Analog Four Beginner Tutorial?

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi all,

about 2-3 weeks ago, I created my account here and made my initial post asking for advice on how to inspect/what to look for in the Analog Keys I had bought on Reverb. I got several helpful responses, and was very hyped to actually receive the unit. Reverb being what it (sometimes) is, however, the seller backed out unexpectedly, not notifying me, and forcing me to go through Reverb’s customer service to get my money refunded. Since then, I believe he’s been banned. Regardless, I reached out to a couple of other sellers of “Mint” units, and got some really disturbing answers to my questions about the AK’s they were selling (One seller in Norcross, Georgia even told me that the “Mint” unit he had posted was being loaned out and used by a friend at the moment.) Hmmm.

So, I threw in the towel, and ordered an Analog Four MKII (new) from Sweetwater. It’s here and, for the past 3 days, I’ve been SCOURING YouTube for beginner tutorials. I was expecting Cuckoo would have his regular hour-long tutorial on the MKII, (as he does with Digitakt/Tone/etc.) but the video he did is not at all aimed at beginners and is more of a comparison with the MKI. Loopop’s video is also more of a comparison and “sound design”, and I have been completely unable to find any sort of tutorial in which someone is presenting the MKII in a manner that explains things to a rank beginner (which I am).

I looked back through the topics here on Elektronauts, and haven’t found anything pointing me to a well regarded tutorial, and so that’s what I’m asking for here - a recommendation for a BEGINNER tutorial on the Four MKII. (I honestly haven’t even found a good beginner tutorial for the MKI, either - and the tutorials I have watched for the MKI haven’t been helpful.)

So… could anyone give me a link or suggest a tutorial (and I’m fine with BUYING a course, or whatever, if one exists)? I just need some help with this thing. The manual (which I’m reading) is kind of helpful, but it’s also very… uh… dense. I see it as something that will benefit me more AFTER I have grasped some of the basic concepts. How do I learn to use this thing? The relationship of kits/sounds/soundpools/patterns has become convoluted for me as a newbie trying to read the manual and catch what I can from the more advanced tutorials (which, to me, are like a blur due to the impressive high speed muscle memory being displayed, and the lack of “OK, now, in order to do THIS, you press THIS button while holding down [Func] and that causes this to happen” (which is what I need at this point.)

I’d be very grateful if there’s a good BEGINNER tutorial out there somewhere that someone could point me to.

Thanks!

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#2

I forget the name of it, but there’s a Synth learning tutorial class you can buy.
I highly recommend something like that. Has you design various sounds on a basic subtractive style synth.
From there you just port those same ideas to the A4.

#3

This is what I was thinking of

#4

There is a good Analog Four tutorial playlist by user emrox on Youtube (not mine).

Also, what exactly do you need info on? Subtractive synthesis in general, data structure and organization, sequencing, performance? (These are quite different domains, I think.)

#5

Congratulations on your new machine! When I was starting out with the A4mk1, I liked the tutorial series by Thavius Beck (I could watch all of it for free but only four videos a day; they seem to have changed their policy) and the ad-hoc tutorial videos by Gary P Hayes on YouTube. I don’t think you’ll find beginner tutorials for the mk2 but I don’t think the differences (apart from the cosmetics and extra outputs) are significant enough to merit different tutorials.

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#6

This one is using the MKI - but 99% of it is applicable to the MKII

As mentioned, Gary P Hayes has a ton of content using the Analog Four, including a couple of ‘tutorial’ style ones, and some other walkthroughs

This one is a bit more involved but interesting to see as a reference

and there is this - more reading but might be better than the manual

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#7

I used the Macprovideo A4 tutorial when I first got my A4. I very highly recommend it.

#8

I’m actually beta testing Syntorial 2.0 (and completed 1.0), so this isn’t about learning synthesis, it’s all about getting my head around the Elektron workflow as it applies to the Analog Four MKII. I was hoping for an Analog Four MKII video that was along the lines of what Cuckoo made for the Digitakt and Digitone.

Thanks!

#9

Hi ccr,

Thanks for that - I’ll look for that video. As I was saying above, this isn’t about learning subtractive synthesis, it’s all about the Analog Four’s workflow and the way it handles patterns/sounds/sound pools, as well as the sequencer, etc.

Thanks!

#10

Problem is folks who have gotten their A4s down enough to make that video, just make music on their A4s.

I’ve been asked a lot for this kind of thing but I’m too busy with all the ideas a get to do it.

#11

I recommend just using it a lot.
Once muscle memory is established you’ll have figured out your workflow.

There’s not much mystery to the A4, it’s in the way you decide to use it.

#12

I actually watched those, but there are three things that made those videos of Gary’s not helpful for me:

1.) He’s moving fast, and doing that “muscle memory” speed workflow that zips along at a pace I can’t keep up with.
2.) He’s not talking and explaining what he’s doing with each step. SOOOOO much is just assumed, and the things HE does explain in the captions are confusing to me because they skip so much of whatever it took to get to those steps.
3.) The way the A4 is framed in the shot is just a bit too far to be able to read/see the names on the buttons and knobs he’s using as he flies along without any audio to explain what’s happening.

I think these videos could be helpful (like the manual) once you understand the very basics of the A4, but after watching them for nearly an hour, I was more frustrated and lost than before. The way Cuckoo teaches things works very well for me, so I was hoping for something along the lines of that.

Thanks!

#13

YES. THAT. Exactly. 90 percent of everything I find is more along the lines of demo/music than an actual tutorial.

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#14

I’m going to check that out right now, thanks!

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#15

This is for the Analog Keys, but it’ll definitely get you started and help you become comfortable with the MK2 as well.
The only thing you need to find out from a different resource is how to use the “keyboard” on the MK2 and of course you won’t be able to do the joystick stuff at the end.

2 Likes
#16

Argh, Thanks for that! That one is helpful!

#17

the macprovideo thavius beck ones helped me a lot with the a4-specific sound design tips when i first got mine

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#18

Cenk is THE master. After watching that video a few times I got really comfortable with my AK. Then picked up a few more things from Loopops video, which was easier to comprehend after Cenks video.