Misa Digital has introduced the NSC-32 Note Sequence Controller (NCS), described as ‘a new type of electronic musical instrument’ that allows the user to manipulate and cue electronic music sequences live.
The Misa Digital NSC-32 is a MIDI controller and makes no sound of its own. It can play up to six sequences (patterns) simultaneously.
Note sequences are visually displayed on the note grid and can be modified by pressing the cells on the note grid. The individual notes are represented as blue illuminated cells. Notes can be selected, copied, moved and pasted using the control functions.
A vertical green step cursor will move across the note grid at a speed determined by the BPM set. When the step cursor lands on a note, it will play that note. Similarly, when the cursor moves off a note, it will stop playing that note.
Sequences can be played (cued) and stopped in sync with the master clock.
Sequences can be stored in permanent storage for later use. The NSC-32 can store up to 768 sequences. Each cell on the note grid behaves as a save location. This means you can visually group different sets of presets on the grid based on category.
Here’s a demo of the NCS-32’s basic functions:
The Misa Digital NSC-32 is priced at US $1,299. See the Misa Digital site for details.
Good stuff. Needs more info. Polyphony per track? Tracks can be loaded/scaled/length independently? Velocity/AT/CC data?
IMO the best possible thing for sequencers like this is to open-source it. These are wonderful performance tools, but everybody works a little differently.
it’s really cool but I can’t help but think that you could make something like this cheaper and more functional with a big touchscreen instead of buttons for the sequences and use the extra $ savings/real estate to incorporate more physical knobs for tweaking. it seams like the ny real time things that you tend to use (at least based on the video) tend to be the side buttons that are better as tactile controls, the grid could just be software.
Hi
It’s funny you say that, because that’s originally what I thought too! In fact the first design I did for this instrument was with a giant multi-touch capacitive touch panel. To prove it, here is a pic! http://imgur.com/QF5HEmV Aside from it being quite fragile (it’s a massive sheet of glass), it didn’t feel comfortable to play mostly because you could not feel the buttons, so I scrapped it and went for a fully embedded design (which is my preferred environment to work anyway).
Also, don’t forget the cost of a large touchpanel is really high, it’s arguable whether there would be a cost saving…
Oh the one other thing I wanted to mention is that the buttons on the NSC-32 really are designed to be used live, not just for programming the sequences in advance. For example, you can move notes around, cut/copy/paste/mute/sustain, make the step cursor jump to another location etc. I hope to do some more videos that show this side of the instrument, I know I haven’t given much info so far! 🙂
Michael
Did the price go up? When I saw it when this synthtopia article came out it was $1299… now their website says $1799. What happened?
wow, would look pretty cool on stage
Please add some CV outs!!!
AT LAST! Goddam I have been looking for something like this for ages – sorry Monomes but you’re just not standalone enough for me
See also these previous matrix sequencer designs:
GEISS Matrisequencer 250 (1977) – http://www.jarrography.free.fr/details_equipement_audio.php?id_equip=30
GEISS Digisequencer (1992) – http://www.jarrography.free.fr/details_equipement_audio.php?id_equip=31
what kind of music is this?
Wowa! A hardware FL Studio sequencer!
We want to see more demos. Front recorded if possible, please.
Looks cool, but not enough pad… I think I’ll wait for the NSC-128.
Wow! This is bloody brilliant! How about more midi outs to complete the perfection? But still this thing is really outstanding and it looks gorgeous! Hat’s off man!
looks promising but if the refresh rate is the same as presented in the video, it looks wayyy too slow.
1) Buttons look tight, have friend with fat fingers try it.
2) In videos them sliders look lonely. Move to same side as buttons for fast access or person has to reach across to tweak live, too much arm movement for fast work.
3) Put two dj left right sliders below the pads with an assign 1 and assign 2 button. The idea would be to be able to depth switch efx like echo or go between samples/loops, or do midi volume fades between two midi loops, or two midi songs.
4) Sneak in cv/gate outs?
5) My first reaction: Wow! Your a manic designer. Props.
not enough tracks 16 or 24 would interest me. For that small track count i’d rather use a digital warrior or KP carbon.