SQ-1 functionality in a eurorack module?

I have a Korg SQ-1 CV/gate sequencer and think it's great bang for bucks. But I would like it more if I could get it off my desk and into my rack. What options, DIY or built, are out there for eurorack sequencer modules with similar functionality in the same price range? Most I have found seem to be at least twice the cost if not much more.

Pricewise there is really nothing that can compete, I think. Maybe two of the Erica Synths x Moritz Klein 5-Step Sequencers can scratch your itch, but if you already own an SQ-1 I recommend you look into ways of mounting it in your rack using DIY rack ears. I sometimes see people selling 3D-printed ones on Etsy or Reverb, too.

Maybe this guy:

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/tesseract-modular-step-fader

It's seems to be able to do similar playability but with additional functions & at a fairly reasonable price.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3116258

Thanks for the replies! While I am comfortable with the SQ-1, I've only gotten into Eurorack within the past year or so. So, I feel like I still have quite a bit to learn. At some point, I would eventually like to get a more "feature-packed" sequencer. But I'm trying to be budget conscious... not quite ready to drop $500+ on a single module. Man, I thought drummers shelled out a lot of coin!

The rack mount for the SQ-1 looks cool although it does claim a lot of real estate. And, as I alluded to above, I may be gradually talking myself into a bit of an upgrade. So, the Moritz Klein 5-Step is maybe too basic for me. But the Tesseract Step Fader looks rather attractive and the newer mk2 version seems to go for only about twice as much as the SQ-1. Also, as I am still learning about stuff, all of the Step Fader's functionality is not immediately intuitive to me, so it could be something that I could grow into and learn over time. Thanks, again, for the ideas!

Don't do it! it took me a year or more to realise that its more sensible (Cheaper and more feature-packed) to use an external sequencer so I bought a second hand Beatstep Pro.
Its an easy way to add structure and repetition to my mostly generative rack and is so much easier than programming drums on my Robaux LL8, though they are cracking little drum sequencers.

Hi,
It also took me exactly a year to realize two things:
-A fully featured eurorack format sequencer module is very expensive and large, which brings me to my second point.
-Case space is very valuable, if you want to keep a reasonable case size (9U for example).
Before starting with modular I already had an Arturia BSP and it works very well combined with Eurorack. You can use it via MIDI with a converter module or use the dedicated outputs directly with patch cables, like I'm doing.
This also applies to percussion modules type TipTop 808-909, without modulation.
For the price of 3 of them, you have a good external drum machine.
However, the percussion modules with several CV parameters, those do make sense to include in the rack.
Best regards,

Hmmm... Strong arguments for the BeatStep Pro! I've already started collecting gate sequencers (Steppy, Euclidean, Turing). So, my thought was that I need to find module(s) to cover the CV side of sequencing. In comparison, the Tesseract seems to allow for greater manipulations/combinations than the BSP. But, the BSP supports longer sequences and also seems to be much more intuitive to program, at lease to me. Of course, the BSP won't fit in my rack. But, as mentioned, that leaves space for more utilities, modulators, effects... and, they're both in the same price range. (Don't mind me. I'm just thinking out loud.) Definitely considering the BSP. Thanks!

Have you considered the Behringer 182?

It’s a recreation of the sequencer from the Roland System 100 that has a lot of great features in a relatively compact module (16hp). It can be used in parallel or series, and you can vary the (shared) step length. You can also drive it with a trigger, so it works really well to sequence with a separate gate sequencer from the one triggering your EG. the variable length is great for creating shifting sequences and polyrhythms in a really intuitive way. Very affordable as well.

You can’t vary the direction of the sequence or the length of the two sequencers independently, but it’s a small price to pay for such a straight forward design imo.

Good suggestion! I've had my eye on the Behringer 182 for a while. Great value even for the modest feature set. Strikes me as kind of a budget workhorse. A bit of a step up from a Baby 8 type sequencer (https://www.modulargrid.net/e/other-unknown-tearaparttapes-baby-8-sequencer) which is what I displaced when I got my SQ-1. So, I think it might feel a little like a downgrade from the SQ-1. Changing the direction of the sequence is not something I currently do much, if at all. But I do very much like being able to set the length of the two sequencers independently. The ability to disable individual steps to create rests within a sequence is also a feature of the SQ-1 that I use a lot. But, since I do have other gate sequencers that could sync with the 182, I suppose there are workarounds to emulate some of the SQ-1's capabilities. So, I guess I'll just keep my eye on the 182 while I keep hunting. Thanks!

You’re right, definitely a budget workhorse. Totally understand the appeal of the SQ-1, I honestly got into modular more for interesting sequencing than for sound design, so I have a lot of fun using separate sequencers for gates and CV.

EDITED Jun 6th 2023, 04:15

I'm going to provide additional support to an option already suggested here: the BeatStep Pro.

I know this sequencer quite well. My home studio includes two BSPs used for modular, various synthesizers, including Volcas which sound wonderful but have very limited sequencers, or drum modules like the ADX1 which do not include a sequencer. (I also use sometimes an SQ-1 and a KeyStep, I mention this to further support my suggestion of the BSP).

The BSP is very easy to learn, feature rich (random, swing, tap tempo, pattern chaining, memorize, etc), pleasant to work with (very visual, pads are large and responsive, same for the knobs, no diving menu, etc.), two sequencers plus one drum (gate) sequencer, and to top it all off: an unbeatable price. All of these are reasons why so many modularists use it. I don't even see how Arturia could upgrade it.

This does not prevent the integration of certain types of sequencers (or similar) inside the modular for specific uses. For example, as I’m quite focused on random and stochastic, I must say that the BSP will never replace Marbles (*), Stochastic Inspiration Generator or Bloom, and of course all the modules to create random or other specific things (logic, noise, etc. And weird things as Diode Chaos ;) At last, it will not replace the combinations of modules : patching, is still the first reason for the modular.

I almost forgot one little detail: the BeatStep pro is in stock everywhere. A criterion that will now have to be included more often.

(*) There may be an upgrade path here for Arturia and the BSP: see what has been done since Emilie Gillet's work to create the MicroFreak. But I don’t mean that this is desirable, for various reasons...

I don't imagine that the combination of features, ease of use, and price point for the BSP will ever exist in a eurorack format module, even though the 3 sequencers it embodies could be described as rather "vanilla" compared to what is available in numerous eurorack alternatives. It undoubtably does appear to be a great piece of kit that excels at supporting a modular synth system.

As a self-proclaimed newbie (only around a year) with eurorack, I am still busy learning about and enamored with all the possibilities for various work flow scenarios within the rack. I think my hesitancy with getting a BSP is the, perhaps unfounded, idea that it might take me out of the rack to some degree. As a bass/guitar player, I've been into stompboxes for years. So, I tend to associate my synth rack with the idea of a pedalboard. It's typically awkward to integrate an external processor with a pedalboard. Granted, integrating the BSP with eurorack seems to be seamless. But I still get the feeling that it will draw a piece of my focus, physical, mental, creative, away from and out of my rack. And right now I am really into "the rack."

Of course, I may also be obsessing and overthinking the whole thing, too. But that's kind of where I'm at... for now, anyway. Certainly enjoying the debate ITMT. Could be a game changer if Emile takes a swing at the BSP, though!