Table of Contents

Xequence 2 MIDI Workstation

Xequence 2 is a comprehensive, fast & stable MIDI sequencer, editor, arranger & controller for iPhone & iPad. It is the perfect companion both for hardware and for AUM & AB3 to create a modular, “DAW-like” music production environment on iOS.

App type: App

App store link:

Developer: Seven Systems Cross-Platform Media Limited

Developer AB Forum Handle: https://forum.audiob.us/profile/SevenSystems

Additional Info

From the app store description:

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Efficient User Interface for an amazing mobile editing workflow - Full support for scales and scale-based editing throughout the app (keyboard, pianoroll, etc.) - Over 70 scales in 10 categories included - Full Audiobus support - Ableton Link (tempo and phase only - use Audiobus for start/stop sync) - MIDI File Import & Export (notes, controllers, program changes, track names, etc.) - Best-in-class MIDI timing and clock output - MIDI In & Thru with rechannelization & rerouting to current track - MIDI Sync Master (Clock/Start/Stop/Continue/SPP) - other DAWs & sequencers can run in sync with Xequence, e.g. to use audio tracks, or external drum machines. Several modes for full compatibility

ARRANGER:

- Unlimited Parts - Xequence 2: Unlimited tracks - 64 Undo/Redo steps - Per-track non-destructive Swing & Delay +/- 200 ms - Multiple tracks per instrument - Parts can be independent or linked (editing the original modifies all copies) - Part-based looping - Program changes - Selection tools: Marquee/Rectangle, Same Track, Same Instrument, Linked Parts, Invert, etc. - Editing tools: Create Copy, Create Linked Copy, Unlink, Split, Join, Convert loops to parts, etc. - All edits can be performed across multiple tracks and parts - Global clipboard, even across projects - Position/Length Handles at screen edges for efficient editing

PIANOROLL EDITOR:

- 256 Undo/Redo steps - Fully scale-aware - Relative or absolute grid: Snap Events to nearest grid line, or move by grid increments - Live Auditioning of all note edits and mini keyboard on the left - Selection tools: Box, Same Note, Same Key, Same Beat Position, Invert, etc. - Editing tools: Copy, Legato, Quantize, Quantize Ends, Octave +/-, Flip H/V (mirror), Fill part with selection - Smart Draw mode: Touch to create, touch again to delete, drag up/down to transpose, drag left/right to change length - Global clipboard, even across projects - Note velocities can be edited just like controllers, see below:

CONTROLLER EDITOR:

- 256 Undo/Redo steps - Selection tools: Box, Same Beat Position, Invert - Selection modes: Add & Replace - Editing tools: Copy, Reduce, Quantize, Compress/Expand, Flip H/V (mirror), Ramp (various curves), Fill part with selection - Smart Draw mode - Note Velocities can be shown as controllers and edited with the same tools

KEYBOARD / CONTROLLER:

- Fully scale-aware, very playable single or dual keyboards - Glide support - Freely adjustable key width - Velocity emulation (via vertical position on key) - Drum maps and pads, highly customizable (In-App Purchase) - CCs (controllers) can be shown as touch ribbons next to the keyboard - All CCs can be controlled by sliding (ribbon), device rotation (up to three axes simultaneously), played like a button (sustain pedal, “trance gates”), or by touching the keys at different vertical positions. All highly configurable.

INSTRUMENTS:

- Unlimited Instruments (an Instrument is a MIDI destination & channel) - 3 definable CCs (Controllers) per Instrument (up to 12 via In-App Purchase) - Compatible with virtually ALL synths and hosts

VARIOUS:

- Audio & MIDI Metronome - Note chasing (notes play even when playback starts in the middle) - Robust controller (CC) handling with backchasing - Perfect song looping, no dropouts/jitter at loop points - Supports any time signature/BPM (fixed per song) - Generative music with PolyHymnia (In-App Purchase) - Files app support - Ruler (can be set to auto-hide to preserve screen space) - Bright or dark color scheme

Videos and Tutorials

The AudioDabbler has create a series of Xequence master class videos.

Tips for proper timing/syncing

Discussion thread originating this section: AUM effecting Xequence timing? Solved

Korg Gadget

no timing challenges, Korg Gadget makes use of the MIDI timestamps generated by Xequence 2. Clock syncing is possible

AudioBus 3

no timing challenges, Clock syncing is possible

AUM

AUM (1.4) does not use the MIDI timestamps when received over CoreMIDI (AUM Destination virtual MIDI port). At small sample buffer sizes (512 bytes or lower) this may not be a problem. Should you use 1024 or higher sample buffer size, wrong timing might become noticeable

Best approach is to use Audiobus 3 / IAA

Sync option 1

Sync option 2

Then you should be able to record MIDI in Xequence 2 and play it back, and sequencers/drum machines hosted in AUM remain sync'ed with Xequence 2 in both cases.

Instrument configurations database

As from version 2.3, Xequence 2 allows import/export of the instruments configurations, retaining

This section gathers a non-exhaustive database of X2 instrument configurations.

Shared folder containing all the available instruments

How to install the Xequence 2 instrument configurations

in the Files app of your iPad/iPhone

  1. unzip the downloaded instruments archive
  2. copy all the extracted .xeqinst files to

On My iPad/Xequence 2/Instruments

Or

On My iPhone/Xequence 2/Instruments

Korg Gadget instrument configurations

Extracted from the default MIDI CC mapping file generously made available on the Korg Gadget 2 page, these are the Xequence 2 instrument configurations with all default CCs mapped to a controller for each Korg Gadget machine.

From Xequence 2.4.0, the Korg Gadget instrument configurations are included in standard.

Remarks

Instrument configurations for AUv3 synths hosted in AUM

Introduction: Most Xequence instruments need a corresponding MIDI Mapping file to load in AUM or in the synth itself to map the AUv3 parameters to the same CC numbers as those configured in the Xequence instrument.

Shared folder containing all the available instruments

reference table for available instrument configurations

see below the table for additional explanations

Mapping type Remarks Build
Animoog Z Internal editable see special instructions 20221002
BLEASS Monolit AUM 20220928
Fractal Bits AUM Transpose and Stereo are centered controllers 20220919
KOALA Sampler AUM Defaults to drums pads in Xequence 2
Controllers do not return
Pitch, Filter and Vibroflange are centered
The AUM MIDI Mapping needs to be copied in two places if you want to use it both when Koala is loaded as input node and when loaded as FX
20220919
Moog Model D Internal editable see special instructions 20221002
OB-Xd Internal static 20220919
Strng AUM 20220926
SynthMaster Player AUM 20220928
TAL U-No-LX AUM master octave transpose and master fine tune are centered controllers 20220926

Mapping types:

What do the Xequence 2 Instrument packages contain?

How to install and use the AUM MIDI mapping and corresponding instrument configuration in Xequence 2?

1) Install the Xequence 2 instrument

see above

2) Copy the AUM MIDI Mapping files in the AUM MIDI Mappings folder

in the Files app of the iPad

  1. unzip the instrument archive
  2. copy the extracted .aum_midimap file to

On My iPad/AUM/MIDI Mappings/<audio unit folder>

or

On My iPhone/AUM/MIDI Mappings/<audio unit folder>

The audio unit folder name starts with the instrument name, followed by a long string of letters and numbers.

If the folder for your AUv3 does not exist yet, best is to

  1. open AUM
  2. load the AUv3 in an track
  3. open the MIDI controls screen where you can define the mapping
  4. tap the 3 vertical dots
  5. save an empty mapping. The folder will then get created and you can copy the X2 MIDI Mapping into it.

3) Load the audio unit an assign its MIDI mapping in AUM

  1. go to AUM
  2. load the AUv3 in a track
  3. open the MIDI controls screen where you can define the mapping
  4. tap the 3 vertical dots
  5. load the X2 MIDI Mapping

4) Configure the connections in AUM

  1. make sure “AUM Destination” is set as source for the MIDI controls
  2. tap again the 3 vertical dots
  3. set the MIDI channel to the one you have assigned to this instrument

5) Create a instrument in Xequence 2

  1. Open Xequence 2
  2. Load the instrument template of this audio unit
  3. Make sure this instrument has the same MIDI channel as the one set in AUM

Everything is ready to work, you should be able to modulate all the AUv3 parameters from Xequence 2.

How to install the MIDI maps for the Moog apps

For the Moog apps we use the built-in CC mapping system. Advantages: you can use the CC map also in other apps, and when you use it in AUM, you don't need to change the MIDI channel to the one you set for the Audio Unit (not to mention it was faster to make the mapping match that of the Xequence 2 instrument).

and the mapping will be automatically loaded and ready to use.

To make it appear in the AUv3:

1) Go to the App settings → MIDI → Save/Load CC MIDI maps, and save the current MIDI mapping.

2) Open AUM

3) Load an instance of Animoog Z or Model D in an audio track

4) Go to the settings in the Auv3 window and load the CC MIDI map in this instance (it should be in the list)

General remarks on the mappings and instrument configurations