Grid; Type; Span (Arpeggios Only); Order (Arpeggios Only) - Alesis MICRON Reference Manual

3
Patterns

6. Grid

Choose 8, 12, 14, 16, 20, 24, or 32 steps per bar, or choose
unquantized. Shortening the scale decreases the quantizing
resolution. You're more likely to hear double notes and simpler
syncopations at low values.
Straight-ahead feels tend to result from using 8, 16, and 32 steps
per bar. Swing and shuffle feels tend to result from choosing 12 or
24 steps per bar. But you can create some pretty wild patterns by
using fractions of bars along with less obvious grid values, like 14
and 20.

7. Type

Choose sequence or arpeggio.

8. Span (arpeggios only)

Choose a span ranging from single note – in which the note you
press on the keyboard will be the only note that plays – to one that
plays up, down, or up-and-down through 1, 2, 3, or 4 octaves.

9. Order (arpeggios only)

When you hold down more than one note, you can specify the
order in which they will be arpeggiated:
● The order in which they were initially pressed (called as played).
● Up. The arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding from the
bottom to the top. Once the top note is reached, the arpeggio
begins from the bottom again.
● Down. The arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding from the
top to the bottom. Once the bottom note is reached, the arpeggio
begins from the top again.
● Up+Down Incl. This mixes the up and down settings, playing up
the notes you are holding and repeating the top note and the
bottom note. The incl stands for inclusive.
● Up+Down Excl. This mixes the up and down settings, playing up
the notes you are holding without repeating the top note and the
bottom note. The excl stands for exclusive.
● Octave Jump. The arpeggiator plays the notes you are holding
but plays the first note in two or more octave registers before
playing the second note, which it also plays in two or more octave
registers, etc.
24
Four Beats per Bar
All Micron patterns have four
beats per bar.
You can still create odd-
meter rhythms. It just takes a
little calculation and a
willingness to ignore the
tempo indications given by
the [tap] button.
For instance, one way to
create a ¾ feel is to combine
a length of ½ bar with a grid
of 24 steps. That will give
you a total of 12 steps to work
with.
Ignore the display's "6 + 6"
grouping. Think "4 + 4 + 4"
instead.
Arpeggios or Sequences?
Arpeggios contain rhythm
and velocity (relative volume)
information.
Sequences contain not only
rhythm and velocity
information but also pitch
information.
Use arpeggios for computer-
generated patterns.
Use sequences for melodies
and basslines.
Octave Jump
To hear Octave Jump in
action, Span should not be set
to "single note."