How Does a Sequencer Work?

Fundamentals

A sequencer is a hardware or software device used to sequence parts of audio and/or MIDI in order to create an audio or musical arrangement. It usually provides the user with the ability to edit using nonlinear, or digital, techniques to cut and paste parts together. Audio and MIDI files can then be saved and played as one whole arrangement.

Sequencers 101

Sequencers usually consist of an interface that uses a mixer, transport, and editing tools to construct the data. Mixers utilize faders and knobs for volume, panning and equalization control. Each series of knobs and faders corresponds to a channel of audio and/or track. A track is a layer of audio data that can be arranged atop or below another track of audio/MIDI. The transport consists of buttons for playback and recording and jogging through the arrangements timeline (fast forward/rewind). Editing tools most commonly consist of cut, paste, splice, undo, redo, etc.

Brands and Types

Software sequencers include Ableton Live, Cakewalk Sonar, Sony ACID and Apple Logic Pro. Hardware examples vary and are manufactured by Korg, Roland, Yamaha and others. The software versions are mainly modeled after the hardware versions and consist of the same tools and functions.