Arpeggiator

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hi.

Obligatory I’m new to elektron boxes/this forum opener.

Only had the A4 a couple of weeks, and just beginning to scratch the surface. On the whole it’s pretty intuitive and I’m finding most things straightforward enough.

The one thing I am scratching my head over, is the arp. It doesn’t appear to have a Latch function, which when scouring the web, manual and this forum, seems to be confirmed.

However this chap appears to have a latched Arp on this sequence https://youtu.be/ztROUnzv4yA

I’d like to press a few keys and the Arp runs, when I take my fingers off.

Also struggling to work out how to record the Arp into the sequencer…

I’m sure it’s obvious or is named differently or something simple like that, so if you could point me in the direction of a good resource for the Arp on the a4 I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks to all

:slight_smile:

Help with sequencing the Arp
Problem Sequencing Arpeggios on A4
#2

Welcome :thup:

The ARP’s part of the Track
To have it latch
You need to Turn on the Arp mode you want
Assign(or lock) a Len of Inf on the Track Note Page

If you lay down one inf len trig, then press(hold) it and then play the minikeys/keys it will then play once you release your hand and play the track

You can easily vary the (up to) 3 other notes or root note on the Note Page And ARP Page

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#3

if you want it to happen more intuitively without using the Track, you’d need an external keyboard with a sustain pedal to latch the incoming MIDI notes

BTW - the parameters of the ARP page which cannot be locked manually are therefore not recordable or changeable (except manually, so only one state possible unlike e.g. OT)

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#4

Hey thanks for the answer. Ok that makes a bit more sense. Having it as an inf would effectively Latch it, although it would actually be a Latch.

And a sustain pedal would act as a Latch if I wanted to change the Arp while playing.

Cool thanks. That’ll give me something new to learn tonight. Cheers.

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#6

And save yourself a good few quid as well

#8

Fair challenge … I think it would depend on whether the device in question was merely passing through the MIDI command for sustain pedal which the A4 ignores or whether the attached sustain pedal was sustaining/latching the MIDI notes … it may well be that the latter is more esoteric and harder to source than I imagined tbh ! But if you test it on either device it will respond the same (A4/K)

#10

Glad to see we’re discussing my number one feature request for the AK. I was mildly devastated when I got my AK and realized it couldn’t do something so many other (lesser) machines could do.

I’ll try the INF trick mentioned above when I get home, but if I’m seeing it correctly, it sounds like you’re always going to have the arp locked to whatever note you’ve set to INF? Not exactly the kind of latching I’m looking for. For now I’m just using my yarns as a workaround.

#11

One tip from my side: while putting notes to your track try to add several different sound-locks and turn on arp for this track – you can create very unpredictable and interesting results in this way.

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#12

It does seem a pretty simple thing to forget to include. Even the microkorg has a latching Arp (which also sends Arp midi data) .

I wonder if this is something that may be addressed in a os update.

#13

Why assume it’s forgotten ? I strongly doubt that

You’re comparing a synth mode with a sequencer box

The arp can also be played live and it’s real easy to sequence a sole infinite trig and vary the arp notes using grid mode edits so you can fly hands free

They’re two different beasts, having a latching mode causes all sorts of conflicts for a sequencer that may be easy to workaround but why work around them … you just approach it in a different way

i don’t see this appearing on an OS update tbh but i’m not saying such a way of working isn’t useful - i just don’t agree it’s an omission and the ux won’t be compromised by layering on added secondary functionality

as for why the CC for sustain was overlooked i’m not so sure, again probably linked to messy interactions with the step sequencer way of recording

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#14

But it isn’t actually advertised anywhere as a sequencer box is it. It’s advertised as a synth. And it’s a function that’s pretty much on all synths that have an arpegiator function.

Why assume it was overlooked? I strongly doubt that.

You mention the Arp being able to be played live, well yes you can do that but you would have to keep fingers on the notes you want in the Arp, which is counterintuitive and unusual for a synth. What if I’m playing with both hands? I can’t have my Arp sequence playing, and also use other functions on the synth, as when I take my hands of the mini keys, the Arp stops.

I get it. It’s how it works. It is what it is. but it’s unusual for a synth not to have this functionality and it’s something which I am sure most people would want to have.

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#15

So let me get this straight. To get the arpeggiator to “latch” or be recorded to the sequencer we need to do the following:

  1. Enter a note trig on that track
  2. Set that trigs note length to infinite
  3. Turn arp mode on

That’s the basics yes?

#16

But this isn’t an arpeggio yet, it’s missing the rest of the notes from the chord. The remaining notes have to be manually entered in the arp menu “no2, no3 and no4”. The missing “no1” is the actual note trig we initially entered into the step sequencer.

Is this still all correct?

#17

You don’t necessarily have to program them in, you can hold down all four notes and then push a sequencer trigger

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#18

Hold Trig in step mode and then the chord to arp
Also recordable in realtime iirc, but may need editing of held length

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#19

So I really just have to hold down my Trig, enter the Chord. :slight_smile:Then note length to inf. Turn on arp

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#20

Ah shucks. Yeah…that…:flushed:

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#21

I’m sorry avantronica but I don’t understand your reply, ergh edit: I think I get ya

#22

Hold down the trig button first, then-while holding the trig button down push the series of notes down at once.

If small beeps come out instead of arp bliss, it’s because the notes are automatically set for short lengths, so go to the notes page and slide that up to a longer time.

If you want legato for the arp, adjust the length there too. It took me longer to realize that than I care to admit

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#23

That arp is great. I was testing it out in comparison to this thread, and makes me really sad I can’t stay up and slip into the analog world because I gotta get to work in the morning :frowning:

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