Korg monologue

Lesson 7: The 16-step sequencer

Goal: record a bassline by steps and in real time, then fix it with step edit, slides, ties and active steps.

How the sequencer is organised

Every program has its own sequence: up to 16 steps, one note per step, each with its own gate time, slide on or off and active on or off. The sequencer is monophonic, like the synth. Pick a user slot before you start so you don’t record over a preset you like.

Timing settings (SEQ EDIT)

Parameter	Where	Range	Notes
BPM	Button 5	10.0 to 600.0	Stored per program. The TEMPO knob overrides it from 56 to 240 BPM
Step Length	Button 6	1 to 16	Number of steps before the loop restarts
Step Resolution	Button 6	1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1/1	Length of each step. 1/16 is normal; 1/1 is a bar per step
Swing	Button 6	−75% to +75%	Shuffle feel
Default Gate Time	Button 6	0 to 100%	Note length used when step recording. Low is staccato

Step recording

With the sequencer stopped, press REC. The display shows “STEP REC” and “STEP 1”.
Note: press a key, check the note name on the display, then release to record it and move on. Wrong note? Keep holding it, press the right key, then release.
Rest: press REST.
Tie: hold a key and press REST. The note ties into the next step.
Recording ends automatically after the last step. Press REC to stop early.

While step recording, turning PROGRAM/VALUE on its own changes Step Length, and turning it while holding a key changes that note’s gate time. Press a step button to jump to that step.

Real-time recording

Press PLAY, then REC. Both light.
Play the keys. Notes are overdubbed onto what’s already there.
Press REST while recording to erase notes as the sequence passes.
Press REC to stop recording (the loop keeps playing) and PLAY to stop.

Turn on the Metronome at GLOBAL EDIT > button 4 if you need a click.

Step edit with the MOTION/SLIDE/NOTE switch

While the sequence plays, the 16 buttons edit whatever the switch selects.

NOTE: buttons turn recorded notes on (lit) or off. Hold a button and press a key to enter a new note on that step. Hold adjacent buttons and press a key to tie across them. Hold buttons and turn PROGRAM/VALUE to change their gate time.
SLIDE: buttons turn slide on for a step, gliding into the next step’s note. Slide length is Slide Time (0 to 100%) at PROGRAM EDIT > button 5.
MOTION: Lesson 8.

SHIFT + buttons 1 to 16 toggles active step. Inactive steps are skipped entirely, so a 16-step line becomes 13 or 11 steps for instant polyrhythms against a drum machine.

Playing a sequence from the keyboard

Press KEY TRG/HOLD (it stays lit): the sequence plays only while you hold a key.
Hold KEY TRG/HOLD until it blinks: the sequence keeps playing after you let go.
In either state, pressing a different key transposes the sequence. Korg’s wording is that you press the key “while holding down the KEY TRG/HOLD button as it lights or flashes”, so if a plain keypress doesn’t transpose on your unit, hold the button while you press the key.

Slide versus portamento

Slide is per step in the sequence. Portamento (PROGRAM EDIT > button 5) applies to what you play: Portamento Time Off or 0 to 127, and Portamento Mode Auto (glide only when you play legato) or On (always glide).

A bassline to enter

Step Length 16, Step Resolution 1/16, BPM about 125. Notes are relative: start on any low C.

Step	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
Note	C	C	C+12	-	C	D#	-	C	G	~	C	C+12	-	A#	C	-
Slide						x						x			x

C+12 is the C an octave up, ~ ties step 9 into step 10, and x marks a slide into the following step.

Exercise 7

Step-record the bassline above, add the slides in SLIDE view, then use active steps to make it 12 steps long. Save it. Finally, play it from KEY TRG/HOLD and transpose it live to F and G.