XOR Electronics NerdSEQ 1.22 Adds 4 OP FM Engine, 8 Envelopes & More

October 22, 2020 Synth Anatomy Eurorack, Hardware, News 0

XOR Electronics has expanded its unique tracker Eurorack sequencer NerdSEQ with a new 4OP FM engine, 8 envelopes, and a wealth of other creative features.

I’m not exaggerating when I say that the XOR Electronics NerdSEQ is one of the most complex sequencers in the Eurorack area. To describe it as a simple tracker-based 6 track sequencer is an understatement. For me, it is a groove box for the Eurorack format because it has a built-in audio engine. This consists of synths (oscillators…) sampler and powerful modulators.

As a result, it takes a little longer to familiarize yourself with the module because the feature density is extremely high. Behind the module is the German developer and 8-bit fan Thomas Margolf, who attaches great importance to product maintenance. Since the official release, the module has experienced a kind of morphing process. From a more sequencer to a complete groovebox for Eurorack. Recently, he published a massive update for the NerdSEQ that brings many new features.

XOR Electronics NerdSEQ 1.22

The new NerdSEQ firmware 1.22 is huge. Among other things, the module now offers a 4 operator FM engine, which significantly increases the sound possibilities of the audio engine. Then, it offers a new basic wavefolder effect, lo-fi delay, or a glide function. Another highlight is the addition of 8 envelopes, which can also be output to other modules as CVs. The new CV16 expander allows you to route them into your system.

Further, the modulation tables got a massive rework and are now more feature-rich, versatile, and musical. Here are the highlights of this firmware in my opinion. All details are on the official website.

Highlights

4 operator synth engine
new basic wavefolder effect, lo-fi delay & sample glide functions
automator FX, envelope fx + glide + wavefold + delay settings for sample FX
gate off function (beside sample/wave off) to allow a envelope release. (shift+delete is either note/sample/wave off or gate off as 2nd function)
8 ADSR envelopes with advanced settings (one-shot, AD-SR & loop mode), and many sources & destinations
automators got updates with envelope ‘mirror’ with Offset, Invert, AMP and bitrate 1..12 bit clones one of the selected envelopes actually into the automators
new editing functions (new project, pattern stop in the sequencer…)
improvements & bug fixes for CV16, T16, MIDI
major rework of the tables including new features (random, scaling, chords…), animations, and editing options

All in all, a huge free update that Eurorack users can look forward to. The developer advises to backup your projects before you install the update.

XOR Electronics Interview

Lastly, if you want to know more about Thomas Margolf as a person, about his 8-bit music, his synth projects, and the XOR Electronics company, I can only recommend my interview with him.