As somebody that started out by writing songs with more "traditional" instruments like guitar, one of the things about electronic music that I’ve always found fascinating is the sheer variety of different ways that you can create and interact with synthesizers, drum machines, samplers, and other bits of gear. The possibilities provided by the myriad of unique input devices on the market are seemingly endless, and something that provides me (and others) with a lot of inspiration. I am a firm believer in the idea that you can produce entirely new results—and potentially even unexpected results—just by shifting your workflow. This is something that helps expand your musical horizons, and take you to places that you may not otherwise have gone. After all, After all, you are very unlikely to write the same kind of tunes with a Polyend Tracker as you would with an Arturia Keystep Pro and the V-Suite for example, and that seems something worth investigating.
As a result of this perspective, I have spent a lot of time exploring as many different devices as I can get my hands on; playing about with everything from the Akai Force, to the Linnstrument, Roli Seaboard, and beyond, I often find myself gravitating towards the more esoteric offerings—something that inevitably led me down the Eurorack rabbit hole. However, I have also been on what seems like a never-ending quest to find the perfect all-in-one sequencer: a powerful yet portable box which combines a raft of connections in a compact package; the kind of unicorn that is equally at home as the center-piece of a hardware-based studio setup as it would be in a live performance. Something that will let me quickly and easily not only control, but generate interesting melodies and patterns across my different bits of gear. Oh, and it shouldn’t cost the Earth (or have a three year waiting list…looking at you, Cirklon).
Over the years there have been a few contenders for the crown, but nothing that has quite hit the mark. At least, that is, until the OXI Instruments One came along.
OXI One Overview
The OXI One is a flexible multi-track sequencer and performance tool, which packs a staggering amount of functionality into a relatively small footprint. It comes with a built-in, rechargeable battery, which is something that I didn’t really see a need for at first—but which in practice has proven to actually be quite useful. The dominant characteristic of the device is of course the grid of 16x8 RGB LED pads, which are complimented by a sharp OLED screen, four encoders, and a selection of buttons. The grid is utilized well, lighting up differently depending on the particular mode that is active—and its implementation with varying degrees of brightness feels both snappy and dynamic. In terms of build quality, everything feels incredibly solid and well put together, and there is a reassuring heft to it. There’s no cheap hollow plastic here. Overall, it’s a very nice bit of kit.
Connectivity
One of the major selling points of the OXI One is the sheer amount of physical connections it offers to allow you to interface with different gear. There is MIDI input and output as one might expect (on TRS minijacks) but also an analog clock output, a shared clock/CV input, and eight pairs of CV and gate outputs, which can be configured to suit a host of scenarios. Want to send out an LFO instead of an envelope? Perhaps use a 5V gate instead of a 10V? Accurately control the pitch of an instrument that utilizes the Hz/V or 1.2V standard? All of this is possible—and more.
In addition, there is also MIDI communication over both USB and bluetooth, of all things (remember that battery?!). If you’re somebody that relies heavily on physical MIDI connectivity like myself, then OXI also have a dedicated dongle called the Split, which provides extra TRS MIDI outputs, a full sized MIDI DIN output, a full-sized MIDI THRU port, and also expands the number of MIDI channels that you can utilise up to 48. I genuinely can’t think of any other device with quite as many different or flexible physical options for connectivity as this—and I love it.
Sequencing
The most important aspect of any sequencer is of course…well, the sequencing. After all, a device can pack in all of the different connection methods under the sun, but if pattern creation isn’t intuitive, then it’s all kind of redundant. Thankfully, I am glad to report that this is another area where a lot of thought has clearly gone into the OXI One’s design—and it more than lives up to expectations. The controls are laid out logically, and once you understand the basics of their operation, are a breeze to use in practice. There is very little menu diving to speak of, and access to the features is much quicker and more straightforward than it may appear at first glance.
On board, there are four different sequencers, each of which have got six possible sequencer types to choose from. Those include the standard options like monophonic, polyphonic, and a clever chord mode, but also feature some more unusual options like Multitrack, Stochastic, and Matriceal. Multitrack effectively provides eight sequencers in one, with each individual row capable of being assigned different MIDI channels. This makes it really easy to sequence drums or other monophonic instruments all from a single page. Whereas, Stochastic and Matriceal are both creative sequencers which lend themselves to generative or evolving patterns, with options for probability, octave jumps, and all that kind of good stuff. Each of the fours sequencers can of course be run concurrently, and send out data to a host of different destinations.
Project Management and Arrangements
There are 15 projects on board the OXI One in total, each of which has 64 patterns (16 patterns per sequencer). Each pattern can be up to 128 steps long—and if you are using multitrack mode, you can have up to 32 tracks in total. Maths isn’t exactly my strong point, but it’s fair to say that this allows a lot of room for even the most intricate of compositions. This is compounded by the Arranger feature, which allows you to sequence patterns…in other words, provide a structure—as opposed to having individual patterns loop indefinitely.
One really cool thing is that projects can be queued up during playback without any noticeable wait time. This is an excellent feature…and arguably kind of essential for playing live. There’s nothing worse than standing awkwardly in front of an audience while you find your next project and then suffer through an excruciating delay while it loads. Ask me how I know that!
Use Cases
All those features in mind, let's discuss some potential use cases for the OXI One.
Use Case: Modular Maverick
With its eight pairs of CV and gate outputs, the OXI One would be a natural choice to pair with a modular system, and provides an excellent way to create and perform full arrangements from a central, hands-on device. Whether simply acting as a master clock, or fine-tuning control over every parameter, it can help bring some sense of order and structure to a format that can often feel unwieldy or chaotic. Yes, sometimes that is the beauty of Eurorack, but if you find yourself struggling to create "songs" with your system, then the OXI One might help bring a bit of focus, pulling everything together in a more manageable fashion. It has certainly helped me do that.
Complementing the built-in connectivity that I’ve already highlighted, the OXI One also has an additional trick up its sleeve for modular users, in the form of the Pipe connection. This rather curious addition takes the form of a Micro HDMI port, and provides dedicated connectivity for the OXI Pipe: a 6hp Eurorack module which acts as a breakout for the CV and gate connections. Effectively, what this means is that you can drastically simplify and separate out the cabling that would be required when using the OXI One to sequence and perform with a modular system. Rather than having to remember which output is linked to which module, and make those connections manually when setting up for a gig, you can instead have all of those pre-patched on the Pipe itself. From there, you just need a single micro HDMI to HDMI cable to connect up the OXI One and be ready to go. This is such a clever, inventive idea, one which saves a lot of time and complexity, and really demonstrates again just how much thought has gone into how this device will or could actually be used in practice.
Use Case: The DAWless Jammer
DAWless jamming (or producing and performing tracks without the use of a computer) is a philosophy that many electronic musicians swear by—often to religious extremes. Shunning Ableton and the like, they often make use of a number of disparate sound modules simultaneously. This naturally can end up a bit unwieldy, with complicated chains of internal sequencers and tangles of MIDI cables. With its array of connectivity options and song arrangement features, the OXI One can act as a unifying force to bring these devices together and work in harmony in a much simpler fashion.
Use Case: Laptop Producer
The OXI One obviously has impressive capabilities when it comes to acting as the focal point of a hardware-based studio. However, it is equally as formidable an option for those folks that prefer to create music in a DAW. Not everybody wants to surround themselves with bulky collections of gear after all… but even for the keyboard and mouse wizards amongst us, there is still a lot to be said for having some hands-on control. Arranging on the grid is so much more satisfying than having to click about a screen, and the fact that you can physically "draw out" modulation such as MIDI CC curves with the pads means that it is far more immediate.
What’s more, the size of the OXI One means that it fits alongside a 13 inch MacBook Pro beautifully, and barely takes up any room in a messenger bag. Think roughly the same footprint as a Teenage Engineering OP-1. This would be a killer combination for making music on the go—especially if you have to take your computer along with you anyway.

Use Case: The Keys Player
Okay, let’s be real. Sequencing with a grid can be great, but it also isn’t always going to be appropriate. Sometimes, you want a bit more of the human touch—particularly if you are playing chords, pads, or funky Rhodes lines. The OXI One has this covered as well, with a number of different keyboard style layouts.
Sure, it might not be quite the same as a weighted digital piano, but you still get a lot of possibility for expression, with variable control over velocity, pitch-bend, and even aftertouch. Even if you never paid attention to your High School music theory classes (like yours truly), you can ostensibly sound like something of a classical savant, thanks to the scale selection and quantization modes. You’ll never play a bum note again.
Use Case: The All-Rounder
As hopefully is becoming clear, the OXI One is able to confidently cater for many different scenarios and ways of working. Not only that, but it does so to a high level, without ever leaving you with a feeling of compromise. This is actually what I personally like most about it. As somebody that jumps about a lot, and enjoys experimenting when making music, the OXI One has become something of a Swiss Army knife for composition. Whether I am sequencing drums with my rack-mount Akai S600, exploring generative melodies with my modular, playing pads with Arturia’s CS-80 plugin in Logic, or some combination of all of these, the OXI One handles it all with aplomb. For that reason alone, it has become one of the bits of gear that I reach for frequently when writing music.
Alternatives
If you like the sound of the OXI One but are curious about the alternatives, then there are a few in particular that I would recommend taking a squint at. The most obvious recommendation would be the Squarp Hapax, which has a similar grid-style layout. It is an incredibly capable MIDI and CV sequencer with dual screens, a host of knobs, and even full-sized DIN connections on the rear. Despite being fairly lightweight, it is a fair bit bigger than the OXI One, and also more expensive—but could well be a more attractive option, depending on your specific needs. It works incredibly well as a central "brain" for a home studio, but also has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for live performance, such as the ability to load two projects simultaneously. I own and love both, and it would genuinely be very difficult to pick either one. An in-depth comparison is probably outwith the scope of this article, so if you’re interested, you might want to take a closer look at the specific feature set of each.
Another option that immediately springs to mind is the Torso T-1. This is a slightly different beast, in that its focus is less on conventional step-sequencing, and more on generative, evolving, and dare-I-say unpredictable creation of both melodies and rhythms. If you prefer an approach that favors chance, with the promise of happy accidents rather than certainty at all times—the T-1 might be more up your alley.
Summary
When I first came across the OXI One, I foolishly dismissed it, and I am glad to say that I was very wrong indeed. Whilst it may appear straightforward on the surface, the clever design belies its true depths and capabilities. Is it the perfect sequencer? Well, probably not. I’m not sure such a thing exists, given the specific requirements and use-cases that each individual will have…but it certainly does a damn fine job.
The list of features and functionality included in the OXI One is staggering, and to really do the thing justice would require far more words than I am allocated here. There are deep arpeggiators, euclidean pattern generators, something like 32 different modulation lanes which can be sequenced individually…and even the ability to boot up as a Monome Grid.
What’s been most refreshing to see is the passion and authenticity of the OXI One’s creator—not just in making this all a reality, but in continually engaging with the community to iterate and improve upon what is included. It really is a fine bit of hardware indeed.