Metal disc with punched holes (late 18th century) — utilized on several
music boxes such as Polyphon, Regina, Symphonion, Ariston, Graphonola (early version), etc.
Oramics (1957) controls sounds by graphics on films
Variophone (1930) by
Evgeny Sholpo—on earliest version, hand drawn waves on film or disc were used to synthesize sound, and later versions were promised to experiment on musical intonations and temporal characteristics of live music performance, however not finished. Variophone is often referred as a forerunner of
drawn sound system including ANS synthesizer and Oramics.
Composer-Tron (1953) by
Osmond Kendal—rhythmical sequences were controlled via marking cue on film, while timbre of note or envelope-shape of sound were defined via hand drawn shapes on a surface of a
CRT input device, drawn with a grease pencil.[3]
ANS synthesizer (1938-1958) by
Evgeny Murzin—an earliest realtime
additive synthesizer using 720
microtonal sine waves (1/6
semitones × 10
octaves) generated by five glass discs. Composers could control the time evolution of amplitudes of each microtone via scratches on a glass plate user interface covered with black
mastic.
Oramics (1957) by
Daphne Oram—hand drawn contours on a set of ten sprocketed synchronized strips of 35 film were used to control various parameters of monophonic sound generator (frequency, timbre, amplitude and duration).[4] Polyphonic sounds were obtained using multitrack recording technique.
Wall of Sound (mid-1940s–1950s) by
Raymond Scott—early electro-mechanical sequencer developed by
Raymond Scott to produce rhythmic patterns, consistent with stepping relays, solenoids, and tone generators[5]
Circle Machine (1959) by
Raymond Scott—electro-optical rotary sequencer developed by Raymond Scott to generate arbitrary waveforms, consistent with
dimmer bulbs arranged in a ring, and a rotating arm with
photocell scanning over the ring[6]
Yamaha CS30 (1977)—monophonic synthesizer keyboard with built-in 8-step analog sequencer
Analog-style step sequencers
Analog-style MIDI step sequencers
Since the analog synthesizer revivals in the 1990s, newly designed MIDI sequencers with a series of knobs or sliders similar to analog sequencer have appeared. These often equip
CV/Gate and
DIN sync interface along with MIDI, and even patch memory for multiple sequence patterns and possibly song sequences. These analog-digital hybrid machines are often called "Analogue-style MIDI step sequencer" or "MIDI analogue sequencer", etc.
Quasimidi Polymorph (1999) has built-in step sequencer with a series of value knobs (bottom)
MFB Step 64—Standalone step sequencer dedicated for drum patterns (16 steps/4 tracks or 64 steps/1 track, 118 programs×4 banks, 16 song sequences, each with up to 128 sequences)[16]
Several tiny keyboards provide a step sequencer combined with an independent timing mode for recording and performance:
CasioVL-Tone VL-1 (1979),
Casiotone MT-70 (c.1984),
Sampletone SK-1 (1986), etc.—Timings of musical notes stored on the step sequencer, can be designated by the two trigger buttons labeled "One Key Play", around the right hand position
Embedded CV/Gate step sequencers
Several machines have white and black chromatic keypads, to enter the musical phrases.
Recently emerging button-grid-style interfaces/instruments are naturally support step sequence. On these machines, one axis on grid means
musical scale or
sample to play, and another axis means timing of notes.
In addition, newly designed hardware MIDI sequencers equipping a series of knobs/sliders similar to analog sequencers, are appeared. For details, see
#Analog-style MIDI step sequencers.
NEDSynclavier series—CV/Gate interface and MIDI retrofit kit were available on Synclavier II. Also MIDI became standard feature on Synclavier PSMT[18][19]
Fairlight CMI series—CV/Gate interface was optionally available on Series II, and MIDI was supported on Series IIx and later models
^"Circle Machine". RaymondScott.com. Archived from
the original on 2011-09-27.—includes 2 sound files: Raymond Scott's demonstration, and commercial soundtrack for new batteries of
Ford Motors.
^US patent 3,207,835, Howard E. Holman and Joseph H. Hearne (Wurlitzer Company), "Rhythm Device", issued 1965-09-21
^
Holmes, Thom (2008). Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture (3rd ed.). Routledge. p.
222.
ISBN978-1-135-90617-7. Moog admired Buchla's work, recently stating that Buchla designed a system not only for "making new sounds but [for] making textures out of these sounds by specifying when these sounds could change and how regular those change would be."
^"Moog 961 Interface". MoogArchives.com.—interface module to convert several signal types including audio input, V-trigger (CV), and S-trigger (short-to-ground trigger for Envelope Controller)
^"Moog 962 Sequential Switch". MoogArchives.com.—switching module for 960 to convert 3x8-step sequence into 1x24-step sequence, etc.
^
Furia, Steve De; Joe Scacciaferro (1986). The MIDI implementation book. Third Earth Pub. p.
25.
ISBN978-0-88188-558-3.—MIDI Implementation Chart of Synclavier MIDI Option v0.9 in 1985.