8-stage Ryk M-185-inspired pitch and gate sequencer. Per-stage slider pitch, pulse count 1-8, gate mode (hold/repeat/single/rest), ratcheting, slide, skip. 30 scales, 9 direction modes, TB-303 slide, dual AUX CV inputs.
PULSE COUNT sets how long a stage stays active in clock pulses; GATE MODE sets what the gate does during that time. HOLD ties gates across pulses (legato), REPEAT fires a gate per STEP/DIV subdivision, SINGLE fires once, REST silences. Massive rhythmic variety per stage.
When a stage has slide active, PITCH output glides from previous pitch to current over SLIDE TIME — constant time regardless of interval size. Signature acid-bassline feel. Works in parallel with gate events.
Per stage, ratchet value 1-4 subdivides each pulse into that many gates (half the GATE TIME each). Combines with PULSE COUNT and STEP/DIV to produce rolling, machine-gun fills. Clear all ratchets with EXIT+encoder until r_Clr.
Skipped stages are bypassed entirely and don't count toward STAGES length. Create odd-meter patterns (5, 7 active stages) without changing STAGES. Blinking LED = skipped.
P.PrE (1V/oct) or P.PrEL (semitone) shift pitch BEFORE the quantizer — so CV pushes notes to different scale degrees (voice leading). P.PoST / P.PoSL add offset AFTER quantizer — moves whole sequence chromatically. Two totally different musical effects.
Shifts scale root while keeping slider positions. rooT is 1V/oct-calibrated (chord-root sequencer drives modulation); rooTL is ±12 semitones. Use to auto-harmonize sequence around a chord progression from a second sequencer.
Chromatic, Major, minor, modes, blues, pentatonics, harmonic/melodic minors, Japanese/Gypsy/Arabic modes, Pelog, Tritone, Prometheus, Augmented, Enigmatic. Scale plus ROOT instantly reharmonizes sliders without manual note-picking.
Drunken walk: 50% forward, 25% stay, 25% back. Combined with scale quantize and small slider range, produces evolving melodies that trend forward but meander. Fixed variant (brn-F) locks total pulse count.
rST_n resets on next clock (DAW-style start). rST_F requires RESET to be high simultaneously with CLK (prevents glitch resets from noisy gates). rST_r makes RESET input a RUN gate — sequence only plays while gate is high.
Expects 24 PPQ clock on CLK and uses RESET input as a run/stop signal per Roland DIN-Sync spec. Lets Metropolis slave to vintage 808/909/303 setups with a DIN-Sync adapter cable.
CLK output emits a pulse at the start of each new stage instead of dividing the clock. Perfect for driving a second sequencer that advances once per Metropolis stage — hierarchical stepping.
Pitch output locks at 0V, gate stays high. Use to tune a connected VCO's base pitch without running the sequence.
rPC_Y: PITCH output updates even on REST stages. rPC_n: PITCH holds previous value during rest. rPC_Y is classic TB-303 feel where rests still change pitch silently; rPC_n keeps the last note ringing in connected delays/reverbs.
| Stages 1-8 | PITCH Sliders (1-8) | Sets quantized pitch for each stage. LED reflects current gate state during playback. Quantized to active SCALE · range set by CONFIG → OCT (1-3 octaves) |
| Stages 1-8 | PULSE COUNT Sliders (1-8) | Sets how many clock pulses each stage holds before advancing. Range 1-8 · interacts with GATE MODE and STEP/DIV |
| Stages 1-8 | GATE MODE Switches (1-8) | 4-position: HOLD, REPEAT, SINGLE, or REST. HOLD: gate tied for all pulses · REPEAT: gate per STEP/DIV subdivision · SINGLE: one gate at start · REST: silent |
| Stages 1-8 | SLIDE / SKIP Buttons (1-8) | Single click toggles pitch glide into the stage; double click toggles skip; hold+encoder sets ratchet count 1-4. Solid green=slide · blinking green=skip · button-combo shortcuts trigger menu actions |
| Global | GATE TIME | Sets gate length from short click to full pulse width. Summed with AUX if assigned to G.LEn. CCW: shortest · CW: longest · affects SINGLE and REPEAT modes |
| Global | SLIDE TIME | Sets portamento time for stages with SLIDE enabled. Constant-time like TB-303 regardless of pitch interval. CCW: ~0 s · CW: ~1 s |
| Menus | DATA Encoder | Turn to adjust values, click to confirm or enter submenus. Most menus are one level deep · click returns to main display |
| Menus | EXIT Button | Returns to default sequencer display immediately. Escapes any menu without committing uncommitted selections |
| Transport | RUN | Starts or stops the sequence. State preserved on power-down if saved |
| Transport | RESET | Resets sequence to stage 1 per CONFIG → rST mode. rST_n: next clock · rST_F: on clock-aligned RST · rST_r: RESET input functions as RUN gate |
| Transport | PREV | Running: stays on current stage. Stopped: scrolls stages backward to preview pitches. Hold+encoder for fine scrub |
| Transport | NEXT | Running: jumps one stage ahead. Stopped: scrolls forward to preview. Useful for skipping to drop point live |
| Timing | BPM | Sets internal clock tempo 20-320 BPM. Tap tempo supported. Click to enter menu, tap to set, encoder adjusts · BPM lock available |
| Timing | SWING | Shuffle amount applied to odd clock pulses (INT CLK only). 50 = 0% swing · 72 = 33% swing |
| Timing | INT/EXT | Selects clock source: internal, external trigger, or DIN Sync 24 PPQ. C_InT · C_EXT · C_d24 (requires reset pin 5 of DIN-Sync) |
| Timing | DIV | Sets incoming clock division (di) and outgoing CLK division (do). Allowed values set by CONFIG → d. di: 1-64 · do: ALL/Odd/Even or per-stage pulse (d_STA) |
| Pattern | MODE | Direction mode: Forward, Reverse, Ping-Pong, Brownian, Random, plus Fixed variants where STAGES counts pulses instead of stages. Frd · rEv · PnG · brn · rnd · plus -F fixed-length variants |
| Pattern | STAGES | Sets sequence length in stages (or pulses in -F fixed modes). 1-8 stages in default modes |
| Pattern | STEP/DIV | Subdivides the pulse for REPEAT gate mode. STEP1-STEP4 · STEP4 means gate fires every 4th clock pulse |
| Pattern | SCALE | Selects quantization scale. 30 scales from chromatic through modes to microtonal. Includes Bhairav, Pelog, Hirojoshi, Prometheus, Enigmatic, and more |
| Pattern | ROOT | Sets root note of the current scale. No effect when scale is Chromatic. 12 chromatic root positions |
| System | SAVE | Saves full panel state to one of 8 EEPROM slots. Last saved slot recalls on power-up. 8 slots · encoder to choose, click to commit |
| System | LOAD | Recalls a saved settings slot. 8 slots |
| Pattern Shortcut | MODE Button (black) | Holds for mode shortcut assignments via SLIDE/SKIP buttons. Configured via CONFIG → ModES |
| System | CONFIG | Opens system submenu: OCT, d, SYn, rST, rPC, ScAlE, ModES, b, TunE, CALib, Vr. All global settings live here including AUX calibration |
| AUX A | AUX A Button | Assigns AUX A destination: G.LEn (gate length), STAGE (length), STEPd, d.In (clock div), rATch, P.PrE (pitch pre-quantizer 1V/oct), P.PrEL (semitones pre), P.OCT (octave shift), P.PoST, P.PoSL, rooT (1V/oct root), rooTL (root semitones). P.PrE and rooT require CALib first |
| AUX B | AUX B Button | Assigns AUX B destination. Same list as AUX A. Two independent AUX modulation paths |