I’m hitting problems with the 64-step constraint in model:cycles.
Before you answer, I know about chaining (I’m using that) and I know about conditional trigs and related trickery.
My problem is more that, if you have longer cycles than 64-steps, then you are inevitably into multiple patterns … and that means that if you have a constant (typically a drum track) you have to copy that to multiple patterns, and every time you change your mind about the the drum track, you’re back into another round of copying and pasting.
SO THE QUESTION: Is there a piece of Elektron gear that allows you to keep a constant track running through multiple patterns ?
(Present track I’m working on has a 128 step (8-bar) argeggio over chord changes before it repeats (hence two patterns) and I hear a melody coming that is double that, before a change to something else.)
Yes, analog keys, rytm and a4 have a kit system, where you can have one kit for multiple patterns! So If you tweak the kit, all patterns that use it will be affected…
But presumably if you change your mind and change the rhythm of the kick, say doubling one of the beats, then you’re still into editing multiple patterns or copy and paste ?
You didn’t explicitly mention it, so are you familiar with the Track Scale feature? Because between that and conditional trigs, you can get very, very long patterns without the need to pattern chain.
Is the issue that the drums won’t continue playing when you switch patterns, or that you don’t want to copy and paste the drum sample into new patterns over and over again?
Yes, if you want to change the pattern, you have to change the pattern, even if in your ehad they are linked, the sequencer doesn’t know that. No Elektron that I know of allows you to change track patterns independently from the main pattern, with the only exception I think being a Machinedrum with MegaCommand.
Otherwise you’ll need a different sequencer that allows you to do this (a Squarp Pyramid maybe?) that would control some aspects of your sequence while the Elektron patterns are running.
The other option is to just record audio and/or Midi from your devices into a DAW and arrange as needed ITB (out OTB, depending on your perspective I guess).
Don’t forget the OT. Its parts are quite similar (almost identical) to kits, only that they are constraint to single pattern banks and that there are only 4 parts available per bank.
Set your arpeggio to 1/2X Scl in the track scale menu to get 128 steps, then for your melody idea, set that track to 1/4X Scl to get 256 steps. Mod as TRK. Keep your kick or whatever at 16 steps, then it’s not a PITA to change multiple pages.
It’s more the latter, though it is not laziness on wanting to copy the drum track(s) in the first place, it’s the inconvenience of, having done that, realising that I want a doubled kick at one point or I want to add a percussion instrument throughout.
The arpeggio is over a chord progression, and has 128 notes in it before it repeats. If I use scaling I only get 64 steps not 128 I think (unless I’m missing something).
Yes, I’ve been thinking along those lines. (Though I’m leaning more towards Deluge than Pyramid, though that’s another discussion). I’m also thinking of combing audio looping and sequencing (Deluge does that too.)
TBH, I’m new to this whole thing (sequencing/looping) and I have a long way to go before I exhaust the possibilities of the M:C and move on to one of those … but I am exploring the options.
Definitely take some time before adding. It’s a complex machine and you can do what you need to with it, it just takes some effort. I’d also say to learn to roll with the punches maybe.
If repeating a track pattern over other patterns is hard, maybe consider if that’s really what you need to do. Maybe the fact that you have different patterns is a plus? And definitely explore trig conditions and track scale more thoroughly, there’s a lot there to work with.
