Behringer Ignite: a 64-track sequencer with open-source code
Behringer reveals Ignite, a 64-track hardware sequencer with 8 CV, 8 gates and five MIDI pairs, whose source code is published as open source before its release.
Behringer has published the source code of Ignite (model BE 0716-AAF), a 64-channel multi-track hardware sequencer, before announcing its price or release date. The news was spotted by Synth Anatomy on October 28; the primary source is the official repository of Music Tribe, Behringer’s parent company, which details the machine’s features.
A sequencer first, a groovebox on the side
A multi-track sequencer records and plays back notes and automation on several tracks in parallel, each sent to a different instrument. Ignite organizes this in four levels: song, scenes, tracks and patterns (the basic loops). According to the repository:
- 64 tracks, organized into song, scenes, tracks and patterns;
- patterns of up to 16 bars of 16 steps, scenes of up to 200 bars;
- 96 PPQN timing (pulses per quarter note: the resolution of the internal clock, four times that of MIDI clock);
- real-time recording, undo, fill, solo/skip, gang and sculpt functions;
- transpose control and up to 10 user-defined scales;
- a built-in General MIDI sound engine, so a sequence can be heard with nothing plugged in.
A front panel built for step editing
The front panel combines a touchscreen, 16 RGB pads each with its own encoder, eight assignable knobs (A to H), a jog wheel, and ROW and BAR encoders to move through rows and bars. One encoder per step lets you set a value without diving into a menu.
Connections: plenty of MIDI and a real bridge to modular
| Item | Ignite (per the Music Tribe repository) |
|---|---|
| MIDI DIN | 5 in / out pairs |
| USB MIDI | USB-C, plus USB host for up to 5 devices (USB-A port, 5 V, 1 A) |
| Modular | 8 CV and 8 gate outputs, with calibration |
| Sync | sync in and out, MIDI clock, MIDI Machine Control, remote control |
| Network | Wi-Fi |
| Audio | line / headphone output |
| Power | 12 V DC input, 2000 mA |
CV (control voltage, which sets a note’s pitch or a parameter’s value) and gates (pulses that trigger and hold a note) drive a Eurorack system or a semi-modular directly, with no MIDI-to-CV converter. Eight pairs are enough to run several voices at once. The calibration matters: it determines how well notes stay in tune on an analog oscillator. For the basics of a rack, see our guide Eurorack explained: the format and your first case.
Open source: what Music Tribe actually publishes
The repository holds the application (built on the JUCE framework), the audio engine, the hardware communication protocol and the Buildroot tree for the Linux image the machine runs. Music Tribe’s code is released under AGPL-3.0, the Linux part under GPL-2.0. Two caveats, in Music Tribe’s own words: material that could not be redistributed was removed, so some parts will not build without replacements, and no official firmware has been released yet. Contributions go through pull requests open to anyone.
In practice, buyers may one day install community-written firmware. But until the device ships, that openness is a promise: the quality of the stock firmware and the health of the community will have to be judged at release.
Who it’s for, what it costs, what it competes with
Who it’s for. Musicians running a hybrid studio, with several MIDI synths and a Eurorack system, who want a central brain without a computer, on stage or in the studio. Five MIDI DIN pairs and a USB host remove the need for a MIDI interface; eight CV and gate pairs remove the need for a converter. Developers get a sequencer they can modify. For a single synth, it is overkill.
What it costs. Price not announced, nor availability date: Behringer has published neither a product page nor a press release so far.
What it competes with.
- Squarp Hapax: the reference multi-track sequencer, 16 tracks, MIDI and CV/gate, already on sale View at Thomann. Fewer tracks, but proven firmware supported for several years.
- OXI One MKII: more compact, designed for portable setups and driving a rack, with its own CV connections.
- Torso T-1: a 16-track algorithmic sequencer, focused on generating patterns rather than song structure.
On paper, Ignite offers more tracks and more outputs than these rivals; its price, real-world workflow and firmware stability remain to be seen. Behringer already showed another, more modest analog sequencer this month: the 1601 Sequencer.
