| On the chopping block: Functional comparison grid - Milton vs. The others. |
The following is a matrix which compares the functionality of Milton to the balance of other 16 step analog sequencers - namely the Serge TBK, Buchla 246, Analogue Solutions Oberkorn and Doepfer MAQ 16.3. Each episode is broken down into two categories: A) Things that specific sequencer does that Milton can't B) Things Milton can do that specific sequencer can't
| As Compared to the Serge TBK |
| jjj | |
| WHAT THE SERGE DOES THAT MILTON CAN'T | MILTON'S EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjjjj | |
| Pulse enabled directional presets (for/back/random) | Full voltage control of direction |
| jjjjjj | |
| Touchplates for manual assignment of stage/trigger | 1 v/oct CV input processing for keyboard control of stage |
| jjjjjj | |
| Vertical sequencing (compounded banks) | None |
| jjjjjj | |
| WHAT MILTON DOES THAT THE SERGE CAN'T | TBK's EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjjjjj | |
| 1 v/oct control inputs (keyboard controls active stage) | None |
| jjjjjj | |
| True random stage advancement | Pseudo-random |
| jjjjjj | |
| 2 programmable pulse busses | None |
| jjjjjj | jjjjjj |
| Start/Stop control of external trigger | None |
| jjjjjj | jjjjjj |
| Full VC dirctional control | Pseudo-random only |
| jjjj | jjjj |
| Asynchronous directional control | Synchronous control only |
| jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj | jjjjjjjjjj |
| As Compared to the Buchla 246 |
| jjj | |
| WHAT THE BUCHLA DOES THAT MILTON CAN'T | MILTON'S EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjj | |
| Start of sequencer stage selection | Accessable through offset CV, but more difficult |
| jjj | |
| WHAT MILTON DOES THAT THE BUCHLA CAN'T | BUCHLA'S EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjj | |
| 2 programmable pulse busses | None |
| jjj | |
| Audio processing (attenuation of non-harmonic partials) | None |
| jjj | jjj |
| Currently in production | Nope! |
| jjjjjj | jjj |
| As compared to Analogue Solutions' OBERKORN | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| As Compared to the Doepfer MAQ 16/3 |
| jjj | |
| WHAT THE MAQ DOES THAT MILTON CAN'T | MILTON'S EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjj | |
| Midi output | None |
| jjj | |
| Midi CC output | None |
| jjj | |
| Totally Independant bank operation | None |
| jjj | |
| Memory recall of sequences | None |
| jjj | |
| Quantized outputs (only) | None |
| jjj | |
| 5 directional presets/bank | Full voltage control of direction |
| jjj | |
| Midi controllable | None |
| jjj | |
| WHAT MILTON DOES THAT THE MAQ CAN'T | MAQ'S EQUIVALENT (IF ANY) |
| jjj | |
| Linear (non quantized) analog outputs | None |
| jjj | |
| Analog control of incoming clock | None |
| jjj | |
| Receives external clock | Runs off of internal clock only |
| jjj | |
| Voltage control of direction | 5 directional presets/bank |
| jjj | |
| Individual stage pulse outs | None |
| jjj | jjj |
| 2 programmable pulse busses | None |
| jjj | jjj |
| Asynchronous directional control | Synchronous control only |
| jjjjjj | jjj |
| 4 banks of 16 steps | 3 banks of 16 steps |
What you are hearing:
This is Milton arpeggiating a major chord with every other arpeggiation advancing a second sequencer to offset the oscillator pitch to a relational chord. The echo, reverb and secondary low pass filtering comes from a Novation Supernova II.
Audio sample 2: The importance of being Milton
This second soundbite gives an example of the depth of control Milton can extend. In this sample, all four banks, plus both of the programmable pulse banks were incorporated into a single sound event, as follows:
Bank 1: Controls the frequency of the VCO
Bank 2: Determines the note durations - the rhythm
Bank 3: Controls the timbre (the center frequency of the filter - shut down to kill the 'chiff' of the 32nd notes)
Bank 4: Controls the special location in a two-channel field
Programmable Pulse Bank 1: Used to trigger the note bends heard on only 6 of the 15 notes in this sequence (the whole notes only).
Programmable Pulse Bank 2: Used to stop the sequencer (external halt) at the end of this phrase