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