b-rain sequencer

b-rain project

“b-rain” is a modern hardware sequencer, based on Raspberry Pi 4, Puredata and Python, easy to use, versatile, open. It provides a radically innovative workflow with almost limitless possibilities. Designed to become the work center of your setup both in the studio and on stage/live set and suitable for all circumstances. It includes a very powerful sequencer, arpeggiator, MIDI controller, MIDI router, and an input/output section able to interface many standards such as MIDI, Usb MIDI, CV / Gate, Bluetooth BLE, Wifi-MIDI, art-net DMX, OSC, etc. all in an ultra-portable solution.
The b-rain sequencer can be used via our app (available for iOs, Android, Windows smartphones) or “invasively” connected to the most common control surfaces on the market and already available in every home-studio or stage (Novation Launchpad, Ableton Live Push, Akai APC, Maschine etc.) thus minimizing both cost and size.

Sequencer

● 7 polyphonic tracks each with 8 32-step* patterns
● 16 drum/monophonic tracks each with 8 32-step* patterns
* It is possible to freely and thoroughly edit 6 microsteps
inside of any step, for a total of 192 microsteps per
pattern i.e. 1536 microsteps per track
● Rain-like vertical step scrolling, smart disposition to identify movements on
a 8×4 matrix
● Length, direction (10 modes), time signatures, classic and free-sized step
duration plus many other freely configurable options per pattern
● Independent pattern chaining, with various directions and repeat modes
● Copy / Paste and multiselection implemented for steps, patterns, tracks,
automations etc, of course without the need of a mouse or menu diving,
since available on the control surface at any time
● Deterministic and probabilistic trig conditions per step
● Swing, adjustable in positive and negative directions and assignable by
pattern
● Retrigger, finely tweakable
● Jump step
● Triplets freely assignable to any step of the sequence
● Assignable Program Changes on any Pattern
● 32 CC Automations per pattern (32×8 total) can be chained and edited per
step and even merged with lfos in the “Automation ZOOM” page.
Automations can be freely assigned to any CC / MIDI channel
● 8 CC LFOs with advanced shaping features and freely assignable to any
CC / MIDI channel
● 8 CC envelopes per track with advanced shaping features, looping, key
triggering and freely assignable to any CC / MIDI channel
● 32 Customizable scales available for any track, with root note setting
● 4 independent Transpose tracks (8 patterns each, with scale divisions),
freely assignable to each of the polyphonic tracks
● Adjustable quantization can be activated during recording
● Humanize finely adjustable and activated per track
● Mute per track with 32 customizable mute groups

Arpeggiator

7 onboard advanced polyphonic arpeggiators: one per polyphonic
track, with classic modes, various random modes on both notes and
octaves
● 16 steps / 8 levels adaptive pattern mode
● internal transpose track with 16 editable steps (steps can also be deactivated to create rhythmic arpeggios)
● gate up to 350% (keeps the arpeggio notes active, creating a
polyphonic effect similar to the sustain)
● Link note mode (allows you to link the octave change events to the
note change events of the arpeggio, thus generating very special
rhythmic joints)

Live Mode

An innovative pattern management system for those used to Ableton Live! clip view interface
● Various pattern triggering modes (loop, one-shot, hold, others in development)
● “Deck a / b” function (allows you to switch from one song to another
in a continuous and gradual way pattern by pattern)

MIDI router

Advanced and flexible system with the possibility of freely routing any incoming stream to any outgoing stream either going through the sequencer or directly from one to another.
● You can use the b-rain also as a simple MIDI to Wifi , MIDI to Bluetooth,
MIDI to Cv etc. converter
● You can save scenes related to the whole set of MIDI parameters and settings of a single hardware Setup, also transferable from one b-rain to
another in a simple wayMIDI Controller
● Possibility to use the 8 encoders of the b-rain as a customizable MIDI
controller, with 512 memories of groups of 8 CCs
● Switch from sequencer to controller mode with one click
● Presets for classic MIDI synths and support for Sysex in development.

Hardware and Connectivity

● 2” Lcd display
● 3 push switches, 8 soft touch push encoders
● 3 Classic MIDI jack 3.5″ (1 In / 2 out)
● MIDI over Usb / MIDI Host with identification of the peripheral ID and
connection directly from the menu
● MIDI Wifi / MIDI Bluetooth BLE
● CV / multiple gate connectivity
● OSC, art-net DMX and ART125 protocols currently under development

Developers: Alessio (hardware), Peppe (PureData), Vincio (Python)