Hi there, while I have a general idea of how to use the Analog 4’s synth engine, I am still learning how to get the most use out of the sequencer.
Is there an easy way to emulate the TB-303 sound and do TB-303 style accent and note slides?
I found some old TB-303 bass line patterns I’d like try out.
Still learning. Any help would be appreciated.
I personally don’t want to enter that realm, but I saw that Dual Shaman released an acid pack for the A4. Probably a lot to learn from that? http://sounds.beatport.com/pack/elektron-a4-progressive-acid/7064
I have that pack. Sort of helpful. I found using two low pass filters with heavy use of the envelopes and resonance helps. You’ll need to adjust the slide “to taste” in the 2nd page of oscillator 2. Programming accents and slides are explained in the manual.
There are the settings i use:
Trap wave with a -20 PWM, or Sawtooth.
Use Filter 2 in LP2 mode.
VCA EG; A. 0 D. Roughly 3 seconds. S. 0 R. 0
VCF EG: A. 0 D. to taste S. 0 R. 0
Use only the cutoff, resonance, VCF env amt and decay. Don’t forget the accents and slides. Set portamento amount in VCO 2 page 2 to around 16.
Also make sure trig length set to 1/16ths
Everything else is in the sequencer. Accents, slides
Worth noting with the 303 that if two notes are more than 1/16th apart it kind of auto legatos the preceding note to get the slide. No real way to fully emulate this on the A4
But you can get pretty damn close and way more besides
Try these settings on the synth pages:
(if no indication, parameters are as per the default patch)
OSC1:
TUN -24
WAV TRI
OSC2: LEV OFF
FILTERS:
FRQ 6 RES 44 OVR +20 TRK 0 DEP +25
FRQ 9 RES 35 TYP PK TRK +23 DEP 0
AMP:
ATK 0 DEC 37 SUS 100 REL 8 SHP 2
The trick is as well using Note Slide and Accent, and of course playing with the filter resonance and frequency (preferably on the Peak filter) and the Amp page (especially SUS and DEC) for shorter punchy notes.
This worked for me to make TM404ish basslines.
Nice! Will try next week.
This settings (in particular the longish decay time, and the portamento in fact slide time under osc 2 p2) were the cherry on the cake to really makes things happen doing acid bass with the A4…
They works wonder also playing with the note length from 1/16th to even 4…
Nice to see Tilliander mentioned here, he does love some 303 that’s for sure.
He second album actually uses a load of emulators as well, which was interesting. I think he used some clones, maybe Rebirth even, i forget exactly.
He often claims he doesn’t really know how to use the 303, which i think certainly helps when using one to some degree.
First try jamming and noodling around to give an idea of what you can get.
Part of the magic is the Zen delay which add the grit and the weirdness.
It makes a good four years that I wanted to achieve “that” sound with the A4… I was almost going to buy a TD3 but the A4 will do and much much better after owning a bit more skills.
Got to get your param right 
Made this a few years ago:
Thanks sounds real good on the demo.
If it’s not much too ask, what are the key settings param to punch in to get it?
My love affair with sysex is rather limited 