Hey, folks—I’ve been working on making up good instrument definition files for my sequencers, and I’ve started loading them up to a Github repo. I’m getting through the Cirklon first (as it’s the worst to code), and then I’ll do the Square Pyramid and Hapax.
If you want the definition files, they’re up here: GitHub - jeffburchett/Sequentix-Cirklon-2
Nice, I just got a Hapax in today, and plan to use it a lot with the S6 Desktop.
Brave man, doing the Cirklon 
Hope you enjoy the Hapax. It’s a great sequencer.
The definitions on the Cirklon are really tedious and fiddly, but once I have them done, translating them to Squarp definitions will be pretty trivial.
Thanks, I think it’s the first sequencer that’s made any sense to me, having tried the Oxy and Torso. The screens make a huge difference in getting my bearings.
I can only imagine just how tedious the Cirklon is. It looks amazing, but I think requires a certain patience that most don’t have.
The Cirklon is tedious in its original setup, but my (limited) experience of it is that its very fast and smooth once you build fluency in it, and also extremely powerful once you employ Aux events and Accumulators. All of them have their foibles. At its heart, the Cirklon has a very XOX feel, which I love.
The Hapax can do a ton of really cool stuff, though, if you put in the work to learn it. For instance, rapidly programming drums that feel extremely human is a breeze with it.
I agree, that you need to put in the work to learn Cirklon. Can you explain why instrument definition files would make using Cirklon easier? To me, it looks like another level of complication and learning to master. If you merely mean saving Track and Instrument definitions, again I cannot see any advantage in saving these on a computer, then re-loading them. What if you decided to change one connected synth? Surely that means getting another of your files? What am I missing? In the end, it is impossible to save every combination of Cirklon set-up. B.t.w., I own both a Super 6 and a Cirklon with CV interface.
Instrument definitions were implemented to give instrument-specific names to what would otherwise be a list of MIDI CCs. Far friendlier, especially in a large setup. Other things you can add include the type of bank select messages needed, a default pattern type, default note for an empty pattern etc. You don’t have to use them but I reckon when you do you’ll see the value. For example I just spent a short while this week making a definition for the Torso S-4, which gives me a far clearer picture of the parameters I’m sequencing.
As softroom said, having the per-instrument list of MIDI CCs is really helpful. It also makes for the standardization of Aux events and Accumulators for a given machine. You’re right that you need new instrument definitions for each instrument, but you can store a lot of them on the Cirklon, and they’re easy to recall in the device. Instrument definitions also contain the Track macro knob controls, so if you want to map a knob on the Cirklon to, e.g., filter cutoff, you can, and the definition keeps that as a persistent feature each time you make a pattern with the given instrument.
Recently swapped my Cirklon for a Hapax - so really looking forward to your Hapax instrument definition.
Solid…
I agree, Cirklon stores everything within a song. Want a new definition? Create a new song. Cirklon is the most comprehensive hardware MIDI sequencer out there. It also can sequence my small Euro Rack skiff, which I have done by soldering up the RS plug with a number of wires, with various TS mini jacks. This avoids buying Collin’s no doubt excellent break-out box, making my setup more compact. Another Cirklon trick is being able to translate polyphonic keyboard playing into mono voice allocation on separate MIDI channels. This is of no use to Super 6, as it already does this internally, but allows any multi-timbral (even rompler) synth to sound like a tired broken analogue one (in a good way).
I’ve been back at the Eurorack with Cirklon and been finding the CVIO is picky about multing gates. Seems it must a high resistance though tbf 24 (16x 0-10V + 8x 0-5V) CVs does seems like a lot to ask from that small power adapter. As an aside I’m surprised at how many people get away with passive multing/stacking in general, invariably it causes issues for me and that’s across two cases and multiple other bits of CV devices.
AFAIK, modules vary enough that some accept passive mult inputs while others don’t, or vary in different combinations. Probably, as you say, to do with internal resistance on module inputs. It’s not a problem I’ve had, with just a few oscillators and a ring mod in my skiff, which is now “finished”, because it’s full. Cirklon has more than enough CV and gates for me, and my envelopes are from the Polyvox PVX-800 or Sherman Filterbank. Keys from Roland JD-XA.