Korg’s SQ-64 desktop sequencer offers 64 steps across four tracks

With the release of the SQ-64, Korg has created its most powerful hardware sequencer in 40 years since the arrival of the SQ-10. The brand’s last two-track eight-step sequencer, the SQ-1, was by no means revolutionary but with its CV compatibility, it was a solid foundation for the birth of the SQ-64.

This sleek new CV/MIDI polyphonic sequencer boasts a matrix of 64 LED-lit pads that can programme 64 steps across four tracks. Three of the tracks can individually control pitch, mod and gat outputs, with up to eight voices of polyphony. SQ-64’s fourth track is dedicated to drums, with eight CV gates and eight MIDI outs for a total of 16 drum voices. You can also sync this with other Korg gear with Sync In and Out connections.

Korg’s SQ-64 features a powerful arpeggiator that assists in the creation of complex parts. Steps and entire sequences can be manipulated by Reverse, Bounce, Random and Stochastic sequence playback modes. There is also chord, scale and loop functionality, plus the ability to play it like any other MIDI controller in Control mode.

An OLED display at the top of the sequencer gives you clear access to all the information you need. Each of the 64 step pads has different levels of brightness, depending on the state of a particular step. Combine that with the ability to view all four tracks at once in 16-step pages, and you should get a pretty comprehensive overview of your parts at all times.

The SQ-64 boasts 64 project memories, with each project consisting of up to 16 patterns of 64 steps on the four tracks. With an early 2021 release and a pretty affordable price tag of £269, Korg’s latest looks to be a serious competitor for current sequencers on the market.

Find out more about the Korg SQ-64 at korg.com

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