New OS with Loop Bar Sequencer for Emax I E-mu + quantize

video upload by deepeightyeight

"new os for emax, it's the 4.5 it adds loop bar seq (before was linear) and quantize (oooh) and track mute (ooooh) and duplicate and count in... you can download from here, still in beta. there are the 4 version Standard, SE, HD and Plus. i check the first 2 are ok. i have no HD so in uncheck so BACKUP before trying! u have been warned.
www.12records.net//ftp/EMAX_4.5_Loop_Bar_Seq_Packet.zip"

Update: some additional info:

EMAX 4.4 LOOP BAR SEQ
Unofficial educational OS modification for E-mu Emax I SE
Release notes, quick guide and disclaimer - 18 October 2026

ABOUT THIS RELEASE

Loop Bar Seq turns the Emax's sequencer into a repeating, bar-based recording
workflow. You can build parts over successive passes, leave recording while
playback continues, switch recording tracks and mute parts from the keypad.

4.4 is the sample-free edition. There are no drum samples, factory sounds or demonstration sequences. An empty Untitled preset is retained so that the disk has a valid Emax bank structure.

The features below describe the cumulative Loop Bar Seq modifications; they
were not all added between 4.2.2 and 4.4. "4.4" is this project's version
number, not an official E-mu release designation.

COMPATIBILITY

Developed for the original Emax I keyboard running the SE operating system,
including standard Emax I units previously upgraded to SE. This is not an
Emax II OS, an SE Retrofit Disk, or a conversion utility for a non-SE unit.

The original E-mu SE Upgrade Manual distinguishes loading SE sound banks
from booting SE software: an unconverted standard Emax cannot simply boot
an ordinary SE OS disk. It first needs the separate SE upgrade procedure.
See the original manual, printed page 5:
https://www.angelspit.net/emax/files/Emax_SE_Upgrade.pdf

This release is based on the SE floppy OS. Compatibility with other hardware
variants, HD/SCSI operating systems and every disk emulator is not established.

MAIN FEATURES AND OPERATION

1. Repeating bar-length sequences and continuous overdub

The sequence loops at the selected bar length instead of ending recording
after a single pass. Recording continues across passes until you leave REC
or stop the transport. New notes are added to the existing sequence.

The initial length is 2 bars. Select SEQUENCER SETUP, then 7 Bars, to choose
1-32 bars. Bar lengths in this modification use 4/4 timing.

While the sequence is running, RECORD switches between recording and playback.
Leaving REC keeps playback running. STOP ends the transport. Stop before saving
the bank so that recording edits are fully consolidated.

2. Track status and changing recording tracks while running

Open SETUP 1, Status. The status editor uses the order R -> P -> M:

R = record target
P = play
M = mute

You can change the current recording track from R to P without stopping, move
to another track and set it to R to continue building the arrangement. Setting
a track to R while playback is running enters recording. An empty track set
to R inherits the current preset; choose your sound before arming it.

The Status cursor initially follows the recording target. After that, manual
navigation remains available; screen refreshes do not force it back each pass.

3. Keypad track mutes

While the Status page is open, keys 1-8 toggle mute/play for tracks 1-8.
Press the same key again to restore playback. These shortcuts are local to
Status; they do not turn the keypad into global track controls.

The original 16-track structure remains. The direct mute shortcuts cover the
first eight tracks; offline quantization can address all sixteen.

4. Tight live quantization, grid and swing

Live quantization starts ON with a 1/16 grid and 50% swing (straight timing).
In SETUP 9, Quant, use the right/left cursor keys to move between:

Q 0/1: 0 = OFF, 1 = ON
Grid: 8, 16 or 32
Swing: 50-75%; 50 is straight
Apply: quantize existing sequence data

Change these settings while stopped, before recording. ON/16 is the startup
default; the controls remain editable.

New note attacks are rounded to the nearest selected grid position at full
strength. There is no intentional loose or partial-strength setting. Swing
is the explicit way to move the offbeat positions. Note releases retain a
minimum gate where needed, so a very short note may end one clock after its
attack rather than collapsing to zero length. Repeated notes on the same
grid are ordered to avoid pushing later attacks off the grid.

The sound you play is monitored immediately. Quantization changes the timing
stored in the sequence, so the next playback pass may differ from the timing
you heard while playing. Turning live Q on does not retime older notes.

5. Quantize an existing sequence

Stop the sequencer, enter SETUP 9 and scroll right to the Apply page:

00 = ALL tracks
01-16 = one track
ENTER = execute

Apply uses the selected Grid and Swing values. It modifies the selected
tracks in the current sequence; keep a saved copy if you want the original
performance. It is separate from the live Q ON/OFF setting.

6. Duplicate the active bar window

With the transport stopped, SETUP 8, Copy, duplicates the chosen bar window
and doubles the length: 2 -> 4 -> 8 -> 16 -> 32 bars, for example.

Only the active window is copied. If a stored sequence contains 8 bars and
you reduce Bars to 2 before using Copy, the result is 4 bars containing the
first 2 bars repeated. Notes in the excluded 6 bars are discarded from the
result and do not return on later duplications. Silence counts toward the
chosen length, even when the last note ends early.

Changing Bars by itself selects the loop boundary; it does not immediately
erase every hidden event. Copy rebuilds the selected window. Releases from
retained notes that extend beyond the cut are clipped to the window's end.
The other stored sequences remain intact. Copy is capped at 32 bars and may
refuse the operation if there is insufficient temporary memory.

7. Count-in, MIDI transport and front-panel feedback

SEQUENCER MANAGE 7, CountIn, selects a 0-8 bar recording count-in. The startup
default is 0, so recording begins without a lead-in.

MIDI Start/Stop reception is enabled for the startup preset. Selecting MIDI
as the clock source remains a separate setting. Check the loaded preset's
MIDI configuration and routing when using an external sequencer.

The transport LEDs follow the current mode: PLAY during playback, REC and
PLAY during recording, and STOP when stopped. PLAY briefly goes dark at a
loop boundary as a visual loop marker. Status/mute refreshes preserve that
indication and do not repurpose the SELECT LED.

The SETUP opening screen now reads:

4.4 Loop Bar Seq
[1-9] / Slider

The recording and loop code also includes fixes for first-note capture,
empty-track erase, recording-target selection and unwanted voice resets
during loop consolidation. This does not guarantee that every possible
note-off, voice-stealing or synchronization case is eliminated.

GETTING STARTED AND SAVING

Use EMAX_4.4_Loop_Bar_Seq_OS_Only.img as a complete disk image with your
existing Emax disk-writing or floppy-emulator workflow. Its 819200-byte size
includes the normal disk layout and empty bank; it is not a raw ROM/EPROM
file. Boot it on an SE-enabled Emax, then load or sample your own sounds.

Keep a known-working boot disk and backups of your banks. For working bank
disks that need matching software, use copies and the Emax's native MASTER /
Special / Copy Software function. Read its prompts: that operation may clear
RAM. Keep the complete OS and overlays together; do not mix software areas
from different releases. Save your work with the transport stopped.

LIMITATIONS AND TEST STATUS

4.4 does not add a new MIDI clock engine or MIDI Out rewrite. It retains the
accepted 4.2.2 Loop Bar Seq code. Dense sequences, many simultaneous events
and external MIDI traffic can still produce uneven timing on this hardware.
No claim of jitter-free clock, increased polyphony or sample memory is made.

The exact 4.2.2 baseline passed 89 software verification groups. The 4.4 build
has identical executable bytes and defaults, with only the title/identities
and empty bank changed. Fourteen targeted 4.4 checks cover the new image,
empty bank, native menu/disk paths, startup defaults, recording and Duplicate.
These checks use an NS32008 execution runner with modeled hardware boundaries;
they are not a cycle-accurate emulator or a physical audio/timing test.
The newly packaged 4.4 image still requires testing on the actual instrument.

UNOFFICIAL STATUS, NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSE AND DISCLAIMER

This is an independent, unofficial modification, shared free of charge for
education, study and experimentation. It is not for sale and must not be
presented as an official, approved or supported E-mu product. No affiliation
with or endorsement by E-mu Systems or any related rights holder is claimed.
Do not sell this modified build or include it in a paid firmware package.

The software and accompanying information are supplied "AS IS" and "AS
AVAILABLE", without warranties or guarantees of any kind, to the fullest
extent permitted by applicable law. No promise is made regarding reliability,
compatibility, uninterrupted operation, data preservation or suitability for
any particular purpose. There is no commitment to provide support, repairs,
updates or replacement equipment.

You choose whether to install, copy or use this experimental modification
and assume the associated risks. Back up your samples, presets, sequences
and disks before testing it. Do not rely on an untested build for work that
you cannot afford to lose.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the author, contributors
and anyone making this build available disclaim liability for loss of data,
samples, presets or sequences, equipment malfunction or damage, interruption
of work, lost income, and other losses arising from its use or inability to
use it. This limitation does not exclude or limit liability that cannot
lawfully be excluded or limited, including fraud, intentional misconduct or
gross negligence where applicable. Mandatory legal rights take precedence.

E-mu, Emax and other product names belong to their respective owners. Rights
in the original firmware remain with the relevant rights holders. Educational
intent and free distribution do not themselves grant a licence to third-party
firmware or permission to redistribute protected material. This notice is
not a claim of ownership of the original E-mu software.