The 248t MARF is not just a sequencer. It is a dual arbitrary CV/event generator with per-stage control over:
That means the most interesting results happen when you stop thinking of it as “16-step melody” and start thinking of it as a programmable modulation brain.
A big strength of the 248t is that it can generate: - pitched CV - timing CV - gates/pulses - reference ramps - stage-addressed movement - externally injected CV per stage
Those are perfect ingredients for aggressive rhythmic sound design and evolving textures.
From the manual, the most creatively useful features are:
Two independent Function Generators (FG1 and FG2)
Each can read the same 16 stages differently.
Per-stage voltage programming
Source: Internal / External
Per-stage timing programming
each stage has its own interval time slider
Per-stage operating behaviors
First / Last loop points
Outputs
This gives you a module that can act like: - a sequencer - a clock divider / irregular rhythm source - a CV animator - a gated modulation matrix - a patch-programmable phrase generator
To get unique sounds, use the MARF in these three ways:
For example: - FG1 = pitch sequence to oscillator - FG2 = filter cutoff, wavefolder amount, distortion tone, VCA decay, FM amount, sample rate, etc.
This is the easiest route to aggressive bass and evolving pads.
The manual says a stage can use external CV instead of internal voltage/time settings. That is huge.
This means stage-by-stage you can decide: - use the slider value - or swap in some external modulation source
So one sequence can selectively “invite in”: - LFO bursts - random voltage - envelope output - another sequencer - audio-rate oscillator for chaos
That’s where the MARF gets weird.
A lot of people use sequencers only for pitch. On the MARF, time itself is compositional.
Use per-stage interval time plus: - stop - sustain - enable - external time source - global time multiplier
That creates: - staggered grooves - syncopated broken basslines - choking percussion - unstable evolving drones - pseudo-granular rhythmic phrasing
For percussion, the MARF excels at making non-uniform trigger and modulation structures.
Use the 248t to separately control: - when a hit happens - how long the hit lasts - what its pitch/timbre is - whether that hit is normal, accented, gliding, or externally modulated
The manual notes: - each stage can have two independent pulse outputs - the reference output gives a downward ramp over the interval time - time output gives CV from the interval slider
So every step can carry both rhythmic and shape information.
Patch: - sine or triangle VCO → VCA / LPG → distortion → mixer - FG1 voltage out → oscillator pitch - Pulse 1 → short envelope to VCA/LPG - Pulse 2 → second envelope controlling distortion drive or wavefolder - Reference output → exponential-ish decay destination, like filter cutoff or LPG CV - Use sloped stages on certain hits
Programming suggestions: - set most stages to stepped - choose a few stages with sloped pitch for kick “doooom” downward pitch sweep character - use limited range or half range for easier tuning of drum pitches - assign Pulse 2 only on accents - vary interval time per stage so hits rush and drag slightly
What makes it nasty: - patch FG2 voltage out to FM amount on the oscillator or to distortion CV - make FG2 a shorter loop than FG1 using First/Last - this creates repeating accent polymeters over the drum cycle
Patch: - noise + oscillator mixed - into bandpass or highpass filter - into VCA - into wavefolder or distortion
Use: - Pulse 1 → trigger main snare envelope - Pulse 2 → open a second VCA for noise burst or ring mod layer - FG1 voltage → filter cutoff or oscillator pitch - FG2 voltage → wavefolder / sample rate reducer / resonance / FM depth
Programming tricks: - set some stages to external source for voltage and feed in random CV from S&H/noise - use quantize off for non-musical metallic filter frequencies - use enable on selected stages so the phrase waits for external gate conditions before continuing - use stop stages to create sudden stutters and chokes
Very effective move: - send All Pulses Out to clock another sequencer or logic module that modulates distortion parameters - now every stage advance becomes an opportunity for secondary chaos
The MARF can get very strange if you use very short time ranges and stage addressing.
Patch idea: - set some stages to very fast timing - use continuous/cont stage address mode on one FG and strobe different positions - clock the other FG conventionally
Patch: - FG1 pulse output → trigger ultra-short envelope - FG1 voltage output → VCA CV or LPG CV instead of pitch - oscillator/noise/audio source remains static - stage values become amplitude or timbre windows
Result: - rhythmic amplitude carving - almost wavetable-like percussive gestures - jittery granular drum phrases
For more destruction: - use external voltage source on selected stages and patch in audio-rate oscillator - since the stage chooses external source by programming, only certain hits go berserk
Here are especially good destinations for the MARF:
This is where the MARF is especially strong.
The main recipe for modern aggressive bass: - stable phrase structure - unstable timbre movement - slides/glides - per-hit accents - rhythmic asymmetry - selective quantization - modulation relationships that don’t loop evenly
The 248t can do all of that.
Use: - FG1 = pitch - FG2 = timbre movement
Patch: - FG1 voltage or ART out → main bass oscillator pitch - Pulse 1 → envelope or LPG trigger - Pulse 2 → accent envelope / distortion hit / FM burst / sub mute / re-trigger - FG2 voltage → filter cutoff, wavetable position, FM index, fold amount, phase mod amount, resonance, or VCA level - Reference output → ducking contour, LPG pluck, or sidechain-like movement - Time output → another timbral parameter for note-length-correlated motion
From the manual: - Sloped/Stepped is per stage - slew time is based on that stage’s interval time
That is gold for bass music.
Program most bass notes as stepped, but set selected transition notes to sloped.
That gives: - classic glide into target note - grotesque pitch swoops - “talking” bass phrase connections - liquid DnB lead-in notes
Because slope time depends on interval time, longer stages produce longer slides.
So you can compose the groove and the slide shape together.
This is a uniquely MARF behavior and it feels much more organic than global portamento.
Instead of a normal synced LFO wobble:
Patch: - FG2 voltage → multimode filter cutoff - FG2 Pulse 1 → re-trigger a modulation envelope every few stages - FG2 time output → distortion tone or wavefolder bias
Now the “wobble” is not repetitive LFO motion. It becomes a composed modulation phrase.
This works especially well for: - reese basses - vowel basses - FM growls - folded sub-mid basses
Patch: - 2 detuned saws or PWM squares - into filter - into soft clipper / wavefolder / distortion
Use: - FG1 quantized voltage → oscillator pitch - FG2 unquantized voltage → filter cutoff - Pulse 1 → VCA envelope - Pulse 2 → distortion accent CV or FM burst envelope - Reference out → filter decay contour
Programming: - FG1 in half range for musical bass note programming - enable quantize on musical stages - disable quantize on occasional transitional stages if you want ugly in-between slides - use sloped notes selectively - set FG2 loop shorter or longer than FG1 using First/Last markers
Result: - bass notes stay anchored - timbre cycles phase against pitch phrase - pattern feels alive, not 8-step preset-ish
Patch: - complex oscillator / wavetable / FM voice - bandpass or lowpass filter - wavefolder/distortion after filter - optional second filter for vowel movement
Use MARF like this: - FG1 voltage → oscillator pitch - FG2 voltage → wavetable position or FM index - Time output from FG2 → filter cutoff - Pulse 2 → trigger short envelope to second modulation destination, like formant sweep - external input A → random stepped voltage - set selected FG2 stages to external source, so only some timbre stages use randomness
Why this is powerful: You get a phrase that is mostly controlled and repeatable, but certain bass hits “mutate” because stage-programmed external source injects new CV.
That’s excellent for: - neuro bass - metallic wobble - formant screaming bass - machine-like resampled phrases
The manual’s stop, sustain, and enable functions are killer for bass.
A stop stage waits until a start pulse arrives.
If a gate is high at start input, the stage holds.
Stage pauses until voltage above 5V arrives at start input.
These are amazing for broken rhythmic basslines.
Patch: - FG1 runs pitch line - gate pattern from another sequencer, manual controller, logic module, or trigger pattern → FG1 start input - certain stages programmed as stop or enable - Pulse 1 still triggers voice - FG2 continues separately or is also externally controlled
What happens: - the phrase hangs on a stage - then bursts forward when external rhythm allows it - gives gated, syncopated, “breathe and lunge” bass motion
Perfect for: - halftime dubstep - techstep DnB - broken neuro phrases - pseudo-sidechained stop-go riffs
Try patching the MARF into:
The Stage Address section is especially good for advanced bass work.
From the manual: - continuous mode sweeps through stages with the address control and stops internal clock - strobe loads stage corresponding to current address value - stage can be controlled by knob or external voltage
This means the 248t can become a kind of voltage-scanned wavesequence/modulation table.
Now you are “scanning” a programmed modulation shape instead of just clocking steps.
That can sound like:
- talking bass
- tearing filter vowels
- scanning distortion colors
- unstable digital motion
For extreme bass: - use envelope into stage address for attack-to-decay timbre travel - use audio-rate oscillator into stage address for tearing discontinuous modulation
The MARF is also great for pads because it can create slow, non-uniform, semi-repeatable evolution.
Pads get interesting when multiple parameters drift at different speeds with occasional structural surprises.
The MARF is built for that.
Use very slow time ranges and separate the generators:
Patch: - FG1 quantized voltage → oscillator pitch or chord root CV - FG2 continuous voltage → filter cutoff / wavetable position / morph / FM index - Reference output → slow contour to LPG, filter, or reverb send - Time output → modulation depth, stereo width, shimmer amount, or delay feedback - Pulse outputs → occasional envelope resets, freeze functions, or reverb bloom triggers
The manual says time can range from very short to up to 2 minutes.
For pads: - use long intervals - set many stages to sloped - use continuous voltage rather than quantized where timbre is concerned - use quantized for pitch if you want harmonic clarity
This gives: - slow glacial morphing - note drift - harmonic ambiguity - ghostly transitions between states
Patch: - 2 or 3 VCOs or a polyphonic voice - through LPG or lowpass filter - into long reverb and modulated delay
Use: - FG1 voltage → pitch CV or root note transposition - FG2 voltage → filter cutoff - FG2 time output → reverb send or delay feedback - Reference output → subtle VCA/LPG contour - Pulse 1 → trigger sparse envelope or shimmer burst every few stages
Programming: - choose a key/scale if using quantize - mark only a few stages with pulse outputs - use unequal stage times so the phrase feels unmetered - use First/Last loop points shorter on one FG than the other
Result: - a pad that never quite comes back the same way - harmonic movement and timbral movement drift against each other
This is one of the most powerful MARF tricks.
Use stage-programmed external voltage source for timbre.
Patch: - external input A = slow random CV - external input B = envelope follower from another sound - external input C = sine LFO - external input D = very slow manual CV/joystick/pressure source
Set selected stages to external voltage source.
Now some stages use the programmed slider value, while others “open portals” to external modulators.
Patch FG2 voltage to: - wavetable position - wavefolder symmetry - filter FM amount - reverb tone - granular density - spectral morph
This creates a pad that has programmed structure but periodically becomes reactive and alive.
Excellent for: - dark ambient - haunted drone - sci-fi beds - decaying tape-memory textures
Use sustain and enable to make pads breathe.
Patch: - slow gate or manual controller to start input - selected stages programmed as sustain - some stages as enable - long interval times - sloped voltages
What happens: - the pad arrives at a stage and lingers unnaturally - then advances only when external condition changes - creates suspended harmonic moments
Very useful for: - performance-controlled drones - evolving soundtrack textures - ritual ambient structures - live improvisation with pressure/foot controller/keyboard gate
These are where the MARF becomes truly unique.
Patch: - FG2 output → external input selected as time source on FG1 stages - some stages of FG1 use internal time, some external time
Now pitch phrase timing changes according to another programmed function.
This creates:
- rushing/dragging basslines
- unstable percussion grids
- swelling pad evolution
If external time CV is absent, the manual says it defaults to the fastest value of the selected range, so be deliberate.
The manual states the time slider also produces CV at the time output.
This means each FG really gives you: - pitch-like CV - time-derived CV - pulses - reference ramp
The time sliders can therefore be programmed as a totally different contour than pitch.
Great uses: - percussion decay sequence - distortion amount sequence - FM depth sequence - reverb send sequence - bass brightness sequence - pad stereo width sequence
This is one of the most underused powers of the MARF.
Because All Pulses Out fires whenever a new stage is addressed, you can use it to drive: - clocked random - Bernoulli gates - logic - clock dividers - envelope followers - switched modulation
Then route those results back into: - A/B/C/D external inputs - start inputs - stage addressing - effect CVs
That creates a self-related ecosystem around the MARF.
Program: - FG1 first/last = stages 1–8 - FG2 first/last = stages 3–13
Now both generators traverse the same stored 16-stage programming space but with different cycle windows.
This gives extremely musical long-form variation without randomness.
Especially good for: - bassline phrase evolution - drifting accents in percussion - pads that take a long time to truly repeat
A very signature MARF trick: - quantize some stages - leave others continuous
Use this for bass: - stable musical root notes on some stages - ugly in-between bent notes on transitions
Use this for pads: - clear harmonic anchor points - drifting microtonal movement between them
Use this for percussion: - discrete tuned drum hits alternating with inharmonic metallic offsets
Goal: industrial broken drum machine
Patch: - VCO sine → wavefolder/distortion → LPG/VCA → mixer - noise → VCA → mixer - FG1 voltage → VCO pitch - Pulse 1 → LPG/VCA envelope - Pulse 2 → noise VCA envelope - Reference out → LPG CV - FG2 voltage → distortion drive - FG2 time out → filter cutoff or fold symmetry
Programming: - short to medium time ranges - stage time variation for groove - some sloped pitch stages for tom/kick dives - pulse 2 only on selected accents - external source on a few FG2 stages using random CV
Result: - heavy kicks/toms/snare hybrids - asymmetrical aggression - animated distortion color
Goal: snarling syncopated growl bass
Patch: - main oscillator + sub oscillator - into multimode filter - into wavefolder/distortion - into VCA
MARF: - FG1 ART/voltage → pitch - FG2 voltage → filter cutoff - FG2 time out → FM index - Pulse 1 → VCA envelope - Pulse 2 → distortion accent envelope - Reference out → subtle ducking or second filter contour - All Pulses Out → clock random source - random source back to external input A - selected FG2 stages set to external source
Programming: - quantized bass notes in half range - selective sloped transitions - one or two stop/enable stages for dramatic hangs - shorter loop on FG2 than FG1
Result: - composed but mutating growl phrases - classic bassline cohesion with non-repeating detail
Goal: rolling, tense, evolving low-end
Patch: - two detuned saws - lowpass filter - saturation - chorus/flanger optional
MARF: - FG1 quantized voltage → pitch - FG2 voltage → filter cutoff or chorus depth - Time output → distortion tone - Pulse 1 → short VCA envelope - Pulse 2 → accent envelope to resonance/FM
Programming: - mostly short stage times - a few longer holds - occasional sloped notes into phrase endpoints - stop stage before drop resolution - external start pulses from trigger sequencer for syncopation
Result: - rolling bass with phrase punctuation - long-form modulation that doesn’t sound loop-locked
Goal: dark cinematic evolving texture
Patch: - rich oscillator / wavetable source - LPG or gentle filter - large reverb - modulated delay
MARF: - FG1 quantized voltage → root/transposition - FG2 continuous voltage → wavetable position - Reference output → LPG/filter contour - Time output → reverb send - Pulse 1 → shimmer burst / freeze / envelope reset - external inputs fed by slow random, envelope follower, sine LFO, manual CV - selected stages on FG2 use external source
Programming: - long stage intervals - sloped on most timbral stages - sparse pulse programming - different first/last loops for the two FGs - sustain stages controlled by external gate
Result: - eerily structured but fluid pad motion - occasional spectral intrusions from external sources - strong “haunted machine” quality
Use MARF outputs to modulate: - decay time - pitch - fold depth - distortion drive - resonance - noise amount - transient level - LPG CV - sample rate - bit depth - send to spring/delay
Use MARF outputs to modulate: - filter cutoff - filter mode scan - FM index - wavefolder - wavetable position - phase modulation depth - distortion drive and tone - sub level - stereo width - comb filter frequency - formant/vowel filter
Use MARF outputs to modulate: - cutoff - reverb send - delay feedback - wavetable position - oscillator blend - FM amount - stereo image - shimmer amount - LPG level - saturation tone - granular density/position if using sampler modules
The manual says you can save and recall 12 presets.
This is extremely useful live.
Create: - preset 1 = restrained groove - preset 2 = distorted variation - preset 3 = breakdown - preset 4 = drop - preset 5 = ambient wash
Since stage data includes slider positions and settings, presets can function like song sections.
The advance control on either FG is perfect for manual performance nudges: - drum fill skip - bass phrase mutation - forcing unexpected pad harmonies
When stage address is in continuous mode, scanning stages can feel like moving through a custom wavetable of modulation states.
Great live gesture: - patch a joystick or pressure controller to stage address external CV - use FG2 voltage out for filter/folder/FM - “play” timbre like an instrument
For musical results: - let one FG define the recognizable musical identity - make the other FG do the dangerous stuff
Examples: - stable bass notes, unstable filter motion - stable percussion triggers, unstable distortion color - stable pad root, unstable spectral movement
That prevents total chaos while still sounding unique.
This is probably the most powerful sound-design trick in the manual.
Feed A/B/C/D with: - random - envelope follower - audio oscillator - slow LFO
Then on only a few stages, switch source to external.
That gives: - occasional monstrous bass hits - one snare in a bar that mutates - pads that briefly become haunted - controlled unpredictability
Because time output can be used separately, program stage times musically: - short notes = brighter - long notes = darker - long notes = more reverb - short hits = more distortion
This creates strong internal phrase coherence.
The manual notes: - Full range = 0–10V - Half range = 0–5V - Limited = 2V spans with offsets
For bass, half/limited often feel better because: - easier to dial pitch precisely - less accidental huge jumps - more “playable” musical range
For percussion: - limited range is excellent for tuned drum zones
The MARF’s stage times can make everything feel alive.
For bass: - alternate short-short-long-short patterns - then break them with stop/enable
For percussion: - micro-variation in stage lengths humanizes and destabilizes grooves
For pads: - unequal long durations make the harmony feel organic and non-gridlocked
If you want immediate results, start here.
The 248t becomes special when you combine these four concepts:
That combination is exactly how you get: - distorted percussive brutality - dubstep/DnB basslines with movement and attitude - haunting evolving pads that feel alive instead of looped
If you want, I can also give you: - 3 concrete patch diagrams for these sound categories - a “best modules to pair with the 248t” list - or a stage-by-stage example program for bass, percussion, and pads.