This topic contains 12 replies, has 5 voices, and was last updated by 
alien_brain 8 years, 3 months ago.
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(sorry if this was already suggested)
THE ULTIMATE ZAQUENCER:
zaq hardware instead of using the bcr. advantages and challenges are plenty of course.
could start as a crowd funded project. considering how satisfied yr customers are chances are good this would get financed.
could be a kit at first (like sonic potions LXR) to have much less headaches from business regulations in germany.hey now thats pure genius
Yes please. Let’s crowdfund this! I already mentioned this idea in another thread. Imagine a device with a metal case, a backlit button under each knob for quick note on/off and other fucntions, better knobs and a higher res OLED display like the one on the Korg Taktile keyboard:
It’s pretty small so it shouldn’t cost too much, and will be able to display parameters without cryptic abbreviations!
At the moment the screen is the worse thing about the BCR2000 for me.16 tracks, MIDI controller mode (that can be used while the sequencer is running), song mode (play x pattern a number of times, then jump to any other pattern, play a number of times, etc) more MIDI CCs per track etc etc!
sounds good if zaq is game. maybe you can do it yourself?
Zaaaaaaaaq! Christian would have to be game as he wrote the code !
I have the time to get involved in helping set up a kickstarter or similar project if he and a few others are interested.
The only other comparable devices in the market seem to be:
-the Sequentix Cirklon which only has 16 knobs but a serious display and more of everything and costs a ridiculous amount of money!
-The Arturia Beatstep Pro which looks promising and is cheap but apparently extremely buggy. A qucik visit to the Arturia forums reveals a horror show!
I was ready to buy this from my local shop as soon as I saw it but thankfully I decided to read some user reports first…I’m afraid the field is not as empty as you think. The zaq is in a world of its own for now but a lot of people are starting to produce hardware MIDI sequencers for about €400.
The only comparison that I can think of is the MIDIalf but that is entirely DIY and only has one track.
Custom firmware is much easier to manage than DIY.
Not saying I wouldn’t support Christian’s future hardware exploits but the closer you get to €500 the more competition is out there.
i got the cirklon guys to accept 3 installments… makes it a little cheaper… no it doenst. what am i saying?
Hi guys,
again, thanks for sharing your ideas!! I love seeing your enthusiasm talking about new gear/functions In this case though I´m afraid it´s out of scope of what I do.
The whole idea behind the Zaquencer was to be able to get all these hardware-sequencing features into the hands of many. Take an inexpensive, widely available device and upgrade it with software to something much more valuable. I´m very happy to see that this concept works and that you guys generally enjoy the Zaquencer.As Tommy wrote, first of all there would be much more competition if ventured into 400 Euro territory. Also, it really is a lot of work to develop a whole new device with the features you wish for. You can argue that the firmware is already finished, but adapting it to a new hardware is no small feat either. There is a reason why many devices with a lot of functions cost around 1000 Euro, and it´s not the price of parts alone.
While I understand the wish for sturdier, nicer hardware, I personally don´t have any problems with the BCR2000. As I wrote in some places before, I have a device from 2004 here that is still working great. I have opened up several other BCRs, exchanging the display and encoders and it´s been great to fix/work with underneath. I generally really like the device. Also as I wrote before, the LED rings around the encoders are a luxury. I believe they contribute a lot to what makes the Zaquencer great. Even in 2015, adding LED rings to a new device needs a lot of real estate on the device and makes it very expensive (check out Arduino boards and you´ll see).
Yeah, you have a point. The BCR is insane value for money. I just don’t see the competition though. What other hardware MIDI step sequencers are there at the 400 eu price point except the Arturia junk? The only other device I’m aware of is the american Social Entropy Engine which is not even for sale at the moment and would cost $665. You can get an Ableton Push 2 with this kind of money (and get so much much more), so I wish them luck.
I actually emailed Sequentix and asked them to consider making a Cirklon Lite at a lower price because not everyone needs 5 MIDI outs (!) and 64 tracks!
What about hacking the BCR hardware to add more Flash RAM? is that possible at all?
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This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by
Panason.
i suggested that. yes its possible but where do you draw the line… ? im not sure if zaq wants to be as deeply involved, and i think he wants to keep it accessible to everyone without needing to replace flash rom chips.
of course, im all for it! i mod all my gear. so zaq, if youre reading this, can we switch our flash roms to larger capacity chips?
Alien is right, we are not interested in hacking the BCR´s hardware for a larger flash rom. This would mean a quite a bit of non-trivial work to adapt and maintain the firmware and would splinter our user base. We´d rather focus on working on features to cram into the existing hardware for the moment.
thanks for your answers, christian. i am pretty happy with the BCR hardware, so for me it wouldn’t be about a sturdier or smaller device. I also agree that the LED encoders are the killer feature of the BCRs. I suggested this because I had the impression you hit already the ceiling in terms of feature-squeezing into the existing flash rom. as long as there is still space it’s for sure the safer thing for you to go with existing hardware.
however….
competition: is always there and no reason to not consider a new project. if any micro company in this field has little to fear from that it’s zaqaudio I think.
price: although i prefer to pay 200 than 400 euro for a similar device I would very much prefer to support a small company than a big company that produces in big factories (no matter if in europe or asia).
investment: a successful crowdfunding campaign would take this burden from you. producing (only?) kits with a network of “trusted builders” around it would make the warranty challenges manageable and, as a side effect, even put (a good part of) the manufacturing into passionate, skilled hands. i am aware that there is still more than enough industrial production involved on the component-level anyway.i am fading into off-topic fields now. maybe these thoughts help you with some long-term decisions in the future…
im down for a kit
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This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by
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