Cirklon V2

The Lounge Other Gear
#658

I like Elektron boxes, they have wonderful midi implementations, you can sync Cirklon scenes to Elektron patterns, so if you want to use the Elektron sequencer with the Cirklon and all the digiboxes now effectively have song mode.

Example: [Cirklon Scene 1] is now linked to [Elektron pattern A1], [Cirklon Scene 2] is now linked to [Elektron pattern A2], etc.

Or you can literally just use the Cirkon sequencer to sequencer all midi info going over to the Elektron boxes! (which I what I do)

One of the things I adore about the Cirklon is the way stuff is musically arranged.

  • A song consists of chained scenes.
  • A scene is a group of tracks that are muted or not,
  • A track has a collection of patterns and an instrument definition. (midi info for the device you are controlling.)
    • one pattern is selected for a given track per scene, and another can be selected to play for fills and stuff.
    • you can write a pattern once and use it multiple times across scenes
  • A pattern is either piano roll (Ck pattern) or a x0x style pattern (p3)

Because of this flexibility I can just focus on song writing, I can go through and bang out 40 or 50 patterns, and then arrange those individual patterns in scenes and have a complete song.

This is something I struggle to do on any Elektron box because patterns and track information are tightly coupled.

The sequencer on the Cirklon lends itself to song writing.
The Elektron boxes’ sequencer lends itself to jamming

I hope that helps

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18 Likes
#659

Sounds very good. Thank you so much for the detailed answer, it really seems like it’s the perfect (ultimate) solution for petty much any kind of setup. The review videos are usually, understandably quite long and the actual user experience remains a bit of a mystery.

1 Like
#660

I’ve had mine now for 4+ years and finished 2 albums and an EP with it. (All with out a daw, recorded from mixer to tape usually.)

I would lose my mind if something happened to it !!!

4 Likes
#661

Hey @nilsec, can you describe your pattern change workflow with your Elektron boxes and Cirklon scenes?

I’m trying to figure out the best way to make the Scene changes change all Elektron box patterns simultaneously. I guess I would use a template song in the Cirklon that pre-associates a bunch of scenes with the program/bank changes? Or do you find it easier to just set this up one at a time as you’re building a song?

#662

Thanks for the great take nilsec. Just got my Cirklon yesterday and have been reading the manual and trying to think about how I’m going to integrate the Elektron gear. The DT/DN integration seems very straight forward and after some testing last night I think I have a clear case for how that’ll work.

What I’m less sure about is the Octatrack integration. I need to review the MIDI spec I think. Do you have any experience with sequencing the OT with the Cirklon @nilsec ? Or anyone else in the thread?

EDIT: I’ll add, the main thing I do with the OT is breakbeat/percussion mangling. I’d love to still do that but with the benefits of the Cirklon workflow described above. Obviously that behavior is possible on the OT natively with arranger/parts/etc but ideally I can do it all on the Cirklon.

#663

You are limited to 4 auxes for P3 tracks though. So that’s a max of 4 CCs you can control. Unless you use a second P3 track to get another 4.
CK you can use as many CC events as you like I think.
But because you can only send them to a single channel per track, it doesn’t work very well for controlling the RYTM, particularly if you are fond of using multiple parameter locks.
You can use a P3 track per RYTM channel and get 4 CCs to modulate.
Or you can use a CK track and get nice visual feedback of your whole drum patterns, but only route CCs to a single midi channel.
I have requested midi channel to be selectable per CK event, which Colin did say he would work on as he needs it too. But that was quite a while ago…

3 Likes
Master hardware midi sequencer for live use? recommendations?
#664

i find the changes (Cirklon scene to elektron pattern) actually only trigger in song mode and you have to have to have the instrument def configured for it.

On the Cirklon:

  • set up an instrument def for your Elektron device
  • set Multi to “on”, making “Chan” irrelevant (this is what tripped me up, more on that later)
  • set pre-send pgm to “on”
  • set up a track with the instrument def and set the channel to 1
  • add a track value for track ctrl -> pgm
  • set the track value to the desired pattern number (note that this is zero-indexed, i.e. pgm 0 is pattern 1) and save it to your scene

On the Elektron device:

  • set MIDI Config -> Prog Ch Receive to ON
  • set MIDI Config -> Channels -> Prog Ch In CH to 1

Good luck!

6 Likes
#665

Woah, thank you. Been looking for just this list! The Mult thing may have been what was tripping me up as well.

1 Like
#666

Octatrack is the one elektron box I didn’t gel with. I ended up selling it. I remember trying to do something similar a few years back but got frustrated. for one song I was working on, I slaved the Cirklon to the Octatrack because of clock issues…

there’s a plethora of information on Sequentix Music Systems - Forum - Information

everyone seems to use their octatracks differently!

2 Likes
#667

Thanks for the sentence

That perfectly explain/resume the all thing about Cirklon and all Elektrons.
And in between those two limits, you can couple them as you would like.

3 Likes
#668

Having lots of fun while trying to learn how to use the Cirklon.

Also tried using the CK pattern for the drum grid, but couldn’t figure out how the Aux Events work in the CK pattern mode. Back to the manual.

Low value post, just wanted to share as I’m having so much fun.

10 Likes
#669

Clackety clack. Got to love those switches!!

3 Likes
#670

I like using the first 4 tracks for drums. 1 is for bass drum and snare on a p3 pattern. track 2 in snare fills, ghost notes etc, 3 is random percussion, 4 is hats. I find later on when I’m arranging, the Ck pattern being pretty limiting when you just want to change one or two things :slight_smile:

1 Like
#671

Great tip, thanks nilsec. It’s kind of been my first impression. The P3 environment is very intuitive and easy to understand, the Ck one not so much. Think I just need to RTFM more though.

1 Like
#672

Watch the splitradix vids. I’ve had mine for a year and half or so now and I’m now using ck tracks 95% of the time.

3 Likes
#673

Huh. Good perspective thanks will definitely give them a watch !

#674

Nice advice.
Splitradix vids are the most complete, from farest the best.
Long videos, but so well constructed, as the manual is.
I watch them all 3 times and go to them each time i need to refresh memory.

#675

Welcome to the mastermind sequencer.

3 Likes
#676

So had a long read of the manual tonight and mess around and have seen the light of the CK patterns, or at least I’m starting too. So far the P3 workflow feels much faster but cramming insane amounts of CC events into the event list is MEGA fun!

3 Likes
#677

I think the clackety buttons help here. I use an old typewriter and its fun just to press them.

1 Like