Analog four sequener, how to use Keyboard keys to add notes across octaves

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi!

I can’t find out from reading the manual so I ask to see if I’m missing something. When I’m sequencing the A4. I want to add noes that span octaves. I hold down my TRIG key and press down on the keyboard keys, for example three keys to play a chord. Now, I want to add a base note to that, but as soon as I release the keybaord keys, they are de-selected.

It would be nice if there was an option to “toggle” the keyboard keys on/off in the sequencer, instead of having to hold them down. Is this possible somehow?

#2

The easiest way will be to use an external MIDI keyboard, of course.
But if you want to use the mini keyboard, you’ll need to perform some finger gymnastics - while holding the trig key, hold down the 3 notes in the upper octave, then press the OCT- button with your thumb until you reach the desired lower octave, and then press the low note (obviously, this low note cannot be one of the 3 held nots).

Another way is to add the lower note to a neighbor trig separately and micro-time it all the way so it’s adjacent to the chord trig. this way both trigs will play at the same time.

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#3

That sounds like finger gymnastics for sure! it would have been so nice if they could make it so that the keyboard would toggle.

External keyboard will still be gymnastics if I want a base note one or two octaves down - since I would have to hold the trig key and then try to reach all keys with the other hand.

After I wrote this, I realised that the A4 has a step sequencer mode It than can be activated by pressing [RECORD] + [STOP]. That in combination with external keyboard can probably get me where I want.

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#4

You know what, I’m so used to the finger gymnastics thing that I never use the Step Recording mode…didn’t even think about that option.
I just checked and it works with the mini keyboard as well (hold three nots and move to the lower octave to hit the fourth note), so that makes it a bit simpler.
But yeah, an external keyboard will still be easier.

#5

This is the biggest flaw in the A4 design IMO. I’ve thought of another work around where you copy the sound over to another track and then just use the other track for the low notes.

#6

yeah, the Analog Keys got a dedicated button for that…I hope someone will find that hidden button combo to latch a chord. :four_leaf_clover: