The Octopus is a new performance-oriented MIDI Control Sequencer under development by genoQs Machines.
According to genoQs, the Octopus shares some of the design goals as as the desirable but unobtainable Latronic Notron.
“What OCTOPUS and Notron probably share is the goal of to being high-end composition tools for MIDI sequencing. This may explain why the community of interest around OCTOPUS has a substantial share of Notron users. OCTOPUS offers vast live performance capabilities via a “flat” user interface model trying to avoid a much as possible deeply buried features.”
Octopus Concept
In brief, the Octopus world consists of entities or objects, attributes that are associated with them, and functions that modify those objects or their attributes.
The idea is to allow modifications of the objects in the most flexible manner and real time, which is done using an intuitive control model and the comprehensive Octopus user interface.
The master Octopus object is the GRID, which contains PAGES, each of them containing TRACKS, which are made up of STEPS. Each object is associated with attributes and functions that can be operated upon.
Framework
- Sequence grid: 160 pages
- Tracks per page: up to 10
- Track resolution: 1/16, 1/32, 1/64 of a note
User Interface
- Elements: 258 pushbuttons, 21 endless encoders
- Front panel: 630 x 270 mm
Performance
- Concurrent play: up to 16 pages
- Editing capabilities: full during play, seamless saving
- Track play: polyphonic, roll, shuffle
Dimensions
- 700 x 450 x 140 mm, 8 Kg
The Octopus is now available for 1999 Euros, not including V.A.T. and shipping. The OS is version 0.9, and they expect the 1.0 version to be available first quarter 2006.
Source: genoQs Machines
