Syncing DFAM with OT & MPC

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#42

Thanks @Microtribe for your input. Much appreciated :pray:
Would 80ā‚¬ second hand be a decent price?

#43

I was able to get my rd9 to sync the DFAM. My sync chain is MPC - OT - Rd9-Dfam.

works well.

#44

Yeah thatā€™s a good price

1 Like
#45

Thanks @bambrose :pray:
Sorry to ask these questions but as I have only managed (so far) to sync the DFAM with the Keystep and as I am waiting for the Kenton Pro Solo Mk2, would anyone manage to explain how to set the parameters in the device itself?
I have read the manual but I have to admit I am not very knowledgeable in terms of MIDI to CV.
Thanks for any input in advance. Much appreciated :pray:

1 Like
#46

Kenton is super easy. I didnt read the manual. Everything you need is printed on the front.

Eg Midi channel, scroll to that, hit the button, then enter the channel you want. Repeat same process for what ever function you want to program.

If you only use it with one synth its a set and forget type of thing.

1 Like
#47

Thanks @Microtribe but my old age is acting like a kind of barrier to new (to me) things :slight_smile:
Should I just plug in the AUX 1 (clock) from the Kenton into the adv/clock of DFAM? Or the Gate (S-Trig) of the Kenton into the adv/clock of DFAM?
That is where I get stuck. Sorry for the stupid questionā€¦

1 Like
#48

Kinda depends what you wantā€¦

If you send AUX as clock, then youā€™ll get a straight clock sync to the DFAM from your master midi clock.

If you send gates to the adv clock in, then you can transend the 8 step loopy thing, and get all polymetric, sending midi trigs as gates to advance the clock. (Eg send 3 trigs spread over 16 steps, will advance through the 8 steps of the DFAM each time a gate is recieved.)

Hope that makes sense.

2 Likes
#49

That does make sense indeed :slight_smile:
I suppose I will get a better understanding when the thing arrives.
I appreciate very much you taking the time to explain. Very kind :pray:

1 Like
#50

No problem at all my friend. Sometimes reading forums is confusing, sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction.
Happy to help. Enjoy the kenton when it arrives, its really a great tool.

2 Likes
#51

@vasidudu

That is pure magic and makes the DFAM a really unique machine. Instead of a steady stream of 16th notes you can send wild patterns. If the number of trigs is uneven or odd it gets really wild in a very pleasing way.

Say your trigger pattern only has 6 trigs over 16 16th notes, then the seq in the dfam has not been fully played and finishes in bar 2 but then the seq starts over again. And so on

:exploding_head:

1 Like
#52

@Andreas_R
Thanks for your input.
As @Microtribe, knowledgeable users is a must on this forum :pray:
So if I understand: I could use the Gate out (S-Trig) to the DFAM Adv/Clock to get either the same result as the AUX 1 (used as clock) or to obtain uneven/odd patterns from the DFAM based on the number of trigs triggered from DT?
Would I then be able to use the AUX 1 to alter other functions on DFAM?
How about CV out from the pro solo Mk2?

1 Like
#53

@vasidudu you are correct.

You could use the CV to control the pitch of the oscillators, if you tune the oscilator to match C om a keyboard, and you send gate into the DFAM gate in, now you can play meoldies in tune with other synths. All sequenced from your midi sequencer, or played from midi keyboard.

You could also try sending CV to the filter and see what you get, that would give you per step filter mod, or use an LFO to move the filter.
There are basically no rules, experiment and see what you find. Where ever there is an input, just send CV to it and see what you get.

1 Like
#54

OKā€¦
Now that clears things up for my understanding.
THAN YOU :pray:

#55

ok so I am a bit lost here although I understand (better now) the concepts of Gate and CV.
I have the following setup:
DT midi out to pro solo mk2

  1. Aux 1 (clock out) from pro solo mk2 to DFAM adv/clock. That works fine.

  2. Also trying the Gate (S-Trig) out to DFAM Trigger input: pro solo mk2 does receive the gate signal (and for the correct lenght based on DT setup on midi ch trig page)ā€¦ In this case, pro solo mk2 is set up as Gate V-Trig low (+5v) and that works fine as well :slight_smile:

  3. CV out from pro solo mk2 to VCA decay on DFAM and here basically nothing happens.
    Am I missing something?
    Have tried to trigger a LFO from DT (MIDI ch 9 - pro solo mk2 set to receive on ch 9) to no availā€¦
    Funny thing is when I plug the cv out of pro solo mk2, the vca decay gets longerā€¦

#56

Youā€™ll need to check the DFAM manual to see what voltages each input responds to. Then set the Kenton CV output to match. Eg -5v, +5v etc.

You need to trigger the VCA so you can hear the effect of twiddling the decay knob.

Sending midi , then converting it to CV via kenton, is basically the same thing as twiddling the knob with your fingers. But you still need to trigger it. Twiddling the VCA decay with no sound triggered, wont produce any sound.

I would take a good look at the DFAM manual and see what are the best candidates to recieve midi/CV via kenton. Some combinations will work better than others.

Think of it like this.
Gate = note on/note off.
CV = pitch (although it can be other things)
Clock = equivalent of midi clock sync.

1 Like
#57

Thanks @Microtribe for taking the time.
So far I have managed to get Gate and Clock to respond.

  1. Aux 1 out (Clock) sends the clock/Start/Stop from Kenton to DFAM.
    That works :slight_smile:

  2. Gate out (set up as Gate V-Trig low +5v) sends trigs from DT to Kenton to DFAM TRIGGER in then TRIGGER out to VELOCITY on DFAM.
    That also works :slight_smile:

I am now using the pith and velocity sequencers on DFAM for other purposes :slight_smile: (PITCH routed to VCF Decay and VELOCITY routed to VCA Decay)

I remain without being able to use the CV out it seemsā€¦

#58

Have you checked kention option 15 - CV/HZ select? It should be set to CV

Then try this.
Disconnect aux clock. (Dont worry about this for now)

Kenton gate out to DFAM trig in.
Kenton CV out to VCO pitch in (doesnt matter which one.

Put your DT midi track in chromatic mode, play keys up and down a few octaves. You should get chromatic playback of the DFAM oscillator.

Let me know if that works.

#59

It is on CV.

It does work indeed :slight_smile:

I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to go through this :pray:

What would be another option/use for the CV out? Is there any way I can modulate with a LFO?

#60

Again, experiment!
If you send DT midi lfo to note, now you have everything from a slow drift to audio rate modulation if you send CV to VCO pitch in, try other inputs and see what you get. Results may vary.

I dont have a DFAM anymore, so all this is from memory, others might have better answers.

1 Like
#61

Thanks @Microtribe and again sorry for the hassle and all the questions. Been having some fun learning all this.
Will experiment what can be done with the combination of both.