"New chord sequencing suggestions presented alongside a less impressive sound engine found in the first glance at AlphaTheta Chordcat"

Roland, a renowned name in the music industry, has expanded its product line with the release of a new music production tool - the Chordcat groovebox. This compact and budget-friendly device, previously known as Pioneer DJ's AlphaTheta project, offers eight individual tracks and 145 sample-based instruments.

One of the headline features of Chordcat is its Chord Cruiser mode, which suggests compatible chords for sequence creation, aiming to inspire new compositional ideas. In addition, the device features a selection of pre-defined chord sets, separate from the Chord Cruiser mode. Chords can be auditioned and assigned to buttons along the bottom edge of the UI for quick triggering and sequencing.

Each track on Chordcat has a maximum of 128 steps for pattern input and editing. The sound engine offers a broad range of sounds, though the selection within each category is somewhat vanilla, and there's little in the way of editing capabilities.

The Chordcat application promises to make it easy to export and import sequences from the device via USB. The device can be powered by AA batteries or USB-C and is smaller and lighter than previous Toraiz releases.

The interface of Chordcat feels cheap in some areas, with the XY pad having a stepped response. However, this drawback is mitigated by the fact that the XY pad allows for control over each sound's low pass filter and amp envelope, as well as the device's effects such as reverb, delay, ducker, and arpeggiator.

In the case of drum kits, parameters like filter and envelope are shared across every sound in the kit. Kits can have reverb applied via a send on Chordcat.

Chordcat lacks a built-in speaker, a common trait for devices at this price point, as speakers at this price point are often weak and disappointing. However, Chordcat can be connected to one or more devices that make sounds more inspiring than Chordcat's own, via USB and MIDI connectivity.

Individual levels and pan position of sounds can be adjusted on Chordcat. The filter has just controls for cutoff frequency and resonance, and the envelope has just attack and release. The device also features a scale mode, chord function, and a variety of pre-made chord sets for quick progression creation.

Overall, the Chordcat groovebox offers an affordable and innovative solution for music producers, with its Chord Cruiser feature providing a unique approach to chord progression and sequence creation.

"New chord sequencing suggestions presented alongside a less impressive sound engine found in the first glance at AlphaTheta Chordcat"