Steinberg Sequel 2

Dive into the world of recording on a computer!

This article was Written By

Our Product Research Team

Get to know them!

Sequel 2 is an affordable and easy-to-use music studio designed for first-time computer music enthusiasts. Combining intuitive tools to record, edit, mix and perform music with great-sounding loops, instruments and effects, Sequel 2 is the perfect first step into music production and performance. Sequel 2 runs on both PCs and Macs and comes with a massive library of more than 5000 loops and over 600 of ready-to-play instrument sounds. It's never been more fun to create music on a computer than it is with Sequel 2!

Related Videos: Sequel 2

• Controller Mode
• Track Icons
• Track Freeze
• Free Warp and Audio Reverse
• Tap Tempo
• Improved MediaBay
• Vista Core Audio Support

Controller Mode
With the new Controller Mode you can control nearly all Sequel 2 functions with an external keyboard or hardware controller. So you can adjust the track volume with an external controller or you can mute a track with your keyboard. With the MIDI Learn function the allocation of the parameters is so easy: just click a parameter in Sequel 2 and move the desired knob, slider, key or button on your hardware. Now you can control the function with your external hardware. Controller Mode in Sequel 2 gives you so many options for live performance. You can trigger live pads or edit volume/tune and effects with your hardware controller to create a song on stage - including arranging and mixing - without even using the mouse!

If you don't have a MIDI keyboard, you can still play melodies in Sequel 2. With the new Virtual Keyboard you just play the notes with your computer keyboard, ideal for composition on the move on your laptop.

Track Icons
Sequel 2 lets you allocate a Track Icon to each track. That helps you to find a track much faster within the Arrange Zone or the Editor. Sequel 2 comes with Icons for many of the most commonly used instruments. You can also change the size, and even tint or rotate the Track Icons. Or use your own pictures - with drag and drop!

Track Freeze
With the Track Freeze function you save CPU power for more tracks and effects! MIDI instruments and effects can use a lot of CPU power, especially on older computer. If you're finding that the limits of your computer's CPU has been reached, just click the "Freeze" button to freeze one or several tracks. If you want to change anything about a frozen track, just click the button to unfreeze the track and edit away.

Free Warp and Audio Reverse
Normally Sequel adjusts loops automatically to the tempo of the project. But for some audio material, you might find you have to make some manual adjustments for the tempo.
With the new Free Warp mode you can warp any part of an audio loop. Just set the warp anchor and move it to the desired time position. This function is also great for creative editing of loops. The Audio Reverse function is also a new feature of Sequel 2, and lets you play audio backwards - a cool effect for breaks!

Tap Tempo
With the new Tap Tempo function it is so easy to assign the tempo of each audio file or to fix the tempo of the song. Just activate the Learn Mode and click the beat with any key. Sequel 2 calculates and shows the tempo.

Improved MediaBay
The MediaBay in Sequel 2 shows how many loops are included within a (sub-)category. Categories with no hits are grayed out. This saves unnecessary clicks and helps you to find out the right loop or sound much faster.

Vista Core Audio Support
With Windows Vista Sequel 2 runs at very low latencies even without external ASIO hardware using the Vista Core Audio driver.

• Recording format: Stereo WAV 16-bit or 24-bit with 44.1 kHz sampling rate
• Supported file formats (import, drag & drop): WAV, AIFF, MP3, WMA, WMA Pro, OggVorbis
• Export: WAV, AIFC, AIFF, WAV64, OggVorbis, MP3 Export with optional encoder (free 30-day trial version included)
• Export project to iTunes: one-step mixdown/export function opens iTunes with new track in destination format
• SMF (Standard MIDI File) import and playback
• Audio recording with up to eight simultaneous tracks
• Unlimited number of audio tracks (only limited by CPU performance)
• Internal Resolution: 32-bit floating point
• SmartTool changes its function depending on the mouse position
• Audio Editor with realtime audio warp functions (realtime time stretching and pitch shifting)
• Warp Modes: Mix, Drums, Plucked, Pads, Vocals, Solo
• Key Editor for internal instruments with note event and controller editing
• Note Quantize with variable Swing
• Legato Slider for dynamic note length editing
• MIDI Step Record Mode
• Dynamic Track Mixer with Volume, Pan, EQ, Compressor, two variable inserts, two variable send effects
• Additional Event Effects for Instrument Tracks (Arpeggiator and Chorder)
• Master Output channel with two variable Output Effects (Inserts) plus two fixed Master Effects (Stereo Enhancer and Maximizer)
• Automation of Volume, Pan, Mute, EQ, Bypass, plus all effect parameters, and instrument quick controls in instrument tracks
• Easy remote control of all essential parameters with any external MIDI controller (Controller Learn function)
• Fixed compressor in each channel
• Two variable Track Effects (Inserts) per channel
• Two Global Effects (Sends) per channel
• Two variable Master Track Effects (Inserts)
• Two fixed Master Effects: Stereo Enhancer, Maximizer (Inserts)
• Integrated virtual instruments
• Up to 128-voice polyphony (defined by preset)
• Quick Control editing per track
• New sounds can be saved as track presets
• Arpeggiator, Chorder
• Track Freeze: Freeze instrument tracks for more CPU power
• Content
• More than 5000 Loops (2000 instrument loops, 3000 audio loops)
• More than 600 instrument presets
• More than 50 audio track presets
• More than 150 effects presets