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Revision as of 10:58, 1 January 2023 by Ashe x (talk | contribs) (→‎Overview)
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Welcome to the Online Sequencer Wiki, a guide designed to help you navigate and use Online Sequencer (OS)


Overview

Online Sequencer (/ɒnˈlʌɪn ˈsiːkwənˌsə/; /ɑnˈlʌɪn ˈsiːkwənˌsər/) is a web-based (HTML) MIDI editor that allows users to create music, or 'sequences', which can be saved on the website itself or by exporting the sequence as a file such as MIDI, .txt, and MP3. The site is beginner friendly, with a piano roll on the left hand side with labelled notes, and minimalistic icons depicting the tools available from the get-go. This is not to say that OS is a limited or basic tool, by any means as users hoping to create more advanced sequences can do so using many of the features within the UI, and by utilising custom commands in the browser console.

Upon opening the site, users can begin composing and 'drawing' notes on the grid, with the default instrument being Electric Piano. The grid loads as 4/4 with the draw tool set to 1/4 note division (16 notes per measure). The note lengths can be adjusted to custom lengths by dragging the dark tab on each note, precision can be afforded through changing the 'Grid' option to other note divisions.

Online Sequencer was created in January 2013 by Jacob_ (Jacob Morgan), when he was still in college.

Features

Within the editor, there are numerous user interface features which allow for various changes which will impact the individual sequence on that page.

Basic features

UI features include:

  • Tempo (1-999BPM)
  • Measure count or Time count(MM:SS.ssss)
  • Time signature (2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4)
  • Grid size (this correlates to note divisions; 1/16, 1/12, 1/8, 1/6, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2)
  • Auto Scroll (Fast, Smooth, Off; how the sequencer displays measures off screen as a sequence plays)
  • Add an Audio Track (which won't be saved to the sequence but will play alongside it for ease of transcription)
  • Title input
  • Draw, select, and erase
  • Instrument dropdown, instrument options, and select instrument (only select all notes of the current instrument)
  • Select all, Cut, Copy, and Paste
  • Zoom options
  • Export options
  • Help
  • Fullscreen
  • Tooltips

Advanced features

Users can access more advanced features for use in their sequences by clicking the advanced tab on the instrument they wish to change. This menu contains options to change volume, panning, detune(-1200cents to +1200cents), reverb, distortion, and an equalizer. This array lets users configure specific instruments in order to create specific sounds, textures, or to accompany other instruments as a layer or development of the original sound.

OS also allows for commands to be entered in the browser console to manipulate different options in specific ways, such as setting custom detune values (0-infinity), custom grid sizes, note divisions, and sequence ID's amongst other things. These options bring OS closer to that of classic Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs), but are still limited in terms of accessibility and availability.

Commands:

Console commands include:

  • grid
  • setDetune
  • setReverbVolume(r)
  • setDistortVolume (d)
  • setEqHigh, setEqMid, setEqLow
  • setPan