[BUG] Analog Four time scales and Octatrack pattern switching

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Has anyone discovered a fix for this, aside from using an overly complicated Multimap fix?

My Octatrack sends program changes to the Analog Four. No matter what the various settings are on my A4, if the track scale is set to anything other than 1. It goes through a complete extra cycle of the pattern before switching. As in, I switch the pattern on the OT, it switches, and then the A4 takes another complete run through the pattern to switch. I have tried changing all settings related to the track scale and pattern switching, with no luck.

Other posts I have read have said this is a bug (with acknowledgement of it from Elektron), and it seems insane that a bug like this persists for nearly 2 years (based on posts I have seen). The OT and A4 are supposed to be siblings. Has there been a fix issued/outlined that I am missing?

A4 and Octatrack sync messed up
1.23 Problem with A4 and Octa, can anyone replicate?
#2

The bug is with the change parameter, your issue is different :wink:

There is some confusion because the track setup between A4 and Octatrack is not identical, however you need to keep in mind that if the A4 is slaved to the Octatrack, you lose the flexibility of individual track lengths on the A4 (although Im sure it can work under certain conditions).

#3

Try 64 step 1/2 scale 64 master, no need to account for the 1/2 scale :wink:

#4

I’ll give that a shot. Thanks :slight_smile:

#5

no dice. same behavior. takes another run through the pattern before it switches.

#6

Yes, I had the same issue and eventually had to stick with the one setup that did work. What settings are you using? Try to match them on both machines but remember the Octa has scale for both track and master, but the A4 only has one of these (I can’t remember which off the top of my head). I frequently need 8 bars in a pattern so use 1/2 scale which can cause problems between the machines… The sequencer is always based on 64 steps regardless of the track scale, so a master setting of 128 is 2 pattern cycles. This is what always messed things up for me, but by having master as 64 1/2 the patterns change ok. You should keep trying different settings because you will find some that work eventually, it is a bit buggy though, support told me it was being looked into a while back.

#7

I’d love for Elektron to fix this for flexibility’s sake but whatev, I gave up on it ages ago. I just use the A4 as master in my rig (with OT and Rytm and couple of other synths). Despite my initial frustration, in actual use (like 8+ hours a week for me, almost every week since I posted about this over a year ago) it’s been totally irrelevant to my real-world ability to compose/sync/perform; it’s even perhaps less confusing as the A4’s song mode isn’t as convoluted vs. the OT’s arrangement mode. There’s nothing the A4 can’t do in that department that the OT can, that I’m aware of or need.

I know some people are really partial to having their OT as the brain, and prefer the Arranger to the A4’s Song Mode, maybe it should be reported as a bug again, it may not even be on Elektron’s radar anymore.

#8

yeah except that its fookin lame the “song” modes are so incompatible and never see updates…its the same when using the MnM.

#9

My solution, as recommended by a mod (as well as @djenzyme, i think), was to set the OT master track to 1/2 scale (same as the A4), keeping the individual tracks on the OT at 1x speed. This means that my patterns on the OT have to run through twice before a switch, but the tracks themselves do run at normal speed. Not ideal, but also not the end of the world.

It would be great though to get Direct Change working on the A4 (and other boxes), when being sent program change messages. Ideally I could switch the A4 mid way through a 1/2 speed track, when using it for pads and such, without having to alter the timing on my OT. Perhaps that is not possible with the architecture, but would be rad if it was.

#10

It is possible to do direct change with Multi Map.
That’s what I would use but I didn’t try it yet.

I prefer the OT as master. Midi clock fluctuations aren’t very good for audio recording.

1 Like
#11

Wow you can do crazy direct changes with Multi Map. You can even play patterns with Ot’s arp.
4 Multi Maps with the Global Slots but I don’t think you can midi recall Global Slots.

I don’t understand why you can’t have direct change with PCs when it’s so efficient with notes.