Sugar Bytes - Thesys

Thesys is Sugar Bytes' MIDI step sequencer, for producers who want to program riffs, arps and basslines step by step and send them to any instrument in their DAW or studio. It's a drawing board for step-based music, with a randomiser that can mutate a pattern whenever you need a fresh idea.

Pitch, velocity and gate

Paint pitches into the 32-step sequence, record them from your MIDI keyboard, or let the random generator and Mutate function create them. Set a root note and scale and nothing slips out of key. Below sit velocity and gate lanes for each note's level and length, and each of the five sequencers can run its own loop length for shifting, polymetric patterns.

Performance and modulation

The performance sequencer packs five lanes into one, with per-step octave, pitch bend (with 20 shapes), chord for polyphonic sequencing, note roll and humanising randomisation. Up to eight CC modulation lanes send values to the MIDI CCs of your choice, so a filter can move in step with the notes. In total there are 18 lanes.

Patterns and output

Up to 16 patterns per project can be chained in the pattern sequencer or triggered from the keyboard, with real-time manipulation as they play. A simple internal synth means you can start straight away, and MIDI out plus drag and drop send the results to any instrument.

The sound

Thesys doesn't really have a sound of its own: the internal synth is a starting point, not the destination. Its value is in the patterns it helps you write, from acid lines and techno arps to evolving chord sequences. For a more experimental, modular way to generate MIDI, see Nest.

Features

• 32-step MIDI sequencer
• Pitch recorder
• Scale and root note quantising
• Performance lanes for octave, pitch bend, chord and note roll
• Up to 8 MIDI CC lanes
• Independent loop lengths for all 5 sequencers
• Pattern sequencer and keyboard triggering
• Vast randomiser
• Internal synth
• MIDI out and drag and drop

System requirements

• Version: 1.7.3
• Mac: macOS 10.13 or later. AU, VST2, VST3, AAX and Standalone (64-bit). Native on Apple Silicon
• Windows: Windows 7 or later. VST2, VST3, AAX and Standalone (64-bit)
• An iPad version is sold separately on the App Store

SOUND7 is an authorised Sugar Bytes reseller. Digital delivery: licence activation code sent by email.

Demo