Step Sequencer: how complicated to realize for a beginner??

[mai]

OK. My question is: How complicated is it to program with M4L a very flexible step sequencer which I can control with my Monome128?

I've absolutely no programming skills - even no expiriences with Max. The step sequencer should be possible to have:

- endless tracks
- up to 8 bars (128 steps)
- possibility to change resolution (8th, 16th, 32th, ...)
- per step: note length, velocity, pitch
- copy/paste patterns
- record keyboard playing/ and editing
- record external CCs
- record every parameter from the sequencer itself
- cc parameter automation
- pitch sequences
- nudge sequences
- global patterns
- playing chords
- and so on...

I've been wasting sooo much time (many many months) for searching/trying out different sequencers for Monome128 - it seems that there is no one that can do the things above.

So - what do you think? How many months do you guess I'll need to do that with M4L (again: I'm a totaly beginner)? I'm afraid about that maybe this project is too big for me, isn't it?

Many thanks in advance!

[mai]

Many thanks for your reply ShelLuser!

'I think the big problem would be to control the monome'
What do you mean? The MIDI/OSC programming (of course it should be bi-directional)? Or that everything will fit in a grid of 16x8 pads? The idea how to design/assign the grid already exists in my imagination.

... In the last days I tried out the M4L demo. What should I say... I didn't understand anything, but I did't spend so much time with it. One really annoing thing is that the manuals I found are only in english. Sorry, but learning a completly new programming language (with no programming expiriences at all) which is even difficult to understand/learn in my native language - seems for that reason alone as a very big project.

Honestly, at the moment I feel like investing my freetime in producing music - on the other hand in my mind this step sequencer is already build, so it wouldn't be easy to forget my vision!!

Or are there some big arguments I totally miss? If you or someone else have some mutivating tips/hints/whatever - I'm open to receive...

[docprosper]

I think he means that the hardest part will be the bidirectional interrface between the monome and M4L; in comparison, creating a note sequencer with variable length, different note lengths, etc. will be simple. The timing logic required to clock your sequencer is fairly simple as well. My suggestion if you decide to tackle this is to start with the sequencer portion first and build that up. You could rip a lot out of existing devices, check out maxforlive.com and thecovertoperators.com for starters. This would be a good M4L learning experience, and then you could move on to the monome interface part. Good luck!
Hamish

[mai]

... check out maxforlive.com and thecovertoperators.com for starters...

OK, I'll do that - though it still would be nice to have some tutorails/manuals which are supporting other languages than english.

Thanks for your thoughts & words!