A4 + MD configuration tips?

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
1

I’m trying to use my A4 + MD together in a self-contained configuration with headphones. I think I have it mostly figured out but had a couple questions.

A4 MIDI OUT => MD MIDI IN
MD OUT => A4 IN

A4 is the clock and transport master.

That all seems to work fine.

Now, if I want to use filtering and not have the MD’s output summed to mono, do I have to dedicate two separate tracks to it? So set Trk 3 and 4 WAV to IN L and IN R respectively? Can I link the LPF on those two tracks somehow?

Alternatively, let’s say I only want to use the A4 for FX, does that mean I can only do that mono since the FX Track will sum EXT IN L/R?

I guess my simplest goal is to have stereo MD using the A4’s effects in stereo as well and all that summing to the A4’s headphone outputs.

2

hey there… i have MD and A4 setup (and MM but lets ignore that for now)

the MD is the master, the A4 is the bitch. hence when i press play on the MD the A4 follows , when I press play on the A4 nothing happens on the MD

the MD individual outs (l +r) go into the input L+R of the A4.

i keep 4 tracks for synths and in the FX channel i set the volume to 100 and hear the incomming beats from the MD … when I am in a good mood I adjust the chorus delay and rev section and have effects for the MD …

when I use the effects on the input channels, say track 1 and track 2 with the filter set to inp l and r … i get SHIT results , i hardly hear anything when I turn the knobs , actually only found out about this a couple of days ago on this forum, despite owning the A4 MD team for 4 months …

3

Yes.

Yes, by using the performance mode.

You can do that in stereo panning the right input hard right and the left input hard left in the EXT IN page.

4

Thanks for the heads up guys. I’m not going to burn half my tracks just to filter an external signal, but routing to the FX works pretty well for now.

What would be great is if I could then route my audio back to the MD to use its effects before sending it all back out =)

5

Also, is there any particular advantage to having A4 be the sync/transport master vs. slave with the MD? It’s currently the master but I figured I’d ask.

6

I don’t see a reason why you couldn’t do that.

7

I hadn’t looked closely into it, but I had assumed that it would create a feedback loop (Assuming I’m feeding main outs from the MD into the A4).

8

Hey man, I’ve tried sending the audio out from the A4 into the MDUW and I wasn’t happy with the sound quality. It did open up a whole wack of #ucked up features, looping in reverse etc… but in the end, the soundquality just wasn’t there. What I ended up doing, and it worked really well, we just sending the master out of the MDUW into the inputs of the A4, and I just used it in the effect track (so I didn’t wast any synth tracks). I used a tiny bit of reverb and a little chorus and it sort of rounded the machinedrum sounds quite well. When input the MDUW into the A4, there was no degradation of sound… I actually thought it sounded better this way than having each instrument in a dedicated channel on my mixer.
Regards,
Mike

9

So? Feedback can be used creatively perfectly fine. :slight_smile:
Also, don’t forget that you have 4 assignable outputs on your MD you can use to prevent that.

10

That’s probably because the sampling on the A4 is 12bit. This will either work for the sound you’re after or it doesn’t. :slight_smile: