That looks interesting 
But in the text it says:
"The native USB port can turn it into a MIDI USB device if you like -
currently that's only supported in Arduino"
Not 100% sur what that mean.
Does that mean that you have to connect it to an Arduino and then to Axoloti?
@jaffasplaffa No given the NeoTrellis can be programmed either using the Arduino API or the CircuitPython API, I think it means that the MIDI API is only part of the Arduino API (and so you can't use MIDI if you want to program it in python).
Lots of gear around now support the arduino API because they use similar microcontrollers internally.
@jaffasplaffa BTW do you have the Pyamid MK2? The pads seem quite stiff on mine (but all of them, so I don't suspect the guy who owned it before me damaged all of them), I have to exert some force on them do make them do stuff. I know the Pyramid wasn't made for playing anyway (no velocity etc), but even to program steps it could be nicer.
Thank you for the explanation
No I don't have Pyramid, sorry. Argh that sounds bad. I hope it works anyhow
FWIW for me personally an Akai 1000 (or similar) with JJOS is the best sequencer for live. If you want a sequencer that's so powerful it's going to make your head spin consider a midibox seq v4
Unpopular Opinion Incoming:
I use the axoloti only as a sequencer. It's great for everything, but I find that it's the most immediate to me as a really complex sequencer. I will feed what comes out of it to other things to edit, but it's doing its job to level 11 for me as an absurdly alien sequencer.
I use my Digitakt mainly as a sequencer(the recent update is fantastic), trying to stay clear of the computer as much as possible.
I have just retired an Atari St (tried it running alongside the digitakt, to record further polyphony, sysex etc) but I’m trying to minimise my setup, to make it more portable, so been thinking about carving out something on Axo, to take up the slack of the Digitakt.
Would be very interested to see your sequencer patch, to give me a running start, would you care to upload it, if that’s not too much hassle?
I also made some sequencers for Axoloti so I resonate with you
Working on a track atm where one Axo is only doing sequencing, the other one is doing som drums.
I'm really tempted to get a NeoTrellis just as a playing surface. But the issue is that it seems it can be powered only via USB, and the Axoloti only has one USB port for a MIDI device and doesn't support USB hubs, say the docs (I don't know if hubs support is planned).
I could plug my Pyramid (now that I have one ^^) via MIDI, but then I'd need a separate power plug/bank because the Pyramid can't be powered over MIDI, so it's less nomad, and I'd like a good playing surface to complement the sequencer that's easy to carry, specifically for that purpose (my mono station works well as a stationary playing surface, or my Roli lightpad, which is rather difficult to use nomadly without a laptop or an iPhone, which I don't have).
Do you guys know of a small and thin MIDI pads surface (like 8x4 pads) that could be powered via MIDI (or possibly via an internal battery)? I know the Axoloti can power stuff over MIDI from that thread.
I have a quneo from keith mcmillen which is a nice addition in a midi setup, but I must say the x/y/z on the pads are quite limited for precise control and it seems the velocity of the pads starts to work less well pretty soon (at least some on mine).
That said, I did make a couple of sequencers that take advantage of it's aftertouch/x/y per pad, that turns it into a 3-parameter polyphonic voice controller that can be recorded into a sequence. Together with my harmony modules, it's very easy to play a melody with an intuitive 3-channel aftertouch with 2 octaves + 2 notes for each page (2x 7 notes per octave + 2 extra for the 16 pads)
you could connect the trellis via DIN midi instad of USB?
i have a couple neotrellis things in my shelf sicne a while an will def do a axoloti ish thing at some point in time. i hope lol.
Ah, but the one you linked to https://learn.adafruit.com/trellis-m4-midi-keypad-and-tilt-controller doesn't seem to have a midi DIN output (and I wanted to avoid having to add and power a separate MIDI host box). The page mentions you need a separate converter.
no but its all arduino/atmel stuff right so you can just hook up a DIN jack to some serial tx pins. for output only you dont even need optocouplers or a full DIN breakout board. gotta admit i dint look into the trellis that deep yet but pretty sure thats easy to do. issa diy state of mind ykwim.
or just glue a 3.5mm jack instead of DIN for gEneRaTioN Z miDi and a fancy flat device.
i have fetish for sequencers, Pyramid is №1 in my personal chart.
№2 is Roland MC-80, and №3 is shared between E-Mu Command Station and Yamaha RM1x. but those are too big & heavy for 2020.
interesting.
i've recently bought two Mono Stations. using both with Axoloti as MIDI processors and FX units (all FX patches found here).
btw, i've reverse engineered Mono Station patch SysEx format. it's only 136 bytes, so it's probably possible to use Axoloti as additional patch storage for Mono Station, overcoming its 64 patches limit. did not try it yet, but i already know that there's no problems with sending SysEx of this length from Axoloti.
I own a Neotrellis M4 and in the midi-examples provided the MIDI-messages are sent via UART and USB simultaneously.
see https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_NeoTrellisM4/tree/master/examples/midi_keypad
I just plug in the Neotrellis via USB, it has power and sends MIDI...
I plan to port the sample-based 16step-sequencer to send MIDI ... and to store sequences on the internal storage of the Neotrellis.