A4 MKii Bass Disappearance

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi there,

So, i am trying to make some bass sounds for my upcoming gigs at summer, and i think something strange happens sometimes, i really can’t explain or solve.

I play a bass sound which consists of 2 triangle oscillators, the second being 1 octave down, related to the first.
And i don’t know why, when playing a bassline, the low end of my sound slowly disappears and then gradually appears again. It’s like a very slow high pass filter. So, this can last for maybe 15 seconds. More or less. And it happens one time or maybe two, in 10 or 20 minutes. It’s really random.

I double checked: The LFOs are all stopped the depth parameters all at zero. Also the PWMs, vibratos, the oscillator sync is off, and everything else i have, is disabled. Just two oscillators working so simply. This happens a lot when tweaking the cut off filter, for just a bit, then letting it still. And there the low end makes a slow circle of disappearance and comes back when it remembers to come back. And i’m just hitting a note with sustain and wait.
Is it problematic that i use 2 oscillators? Maybe use one? Is it that this analog and changes stuff due to the electrical energy transferred by the electric circuit of my house?

If this happens in the gig, it’s pretty bad, because i play the bass in the band. I’m thinking hard compression and bass favoured EQing from my MG12XU so as i can have bass presence at all times. But this really ruins my filter and overdrive sweeps which sound pretty awesome when everything is flat!

Anybody maybe experienced the same thing?
There are many things about analog synths i can’t explain yet.

Many thanks,
Ilias

#2

Sound like phasing /destructive overlaying of the two signals to me. Using only one oscillator as you suggest would fix it.

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#3

Do you have Oscillator Retrig enabled (OSC2, page 2, TRG parameter)? That should help getting consistent results, even with two oscillators.

Edit: even though this parameter is in OSC2, it affects both oscillators.

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#4

Yup, totally. Osc Retrig enabled will help.

#5

You have to switch off OSC DRIFT on Sound settings and set Oscillator Retrig

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#6

Yep, sounds like phase cancellation to me. Another option would be to detune one or both of the oscillators slightly. This would prevent them from falling out of phase for such long periods of time. Granted, this would change the character of your sound; but if a static sound is what you’re going for, there’s really no need to use two oscillators in the first place.

Cheers!

#7

Use one OSC and to fatten the Bass, If needed, use unison.

#8

Ok, firstly I want to thank you for the immediate answers, I really appreciate it. After a few weeks and 4 gigs i learnt so many things about the behaviour of A4 Mkii. And you really saved me with your useful ideas.

I used all the ideas and points made here.
After experimenting with the 2 oscillators, I found out that some presets I have created in the A4 have the exact same triangle oscillators on the same octave. And identical parameters! Totally unnecessary. I’m new at this. But I should know that the phase cancellation issue can be solved by changing one source of sound just a bit.
The osc retrig is good and punchier for bass sounds, but between the notes i play there is a really not needed percussive sound in the beginning of every note. I changed the attack so as it’s not set to zero but at"3" or at “4”. When playing with guitar themes this perc sound does not exist, but being solo maybe you don’t want that.

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