Hi guys. I’ve been looking for ways to achieve smooth parameter automation on my Syntakt (instead of p-lock having a way to change parameters smoothly independent of trig’s). I’m trying to make slow evolving ambient and the trigger locked automation is proving to be quite limiting.
Here are some things I’ve thought of trying but wanted some additional help with each option
Midi loopback to use an LFO for slow automation. Problem with this is only one LFO per midi track and only one LFO target per track (thus losing an audio track per LFO).
What I’m wondering is if it’s possible to use that MIDI LFO to target a multi mapped macro like modwheel?
And also if I want to control say filter cutoff on several tracks at once would setting both tracks to be the same channel do the trick?
Also is it true that doing midi loopback means the Syntakt crashes if double tapping stop or loading a project?
Are there any midi controller / knob banks that can internally record knob motion or automation and send that to syntakt? I don’t need a full sequencer, just something that can recall and send cc automation automatically.
I have an iPad I could possible use. Can anyone recommend some apps that let you draw automation and send it as midi cc messages to syntakt? I’d prefer something that doesn’t require complicated programming and set up.
I could use Ableton with my syntakt but I would really prefer to avoid having to hook up my laptop and have to use the mouse.
I made a ”MIDI CC” controller in Drambo (ipad) for Syntakt. Drambo can be a bit fiddly but it’s fairly easy to set up. You can send automation, sequence and add additional LFOs and a lot more with Drambo. The best part is that you can create scenes Octatrack style in Drambo. I’m on vacation right now so I don’t have the possibility to send the template to you right now but if you are interested I can check for it when I’m home again next week. It’s nothing fancy but it works.
Yeah, if you have both the DT and ST, there’s quite a bit that can be done by sending MIDI back and forth between them!
Doesn’t the Syntakt have macros for mod wheel, velocity mod, and pitch bend, like the Digitone? If I recall correctly, it allows a macro of 4 parameters on each (?) don’t quote me though, I haven’t used the ST in a while.
If not, you send it MIDI from another device and put something like the Blokas Midihub in between, you could craft some Blokas pipelines for macros. It might take a few “pipes” to get a one-to-many CC macro, but it’s totally doable.
Oh… I just have to say that CC pal is a cool little app where you can create CC loops. I don’t think you can sync it though but if you are up for some random CCing during a performance it’s a lot of fun. Ribn is another one that do sort of the same thing.
Maybe not exactly what you are looking for but it’s fun.
It is possible to use those macros with MIDI loopback as far as I know. What I was wondering is if I could loop back a MIDI LFO to control those macros
I will try that, I’m worried about using midi loopback because I often find myself reloading a previous save state of a project and I heard that will crash the box if MIDI is looping back into it. Also since I have a lot of drones going in the current project I often double tap stop, which supposedly also crashes the box with midi loopback. So I’m trying to avoid midi loopback for now
Elektron doesn’t want to implement Parameter Slides into any more machines since the RYTM for reasons that don’t make any sense to me. So I guess the best solution is to buy an IPad as a supplemental sequencer to achieve what you want. That’s why I prefer old Elektron.
Thanks for the tips. Never thought of locking LFO destinations per step. Though I’m not sure it would achieve what I’m trying to do since the track I want to automate is already using both LFO’s for the sound design part.
I don’t own a digitakt unfortunately (at least not yet) . I’d probably prefer a digi as my next purchase instead of the A4 which I’m not a huge fan of the sound of. I could still use the MIDI LFO on the digi as a modulation source for automation
Thanks. It is a pity, makes composing slow evolving ambient stuff tedious not having that as a feature. I do have an iPad handy, any app recommendations? Something that can send drawn automation curves and syncs with the Syntakt?
I don’t own an iPad and if I did, I’d find it way too annoying to have to tether it to my Syntakt or Digitakt in order to make them sound how I want. These machines can already do parameter locks; it’s just super annoying that Elektron chooses to not allow them to transition smoothly like Korg does on the Monologue.
Midi loopback for one or more sound macros works seamlessly so long as you have all the boxes in MIDI sync unchecked; those settings are saved by project, so, uncheck it and save before pressing play in a new project. MIDI LFOs will keep running after you start them, and even if you mute the track, so watch out for that (verrry slow one shot LFOs or LFO with a fade-out dialed in will do best). But if you take note of those two things, the midi loopback works perfectly for this kind of thing.
After some research I’ve seen people saying that Ableton records knob movement automation via overbridge even when using audio only tracks in Syntakt, and that you don’t need midi tracks for it to do that. Anyone know if this is true
If that’s true that pretty much solves the parameter slides issue
Edit: Great news! I tested it and ableton can record all cc automation via overbridge. You don’t need to use MIDI machines in Syntakt to do this. This means that it will record knob movements from any Syntakt audio track, when you play back what you recorded Syntakt receives that automation from Ableton and you can see the parameters changing smoothly. It doesn’t record notes but it does record automation… The only annoyance is the mix sounds different in Ableton because the FX block track in Ableton is like 12dB louder than every other track for some reason
Thanks so much. Seems like this is the optimal solution outside of using external gear/DAW.
I just discovered that Ableton actually records any knob movements on Syntakt audio tracks. I always thought that was only possible with MIDI machines but this kind of solves the parameter slides issue so long as you don’t mind adding a laptop to the setup.
Makes me wonder if I can use Ableton’s LFO’s to modulate syntakt parameters. Not even sure where to start to do that