System80 880 User manual

Operation Manual
880
system80.net SYSTEM80 rev. 01/19
TAP
START
STOP

Introduction 1
The System80 880 is an analog drum machine for the
Eurorack modular synthesizer format. Its drum voice
circuits are based on the TR-808, the classic drum
machine made by Roland Corporation between 1980
and 1983. Wherever possible, the 880 uses the exact
same semiconductors specified in the original circuits.
The sound very closely matches the sound and char-
acter of the two vintage TR-808s that were used as
references during the 880's design. Variation in
component tolerances as well as component aging
may contribute to some perceptable differences in
sound between the 880 and a vintage TR-808.
However, the same holds true for sound comparisons
between original TR-808s and other 808 clones.
The 880 features all 16 of the original TR-808's analog
drum voices with one important difference: the five
switchable voices are controlled with electronic rather
than mechanical switches. The automatic switching
between the paired drum voices allows them to be
played on different steps of the same pattern. For
example, the Low Tom can be played on Step 1 and
Step 3 of a pattern and the Low Conga can be played
on Step 2 of the same pattern; the sequencer will
automatically switch between the sounds as the
pattern plays.
The 880's sequencer features a familiar interface that
allows for Rhythm Pattern creation using programmed
or real-time step entry. Manual Mode can be used for
arrangement and improvisation during live
performance. There is also a Rhythm Compose mode
that allows patterns to be chained together into longer
compositions.
The sequencer has been updated with 12 banks of 16
Rhythm Patterns, shuffle, mutes, performance rolls, a
pair of fully assignable trigger outputs, and multiple
options for syncing to external devices.
The Eurorack modular synthesizer format invites
experimentation and improvisation. The 880 features
11 indivdual instrument outputs for separate mixing
and processing of the sounds, either within a Eurorack
system or through other devices, such as filters,
reverb, compression, distortion, digital multi-effects,
etc.
A planned Trigger Expander module will allow the
880's drum voices to be triggered externally.
Table of
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Front Panel Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Installation & Setup . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Basic Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Quick Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Control Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Writing Rhythm Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Playing Rhythm Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Composing The Rhythm Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Firmware updating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Version
This manual is a dynamic document that is edited and
upated to make it current with the latest 880 firmware.
For the latest version of the the firmware and
corresponding manual please visit:
http://system80.net/product/880/
This edition is for firmware version 0.9.7

(Fig. 1)
AUD INSDEL
TAP
START
STOP
ASSIGNABLE
TRIGGERS
AUTO FILL IN
SYNC MODE
MODE SELECTOR
CLEAR BUTTON
INSTRUMENT/
TRACK
SELECTORS
TEMPO CONTROL
BASIC VARIATION SELECTOR
START/STOP BUTTON
PRE-SCALE
INDICATORS
STEP BUTTONS
STEP TOGGLE
PATTER N S E LEC T
BANK SELECT
SHUFFLE/ROLL SELECT
MIDI CHANNEL SELECT
SYNC CONTROL
SYNC INPUT
MIDI INPUT
DIN SYNC INPUT/OUTPUT
INTRO/FILL VARIATION SELECTOR/ALT KEY
TAP BUTTON
INDIVIDUAL OUTPUTS
MASTER OUTPUT
MASTER VOLUME
SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT KEY
Front Panel Layout
2

Installation
and Setup 3
The 880 is a 60 HP Eurorack module. It must be
installed correctly in a Eurorack case and supplied with
Eurorack standard power. Use the supplied screws
and washers to install the 880 in your Eurorack case.
Set Trigger 2
Level
Connecting Power The 880 uses a standard Eurorack non-shrouded/non-
keyed power connector. The cutout in the back panel,
however, does provide a keyed opening to ensure the
cable is connected in the correct orientation (Fig. 2).
A standard 10 pin Eurorack power cable is supplied.
The red stripe on the power cable indicates the pos-
ition of the −12V conductor. When connecting the
power cable ensure that the red stripe side of the cable
is aligned with the thick line next to the power header
on the back panel. Connect the 10 pin connector to the
880's power header and connect the 16 pin connector
to your system's power bus board.
The 880 is designed to withstand brief conditions of
reverse power, but prolonged connection to reverse
polarity may damage the protection diodes and require
module servicing.
Fig. 2 Eurorack power header, back panel
CAUTION: Do not apply power to the 880 when it is
not securely installed in a Eurorack case.
Fig. 3 Tri gg er 2 level j um per, b ac k p ane l
5 Volt setting (default):
12 Volt setting:
Tri gg er 2 has a s ele ct ab le ou tp ut level t ha t all ows th e
trigger output to be set to 5 Volts or 12 Volts. A 12 Volt
trigger level may be required to trigger the envelopes
and clock inputs of some vintage equipment (eg. ARP
2600, Roland System 100/100M, etc.).
A jumper connector on the back of the 880 is used to
set the Trigger 2 level (Fig. 3). It is set to 5 Volts at the
factory. To change the Trigger 2 level to 12 Volts,
remove the jumper with a pair of tweezers or needle-
nose pliers and move it to the 12 Volt setting. Ensure
there is no power applied to the 880 when changing
the jumper setting.
DIN Socket Ground
Setup
Fig. 4 DIN Ground Lift jumper, back panel
The 880's DIN socket serves as both a MIDI IN
connector and a legacy format DIN Sync connector.
To preven t a ud ibl e gr ou nd lo ops t he M IDI s ta nd ard
employs an optocoupler to isolate MIDI devices from
one another. The DIN Sync standard, however,
requires a ground connection between devices. To
ensure compatibilty with legacy DIN Sync devices, pin
2 is grounded via a jumper on the back of the 880.
Grounding pin 2 of a MIDI IN socket does not conform
to the MIDI electrical standard. If a ground loop is
introduced by MIDI cabling this may be resolved by
changing the jumper to disconnect or 'lift' the pin 2
ground connection (Fig. 4).
DIN Pin 2 grounded (default):
DIN Pin 2 lifted:
Power Supply Ensure that your power supply has sufficient overhead
to handle the current drawn by all of the Eurorack
modules connected to it. When its power supply is
overloaded the 880 will function erratically or not at all.
It is strongly recommended that a professional, high
quality Eurorack power supply be used with the 880.
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) power supplies and unfiltered 'off-
the-shelf' switching power modules may result in
unwanted noise and performance issues.

Basic
Connections 4
Master Output All of the 880's instruments are summed together at
the MASTER OUT jack. The level of each drum voice
in the master out mix is controlled by each instrument's
LEVEL control. When auditioning and recording from
the master output adjust the instrument LEVEL con-
trols to obtain the desired balance of each instrument
in the mix. Use the MASTER VOLUME control to
achieve the desired output level into your monitoring
and/or recording device.
NOTE: The 880 is a clone of a vintage analog design.
You may find the noise floor higher compared to other
contemporary electronic instruments, especially on the
master output.
Instrument Outputs There are five instrument pairs that each share an
output (LC/LT, MC/MT, HC/HT, RS/CL, and CP/MA).
The LEVEL control for these instrument pairs affects
the level of both instruments.
The 880 has 11 individual audio outputs. Connecting
a jack to an instrument's individual output removes that
instrument from the summed MASTER OUT signal.
An instrument's level at its output jack is determined
only by its LEVEL control and is not affected by the
MASTER VOLUME control.
Trigger Outputs Trig ge r O ut pu t 2 m ay al so be s et to pr ovi de a pos it ive
12 Volt pulse required by some vintage equipment.
See Installation and Setup on Page 3 for more details.
The 880 provides two independant, programmable
Tri gg er Ou tp uts for i nter faci ng wi th s yn th esi ze rs and
sequencers. See the Quick Tips section on Page 5 for
details on how to assign any of the instrument triggers
to either of the Trigger Outputs.
Each trigger signal is a positive 5 Volt, 20 millisecond
(ms) pulse suitable for activating most Trigger and
Gate inputs on other equipment.
Sync InThe SYNC IN jack is used to slave the 880's seq-
uencer to an external analog clock pulse. When set as
a SYNC IN slave (see Synchronization, Page 13), the
sequencer will respond to the rising edge of a 5 Volt
clock pulse received on the SYNC IN jack at a rate of
2 Pulses Per Quarter Note (PPQN).
MIDI/Sync The MIDI/SYNC jack is a multi-function DIN connector
used to receive MIDI data and send, or receive DIN
Sync (Sync24) data. Its function is dependent on the
Synchronization Mode (see Synchronization, Page
12).

Quick
Tips 5
This section gives a quick overview of some of the
enhanced features that are specific to the 880. If you
are unfamiliar with how a TR-series step sequencer
Change the MIDI
Channel
The 880's MIDI receive channel is set to Channel 1 by
default. To change the default MIDI receive channel,
use the MODE selector button to select CLEAR mode.
With the sequencer stopped, press and hold both the
SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key and the ALT key. Use the
STEP buttons to select the MIDI receive channel, from
1 to 16.
Assign the Trigger
Outputs
Alternate the Basic
Variations
The BASIC-VARIATION button toggles between
Variation A and Variation B. To alternate between A
and B press and hold the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key
while pressing the BASIC-VARIATION button. To exit
the alternating mode simply press the BASIC-
VARIATION button once.
functions please start on the next page, Control
Descriptions, and refer back to this section once you
are familiar with the 880's step sequencer functions.
Change the
Pattern Bank
Press and hold the ALT key and use the STEP buttons
to select one of the 12 Pattern Banks available.
NOTE: In MANUAL PLAY mode the SHIFT-WRITE/
Change the Rhythm
Pattern While the
Sequencer is
Running
In Pattern Edit Mode (1st PART or 2nd PART) the
current Rhythm Pattern can be changed while the
sequencer is running.
Press and hold both the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key and
the ALT key and select the desired Rhythm Pattern
using the STEP buttons.
The currently playing pattern will finish playing and the
newly selected rhythm pattern will begin playing.
NEXT key needs to be used in combination with the
ALT key to access the Pattern Banks.
The 880's two Trigger Outputs can be assigned to any
of the 16 drum voices and the Accent trigger.
With the sequencer stopped, use the MODE selector
button to select MANUAL PLAY. Use the I/F VAR
switch to select Trigger 1 (A) or Trigger 2 (B). Press
and hold the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key and the ALT
key. While these keys are held the currently assigned
trigger will be indicated by the Instrument/Track LEDs.
Copy and Paste
a Rhythm Pattern
In Pattern Edit mode (1st PART or 2nd PART), with the
sequencer stopped, select the pattern you wish to
copy. Press and hold the CLEAR button and then
select a new pattern to copy to. Both VARIATION A
and B will be copied to the destination pattern. Any
pattern data in the destination pattern will be
overwritten.
Use the Instrument/Track buttons to select the
instrument you wish to assign to the Trigger Output.
By default Trigger 1 is assigned to the Accent and
Tri gg er 2 is as si gne d to the C ow be ll. Trig ge r
assignments are stored in non-volatile memory for
recall after power off.
Mute an Instrument
Sync to an External
Clock
Copy Variation A to
Variation B
In Pattern Edit mode (1st PART or 2nd PART), with
Variation A set as the current variation, press and hold
the CLEAR button and then press the BASIC-VARIAT-
ION button. The pattern data in Variation A will be
copied to Variation B.
To mu te a n instr ume nt , press a nd h old t he SH IF T-
WRITE/NEXT key and press the Instrument/Track
selector button for the instrument you wish to mute.
Press the selector button again to un-mute.
The 880 may be synced to external MIDI clock, DIN
Sync24 clock or an analog clock pulse on the SYNC
IN jack. Press the AUTO FILL IN selector button while
holding down the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key to change
the Synchronization Mode.
Refer to Synchronization on Page 12 for more
information.

Mode Selector
Control
Descriptions
Rhythm Pattern
Programming Modes
Play Modes
Compose Mode
Instrument/Track
Selectors
Tempo Control
6
Auto Fill In Selector
The PLAY mode allows you to play any of the 12
Rhythm Tracks stored in memory. The Rhythm Tracks
are selected using the INSTRUMENT/TRACK buttons.
The MODE selector control is located in the upper left
corner of the control panel and is used to select
different operations for both programming and playing
the instrument. Pressing the MODE key cycles through
each of the six modes: PATTERN CLEAR,
1st PART, 2nd PART, MANUAL PLAY, PLAY, and
COMPOSE. Holding the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key
while pressing the MODE key reverses the direction of
the selection cycle.
The PATTERN CLEAR mode is used to clear patt-
erns from memory so that Rhythm Patterns can be
reprogrammed. The red CLEAR button is used to
activate the CLEAR function while in PATTERN
CLEAR mode. The 1st PART mode is used to pro-
gram the first section of a pattern. Patterns with 16 or
fewer steps can be programmed using just the 1st part
of the pattern programming mode. To create patterns
of up to 32 steps, the 2nd PART mode is used. Patt-
erns are initialized to 16 steps for the 1st part and 0
steps for the 2nd part. The red CLEAR button is used
in combination with the step switches to determine the
number of steps in a pattern. A combination of different
pattern lengths and PRE-SCALE settings allows diff-
erent time signatures to be achieved.
The MANUAL PLAY mode is a performance mode
that allows you to play any of the Rhythm Patterns
stored in memory. Additionally, it offers automatic
switching for intros and fills. Shuffle and instrument
rolls can be used in MANUAL PLAY mode to further
improvise during performance.
Holding the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key while pressing
the AUTO FILL IN button changes the context of the
control to set the SYNC MODE. The SYNC MODE
cycles through INTERNAL CLOCK, MIDI IN, DIN
SYNC24 OUT, DIN SYNC24 IN, and SYNC IN modes.
The AUTO FILL IN selector is used to insert Fill In
Rhythm Patterns while playing in MANUAL PLAY
mode. Pressing the AUTO FILL IN selector button
cycles through the six different fill options. The first fill
option is MANUAL which allows Fill In Rhythms to be
inserted manually by pressing the TAP button. Auto-
matic insertion of the Fill In Rhythm is accomplished
with any of the remaining five options: 16, 12, 8, 4 and
2. Automatic insertion occurs every 16th measure,
every 12th measure, every 8th measure, etc.
The Tempo Control sets the tempo of the internal
sequencer. The internal sequencer has a tempo range
of 30 beats per minute (BPM) to 290 BPM.
When the sequencer is stopped the currently selected
pattern's LED will blink in time with the tempo.
When the 880 is slaved to an external clock, the
Tem po C ontr ol kno b b ecom es inac tive.
There are 12 Instrument/Track selector buttons. When
programming Rhythm Patterns these buttons are used
to select a drum voice or Accent to program. From the
left the drum voices are AC (ACCENT), BD (BASS
DRUM), SD (SNARE DRUM), LT/LC (LOW TOM or
LOW CONGA), MT/MC (MID TOM or MID CONGA),
HT/HC (HI TOM or HI CONGA), RS/CL (RIM SHOT
or CLAVES), CP/MA (HANDCLAP or MARACAS), CB
(COWBELL), CY (CYMBAL), OH (OPEN HIHAT), and
CH (CLOSED HIHAT). When two options are avail-
able, you can press the Instrument button a second
time to toggle between the two available instruments.
Drum voices with two instruments can be programmed
independently on different steps of the same pattern.
The drum voice will automatically switch between
instruments on each step.
Holding the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key while pressing
an instrument will toggle its MUTE function. The In-
strument/Track selectors are also used to select the 12
memories available for composing Rhythm Tracks in
COMPOSE mode and playing any individual Rhythm
Track in P LAY m od e.
The COMPOSE mode allows any of the Rhythm
Patterns stored in memory to be linked together into a
composition called a Rhythm Track. Each of the 12
Rhythm Tracks can contain a unique sequence of up
to 64 patterns. The Rhythm Track memories can be
cleared using the red CLEAR button. Programming
the sequence of Rhythm Patterns is accomplished
with the STEP buttons and the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT
key.

Voice Controls
7
Each drum voice has a LEVEL control at the top of
each group of instrument controls. The LEVEL control
is used to control the level of the drum voice in the
MASTER OUTPUT mix. RIM SHOT/CLAVES, HAND
CLAP/MARACAS, COWBELL, and CLOSED HIHAT
only have a LEVEL control, whereas the other drum
voices have additional controls for adjusting the sound
of the instrument.
The ACCENT LEVEL control sets the amount of
emphasis given to accented steps in a pattern.
Accented steps give emphasis to any drum voices
that are programmed on the same step.
Step Buttons The STEP buttons have different functions depending
on what mode the 880 is in and whether or not the
sequencer is running.
In Rhythm Pattern Programming modes (CLEAR, 1st
PART, 2nd PART) the STEP buttons are used to
select a pattern to clear, play or edit. While the pattern
is playing the STEP buttons are used to program the
steps on which the currently selected drum voice will
play. In combination with the red CLEAR button, the
STEP buttons can be used to set the length of a
Rhythm Pattern.
In MANUAL PLAY mode the first 12 STEP buttons
are used to select one of the 12 BASIC RHYTHMs.
The last 4 STEP buttons are used to select one of the
4 INTRO/FILL INs. When the START/STOP button is
pressed the selected BASIC RHYTHM pattern will
begin to play unless the TAP button is used to
changed the priority to the selected INTRO/FILL IN
pattern. The priority between the BASIC RHYTHM
and INTRO/FILL IN pattern is indicated by their LEDs
flashing.
While holding the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key, the
STEP buttons are used to select different SHUFFLE
amounts and ROLL modes.
In combination with the ALT key STEP buttons are
also used to select one of 12 seperate banks of
Rhythm Patterns.
Basic
Variation Button
I/F Variation Button
Shift
Write/Next key
Start/Stop Button
Tap Button
Master Out Volume
Control
Descriptions (cont.)
holding the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key. To exit the alt-
ernating mode, press the BASIC VARIATON button to
return to variation A or use SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT + the
BASIC VARIATION button to return to variation B.
A solid LED indicates the current variation playing and
a flashing LED indicates the variation that is waiting to
play once the current measure has finished.
The IF/VAR button is used to select the variation
mode for the INTRO/FILL IN patterns used in
MANUAL mode. Like the BASIC VARIATION
BUTTON it toggles between variation A and variation
B modes. When a INTRO/FILL IN pattern is playing
its variation MODE is indicated by the BASIC
VARIATION LEDs.
In other modes, the IF/VAR button serves as an ALT
key, sometimes in combination with the SHIFT-
WRITE/NEXT key to access alternative functions.
The SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key is used to access
alternative functions of the other buttons/keys on the
880's front panel. It can be used to MUTE drum
voices, assign the trigger outputs, change SHUFFLE
and ROLL settings, and SYNC behaviour, set the
PRE-SCALE and activate the ALT functions in comb-
ination with the IF/VAR button.
In COMPOSE mode, the SHIFT/WRITE key is used
to advance to the next pattern when creating or editing
Rhythm Tracks.
Starts or stops the internal pattern sequencer. Input
ignored when using an external MIDI or DIN SYNC
source.
In MANUAL PLAY Mode the TAP button is used for
manual insertion of INTROs and FILL INs. It is also
used to manually enter trigger steps for drum voices
during Rhythm Pattern programming. In PLAY and
COMPOSE Modes it can be used to display the
current measure of a Rhythm Track.
Controls the overall output volume of the summed
drum voices available a the MASTER OUT jack.
The BASIC VARIATION button is used to toggle
between the two variation modes, A and B. Each
Rhythm Pattern consists of two variation modes of
one measure each that can be played independently
or alternately.
Pressing the BASIC VARIATION button will toggle
between modes A and B. To enter the A-B alternating
mode, press the BASIC VARIATON button while

Program
a Rhythm Pattern
Writing
Rhythm
Patterns 8
Program
the 2nd Part
Setting
the Pre-Scale
Add Shuffle
Press the MODE selector button to select PATTERN
CLEAR mode (first LED on the left). Using the STEP
buttons, select the pattern you wish to clear. Press the
red CLEAR button. The PATTERN CLEAR LED will
blink rapidly to indicate that the pattern is being cleared
from memory. A cleared pattern has 16 steps in 4/4
time.
Press the MODE selector button to select 1st PART.
Select the instrument you wish to program using the
Instrument selector buttons. Press START/STOP to
start the sequencer. The STEP LEDs will light in seq-
uence as each step of the pattern is triggered. Use the
STEP buttons to select the steps on which the current
instrument will be triggered. Active steps for the curr-
ently selected instrument are indicated by solidly lit
STEP LEDs.
Select a different instrument and program the steps on
which you want it to trigger. Alternatively, press the TAP
button wherever you want to program the instrument in
the pattern. The instrument will be programmed to the
nearest step. To edit any incorrectly entered steps
simply press the button for the step you wish to edit to
We will now program a Rhythm Pattern using both the
1st and 2nd Parts to create a 32 step pattern. With the
sequencer stopped, select the desired pattern number.
Ensure the BASIC VARIATION is set to A, clear the
pattern and set the mode to 1st PART. Start the seq-
uencer and program a Rhythm Pattern using the inst-
rument selector buttons and the step switches. When
you are finished programming the 1st PART, set the
mode to 2nd PART. The sequencer will continue to
play the 1st Part because the cleared pattern has only
16 steps. While pressing and holding the CLEAR but-
ton select step #16. The 1st PART will now play and
then the step LEDs will blink while the 2nd PART plays.
Notice that the 1st PART and 2nd PART LEDs next to
the START/STOP button light to indicate which part is
currently playing. Program a pattern into the 2nd
PART to complete your 32 step pattern.
Alternatively, it is possible to layer the steps program-
med into the 2nd PART onto the 1st PART. When lay-
ered, the steps in the 2nd PART will be triggered
inbetween the steps of the 1st PART. This layering
mode is active only when the 2nd PART is set to 0
steps. Simply clear a pattern, program the 1st PART,
set the mode to the 2nd PART and progam a layer that
will play inbetween the steps of the 1st PART. In layer-
ing mode, the sequencer LEDs will not blink while the
2nd PART is edited.
The 2nd PART can be toggled between a layer and an
extension of the 1st PART. To extend the 1st PART
with the 2nd PART, press and hold the CLEAR button
and select the desired pattern length using STEP
buttons #1 to #16. To activate layering mode again,
press and hold the CLEAR but-ton and press step #1
twice. This will reset the 2nd PART to 0 steps and
clear any steps that were programmed in the 2nd
PART.
The scale bars on the panel above the STEP buttons
indicate the PRE SCALE. Changing the PRE SCALE
changes the number of internal clock pulses that are
counted between steps. Different PRE SCALE set-
tings in combination with different pattern lengths allow
the creation of a variety of different time signatures. By
default, patterns are cleared to PRE SCALE 3 and 16
steps (4/4 time).
The PRE SCALE can be changed while editing the
1st or 2nd PART and the changes are saved in
memory with the current pattern.
To set th e PR E S CAL E, t he se qu enc er mu st b e
running and the mode must be set to 1st PART or 2nd
PART. Press and hold the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key
and then press the CLEAR button to select the desired
PRE SCALE setting indicated by the 4 LEDs next to
the scale bars.
The 880 has a shuffle feature that alters the timing of
the odd steps in a Rhythm Pattern. Six levels of shuffle
are available. While the sequencer is running, hold
down the SHIFT-WRITE/NEXT key and select the
SHUFFLE AMOUNT using the first 6 STEP buttons.
Step #1 indicates no shuffle and steps #2 to #6 apply
increasing amounts of shuffle. In Rhythm Pattern
Programming mode, the SHUFFLE AMOUNT is
saved with the pattern. In MANUAL PLAY and PLAY
modes, the SHUFFLE AMOUNT can be changed
during pattern playback as part of the performance,
but SHUFFLE AMOUNT changes are not saved to
memory in these modes.
When a SHUFFLE AMOUNT change is made in
MANUAL PLAY or PLAY modes, that change will
override the SHUFFLE AMOUNT that is read from a
pattern's memory. Turning off shuffle (Step #1) will
restore the SHUFFLE AMOUNT that is stored with the
pattern in memory.
toggle off the instrument. Continue to select and
program instruments until you are satisfied with the
pattern you have created, then stop the pattern by
pressing START/STOP.
Press the BASIC-VARIATION button to select BASIC
VARIATION B mode. Set the MODE selector to
PATTERN CLEAR. Press the CLEAR button to clear
the B mode pattern. Now start the sequencer and
program a second Rhythm Pattern for B mode.
While the B variation pattern is playing, press the
BASIC-VARIATION button whle holding the SHIFT-
WRITE/NEXT key. The B LED will stay lit and the A
LED will flash indicating that the B pattern is playing
and the A pattern will play next. The two variatons will
now alternate, with the current variation's LED remain-
ing solid while the waiting variation's LED blinks.
Pressing the BASIC-VARIATION button exits the
alternating mode and returns to variation A. To exit the
alternating mode to variation B, press the BASIC-
VARIATION button while holding the SHIFT-WRITE/
NEXT key.