A4 Tips & Tricks

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#27

Thanks im sorry to take your time and nerves.
I dont mean save, i mean save as ( and keep old pat+ kit)
And also some fear of losing stuff by accidently pushing wrong trig because of autosave.

Yes, thanks I see again copy paste before starting is the way to go.
Its just symtomatic that you dont mention how important it then is to also save kit with new name if you dont want total mess
or youre totally sure you just changed trigs and p locks.

BTWit seem not very known: there indeed is also the quite reliable but also complicated on the fly method ( cant test it now)
More or less copy pattern, reload kit( not shure there) + pattern, select new pattern, paste pattern, save kit to new name, save pattern.

Thanks befrog, sounds great if one day i will be motivated to buy a stable compu and learn a daw again i will be even more thankful for all your overbridge betatesting
for a stable and simple Ob
Have a nice evening

#28

No pb dear.
I’m just pointing out some methods that work for my own workflow, trying to help you see your way through this.

Indeed things would be easier for me if there were some slight changes, but as you and me don’t have any power on changing how these things work, only way I see is to learn how it works inside out and find your own path in this.

#29

Thanks a lot for the nice and detailed answer. I was too slow writing. Will try it, it seems similar, same, maybe bit more secure as the quick on the fly thing i wrote above. Thanks and i will practice a bit and try to feelmore secure.
Symtomatic i was referring to d. s answer,
Nice evening to both

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#30

I just wanted to add something on here:

you can sequence FX parameter locks on the FX section(I believe switching to this track will automatically turn grid rec off, turn it back on- plug away)

You can mute the fx sequencer for the menu values to play at their displayed values, and then turn the Fx track on midway through performing for the fx-p-locks to turn on. When turning off the FX track values will remain at their last p-locked setting, return them to their initial value by pressing a key while on the Fx track

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#31

Hi all !

im proud owner of elektron products, and not lo long ago i bought A4,
i also have MnM where i like to “break” notes, with lfo…
usually i set lfo to pulse, trig and with speed and multi i can bend even short note,
but on a4 iam not able to find nice speed / multi / depth which would make similar effect… to me it seems like it goes to quickly to high values?

is there any way how to slower the lfos ?
or does any of you do any similar “tricks”?

***i think im not targeting finepitch only pitch
maybe thats the case

cheers M.

#32

A post was merged into an existing topic: A4 MKII New Factory Presets?

#33

I bought analog 4 and wonder is there benefits if i connect my two mono dreadbox synths to the inputs of analog 4. Can i use effects on those synths and some other ways mangle/edit the sound?

#34

You can substitute the A4 oscillator(s) on a given track for an external sound source injected pre-filter so it’ll subsequently pass the FX if you want

You then just need to work out whether you want the A4 seq to control the external device pitch by using the CV outputs

You can’t do as much to an external device source as you can with an internal oscillator in terms of sync etc

If you don’t need the extra filtering/amp-options of the A4 then just bring the external inputs straight into the FX - the CV outs (if any spare) can still be used to mod a CV synth

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#35

to answer my question - slow lfo i was looking for, can be achieved by MUL ٠1, ٠2, ٠4, ٠8 etc

there is this “point” which i never noticed… always was using only x1 x2, or 1k… etc…

as my usual experience with elektron gear, there longer you have it, the more treasures (for you at that time) you find…

***also found “INF” pattern reset counter not long ago… :smiley:
thanks :wink:

1 Like
#36

found this one on the AR and it’s working on the A4 too so i thought i would post it here as well

in Perf mode, holding Function+track will arm the track(s) to be either muted/unmuted. the track(s) will then be muted/unmuted when Function is released but …before releasing Function, pressing Tempo will allow to release Function with nothing happening; only pressing Function again will then mute/unmute the selected track(s)

Perf mode:

  • hold Function+select track(s) to be muted/unmuted
  • keep holding Function, press Tempo
  • release Function
  • press Function again when needed

tested on A4 MKI 1.24

11 Likes
#37

Hi!
Can I connect an external effects pedal to A4 and use it as a sand? I want to send one of four tracks to it but not all 4. (H9 harmonizer 2 in and 2 out)

#38

yes - whilst it’s not a tip per se - you would isolate the chosen track from the main mix through the audio config menu - then bring the effected track back in to the A4 Mk2 inputs

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#39

In the audio routing menu? Can you please in more detail? How should I connect my pedal? in Ext In?
Or do I need to ask such questions in another thread?
Thank you!
UPD: I’ll probably think well and write a separate post-question about my hard-routing))

#40

The Mk2 has stereo TRS outs for the individual tracks, connect one of those into the H9 using a TRS to TS/TR cable, then feed teh output of the H9 back into teh external inputs

The Voice Routing menu (search manual) will allow you to determine whether a Track goes through to the main outputs or not, it just toggles them on/off

You would take the track you want to H9 effect and remove that from the Main because it would double up and create audio issues otherwise - unless you could bring the wet only signal back - in which case ignore the voice routing suggestion

there are topics on chosing the correct cable type - e.g. https://www.thomann.de/gb/the_sssnake_sk3153_insertkabel.htm

If you have no panning on your A4 track you can use a mono cable to go from A4 to H9 and bring stereo back

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#41

Thank you very much! I’m going to experiment!

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#42

Sorry last question. That is, if I connect the pedal in this way, then I can send any two tracks to the pedal (for example 1 and 4) and then all together it will go to the main output? I pictured correctly?
Thank you!

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#43

That’s not how you use a Y cable - the outputs on teh A4 are stereo out - it’s not an insert - you only need y insert cable if you want to split any panning from A4 track

The outs from the H9 go to inputs on the A4

In your case i t needn’t really be asked, two monos from two tracks or L/R from one track it’s all the same, it’s just a signal

if doing mono with two tracks out you only need 4 mono patch cables and some self explanatory wiring in terms of outs and ins

2 Likes
#44

here’s something I hadn’t really paid attention to till today:

The triangle oscillator turns into a sawtooth at either “pulsewidth” extreme. Interestingly though, it’s inverted phase from the regular sawtooth wave. (you can nearly cancel out the waveforms entirely by dialing in levels right) This brings some interesting waveform design options.

Two square waves without using a square wave:

  • oscillators 1 and 2 nearly equal, slightly detuned. One a sawtooth, one a triangle with max/min pulsewidth. Dial in the 1/2 levels right, and you get a PWMing square wave (subtracting a phase-shifted sawtooth from another sawtooth makes a square wave, and the detuning is effectively like a phase modulation)
  • Osc 2 a triangle max/min pulsewidth one octave above a sawtooth Osc 1. Hard sync 1->2. Dial in the levels right, and you get a 50% square wave.

A more interesting waveform I discovered today: sawtooth Osc 1, triangle Osc 2 25% or so pulsewidth. Osc 1 around 80% level, Osc 2 around 100%. If you dial the levels right, you get a waveform that looks like a sawtooth with a blank shelf. Or like a square wave where half of it is entirely sloped (like an extreme version of the “transistor square” wave)

I love stumbling on these sorts of niche interactions.

13 Likes
#45

Nice discovery! I’ll have to give it a try, thanks for sharing :slight_smile:

#46

A nice performance tool that was not obvious to me from the manual: FUNC + LEFT/RIGHT also allows you to shift trig mutes, accents, note slides, and param slides around while in their respective modes, just like regular trigs. Sure delivers some happy accidents…

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