Future Retro Revolution Owner Manual - Manual (Page 40)

ADDITIONAL NOTES
CREATING A DEFAULT PATTERN
As stated earlier in the sequencer operations section, clearing patterns only removes note-on and
duration information. You might want to create your own default pattern and save it to a special
pattern location such as bank 16 pattern 16. This pattern could then be programmed however you
wish, perhaps with all 16 th notes written at the pitch of C3. Something which you would consider a
nice starting point for creating your other patterns. This pattern could then be copied once, and pasted
every time you wish to create a new pattern with the default settings.
SYNCING THE REVOLUTION’S PLAYBACK
In the previous MIDI modes section we discuss how you can play external MIDI sound modules and
CV/Gate type synthesizers with the Revolution’s sequencer, as well as process external audio.
In the setups we describe, the Revolution is playing these external devices while using its own
internal sequencer settings. You may also sync the Revolution’s sequencer playback to any external
MIDI sequencer while performing these same operations.
RESETING A SONG TO STEP 1
When in the Song mode you can reset the song to step 1 or the beginning of the song by pressing the
Shift/Clear key when playback is stopped. When a song is playing, the Shift/Clear key (used in
conjunction with the Play key) is used to determine the direction patterns will play, either forward or
backwards. If you are syncing to an external clock while in the Song mode, when playback stops you
may be at some song step location other than step 1. If the Revolution receives a MIDI continue
message playback will resume from the current location of the song. However if you wish to restart
the song from the beginning, or step 1, you will need to un-cue the Revolution’s playback by pressing
the Play key (turning the Play key indicator off), then press the Shift/Clear key to take you back to
the beginning of the song, and finally re-cue the Revolution by pressing the Play key once again
(Play key indicator will be on).
THE LOGIC OF PLAYING PATTERNS BACKWARDS
Most sequencers that allow you to play a pattern forward and backwards will start at step 1 and play
sequentially to step 16, then reverse their direction playing step 16 again and followed by 15, 14, 13,
all the way until step 1 is played again. The problem with this method is that it creates double hits at a
measures boundaries, and can throw off the timing of a pattern’s rhythm.
The Revolution is unique in the way that patterns are played backwards by always playing step 1 as
the first step even when counting backwards. This then allows all the down beats to remain on down
beats, and off beats to remain on off beats. You should find that this produces a much more pleasing
rhythmic experience.
Timing ! * ! * ! * ! *
Forward 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Backwards 1 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
The chart above shows the alignment of beats playing forward compared to how they play
backwards. The “!” represent quarter notes, the “*” represents 8 th notes. Notice how similar
beats are interchangeable.
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