AK: More flexible note stealing and velocity curves

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

One thing that always gets me when playing the AK is that it always steals the note(s) I’m holding down, if my fingers aren’t fast enough. An easy scenario, hold the first two notes in this E Major as well as the E an octave below. Thats 3 voices. Use whatever fingers you have left and go nuts playing that last voice. The AK will immediatly steal the notes you are holding down if you are’nt fast enough to release a note before hitting the next with. This is only an issue for people who play keys/piano/etc. Ideally on a synth with low polyphony a player wants complete control over what notes the synth can steal.

I want the notes that are being held down while playing, being…held down. That’s typically how things works (although not on every synth obviously), and I see no reason why the AK should’nt have more options here, especially since the synth is so capable of all kinds of expressive sounds.It might only be 4 voices, it might only be 3 octaves, but those things are imo more reasons to add more flexibility/options where a user can tailor the keys to their playing styles etc (I’m talking about when using the AK as a typical 4 voice synth here).

While on the subject of keys and playing keys, the mid velocity curve could use some +/- offset values, to bend the curve more to you playing style as it is a bit hard to control the velocity range properly (it’s jumpy and the high/low curves removes control over low and high velocity range respectively). This would just be a bonus tho, the note stealing is the one thing that is a bit of and issue, especially when playing live. Por favor look into it Elektron:-)

(The hold button isn’t what I’m talking about, just to get that one out of the way)

#2

Do you have all four voices enabled in poly-config? Do you have “allocation” set to “RESET?”
When I try your example, I’m able to traverse the keyboard with the free finger, while the other three notes are held. No note-stealing.
There are three velocity curves (and “OFF”) in the sounds “SETTINGS” section: logarithmic, linear, and exponential.

2 Likes
#3

What happens if you play that last voice legato style? Or just really fast? Did you try both examples? Just trying to figure out what we’re doing different:-)

Edit: There is no 2nd example, I’m senile. Hold down say the low C, run you fingers up and down (fast), legato and non legato

Yep I know the velocity curves, they are kinda your basic thing (3 curves), more options here to adjust the keys to your playing style would be great.

#4

This may take some technique and playing style adjusting to, but do not forget you have after touch as yet another way to play keys, so not only velocity curve, but also consider doing something different with after touch in the mix. Also, as already mentioned, the variety of ways you can assign the poly configuration and priority is ingeniously versatile.

Oh, also do not forget the Joystick. It begs to be played. My cat even loves that damn joystick.

#5

Thanks namnibor! Yep I’m an avid user of both aftertouch and joysticks, pitch and mod wheels, ribbon controllers, release speed.

It doesn’t seem to matter how I assign the note stealing though, it seems tailored with the sequencer in mind, there is no option that lets you have a more typical “don’t you touch my lower keys” or “don’t you dare touch my held notes”, for lack of better technical terms:)

Velocity curves…On a piano -like type of preset, you usually assign volume and filter cut off to the velocity, other things as well to further mimic that kind of sound. After touch and joystick isn’t really used, only velocity. There are many other examples as well. And vice versa, there are many sounds where velocity to volume doesn’t matter that much. The mid curve on the AK is ok-ish if you have nimble hands (you can check the velocity response while playing in notes setup->velocity mod), it’s jumpy as it wasn’t made by a player, but it’s ok-ish. My issue is more about the note stealing algos anyway. :slight_smile:

#6

You could get creative and use the keyboard setup to assign one track to the lower half of the keyboard, and a second track to the upper half.

If you make all tracks BUT the second poly, then you have three notes for the left hand, and a single for the right, without the solo stealing voices from your chords. Additional bonus is that you can use porta on your lead.

Of course you can assign the same sound to chord and lead-tracks, and use a macro to control them simultaniously.

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#7

Thanks TBN! That’s a keeper for now (albeit being a workaround). Will try it out later. :slight_smile:

I use the AK in two distinct different ways. The first being using it as an A4 with keys, as a groovebox kinda thing, using the sequencer, tracks and so on.
The other way is using it as a more typical synth, and it’s here the AK falls short a bit. You kinda have to conform your playing style to what the AK provides you with (in terms of note stealing and velocity curves), typically manufacturers adds a lot more flexibility here, by adding lots of velocity curves, or other ways of sculpting them to your playing style, same with note stealing etc.
I dunno…it’s just such a great beast of a synth, capable of farting out all kinds of great “keys” sounds and whatnot. You can assign 5 parameters to the velocity, yet none of the curves provided gives you good control over said velocity range. I usually play across the entire velocity range (like a piano if you will).

Anyway, note stealing options! Elektron, make it happen. No but really though…
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make it happen(!). :wink:

#8

Yep + 1000
I also use the A4 as a 4 voices synth and i am a keyboard player so i was expecting something else when used in poly mode.
Its okish but you are right about the stealing algos. It is especially weird when using long attack value unless you always reset the env to zero in the env option.

Also if the LFOs are free running and the phase is not synced for all 4 voices its getting very messy. For example , you want an LFO gently modulating pitch when using poly mode. If you want the LFO synced for all the voice you have to reboot the machine.

Anyway really like the A4 but as a polyphonic synth its not ideal.

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#9

I have noticed the funky lfo behavior as well.

I’m currently making a bank for the A4/AK, mostly aimed towards the AK with the focus being on making use of keys velocity and after touch, as well as the joystick. It’s mostly various piano-ish kinda sounds, pads and plucks. Cinematic stuff. The A4K is just great for scoring, Elektron just needs to show that little 3 octave keyboard some more love:-).

#10

I find the velocity curves on the AK to not be a very good match for my playing. I’m not really a keyboardist, but compared to my Prophet 12, Pro 2, or other synths I’ve owned the velocity response of the AK feels really unnatural to me and I have a lot of trouble getting consistent velocity as well. Usually things end up softer than I expect them to be. I’ve tried all three velocity curves but none of them really improves it that much. I’m not sure if there’s anything more I can do to help tweak it…

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#11

Workaround for the funky lfo’s:
Make a poly kit, and a pattern that contains 1 trigless trig, with retrig enabled for both lfo’s.

You can keep the pattern playing, or press stop after the lfo’s have been reset once, to avoid further resetting.

3 Likes
#12

My suggestion would be to split the keyboard, have 3 voices for chords and set the one left to legato.

2 Likes
#13

I’ve looked at multi map, I don’t think it’ll work when moving around the octaves while playing. Will look again, I might’ve missed something (I am very prone to missing things I should say, especially if it requires reading a manual:).

#14

Any Chance this will still ne fixed?