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Midi Step Sequencer VSTi/MFX

ERA is a professional multipurpose Midi-Stepsequencer/Arpeggiator-Plugin. It controls up to 12 instruments or effects in a very dynamic way. All in realtime and controllable via Midi. Its unique pattern-variation approach, supporting different views on one pattern, provides an outstanding musical inspiration and expression. ERA let you pattern-control certain tracks in your host-project or can be the driving force for a live-performance. Futhermore ERA can be seen as a composing tool. You can compose in realtime, combining all features and afterwards use the created phrases in your sequencer. ERA is the ideal addition for modular environments. A traditional sequencer will act more lively with ERA onboard.

Screenshots


Overview

ERA2 can store up to 128 different patterns. These patterns are grouped in banks (A-H).

Each pattern contains up to 16 different variations. A variation is basically a view on a pattern. A variation controls how the pattern will be played, i.e. the tempo and mute/solo-state. You can use variations but this is optionally. Of course you can setup ‘odinary variations’ based on pattern-copies.

Bank
· a set of 16 patterns

Pattern
· 12 tracks
· 16 variations

Track
· The 16 note-triggers (note, on/off), optionally a chord-setting
· Velocity row
· Gatetime row: Controls the duration of each note-event.
· Fill row: can retrigger notes in variuos modes.
· Hits row: works in conjuntion with the Fill-row, provides a precise retrigger control.
· Delay row: used to delay certain note-events in 1/128th steps.
· 5 automation rows: send CC’s, Pitchbend, Aftertouch and Program-Change events.

Variation
· Tempo (synchronized, relative to host)
· Playmode: defines how to treat pattern/variation changes (hold and free)
· Restart-mode: controls the restart of lfo's and slowdown tracks
· Chained pattern/variation: used for 32 or more step-patterns.
· First/Last step: defines the pattern length, let you easily set individual start points.
· Step-row: contols if a step is active or set to mute.
· Order-row: defines the actual playorder of a pattern. The order-row is much more flexible than traditional reverse.
· Break-row: triggers a simultaneously playing pattern/variation. The time within this pattern has to be played is adjustable.
· Mute/Solo states of all tracks


Synchronization
· Host synchronization for tempo, transport (play, pause, stop) and position
· Multiple instance synchronization (mute, solo, play, record)
· Relative tempo from 1/32. to 32/1t
· Sample accurate timing

Track Parameters
· Velocity
· Delay
· Gate-time
· Swing with scalable delay, velocity, first-step and interval
· Humanization affecting velocity, delay and gate time
· Step divide
· Mono mode

Live performance
· All global parameters automatable
· Bank, program and variation recall via midi-note
· Start, Stop, Mute/Solo, Sync automatable
· Bar-Freeze and Step-Spin
· Navigation and editing via controllers (every single step can be controlled)
· Midi-Learn function
· Midi-Thru
· Panic
· Pattern chaining
· Transpose via midi-note (global and single-row)
· Free and Hold mode

Recording
· Step and Live recording
· Adjustable auto-step, velocity and delay
· Built-in Midi-Recorder, Midi-export

Pattern editing
· Easy pattern editing with left/right mouse buttons
· Mousewheel support
· Note and pattern audition
· Pattern lock (run one pattern and edit another)
· Cut, Copy and Paste for patterns, variations and step-values
· Mouse sweeping for quick value drawing
· Different random functions for notes, triggers and values
· Rotate, reverse, transpose etc.
· Data-has-changed indicator
· Import/Export functions for banks and single patterns.
· Lock-functions

Arpeggiator
· Independent midi-channels, keyzones and chorder
· 10*2 different Algorithms with adjustable range and semitones
· Adjustable In-Velocity sensitivity
· Restart (on first step) and Skip-Mode
· Playing-helps: Quantize and Keep
· Limiter to wrap sequences to certain ranges (4 Algorithms)

GUI

· Well structured, clear user-interface
· Visualization of patterns (dynamic icons)
· Step-LED's for visual feedback
· Integrated Help system
· Support for right mouse button, wheel and control/shift keys
· Skinnable bitmaps and palette

Pattern structure
· 16 variations
· 12 trigger rows
· Default variation (optionally), which is automatically selected on pattern change

Variation structure
· Tempo (relative to host)
· Mode (free/hold)
· Chained pattern/variation
· First/Last step (pattern length)
· Step-row (every single step can be muted)
· Order-row (defines the actual play-order)
· Break-row (enables triggering other-patterns)
· Mute/Solo states of the trigger rows
· Controller numbers for the 5 free assignable CC's

Trigger-row structure
· 16 triggers (on/off) and a note-value and chord-descriptor
· Velocity-row
· Gate-row (note duration)
· Fill-row (re triggers notes automatically, different modes)
· Hits-row (used to create sub-patterns and chord-progressions)
· Delay-row
· Pitchbend-row
· Programchange-row
· 5 free assignable CC/PB/PC/AT-rows

Playlist
· Up to 999 patterns
· Independent pattern/variation control
· Multiple loops
· Controllable via Midi

Additional
· Midi Echo on all tracks
· Tap recording with mouse
· Midi import (Drumloop and Melody Extractor)
· Chord Strumming
· Global Midi-Muting of rows (independent of Variation-Mute)
· Non-destructive Midi-Import (import into specific patterns)