4MS Catalyst Sequencer and Catalyst Controller: One module, two faces

25 Jan by Robin Vincent | 3,5 / 5,0 | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

4ms Catalyst Sequencer and Controller  ·  Source: 4ms

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It’s one module with a reversible faceplate to give you the phase-based Catalyst Sequencer or macro morphing Catalyst Controller. Inconvenient or pure genius?

Catalyst Sequencer

It starts off as a regular step sequencer with up to 64 steps that feed eight output channels. Each output can be CV or gate and has its own length, quantizer, transposition, clock divider, randomisation, and voltage range. The “phase” idea is that the sequencer is scrubbable via CV or from the Phase Scrub crossfader to let you select steps. You can push through it and back again, modulate through it, ping-pong or inject complex waveforms for complex patterns.

I have a lot of questions, like are all the channels feeding on the same sequence? How do you write the sequence in the first place? And what is it all about? Looks like fun though.

Catalyst Controller

If you hold down a special combination of buttons then the Sequencer transforms into the Catalyst Controller. It then has eight channels of CV generation with a crossfader that morphs between scenes. A scene is like a snapshot of CV levels at all the outputs so you can move through different levels of output. You can also use the buttons to leap from scene to scene or use an external CV to move about however you like.

You can record up to 20 seconds of CV action to each of the outputs. They can also be gates and can be randomised, and you can set slew and morph times. It really is a veritable function junction of CV generation.

If you prefer the Controller to the Sequencer, then you can flip the faceplate and have it a bit more permanent.

Emblematic Systems Catalyst

The 4MS Catalyst Controller is based on the original Catalyst module from Emblematic Systems. I’m not sure what the relationship is, but they appear to be sold out and unavailable. It looks like 4MS has taken on the idea and developed it into the Sequencer as well as the Controller. It then gives us this dual-firmware idea, which is pretty neat. There are no videos yet on the 4MS modules, but here’s one modular artist, Trovarsi, on the Emblematic Catalyst Flow.

Overall, the crossfader gives it a very playable and performable vibe, and I’m looking forward to seeing exactly how the sequencer pans out.

The price is $395 and should be available in April.

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