Here’s the latest round of price drops from 4Pockets, ending August 26th.
- PolyPipe – $14.99 to $7.99
- MIDI Layers – $12.99 to $6.99
- QuadroSphere – $14.99 to $7.99
PolyPipe
PolyPipe is an AUv3 MIDI Sequencer plugin for iOS which can be loaded into your favorite DAW. It comprises elements of some of my favorite sequencers of all time, all rolled into a single interface.
PolyPipe is a multi-lane, polyphonic sequencer designed for creating evolving musical patterns rather than fixed, repetitive loops. Instead of thinking in terms of a single step sequence, PolyPipe lets you build multiple independent lanes, each with its own rhythm, pitch logic, octave behavior, probability, and modulation data all running together as a coherent musical system.
At its core, PolyPipe takes incoming MIDI notes (or internally generated notes) and uses them as a musical “seed.
These notes are then processed through patterns, scales, transposition rules, and step logic to generate new musical phrases in real time. This makes it especially suited for generative music, complex arpeggiation, bass-and-chord splitting, and long-form evolving sequences.
Each lane in PolyPipe is its own sequencer voice. A lane contains one or more patterns, and each pattern is made up of steps. Steps don’t just define when a note plays they can also define how it plays. A step can include pitch offsets, velocity, gate length, strumming, probability, repeats (ratchets), ties for legato behavior, and even chord information.
Patterns can be enabled or disabled independently, shifted by octaves, and combined with global transposition. Because lanes can have different lengths, directions, and step modes, the resulting sequences naturally phase against each other, creating variation without manual intervention.
PolyPipe applies musical logic at the MIDI output stage rather than hard-coding notes upfront. Pitch values can be forced into a chosen scale and key, allowing even highly experimental patterns to stay musically coherent. Different step modes (such as forward, backward, ping-pong, random, chord, bass, or hybrid note/chord modes) let each lane behave differently, from traditional arpeggios to controlled chaos.
PolyPipe Sequencer is built for musicians who want to explore ideas quickly, create unique patterns, and discover results they wouldn’t think to program manually. It rewards experimentation: small changes to probability, repeats, or step logic can dramatically alter the musical output while staying rhythmically locked and musically usable.
MIDI Layers
Have you ever wanted to play multiple instruments from a single master keyboard during a live performance? Would you like to be able to set up keyboard splits, crossfade layers or create an ensemble of layered instruments? If you answered yes to either of those questions, then MIDI Layers may be your solution.
Layers allows you to create up to 12 scenes, each with up to 127 layers, spanning your entire master keyboard. These scenes allow you to seamlessly switch between various layer mappings at any time during a performance.
Each layer controls the MIDI output, which can be routed to one of MIDI Layers 16 output ports and 16 channels. So if you have 5 layers in your scene, each layer is able to divert MIDI key input to 5 destinations, allowing you to control 5 instruments from one master keyboard.
Layers can overlap, meaning you can create an ensemble of two or more instruments. Layers can also have cross fades so that you can fade from one instrument to another across a specified range. You can also control the velocity curves of a layer if you need to emphasize note velocity at a certain set of octaves.
Each layer can also be remapped so that you can target a different key range on the destination instrument. This allows you to have several single note layers that can target specific drum machine samples for instance.
You can assign a song per scene, or have several scenes containing parts of the same song. Switching scenes is simple, using the on screen scene buttons, via AU parameters, or you can even add a special control layer to a scene which can then be triggered via your master keyboard.
It is also possible to assign a Program Changes to a layer. When you switch scenes, each layer can fire off its own program change to your destination instruments.
Each scene can be assigned its own scale, which enables you to play using only the white notes so say goodbye to wrong notes.
Finally, layers can be assigned to mute groups, allowing you to quickly turn on/off groups of layers with a single key or button press.
QuadroSphere
QuadroSphere is a great tool for bringing an instrument to life by creating a soundscape with a constantly moving sound source. QuadroSphere splits the incoming audio signal into 4 distinct coloured frequency bands using the frequency bar. Each band has an associated coloured sphere allowing you to control the pan, stereo separation and volume level.
You can use this plugin as a way to impose subtle control over stereo placement with little or no movement, or go crazy with random automation. Adding effects such as reverb or delay on a specific frequency band can help create a lush atmospheric swirling which surrounds the listener. This is great for musicians trying to create minimalistic ambient or tranquil soundscapes.
You can create up to 12 snapshots of the sphere parameters and effect settings, then morph between them at a designated speed (measured in beats). You can also enable continuous randomization mode, and have full control over which spheres and control which parts are automated.
You can also use QuadroSphere as a stereo splitter, using the additional outputs to add your own effects to band outputs.
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