qTribe MIDI Sequencer qTribe MIDI SequencerqTribe is a step-based MIDI sequencer, heavily influenced by the layout and operation of the Korg Electribe series of 'grooveboxes'.
It connects using the JACK MIDI API, and aims to provide a powerful and intuitive environment for composition and live performance of music.
Practical usage with a touchscreen is an important design goal of this project, as I have plans to run this application on Nokia handhelds and possibly on Tablet style notebooks.
Note: qTribe is currently only available for Linux
There is nothing in the way of documentation yet., however, a brief explanation of qTribes operation follows:
qTribe is a minimal solution for creating beats and monophonic (this is a UI, not a technical limitation) synth lines.
qTribe is designed to work with other MIDI applications or equipment to generate it's sounds, but offers no UI for making these connections.
When you run qTribe, you need to make sure JACK is running, and you will also want to launch a JACK-enabled synthesizer app. (I suggest hydrogen for starters)
Once JACK, hydrogen and qTribe are running, you can use your favourite JACK patchbay tool (I use QJackCtl, since thats how I launch JACK), to connect qTribe's MIDI out to the JACK-provided MIDI in for hydrogen. JACK aliases ALSA MIDI ports with a non-descriptive number, but usually connecting qTribes MIDI out to the last of JACK's MIDI ins does the trick.
Now, if everything goes to plan, clicking the 'play' button in qTribe should result in a sequence running (currently playing step lights up in red), producing MIDI on channel 10 (default for drums) and hydrogen producing some drum sounds.
Firing up another JACK-enabled synth, like AmSynth or QSynth, and setting it to listen to channel 1 should result in the first synth part in qTribe driving it. There are 4 synth parts, each of which can be configured with a MIDI channel to send on. Use the Pattern Channel Mode radio button, and turn the dial to select the channel for the selected part.
Hopefully a good deal of the operation of qTribe will be semi-intuitive, and users of Korg Electribes should have no trouble driving it, but for those who have not had the pleasure of using one of these devices, you may be a bit lost.
Generally speaking, for Pattern mode functions, selecting a radio button and turning the dial will change the selected attribute.
Note on/off step mode selection disables the dial, and the 16 'step' keys at the bottom of the UI can be toggled on or off by clicking on them.
Clicking on a step key in any other mode selects the step, and you can use the dial to adjust the current Step-mode parameter.
Rest assured that I will be putting together a proper manual covering all qTribe functions very soon, and hopefully you can push buttons and turn the knobs and figure it out in the meantime.
Future improvements to the sequencer will include JACK Transport sync, MIDI recording, chord support, and work on keyboard bindings.
Future GUI work will include custom widgets for data entry dials, knobs, key-pads and mode selectors.
Work on qTribe is in an early stage, but the application is functional, and can be used to jam live with patterns.
QTribe driving QSynth and hydrogen, messing round with a single 2-bar pattern
qTribe is licensed under the GNU GPL. Sourceforge project, source download and Ubuntu packages in the pipeline...
NOTE: if you want to try qtribe at this early stage, you can try simply running the executable (Compiled on Ubuntu Hardy). You will need to unzip this qtribe.bank file (qtribe.bank.gz) in your home directory (e.g. /home/alice/qtribe.bank) or qtribe will probably just crash and burn.
You will also need the appropriate JACK libs installed, and QT3.
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