, tomorrow’s tones are available today and we can transform our wood and wire world into a universe of waveshapes and ramp up into the tonal cosmos without an extra pair of hands. 34 TONE TALK // I could write endlessly about synth-like pedals and how they enable us to become more than human musically, but today I wanted to zoom in on one of my favorite song generating assets that was previously unavailable to the strictly stringed instrument folk: the step sequencer. Similar to looping—which most of us are familiar with—a step sequencer is a somewhat self-generative programmable musical sequence that can act as a pulse to propel a track. Let’s explore a few stompers and algorithms that bring the choppy, rhythmic vibe of a synthesizer’s step-sequencer to the guitarist’s pedalboard. Step Into the Future: Step Sequencer-Equipped Stompboxes