Simple Sequencer

One of the keys to making good music is mindless repetition. That is what the simple sequencer is great at. It does the same thing over and over again in an eight note sequence. You can adjust the frequency of the note, the duration of the note and the pause between notes. If you get really good, you can anticipate the next note and change things up on the fly. This little box is sure to provide endless hours of fun.

Step 1: Go get stuff

You will need:

- (8) 1M potentiometers
- (8) 50K potentiometers
- (8) 10K potentiometers
- (8) SPST 5V relays
- (1) 20K potentiometers
- (16) .1uF capacitors
- (16) 220 ohm resistor
- 74HC595 Shift Register
- Lamp pull switch
- M-type power adapter
- Mono audio jack
- 10K resistor
- 16F877 Pic chip
- 20 MHZ resonator
- PCB or two
- 40 pin socket
- Mat board
- 12 x 12 sheet of acrylic
- Wood grain contact paper
- 5 x 7 aluminum box
- An analog variable resistance based noise maker
- Rubber feet
- 26 knobs of various color
- A power drill
- C-clamps
- An awesome Epilog laser cutter
- A soldering setup
- Misc tools and hardware

Comments

[stealthop]

i'd rather have a mini moog than a laser cutter. call me crazy!

[stealthop]

what pic programmer is that?

[dlapham]

Can't I just use some plastic washers from Lowes?

[dlapham]

Can't I just cut it with a hole saw on a regular drill?

[randofo]

Sure. A normal acrylic drill bit should do.

[antoon]

how much does it cost i am almost broke so ...

[Rank Penguin]

Would it be too much trouble to ask for a little higher resolution picture of the schematic? Thanks!

[randofo]

In a few weeks I will be posting a new project with a much better circuit for doing the sequencing based on a 4017 decade counter.

[randofo]

Click on the "i" in the top left corner of the image for higher res versions.

[apaterson1]

i have no programing experience do u know where i can find a pre-programmed chip? thanks

[blinkyblinky]

You can use a 4017...

[randofo]

No one sells pre-programmed chips that I know of.

[hintss]

sell them

[pieman445]

AWWWESSSOME! I love sequencers, and with the looks of this one, i may have to see if i could make it XD
How much, excluding the cost of a laser (i may mount in something else), would you say this costs to make?

[jordanwade]

what program did you use to code the chip?? i only have mplab and the arduino ones...

[pietzeekoe]

MAKE A KIT!!!!!cant find the parts ...

[xemiahx]

that is simple? lol

[kasta96]

what type of laser cutter do you bought?

the zing one?

[randofo]

I didn't buy any, but I am fortunate to be able use an Epilog Legend EXT. I have now used 3 different kinds of lasers and must say that I like Epilog the best.

[kasta96]

so it's possible to build this project whitout the laser cutter?

[randofo]

I more or less used the laser cutter to cut round holes. This can easily be done with a drill press. Just download and print the file and use this as a drilling guide.

The spacers I made could easily be bought.

I think that about covers everything.

[dark sponge]

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but a video is worth a thousand pictures.

[AlternateLives]

More than that. 30 pics a second. so 1 minute of video is 1800 pics right there. and 1440 pics at 24 FPS.

Sorry 'bout that...

[AlternateLives]

This could be fun for Progressive House tracks! Perhaps get a few modulators in there, double the amount of notes...am I getting ahead of myself?

[JaNsRex]

Hello guys...just to ask.....does this circuit has a tempo or just a beat?...such as a closed hat sound....

[pietzeekoe]

I wish you made a kit for this.....I love the idea but i dont like part hunting and programming.

You should make kits with just the parts and a pre-programmed chip.....I would buy one :)

[hazzalflame]

Hey... Just want to know how much your exact one cost and how much we could save on alternatives. some of these components ain't cheap!! Recession and all...

[randofo]

Toy keyboard (free on sidewalk) Potentiometers and knobs (probably around $25 including shipping) PIC chip setup ($10) Misc other parts ($10 - $15)

[Duke Luke]

how did you get the potentiometers so cheap? as well as the other parts. What website do you use? i have had trouble finding potentiometers for under $10 each

[amplex]

http://www.futurlec.com/index.shtml has great prices, or try local bargain bin electronic stores, and i actually have found pretty good deals for 10-15 at a time on ebay, for as cheap as $1 apiece, w/ $3-4 shipping from hongkong, etc

[armenws]

2nded - ebay is a great place to find them around 1$ or less each, just make sure you find the ones with the right rating and stem length you need and sort by price

[copenhague]

I'm looking for a step sequencer but the monye is a problem..

is this Simple Sequencer for real or just a joke?

where can I listen to the sound of it?

thanks

[Technoshaman]

Why don't you try the baby-10 step sequencer? Google it...

[randofo]

I found a toy keyboard on the sidewalk and hacked it. I doubt you will find the same toy keyboard on the sidewalk. What mine sounds like probably won't be exactly what your sounds like.

Basically, it hits different notes in sequence, as expected. You can use whatever sound-producing device you want.

I have better things to do than write fake how-to instructions.

If you want a cheap and simple one, here:
http://electro-music.com/forum/topic-37770.html

[amplex]

not to steal your thunder, OP, but for those interested in a MUCH much simpler (and also usable as a CV sequencer!) do a google search on Baby10 sequencer. No PIC required, just a simple 4017 (for 10 steps) or 4022 (for 8 steps), the 8 100k pots, 8 1n4148 diodes, and some leds and resistors if youd like. i can build these in an hour, and have put them in toy drums, synths, etc!

[teeps]

 Would you please make an instructable for this?  I would love to see it.  I am interested in all of this stuff!

[amplex]

I've had parts around to do a 16 step one for awhile, a very simple project with 3 chips (40106 timer, 2x 4022 or 4017), 16 diodes, 18 pots, leds+resistors.  It will have CV out with a pot to control the range, and 1 for gain (internal osc). I'll start working on it tonight.  The only thing I've never done is make a drawn schematic for it but its based on the common Baby10 schematic which you can search for.

[teeps]

Sweet!  Sounds awesome.  I can't wait to see it.  If you make everything else clear enough, the schematic might not be too big of a hurdle.  But then again, it might be a fun challenge that would hone your skills in an area that's not a strength at the moment.   :)

And on a separate note that I should have included in my first comment:  I really like THIS instructable as well, great job!

[armenws]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/armenws/4796997608/
here's a 16 step sequencer schematic.

[Frag]

The mp3 sounds like the love child of Mario and Daft Punk