Sundog Song Studio

 

I have been using Sundog Song Studio for quite a while and it's quite possibly my favourite tool in my music making box.
Today it just got better because I finally worked out that it can do everything I need to make patterns for my Yamaha QY series sequencers.

I'll explain. Previously I had used Sundog to make patterns, which it is extremely good at. Then I'd export the MIDI file and try to use another piece of software to get the patterns into one of my QY sequencers. The problem is that the software I own doesn't seem to like sending MIDI clock messages that would start the QY recording when I pressed play on the software. There were work-arounds that would do the job but if was a faff getting everything to sync.

Today I noticed that Sundog has a check box for sending MIDI clock messages. I'd never used it because I had always intended to export the MIDI. Anyway, I hooked up a QY70 and with the pattern recording paused I pressed play on Sundog and the QY70 started recording. Problem solved.
The only minor work-around I have to do is insert a blank pattern into Sundog because it naturally loops patterns and the QY70 only has an Overdub recording mode so it will double the note input as it loops. The blank pattern gives me time to stop recording before that happens.

All I have to do now is transfer all my Sundog ideas over to the QY's and start writing tunes again.