XOR electronics Nerdseq User manual

NerdSEQ
Hybrid Tracker Sequencer, Synthesizer
and Toolbox
User Manual
Please be aware that this is an ever growing manual. Save the trees by not printing it out
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Content
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................4
Technical Specification.........................................................................................................................
Firmware Features................................................................................................................................7
Basic Overview....................................................................................................................................9
Getting Started....................................................................................................................................10
Numbers, Values and Tracker basics..................................................................................................10
Buttons and Navigation......................................................................................................................13
General Screen information................................................................................................................1
Sequencer Screen................................................................................................................................18
Pattern Screen.....................................................................................................................................22
Pattern Screen (CV/Gate Track)....................................................................................................22
Pattern Screen (Audio Track)........................................................................................................37
Pattern Screen (Midi track)............................................................................................................44
Pattern Screen (Trigger 1 Track)..................................................................................................50
Pattern Screen (CV 1 track).........................................................................................................54
Patch Screen....................................................................................................................................... 4
Current Values Screen........................................................................................................................ 5
Table Screen....................................................................................................................................... 8
Automator screen................................................................................................................................73
Envelope screen..................................................................................................................................80
Project screen......................................................................................................................................82
Setup Screen.......................................................................................................................................85
Calibration.....................................................................................................................................8
Track Assign Screen...........................................................................................................................89
Track Setup Screen.............................................................................................................................90
Track Setup (CV/Gate Track)........................................................................................................90
Track Setup (Audio Track)............................................................................................................92
Track Setup (Midi Track)...............................................................................................................93
Track Setup (Trigger 1 Track).....................................................................................................94
Track Setup (CV1 Track).............................................................................................................95
CV1 Calibration...........................................................................................................................97
Sample / Wave / Synthesis..................................................................................................................98
Load Sample window.......................................................................................................................104
Nerd Screen / Menu..........................................................................................................................105
Recording / Live Input / Midi Input.................................................................................................109
Random Ranges Screen....................................................................................................................114
User Interface Screen........................................................................................................................115
Sega Gamepad Mapping Screen.......................................................................................................115
Expander Modules............................................................................................................................11
Midi Expanders............................................................................................................................11
NSA (Nerd Sound Adapter) Expanders.......................................................................................117
More Triggers 1 ..........................................................................................................................117
CV1 Expander............................................................................................................................118
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More Video-IO.............................................................................................................................121
NSA Firmware Update Screen.........................................................................................................12
Launchpad Integration......................................................................................................................127
Tips & Tricks, FAQ..........................................................................................................................130
Firmware update...............................................................................................................................131
Cheat Sheet.......................................................................................................................................132
Disclaimer.........................................................................................................................................133
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Introduction
The NerdSEQ is a Tracker1 based sequencer, synthesizer and modulation generator for Eurorack
systems.
It consist of 6 Tracks for the CV/Trigger/Gate generation of 18 outputs (12 CV + 6 Trigger/Gate).
There are 2 audio tracks with 2 dedicated audio parts each for sampling/synthesis sequencing.
Furthermore the audio part can also act as a waveform oscillator or FM synthesizer. Different
modulation functions like LFO, Envelopes and more can be generated for internal and external
use. Dedicated clock/reset inputs and outputs are available for different clock types. 4 free
assignable CV inputs can be used for live manipulation or CV/Gate recording.
The sequencer itself is inspired by old module trackers like Fasttracker2(PC)2, OctaMED(Amiga)3,
LittleSoundDJ(Gameboy)4 and Little Piggy Tracker(Multiple Platforms)5….. These to name only a
few, there are many more inspirations.
It contains many very powerful functions for sequencing like an advanced live ability, pattern length
up to 64 steps, chaining, poly-rhythmic tracks, groove, glide, retrigger, flexible trigger/gate/step
lengths, patches, special effects, probability, tables and more. The audio tracks contain special
functionality for sample playing, pitching, sample effects, retrigger and many more, as well as a
synthesizer engine to create waveforms or act as a 4 Operator FM Synthesizer. Samples can be
loaded from a dedicated SD card available on the front panel. The sequencer is able to make loops
(as in many loops) and full songs (even multiple songs on one project, depending on complexity,
usage of patterns etc.) Patterns can be started and stopped independently from the tracks, which
allows flexible clip-style sequencing. Projects can be saved and loaded on/from the microSD card.
All editing is implemented in a very easy way (at least I tried to make it so). So every screen or edit
option can be accessed through one key or Shift + Key. No complex submenus from submenus or
menu diving is needed. I also try to prevent that as much as possible for future updates.
Additional expanders allow Midi recording and sequencing, the connection of a Sega Gamepad for
controlling, up to 64 more Trigger/Gate/CV outputs and modulators and screen cloning onto a
composite or HDMI screen.
1 https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moduletracker
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FastTracker_2
3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OctaMED
4 http://www.littlesounddj.com/lsd/
5 http://littlegptracker.com/
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Front overview NerdSEQ (Grey/Silver Frontpanel):
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Technical Specification
Power consumption:
- ~190mA (3.2”display) on the +12Volt Rail (~150mA with the 3.5” display)
- ~32mA on the -12 Volt Rail
- +5 Volt Rail is not connected
Hardware:
- Grey / Silver, Black or combined Grey/Black Frontpanel
- Colour Graphics IPS display with a resolution of 480 x 320 pixels
- 10 full size and 6 half size buttons
- 28 mini-Jack (mono), 4 CV Inputs (range 0..10 Volt) , Clock+Reset Inputs(5 Volt), 12 CV
outputs (Range -5 Volt /+5 Volt or 0 Volt / +10 Volt), 6 Trigger/Gate Outputs (5 Volt),
2 Audio outputs (-5 Volt/+5 Volt, AC coupled), Clock + Reset Output (5 Volt)
- 2 toggle switches to change the offset of the CV voltages
- 2 LEDs to indicate clocks
- microSD connector accessible on frontpanel
- 10 pin boxed bus connector (power)
- Expander connector (12 pin boxed) for IO-Expander (Midi In/Out + Sega Gamepad
connector) (Expander must be ordered seperately)
- Expander connector (14 pin boxed) for special NerdSEQ extensions like output Expanders
to allow up to 64 more outputs, the NSA (Nerd Sound Adapter) which are dedicated
cartridges including full synthesizers. Those are totally integrated in the NerdSEQ
sequencer.
Tracker:
- 6 CV/Trigger/Gate tracks for 12 CV and 6 Trigger/Gate outputs (with expander up to 64
additional outputs)
- 2x2 sample tracks for 2 sample/oscillator/synthesizer outputs (mono)
- 254 Sequencer rows
- 175 Patterns with each 64 (and less) Steps
- 176 Patches
- 32 Tables with 16 (and less) steps
- 8 Automation slots
- 12 Sample slots
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- 190kB Sample memory (4 seconds with 44.1 kHz/8 Bit/Mono or more with lower
samplerate)
- Audio support for samples, waveforms, synthesis
- Sample support for RAW 8 bit mono and WAV 8/16 bit, Mono/Stereo
- Projects as many as the SD card can hold
- With expanders drum-matrix with euclidean editing, envelopes, LFO’s...
Firmware Features
- 8 Tracker tracks can be controlled independently, synchronised and not synchronised
- CV outputs can generate 1V/Oct, 1.2V/Oct and Volt/Hz octave ranges
- ‘Endless’ Pattern chaining
- Euclidean input for Rhythm composing
- Probability (0..100% with 1% resolution) for a sequencer row or for dedicated functions: CV,
Mod, Trigger/Gate, Tables, Samples and FX (which can contain every feature)
- Patterns with Note Scaled input, Patch selection, Trigger/Gate w retrigger, delayed triggers
etc, CV Modulation manipulation, Groove, Fine pitch, Glide, Glide quantisation, Table
selection
- Multiple direct FX possibilities per pattern per step
- Groove per step per pattern to create different step lengths, shuffle and weird rhythmic with
the possibility to create poly-rhythmic tracks
- Patches with all wanted functions directly accessible
- Tables (sequencer in the sequencer) for Transpose, scaling and all possible functions,
different speed/note scales and sources, synchronised and not synchronised to the main
sequencer clock, randomisation functions
- Automation slots to assign different automations (like LFO, Envelopes, Noise,
Randomness..etc) freely connect to internal and external parameters via a modulation
matrix
- 8 ADSR Envelopes with rich setup, source and destination functionality
- Project management
- Sample management
- Clock Source can be Internal, 1/16 via Clock input, 24ppqn, Midi Clock, DinSync
- Clock Outputs can be 1/16, DIN-Sync , Midi Clock
- Track dividers / multipliers (/32,/16,/8, /7,/6,/5,/4,/3,/2, *2,*3,*4,*5,*6,*7,*8)
- All Modular tracks can be manipulated from other Modular tracks
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- Multiple Playback types per track (forward, backward, pingpong, random, snake, spiral,
even, odd and more...)
- Advanced Ratcheting settings
- Trigger functions with different timings for ON/OFF, OFF/ON (delayed gate), Retriggering
- Gate length can be as short or long as needed (much shorter than step length possible)
- advanced Mark + Copy + Paste functions to copy marked parts within or between patterns
- Sample/Wave/Synth pitch in note scale
- Audio effects like Volume, Fine Pitch, Retrigger, Backwards, Bitcrush, Distortion, Offset,
Wavefolder, Audio Delay...
- Waveform oscillator generates multiple waveforms on the audio outputs.
- 4 Operator FM synthesis between waveforms with dedicated FM synth functions
- Flexible Live player to switch between different patterns (clips) on different tracks.
- Live mode to trigger, mute, solo patterns
- Live editing while playing including pattern creation, manipulation, recording, nearly all
functions accessible while playing
- pattern cloning
- patch cloning
- Free record routing for CV and Midi input
- free routing of CV inputs to different functions
- Midi sequencing and recording including 4x polyphonic Notes per track, Velocity, CC,
Pitchbend, Program Change, Channel and Polyphonic Aftertouch, NRPN and more
- Expander support to get up to 64 more outputs and/or extra functionality
- Video Expander to get the NerdSEQ screen onto a Monitor/TV/Beamer
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asic Overview
The upper sketch shows a basic relation between the several function blocks of the NerdSEQ.
Note that several functions can manipulate each other as well which helps to create complex
sequences. In the most basic way, the sequencer selects a pattern to play on a track. This pattern
sequences the notes/triggers etc. into one of it’s destinations (eg CV/Gate outputs or Samples…).
On top of that these sequences can be for example further manipulated by the Automators or the
Tables. Some functions can also be routed to outputs without the use of any sequence. For
example, an envelope can be routed directly to a CV/MOD output. The envelope itself can then
again be triggered/gated by a sequence, a table, CV inputs or other sources.
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Getting Started
To get started, insert the SD Card, connect the power cable properly. Take care that the red line is
connected to the -12Volt Rail on the Bus. Power on the System.
First there will be a splash screen followed by the current Firmware version number.
After that the system is checking if any NSA (Nerd Sound Adapter) are connected.
With connected NSA expanders it will show the type of the expanders and the Firmware version.
Channels that are not connected are shown as ‘Not Found’.
Be aware that the Midi expander is not going to be detected. It works in a different way than the
NSA expanders and will just be usable ‘out of the box’. The same for the Video Expander. You got
to enable it in the Setup (clone mode) and then it will show up as the 4th NSA.
Then the SD card is being checked if it is correctly initialised, reading the calibration settings. And
at last, it will show if a Gamepad is detected (through the IO-Expander).
The startup sequence is now ready and an empty sequencer screen will show up, waiting for you
to get started
Attention, if the Splash screen the text or the background light appears to be weird somehow, then
it is a good indication that there is something wrong with the power. (For example, not enough
power -> Voltages are too low / not enough current). Check your supply, disconnect some other
modules to be sure your supply has enough power. (And be sure the NerdSEQ is working properly)
Next there will be a guide through some basics, related to values which you find back in most
trackers. Then there will be some basic information about Trackers and after that information about
the navigation with the NerdSEQ.
Numbers, Values and Tracker basics
The history of trackers goes back to the late 80’s when some people developed a new way of
creating music by inserting music scores in a different way. It is mostly recognized by people as a
way to program music instead of composing, because of the input of the music data. This is actually
not really the case, once you know some of the basics it is composing all the way!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_tracker
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Trackers are often used to play samples (in a note scale) on different tracks as well as to control the
sound chips of old home computers directly. The workflow is different from other score based or
maybe piano roll based sequencing.
With most of the trackers the workflow goes from up to down, the sequencing running from the top
to the bottom. There you will find different columns and rows. Each row shows a step in the
sequence and the main columns are dedicated to the tracks and subcolumns to different commands.
Each track consists mostly of the same kind of sub columns. (Modern trackers allow different kind
of tracks and sub-columns). Getting to the subcolumns there is often a subcolumn for the music
note, one for the volume and sometimes one for a special command. Sometimes there are additional
columns, depending on what tracker it is. Music notes are mostly filled in with their real note,
followed by the octave. For example:
“C-3” means Note C on octave 3.
“F-5” means Note F on octave 5.
“D#2” is the note D sharp on octave 2 (half tone higher than D-2)
The exact look of the notes can differ between the trackers. With the NerdSEQ the notes are filled in
like in the example.
Other values of the subcolumns like the volume are often shown as a hexadecimal numerical value7.
I will explain only the very basics of it. Refer to the footnotes for detailed information.
We count and calculate usually in a base 10 system, we count like this:
0,1,2,3,4,5, ,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,1 ,17,18…….On every 10th number (10 overflow) the left
digit increases. On every 100th number the left and the second left digit increases..etc.
In a hexadecimal system the base is 1 and so with every 1 th number the left digit will increase.
The numbers itself are also represented differently. A hexadecimal count goes like this:
0,1,2,3,4,5, ,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F,10,11,12,13,14,15,1 ,17,18,19,1A,1B…….
So instead of getting to the 10, letters are used to show the hexadecimal values until the 1 th number
which will create the overflow for the digit on the left.
7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal
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The decimal compared to the hexadecimal will show you the corresponding numbers:
Dec Hex Dec Hex Dec Hex
0 0 1 10 32 20
1 1 17 11 33 21
2 2 18 12 34 22
3 3 19 13 35 23
4 4 20 14 3 24
5 5 21 15 37 25
22 1 38 2
7 7 23 17 39 27
8 8 24 18 40 28
9 9 25 19 41 29
10 A 2 1A 42 2A
11 B 27 1B 43 2B
12 C 28 1C 44 2C
13 D 29 1D 45 2D
14 E 30 1E 4 2E
15 F 31 1F 47 2F
So in a hexadecimal system the number after 9F goes to A0 and after a FF to 100.
The NerdSEQ uses also the hexadecimal system to show most of the values.
Furthermore, some trackers can show all content on one screen while some have to scroll to get to
other content and some have to switch to a different screen to get to the other content.
As the NerdSEQ only has a small display, the information is split logically into different screens.
I will explain those later.
There is much more about trackers, check the links for more information. I would also suggest to
check some tutorials about ‘LittleSoundDJ’ as it is the most similar to the tracker of the NerdSEQ.
Though there are some major differences, it gives a clue about how to work with dedicated screens.
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uttons and Navigation
To navigate, change to other screens, edit values and more you use the Buttons.
On the top line there are 6 ‘half’ buttons which are used to switch to other screens.
Pressing only the buttons the following screens can be arrived:
- SEQUENCER → For the main sequencing and pattern order, song structure etc.
- PATTERN → The pattern data where all the notes, gates and effects are
- PATCH → Is for either the stored patches (macros), the current values of the recent track or the
track setup.
- TABLE → Tables are like a sequencer in the sequencer which can run synchronized or
independent from the main sequence. It is able to manipulate the main sequence in multiple ways.
- AUTOMATE → Automators / Modulators which can manipulate many parameters through LFO’s
etc. With this button a 2nd screen for the envelopes can also be accessed. (pressing the Automator
button switches between the Automator or the envelope screen)
- PROJECT → For all project related settings
You can reach those screens by pressing the corresponding buttons. (One footnote here, you can’t
enter the pattern screen if there was no pattern created first).
Those button have also a 2nd function which can be reached by pressing the Shift key together
(followed) by the other keys. Those are:
MARK - To start the marking of content on the screens. Press again to copy the marked values to
the clipboard.
COPY – Copy earlier marked (or cutted) content
DELETE – Delete current value or marked content (acts also as a cut function)
RECORD – to start/stop recording
NERD – use for different functions (like a context menu)
SETUP – Enter the Setup screen for non-project related general settings
Further there are the buttons on the bottom left:
START – Start sequencer or trigger a pattern
STOP – Stop a pattern (stop the sequencer in combination with SHIFT). If the sequencer is
stopped, then SHIFT+STOP executes a ‘Stop All Sounds’ function where all Gates are reset, all
Notes stopped and a Reset signal generated if the clock output is a regular modular clock.
Also for the audio tracks, pressing the stop button on one of these while this track is stopped will
also stop all sound for this track.
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For the stop sequencer function (SHIFT+STOP) a security function is available which forces you to
press STOP a second time while holding the SHIFT button. In that case a notification will appear
on the screen and you can avoid the sequencer stop if the buttons were pressed unintended.
This feature can be enabled/disabled in the → Setup Screen
SHIFT - Get to the 2nd function of buttons or edit functionality
OK – Create a new pattern / patch / table, Enter pattern/patch/table (depends on setting).
Enter/Accept, Pre-listen Note, Clone patterns, patches and tables in combination with the SHIFT
button
UP – Page up for 16 steps → move the cursor 16 rows up
DOWN – Page down for 16 steps → move the cursor 16 rows down
Lastly, the cursor keys are on the right.
Note that there are also some other combinations of the keys in different screens which will be
explained later on.
For simple navigation you use the cursor keys:
Cursor up/down/left/right for simple navigation and scrolling
In most screens you can move your cursor and navigate like this. For example, in the sequencer
screen you change the Row by using cursor up/down and change the Track/Column by using
cursor left/right.
Using the cursor keys combined with the Shift key allows mostly some editing, as here explained
for the pattern screen:
SHIFT + CURSOR LEFT -> Decrease (-) value by 1 (value or semitone for notes)
SHIFT + CURSOR RIGHT -> Increase (+) value by 1 (value or semitone for notes)
SHIFT + DOWN/UP -> Decrease/Increase value by:
•1 octave for notes
•16 ($10) for regular values which can be < FF (255)
64 ($40) for values which can be > FF (255)
•10 for FX types
•Depending on the types, other values are possible
So changing values is always in the smallest step by using SHIFT+CURSOR LEFT/RIGHT and in
bigger steps by using SHIFT+CURSOR UP/DOWN
Additionally, if the Editsteps are enabled (Setup Screen):
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The cursor will automatically move down by the amount of edit steps if inserted by using SHIFT +
CURSOR UP on an empty field in the Pattern Screen.
With SHIFT + DELETE you can delete/empty values
The button OK is mostly used to create new Patterns or Patches and to enter or agree/start a
menu option
Mute/Unmute track: Using the shortcut SHIFT+DOWN+START mutes or unmutes the current track
if in the Sequencer or Pattern screen. Mute does release the gate and keeps the CV voltage, but
won’t play anything else on the muted track until it is unmuted. It will sequence through though
while muted and the Break command is still working. So for example 16 step patterns will stay 16
step even if muted.
Solo/Unsolo track: Using SHIFT + UP + START solos the current track. That means all tracks will
be muted and the current track unmuted if needed. Unsoloing will unmute all tracks. Also, unmuting
other tracks or muting the solo track will release the solo function.
For fast unmuting all tracks you can press SHIFT + UP + START for the solo function twice and all
tracks are unmuted directly.
While in the → Pattern screen you can hold the PATTERN button and use the cursor keys to
navigate between patterns (in the order of the sequencer arrangement)
While in the → Table screen you can hold the TABLE button and use the cursor Up and down keys
to navigate between the tables.
Note the same Mute/Solo functions can be used with the Trigger16 Expander when on the pattern
screen.
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General Screen information
As mentioned before the main workflow is split into different screens.
The main screen is the Sequencer screen. From there you sequence the Patterns. You can
sequence each of the 176 patterns from each track if they are from the same type.
From the pattern you can access the different patches, tables, automations and/or samples.
Not directly dedicated to the sequencing are the Project and the Setup screen. Below a hopefully
simple view of the Sequencer → Patterns → Patch/Table/Automate/Sample relations.
Basic relations between the different Screens/Functions
Note that you can mostly freely use all patches, tables, automations or samples from the same or
different patterns. Also here, some are reduced to the type which I will describe now. Depending on
which track the pattern is created in, it is locked to the type of the track (not to the track itself). For
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example, if you create a pattern on a CV/Trigger/Gate track, then you can use it on any of the 6
CV/Trigger/Gate Tracks, but not on the audio tracks.
The same goes for an audio pattern created on an audio track, it can be used on the 2 audio
tracks, but not on the 6 CV/Trigger/Gate Tracks. The editor prevents this. The reason for this is that
the different types have some common but mostly different parameters which are not
interchangeable. The same is true for a track that is dedicated to an expander. The patterns that
are created in the expander track (e.g. More Triggers 16 expander) are not compatible with the CV/
Gate patterns or the audio patterns and vice versa.
The same goes for the patches which are then also locked to the type of the pattern.
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Sequencer Screen
In the sequencer screen you have different Rows and Columns. For the Columns there are 2
types. One for the indication of the row, and the others are the actual Tracks of the sequencer.
Each track is dedicated to one output channel -> Track 1 for CV1, Trigger1 and MOD1
With the NerdSEQ, by default, there are 6 CV/TRIGGER/MOD tracks and 2 Audio tracks (with
each audio track being able to play 2 samples or waveforms simultaneously, so 4
samples/waveforms in total at any one time).
The sequencer screen is for the general sequencing of the patterns. From here islands or chains of
patterns are combined to build up loops or songs. The first column show the row numbers. Those
go from 00 to FE (254 rows). The screen scrolls down on navigation. You can always see 16 rows
in the sequencer screen. The next 8 columns show the available tracks. Some are empty ( to be
recognized by a ‘--’. And some patterns are filled in. So for example on Track 1, the first row shows
a 00 which means that Pattern 00 is being set to this spot. The other numbers relate to different
patterns. You also see that Pattern 00 is filled in in both Track 1 and Track 2. That’s possible
because those tracks are from the same type. More of the same pattern number below each other
would play the same pattern multiple times.
Another possibility is the ‘**’ in a sequencer field which represents a function to stop a track.
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Figure 1: Sequencer Screen

This can either be used in a sequence so when the player reaches the ‘**’ it will stop the track (not
the sequencer). Starting a ‘**’ manually will stop the track. This can be used to start only several
tracks/patterns in a row or to stop multiple tracks.
You navigate in the Sequencer Screen with the Cursor keys. Depending on whether ‘Navigation
Wrap’ is enabled the cursor will wrap back to the begin from the most right position, or not.
You can start playing a row by pressing start. The selected pattern, or the first (top) assigned
pattern will start to play. So only one track starts to play. If you want to start the whole row, press
SHIFT+ START.
SHIFT+ STOP stops the player. Initiates a reset pulse on the reset outputs and resets all gates.
(And if enabled in the settings, resets all Effect Values).
While playing, pressing start on another selected pattern will trigger the pattern to play after the last
pattern of the same column finished it’s sequence (Normal Launch Mode) or on a zero cross of the
mainclock (Sync Launch Mode). Pressing START two times, will trigger the next pattern faster,
after an amount of steps, set up by the Project setting ‘Live Queuepoints’, derived from the main
clock steps. You can see the next point of the starting point on the top and bottom Main Clock
Indicator.
STOP, stops the pattern after it’s finished and no other pattern on this track is being played after
that. STOP twice finishes the pattern play immediately on this track.
Also if STOP is being pressed when the sequencer is not running, a note off is sent to all midi
devices as a new reset-pulse Is being generated on the reset output.
SHIFT + START while the player is playing triggers the whole row to be played next.
Chained patterns (next under each other) are automatically chained and play after each other and
from the chain begin again once the chain ends.
You can also Mark multiple tracks pressing SHIFT+MARK and when pressing either the START or
STOP button the selection will start or stop the tracks in the same launch way. (start will use the
first marked row).
You can create a new pattern by pressing the OK Button on an empty field. The created pattern
gets a new pattern-number and the new pattern itself will be empty. If you press OK on a filled in
sequencer field, you either enter the filled in pattern or nothing happens, depending on the setting.
You can clone a pattern by pressing SHIFT+OK when with the cursor on a pattern number. The
content of the pattern will then be completely cloned into a new pattern.
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If you want to re-use a used pattern you got to use SHIFT – CURSOR RIGHT for it and browse to
the wanted pattern number via SHIFT + CURSOR LEFT/RIGHT.
To enter a Pattern, move the cursor to the desired pattern slot and press either the PATTERN
button or the OK button (if that is enabled in the Setup). → More info about that in the ‘Pattern
Screen’ section.
Every Sequencer Screen position can have it’s own color. The idea is to be able to recognize
patterns or blocks faster. The colors can be applied in the Nerd Screen for either one position or a
marked block.
Additionally, if ‘Edit Mode’ is disabled, a special live play function allows to jump directly to the
same step on another selected pattern. By pressing the OK button (or SHIFT+OK for the whole
row) the sequencer will jump directly to the pattern that the cursor points to. Be aware that the
sequencer will still jump to the pattern that was supposed to play next after the ‘direct-jump’
pattern/s has been finished.
On the right you see the Project Name, the Tempo, the current Global Transpose and if the editor
is enabled. The editor can be disabled, so no unwanted pattern changing or manipulation can
happen while for example playing live (as in triggering patterns live) or giving a demonstration.
Right in the middle, there are indicators for the recent played music notes, the gate/trigger state
and the modulation state for the 6 CV/Gate tracks. They are also additional indicators if a track
uses a different clock (multiplicator/divider) or if another than the default playback order is playing
on a track (numbers highlighed). Below are the 4 audio tracks which indicate the recently playing
samples or waveforms followed by the decimal view of several values (if enabled). Left from it the
pattern length of a selected pattern (cursor on a pattern) is shown.
On the Bottom, you can see a Status text, mostly filled with some useful information. Here is
shown mostly what kind of type the recent Track is. When a pattern name is filled in, it shows the
name when navigating over it.
On the bottom right you can see the time from starting playing.
Copy, Delete in the Sequencer Screen
There are facilities to copy or delete sequencer content. For that there are the 3 Buttons Mark,
Copy and Delete.
Mark is used to mark an area which should be copied or deleted, Copy to copy/insert a previously
marked area to another row/column and Delete to empty or delete the marked area (or to
delete/empty the recent cursor position).
NerdSEQ – a tracker based Eurorack sequencer Page 20
User Manual Revision V1.2 for Firmware V1.2 12 July 2022