squarp instruments pyramid mk2 price : $749.00

modern, easy-to-use & versatile hardware sequencer. pyramid provides you with a radical new workflow and almost unlimited possibilities. it will become your ultimate studio centerpiece.

100% standalone
pyramid is designed to be the perfect brain for your musical setup, from studio to stage. it brings together a powerful sequencer, a looper, a rhythm generator, a real-time effect processor, a midi controller and an input+output interface. pyramid does not produce sounds. instead, we have focused our energies on creating an innovative and complete sequencing solution full of creative tools. pyramid is an instant source of inspiration to start, finish & perform your song!

connect your modern and vintage instruments straight out of the box
full connectivity:
midi: in/out
midi usb: in/out
cv gate: in/out
din sync: out
footswitch

hardware & computer hub
with pyramid's high precision clock, the sequencer becomes a great synchronisation tool for both vintage and recent devices. your instruments will always keep in time: pyramid is the heartbeat of your studio. you can also use pyramid sequencer as a rock-solid interface box for your midi, usb midi & cv/gate setup:
filter note/clock/start stop/cc/pitch/aftertouch messages,
route midi in to usb midi out,
convert midi in to cv/gate output and add effects,
convert cv/gate in to midi out,
convert midi in clock to din sync...

even if you use a daw as your primary sequencer, pyramid will become an indispensable swiss knife!

play your sequencer!
push, rotate, slide & draw.

capture your inspiration
record a performance at any time with the built-in keyboard, the smartpads (generates chords, scales or repeats), the touchpad, the 5 encoders or an external controller... with true polyphony and high precision! you can even use the midi looper mode, in the style of audio looper pedals. live improvisation recording has never been so easy!

create polyphonic melodies & rhythms with the advanced step sequencer
create and arrange complex rhythms and melodies with the full realtime step sequencer, or edit your live recording. the piano roll view clarifies notes and drums programming. change the pitch, the velocity, the width and the offset of each note, in a flash. zoom in (up to 1600%) to surgically edit the track. as pyramid is fully polyphonic, a step can contain an unlimited number of notes!

draw automation
create cc or fx automation with the touchpad or with the 16 pads. create an infinite number of automation per track! slide the touchpad to draw the automation, or use the 16 pads to edit or add step-lock parameters.

generate outstanding euclidean grooves
pyramid offers one algorithmic euclidean sequencer engine per track, auto generating uncommon and rich rhythmic patterns. almost all traditional rhythms from across the world can be generated with this tool. change the number of total steps, the number of filled steps, the step width, rotate the pattern, all of this on the fly. the displayed euclidean circle helps you to visualize the pattern.

deeply play with your tracks
once your tracks are created, pyramid offers several ways to play with your sequences: mute/unmute your 64 tracks on the fly, launch sequences (group of tracks), or chain sequences to create a complete, structured song. you can choose to perform your tracks and sequences in sync (1 bar, 2 bars, ...) or not. it's even possible to play in sync with one beat resolution, a new way to improvise with sequences!

flexible interface
pyramid includes 5 clickable encoders and a wide touchpad. you can easily assign any of these controls to an effect parameter or a midi cc message by pressing the "assign" button, and recording the automation. even the two cv analog inputs can be assigned - it's up to your imagination!

pyraos realtime processing system unleashes your creativity
control any parameters on the fly and listen to the changes immediately. never stop anything: change the length of a track, the midi channel, the quantization grid, the swing percentage, the arpeggiator rate, the delay on/off... in a flash and go experi-mental! everything is at your fingertips.

user-friendly screen
the graphic display makes pyramid fun and easy to use. everything you need to know is spotlighted. and if you want to go further on, just press the "display" button. we are taking care to avoid menu diving. main features don't require the screen, as the 35 lit pads show you all basic information. pyramid workflow helps you to gain time, make music with ears & fingers, and facilitate experimentation. you will never go back to computer to make music!

polyrhythms & polymeters!
pyramid is fully polyrhythmic. this means that you can set different and unusual time signatures on each track, to create shifted-beat sequences. polyrhythmic constructions will bring new flavours to your productions. you can set a track with a 4/4 standard signature, and for the other tracks 5/4, 6/8, 15/8... the direct access button enables you to change the left and right numbers without limitation. it's an incredible and easy way to add complexity to your songs. to go further in experimentation, add or remove steps to your measure to create polymetric tracks and irrational rhythms: program lively, ever-changing and long sequences! and above all... you can play together short tracks (e.g. 1-bar) with very long tracks (e.g. 256-bar): it's at the same time a pattern sequencer and a linear sequencer!

discover squarp dynamic midi effects
pyramid integrates state-of-the-art realtime midi effects. on each track you can stack 4 powerful effect engines - including quantizer, swing, scaler, delay, equalizer, chance (probability), lfo, randomizer, humanizer, harmonizer, arpeggiator, ...the fx manager makes it very simple to set and remove an effect, or to change its place in the chain. you can use the assignable interface to control effects parameters of different tracks: perfect for live performances as well as studio composition.

save, load, import and export midi files
you can save everything on the sd card, and even import and export standard midi files between pyramid and your software sequencer.

a midi controller, too
to use pyramid as a versatile controller for your favorite virtual instruments, just plug in the usb cable.

specifications:
core player
maximum number of tracks played at the same time: 64
maximum number of patterns per track: 32
maximum number of sequences (group of tracks & patterns): 32
maximum number of projects: 256
maximum number of midi events (notes, cc, ...) per project: 7000
track length: ¼ bar (a quarter note) to 384 bars
track time signature: 1/1 to 24/16 or 1:1 to 24:16
recording resolution: 96ppqn
tempo: 10.0 to 999.9 bpm

tracks
maximum number of notes per step (polyphony): unlimited
maximum number of cc automation per step: unlimited
maximum number of fx automation per step: unlimited
maximum number of effects per track: 4
note pitch: c-1 to g9
note velocity: 0 to 127
note width: 1/96th to 384 bars
note offset: 0% to 99%
zoom: /4 (1 step = 4 quarter notes) to x16 (1 step = 1/64th note)
automation recording, drawing, importing, exporting: cc0 to cc119, pitch, mono pressure, program change, effects parameters, bpm

inputs
midi in (to control pyramid with a midi controller, multitrack or omni input)
plug and play mini usb midi in
4x cv in (jack 3.5mm) [0 to 5v]
2x pedal in (stereo jack 6.35)

outputs
midi out a (up to 16 channels = 16 instruments) (turbo midi ready)
midi out b (up to 16 channels = 16 instruments)
plug and play mini usb midi out (up to 16 channels = 16 instruments)
dyn sync out (available on the midi out b)
cv out (jack 3.5mm) [0 to 5v]
env out (secondary cv, e.g. to sequence filters) (jack 3.5mm) [0 to 5v]
gate out (jack 3.5mm) [0 to 5v]

user interface
35 backlit silicon button pads
menu clickable encoder
5 assignable clickable encoders
assignable touchpad (105x65mm)
white backlit high contrast lcd screen (15μm dot gap)
sd card slot to save your projects and upgrade the os.

other
power supply: mini usb bus (5v, 500ma) (included)
housing: machined aluminium 2mm, dark black
size: 206x268x44mm
weight: 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs)
kensington security lock

download the user guide here.