Best way to setup 7 Elektron products (audio routing, midi, usb)

Elektron Gear
#1

Hi Everybody,

I have a question about routing midi and audio for configuring 7 Elektron products: Syntakt, Digitone, Digitakt, Analog 4 mk2, Rytm mk2, Analog Heat and Octatrack. It’s hypothetical bc I do not own all products, but I need to do some investments and it would be a waste of money if I bought the wrong products if I would decide to buy more later on.

I will sum up my questions and add a picture of a routing I would consider logical (?):

  1. With all these machines, which one is most suitable for the master clock? Octatrack?
  2. Can you just make a midi thru chain from 1 to 7? Or better to split the midi?
    And when it’s better to split, what would be the best splitter to buy?
  3. When using a Overhub and Overbridge, would any regular usb cable be okay (A to B, 2.0)?
    Or any recommendations for 50 cm cables on the internet?
  4. Can overbridge and the overhub handle all 7 machines at once without any problem?
    Or what to be aware of?
  5. There are four mono inputs on the OT, so I can make 2 stereo input for let’s say a Rytm and the Analog 4 (which also contains the inputs from the DT, DT and ST). Can I hear these (stereo) signals together on the OT? And can I split each input to a track if I want to on the OT?
  6. I added a possible routing (all 7 combined) where the arrows indicates the sound flow (see picture). Would you consider this as a good setup or would you recommend different? And does the chaining have a great impact of the quality of the audio?

Thank you very much in advance for your help, it would be very helpful! :slight_smile:

Cheers!

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#2

Best way? Get rid of 5 of them.

21 Likes
#3

Beat me to it.

3 Likes
#4

The Gordian knot

It will work. And to make it sound well you will need to love gain staging in micro environments a lot. If that’s your cup of tea, go for it.

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#5

For audio why not just buy a mixer? Then you don’t have to worry about gain staging issues at all. It doesn’t even have to be anything fancy. If you need to sample something into the Octatrack, you could run a sub mix to it.

For midi, conductive labs MRCC solves almost all problems. It might be the single best thing in my studio but it’s not cheap. It would allow you to send any of your devices to any of your other devices.

2 Likes
#6

I generally send all my gear through a mixer so I have easier control over levels + can use them individually if I want, and then route a sub output from the mixer into whatever sampler I’m using. No Overbridge, no chaining one device to the next, just trying to keep things simple.

But yeah 7 Elektrons at a time is bound to fry your brain. Even just 1 at a time can command all of your attention if you really dive in.

4 Likes
#7

I’ll try to answer the questions following my experience:

With all these machines, which one is most suitable for the master clock? Octatrack?
Yes, I would use Octatrack, the most versatile

Can you just make a midi thru chain from 1 to 7? Or better to split the midi?
Use splitter, this way you can use for example just 2 machines without having all the chain switched on

And when it’s better to split, what would be the best splitter to buy?
I use doremidi

When using a Overhub and Overbridge, would any regular usb cable be okay (A to B, 2.0)?
Never had issues with any usb cable

Can overbridge and the overhub handle all 7 machines at once without any problem?
Not sure, never had 7 Electron machine

There are four mono inputs on the OT, so I can make 2 stereo input for let’s say a Rytm and the Analog 4 (which also contains the inputs from the DT, DT and ST). Can I hear these (stereo) signals together on the OT? And can I split each input to a track if I want to on the OT?
I added a possible routing (all 7 combined) where the arrows indicates the sound flow (see picture). Would you consider this as a good setup or would you recommend different? And does the chaining have a great impact of the quality of the audio?

Why so complicated? Just throw everything into a mixer

2 Likes
#8

I have those 7 Elektron boxes, all working together.

MIDI : I’m using Digitakt as the Master and a Kenton MIDI Thru-12 box. I use MIDI cables to connect everything.

Audio : I use USB Audio for the OB devices via Overhub and the others are connected via the Audio Inputs of the OB devices. As an example, OT Main Outs are connected in the DT inputs and the OT Cue Outs are connected in the DN inputs. This way, I’m perfectly synced.

I use OB with the No Sync option because I want the Transport control via my Master device.

Edit : you don’t have to use everything at the same time but just knowing that everything is ready and at your disposal is great. As an example, I love to use the A4 for transition Sounds so, for several Songs, it’s used only for this duty.

5 Likes
#9

I like being able to sample everything on the OT.

I would get a mixer with aux channels. Then connect everything on its own mixer channel, including the OT outputs. Connect the aux to the OT inputs, and selectively send whatever you want to the OT.

For MIDI, I would use a Blokas midihub.

Or, just don’t try to use everything at once… I don’t have the attention span for more than 2-3 Elektron boxes at a time. It also feels like none of them get the attention they deserve.

1 Like
#10

The OT is not compatible with Overbridge, so that may mean you need some revisions to your set-up.

If you want the most flexibility, the probably a combination of a mixer, patch bay, and something like the MRCC will give you the most versatile arrangement. The Kenton boxes are great – very stable and do exactly what you want them to. I chose to go with an MRCC recently because I wanted additional inputs (sending MIDI to my OT via a Soleman footswitch as well as from a keyboard), and because it makes MIDI routing super flexible. It can also do all sorts of other things I haven’t even tried yet, but I doubt I’ll ever exceed it’s capabilities.

Having a patchbay will make routing the audio outputs of your devices really easy. I have one where all the outputs of my various boxes are normalled to my A&H ZED 18 mixer, but can be easily rerouted for, say, sampling something into the OT. The mixer outputs to my interface (via another patchbay on the other side of my studio). I haven’t been able to make Overbridge work for me just yet so I’m pretty much using hardware exclusively and recording the output to my computer.

But also, this:

Having lots of devices is great, they all do different things and have different strengths, but using everything simultaneously sounds exhausting. I recorded an EP with four boxes (OT, AR, A4, and DN) and it was a lot to manage. Using only one or two at a time can be a lot of fun, and I’ve found I’m doing more interesting things when I can focus on just one machine at a time.

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#11

…too many options…

i hardly doubt, u will ever end up with any final results…
this is swedish overkill, if u really think u could harvest all the potential or any potential from this setup noodeling along all at once…

i’m afraid u will never figure out a real workflow that actually really does the trick for u…
therefor u gonna completly miss out on all the fun, each of this devices has to offer…
it’s doomed for endless headaches due to endless gainstaging problems and getting totally lost along the way…

i hardly recomend to split this setup into three individual setups and forget about any once and for all solutions as fast as possible, if u really wanna keep ur creative juices flow and be able to really achieve any solid sonic endresults…

both takts make a good team…let the st host the dt, so the dt inputs can stay free for spontaneous sampling ideas…

ot and dn also make a good team…one of ot’s input pairs can host the dn and having ot’s cue outs feed the heat is always nice to have…but also here u might wanna keep the option to sample with ur ot…

and last but not least, both analog mk2’s are also a great team…but here, it’s totally senseless to own mk2’s if u don’t wanna harvest their individual outs from time to time…and u cut their potential short, if just host their main outputs by something else…

each of this combos has the power to nail it all on it’s own…
and can bring joy and sonic satisfaction and real workflow fun without constantly loosing oversight…

aaaand…if u really wanna harvest the hw magic not only for some magic of the moment and a nice lightshow, u better start thinking of some daw integration and/or involving ob…otherwise it’s always just time u spent on an expensive hobby cause all results just end up in muddy chunks of undefined pattern mash ups…

4 Likes
#12

Why do you need all of these? Why not use whatever machines you own already, or see how you go with 1 or 2 set up together?

3 Likes
#13

I have exactly the machines listed and basically had to figure out what you’re saying the hard way. I got a patch bay, mixer and was researching more complicated MIDI options than my MIDI Solutions boxes when I realized it was all just a distraction from jamming and producing. All my time worrying about audio and MIDI routing would have been better spent on thoughtful combinations that were set up ergonomically (or just continuing the OT skill climb).

The E-RM & mixer were happy accidents out of that process, though. Now I can have a collaborator over on a couple machines while I work a different pair.

2 Likes
#14

I searched for a simple mixer that would just give me aux channels and and second output, and finally found the Samson SM10. It now sits on my my Jaspers stand just below eye level, and I use the Monitor-Bus and the MIX-B to route things through the OT. So I can sample one thing, and I route other things through the OT’s FX at the same time. And there’s still an FX-Bus on the SM10 I can use for other things.

I didn’t find anything else that gave me that flexibility for a reasonable price with 8 stereo inputs.

But for @ToobbooT a 1010 bluebox with 6 stereo ins would be sufficient, IIRC it has 3 separate outputs, and can be used on a desk, too.

3 Likes
#15

One of the benefits of that SM10 is that it seems to be almost exactly the size of two Digis!

I personally use a really old 16 channel Mackie CR1604, which has 6 (plus one hidden) aux channels. I don’t need them all, but it’s pretty flexible. I picked it up used locally for very little money. It’s been useful, but it’s kind of large. It actually has its own table in the corner.

2 Likes
#16

Got 5 Elektrons (all via Overbridge) and a VirusTI2 and some other stuff hooked up on 2 Overhubs. Never worked that good before. I think I even have my Steinberg racksoundcard on a Overhub. Just works.

I work completly within a DAW and love to work with Overbridge-VST and TI-VST (Virus “Overbridge”) because of the total recall feature.

Had many problems with other usb hubs before.

1 Like
#17

Thanks, I routed it individually to the mixer. The sub output and MRCC are good tips. Cheers!

1 Like
#18

Hahah not having them all, with the mixer is great. Thanks for your time :slight_smile:

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#19

Thank you for your time, I routed it thru the mixer. Noted the doremi!

#20

Thanks for your time :slight_smile: Noted the no sync in OB, saw it before in a video. Would like to try the OT one day!

1 Like