Superbooth 2019: Frapp Tools USTA 4 Track Sequencer

Published on May 10, 2019 sonicstate

Certain eurorack modules would look great as mini desktop modules. This would be one of them. Add MIDI and 16 track multitrack sequencing for each MIDI channel.

"usta / ˈusta / s.f. [probably from an ancient Germanic form, cfr. German Nüster, English nostril] – the trail left by the pray. Idiom., more common: ‘good sense’, ‘wisdom’. Idiom. a usta ‘by heart’. The ‘Usta’ sequencer follows both of those meaning: literally, it gives your patch a trail to follow; more broadly, it offers you a way to approach your composition ‘by heart’, without too much planning.
USTA is a 4×4 tracks sequencer for voltages and gates with variable stage duration, designed to quickly see and edit multiple voltage relationships in real time.

“Variable stage duration” means that every single stage duration can be individually set in relation to the clock, instead of being constrained to a one-to-one ratio (i.e. one stage per every clock impulse).

“4×4 tracks” means that every stage can store and generate up to four separate voltages (two CVs and two gates), and that up to four independent stage sequences can be arranged into as many different tracks.

Its architecture is based on an array of 16 ‘Stages’ which form a ‘Pattern’; 16 patterns form a ‘Track’, and four tracks form a ‘Project’. Within each track, each stage can provide two gates and two CVs, and a wide set of options is available to define and modify the value of each output (‘Layers’) and the way it is played (‘Colors’).

Every Stage is related to a dedicated stepped encoder for quick and intuitive editing, and all the 16 encoders are arranged in an oval layout with a circular playhead. Every encoder is surrounded by a ring of 16 LEDs and a RGB led, to provide a visual feedback of the current setting of that step basing on the layer you are working on (like raw CV, quantized CV, length, gate…) and the way it should play depending on the RGB color.

Key Features

Hands-on layout with physical control per stage and intuitive visual feedback
Variable stage length
Independent time ratios on internal or external clock per each track
Complete track independence
4 fully independent tracks with 2 gates and 2 CV each
Raw / quantized CV with quantization scales and roots
Pattern mode to edit and play live dynamically, and song mode for a defined sequence of pre edited patterns
Composition mode to edit a stopped track with CV monitoring
Normal, skip, or length based slide CV mode per each stage
Unified gate and ratcheting
External CV routing to multiple targets
Store of modulated and/or pseudo randomized patterns in realtime

Additional details:

The duration of each stage of the sequence can be individually set: this makes syncopation and polyrhythmic structures extremely easy to achieve without “wasting” steps.

The stage length is measured in units (0 to 16), whose duration is determined in relation to the clock tempo (Time Ratio): this allows immediate clock divisions or multiplications, from one unit every 24 clocks to 8 units per clock). The clock can be either internal or external and its tempo can be individually set per each of the four tracks.

A swing ratio from 1 to 75% allows more experimental rhythmic structures.


16 push rotary encoders let you easily define the value of each stage: fine and coarse editing is achieved through modifier buttons, which also allow you to set multiple stages to the same value or to transpose them at once.

Cloning functions allow to clone single stages or structures of stages, as pattern, channels or entire tracks.

Asynchronous output monitoring is available, in order to write down a sequence when the device is stopped.

A touch of variability can be added and the resulting micro-variations can be stored to new patterns.

USTA provides many expressive tools to animate your sequence.

The stages can be independently set to work in ‘Slide’ mode, adding a linear integration from the previous value to the current one in a sort of portamento or glide effect.

The gate can be held high for the whole stage, which combined with the slide option creates very expressive legato-like behaviors.

1 to 16 gates can be fit into each stage’s duration, for a very intuitive and flexible ratcheting effect.

Each of the 8 CV channels in USTA can be set to work in high resolution raw voltages or finely tunable quantized semitones (notes).

Raw mode lets you define a precise voltage per each stage, editing it in steps down to 1 mV.

Pitch mode lets you generate quantized CVs (12-TET), editing them normally in steps of semitones (default), octaves (coarse) or cents of semitone (fine).

Furthermore the pitch mode let you choose a root and a scale, force your sequence to that scale, even after pseudo-random variations or pitch shifting.

The pattern sequences can be endlessly modified for ever-changing performances through alternative arrangements, live recalling and custom loop points.

It is possible to loop the current pattern, the last one or all the patterns, as well as to play in one shot only the current pattern or the whole sequence.

The Stage Loop lets you define a parallel cross-pattern loop section with flexible starting point, length and duration.

It is possible to arrange and repeat the patterns in a different structure to form a Song, but also to manually recall a different structure, or even to hybridize two different patterns without going out of sync.

It is possible to simultaneously address the CV inputs to multiple targets, even across different tracks. These modulations routings use external voltages as an offset to shift the defined values:

Pitch Shift (change CVs in pitch mode minding the scale in use);
Gate Shift (change the number of gate events per each stage);
Stage Shift (access CVs and Gates of a different stage than the one that is actually playing);
Vari Shift (change the variation ranges of all the layers subject to be pseudo randomized)."

http://frap.tools/products/usta/