Because Sequences are what you can chain together sequentially to play in an arbitrary order. In truth, it’s a bit of a frustration that we only have the capacity to utilize 32 possible different iterations of patterns. Each time I want to drop a specific fill into a rhythmic line, that’s another Sequence I have to use to do it, and if I’m throwing a specific variation in, sometimes every bar, it eats up sequences quickly. So then what? Copy a pattern to double its length and lengthen out the patterns to be twice as long, or even four times the original basis?
Let’s take a look at a fairly simple arrangement. One, maybe two, maybe even four sequences used up on just a simple intro, three on a verse, one for a pre-chorus, two to eight on a first chorus, let’s say there are three choruses, each slightly different, that’s thirty two right there, without second, or third verse variations, let alone a bridge, solo, pickup, or outro variations, whether those variations consist of different patterns, or even just mutings and slight changes to effects parameters, like increased or reduced chances.
That doesn’t even scratch the surface of trying to transcribe or create even a small fraction of something like this.
I love the fact that the Pyramid can actually do polymetric phrasing, which is what a lot of this kind of music uses. Please bear in mind when watching that this is nothing more than a practice tool to explain rhythmic ideas BEFORE even setting them to instrumentation or putting melody and harmony to them. Trying to create something of that rhythmic complexity and variation would eat up sequences VERY quickly.
I’m as yet unsure how I could make this work. Perhaps the shortcoming is my own in not yet fully getting my head around copying, pasting, and consolidating ideas, like inserting or appending patterns of different rhythms into new patterns.
Example:Consolidate Pattern 1 using Quantize Division A, then consolidate Pattern 2 with Quantize Division B, then lengthening Pattern 1A, and copying Pattern 2B into the blank space on the end of 1A, creating Pattern 3, and consolidate again, with no quantization so as to retain the two different rhythmic divisions within a single pattern, 3C (C being no quantization)? That way I’m only using one Sequence instead of two?
That’s a lot of work to save on Sequences. But I guess if that’s the only workaround, currently, that’s it. I do wish there were some more extensive editing facilities to allow easier insertion of one idea into another, like an Insert Paste command that allows one to insert time at a given location within a Track or Pattern, in addition to a Merge Paste or Replace Paste (these options not altering the Track or Pattern length. Maybe there are ways to do this and I’m just not seeing it through the clunkiness. I know that I can shift notes in either direction, but I’m still getting the hang of the editing procedure, and I’m hopeful that as I further familiarize, the methods to accomplishing these tasks will become obvious, and second nature, as many of the amazing feature of this musical tool already have.
Caveat: this assumes that I am using multiple Tracks in Pattern mode. It would be a godsend if there was a simple way to chain Patterns together inside of a Track, without having to use a Sequence to do it, maybe even as Midi Effect, with various selection options? Like P1x2>P2x1>P*(3-7)>P3x3>P*(8-10)>P4… where P are pattern numbers, P* is a random, “x” sets repetitions, and () sets the range for random to choose from, then Consolidate into a Track. Or even skip the random, just three copies of Pattern 1, one copy of Pattern 2, three copies of Pattern 1, one copy of Pattern 3, and Consolidate into next Track, without having to just copy and paste all of that into a blank track, one pattern at a time.