CV Sequencing Behringer Neutron via A4 AK

Hey everyone, bought a neutron during cyber monday and have been trying (somewhat successfully) to sequence it via my Analog Keys.

  • I have the elektron CV splitter cable plugged into CV/AB

  • CV A is set to Pitch V/oct and routed to Osc 1+2 input on Neutron.

  • CV A note 1 is set to C2, with voltage set to 0.000 V

  • CV A note 2 is set to C5, with voltage set to 3.000 V

  • CV B is set to Gate, V-Trig and 10.0 V level

I can’t seem to get it to track across octaves correctly with these settings and I’m trying to figure out what i’m goofing up. One thing I am finding confusing is how I need to set the neutron to check my CV settings on the AK. I have just been setting the tuning range to '16, oscillator to saw wave and playing up and down the octaves with just one OSC on.

When I run the neutron into my tuner I can dial in the volt settings on note 2 of the AK to get middle C in tune but moving up the octave doesn’t scale in tune properly.

Anyone have a similar set up and be able to point me in the right direction?

Those figures all look fine (i’d drop the gate voltage to 5v)

It’s also how I’d set mine up; mine is on C3 1v c4 2v, so it’s the same gradient taken at different point - I feel this lines the A4 keys up best with the range of the neutron

It’s all a matter of what you mean by ‘properly’ - if it’s quite close then the CV may need calibrating on the A4 - otherwise you need to check it’s actually V/Oct and that there’s no modulating of the CV values in the settings

maybe set up a value Lin with a range of 0>1v and check this gives you an octave sweep on the encoder, otherwise it would be handy to compare with any other v/octave synth in case it’s an issue with the Neutron calibration

but wow, how sweet does the Neutron sound in a vanilla state through the 'verb !

ps: try CV C/D instead - mine are a little different (AB > CD) , needs adjusting on one

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This is all super helpful. I am going to make a few adjustments and report back. Just curious when you play yours over CV does it scale mostly in tune? I don’t mind it it’s a bit sharp or flat but I was getting D’s registering as C#'s and F’s as E’s when moving up the octave.

very difficult to fault it scanning many octaves tbh

as ever when testing - maybe try with a new project (disconnect all midi gear) and keep it simple - so you can work out where the issue may be

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I was going off what I saw in this Elektron vid on setting up CV and it all seems to stay in tune across an octave. I was hoping I could do the same with the neutron. I’ll experiment further this evening!

I figured it out! Needed to calibrate the CV between the notes. If anyone else is reading this and is wondering. If you go into the CV A menu holding “yes” with voltage 1 selected generates a tone. In my case that tone was sharp, I dialed it in using a tuner to C and then did the same thing with voltage 2. Now it works as expected!

Neutron sounds great!

Thanks for point me in right direction sir!

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so you’re saying the Interval between the octaves is no longer exactly shown as the nominal 1.00 V ?

I must just clarify that I meant calibrating the voltage signal from the A4 rather than working around it (which would be the case if the gradient is quite different from 1v nominal) … in all likelihood if it is it may be that the presented values from the A4 are not accurate (you could check on a decent voltmeter) but that it’s actually outputting the right levels

I’d leave the Neutron (bypass tune pot) feature off (if not only for MIDI) and correct by ear to get concert pitch - I’d be surprised if it was far off 1v/octave on the neutron, but less so if the A4 had drifted - that’s something which I believe can be user corrected
(possibly on the Neutron too, but I imagined the user calibration was more for tweaking modulating CV signals rather than tuning which is automatic, but maybe that’d be worth investigating)

A way to test if the Neutron is at fault (re calibration accuracy) is to swap the config (and cabling) for A to B and B to A - if you use the exact values you have and the synth sounds the same then it would be the Neutron that needed attention as it’s unlikely both channels on the A4 would be off by exactly the same amount

Either way, the deep config that Elektron show for establishing the voltage gradient (despite any nominal inaccuracies) is there for a reason, so if it’s working then you’re all good (unless you hop over to a different CV synth)

it’d be interesting to note your settings for posterity if you want to share

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After holding down “yes” on the voltage setting and getting that calibration tone to an in tune C2 and C3 my note settings ended up being the following.
Note 1 C3
Voltage 1 0.952
Note 2 C4
Voltage 2 1.954

Now octaves are scaling almost completely in tune. Neutron knobs for both osc are about 12 o clock.

ALSO is there any way to play the CV paraphonically? I’d like to do take advantage of that mode on the neutron as well!

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Nope

It may be best for you to use a different CV signal for the two oscillators, you’d need to use the FX track to sequence that , so 1 gate and two pitch channels

so almost exactly 1v/octave - I think that the issue is that you didn’t have the tune pot in the right tuning position as opposed to nominal orientation (for me, it’s pointing a fraction left of 12)

Hi there, I just bought a Behringer Neutron and want to sequence it and control it using my Analog Four MK1, Im a total noob on semi modulars and don´t know much about CV/gate config. I read about it in the manual, algo found sonme videos and this post on this forum, although is about the AK, but thought the config would be the same, but nothing happens.

https://www.elektronauts.com/t/cv-sequencing-behringer-neutron-via-ak-mk1/69383

The thins is that I cannot sequence the Neutron, or just make it sound using the A4 keyboard.

I´m pretty sure that some of you have gone through this and would really appreciate if some one could guide my in a step by step tutorial to make it happen. Just need to know how to configure CV A,B;C;D and route it to the Neutron for the best results.

I also bought the Audio/CV split cable from Elektron, so I have everything, and I´m carving to make sound, please help!

Thank you in advance

I would update my A4 and sequence the Neutron via midi. you can then use cv out for modulation tasks.

anyhow… you need to split the CV/GATE signal into two mono signals.physically.

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Hi Johnny, thaks for your reply. Yes I´m about to update the firmeware, however, my MIDI out is already in use chaining some other gear.

So I have to mono cables, I was trying to use one from CV A/B, and the other from CV C/D, I tryed to do the following config, but dind´t succed:

  • CV A is set to Pitch V/oct and routed to Osc 1+2 input on Neutron.
  • CV A note 1 is set to C2, with voltage set to 0.000 V
  • CV A note 2 is set to C5, with voltage set to 3.000 V
  • CV B is set to Gate, V-Trig and 10.0 V level

I you can explain me where should I route the cables and its config would be Ideal.

I tryed sending to Osc1, Osc2, and also OSC 1+2, but nothing. I´m pretty sure that must be something on the config because I tryed controlling it from Ableton and it worked fine. However, I´d rather to control it from A4 since I´m working in an only hardware live set.

It would help greatly if you share which inputs on the neutron you are using and where you’re taking the output from.

As a first troubleshooting step I’d patch the v/Oct from the A4 to osc1+2 and take audio from the osc mix on the patchpanel to see if you can hear any change in pitch.

In the cv menu make sure to define the right source track, use the cv track for now and make sure to have it selected when using the A4’s mini keys.

I’m sorry, typed my previous reply on my phone and didn’t properly read your last post.

You should definitely hear the oscs changing pitch when sending v/oct to the osc 1+2 but maybe still try getting the audio from osc mix, so you’re bypassing the vca and only have to worry about one signal at a time.

To be sure; you mention you have the elektron cv kit but you also mention using 2 mono cables, one from a/b and one from c/d, this wouldn’t work you need to use a splitter and then use mono cables. Not trying to be pedantic, just checking.

Hi, sorry for the delay in my answer, I was out of town during the weekend and no Internet.

I made some advances today regarding the topic, I finally got some sound out from the Neutron sending CV from A4, but still have some issues.

I connected one mono cable to A$´s CV A/B and sent A/B to OSC1 INPUT and another monoto cable from CV B/C to OSC2 IMPUT.

So I configured the A4´s CV in the following way
CV A > Pitch V/oct > Note 1 C2 > Voltage 1 0.0000V > Note 2 C5 > Voltage 2 3.0000V
CV C > Pitch V/oct > Note 1 C4 > Voltage 1 2.0000V > Note 2 C6 > Voltage 2 4.0000V

Since I´m only using 2 cables, I figured that just needed to configure A and C, and confirmed it messing around with B and D config and nothing happened.

Then I conected one cable from neutron´s OSC MIX Out to INVERT In, and boom, finally could record and play a melody using the A4´s mini keyboard. But now the thing is that I get the notes played but in the intervals where anything shouldn´t be playing, I get a constant sound signal. The only way I can make it sound or desapear is turning off the VCA BIAS know from the Neutron. Also, in this way I can´t get the envelopes from Neutro to do anything.

I not sure if I was wrong, but I thought that I could use the A4´s CV channel to control another synt as if I was using a MIDI keyboard, just sending pitch, velocity and sustain from the A4 to the Neutron. Hopefully I´m not, but still can find out what I´m doing wrong to acomplish this goal.

I´m pretty sure that it must be something related to A4´s CV A and C config and the way I´m patching the Neutron, but I swear that I have tryed with so many patch options, and didn´t get the desired results :frowning:

So any comments in the right direction will be highly appreciated!

You need to configure one of you CV outs on the A4 as GATE, this will be your note-on/note-off signal. As this is missing at the moment, you get sound constantly.
As long as you can only use two of the CV outs (because of your cables), you can only send one pitch and one gate signal to the neutron.
To get more out of it, get Elektron’s CV out kit, or two 1/4’’ stereo to mono cables (TRS to 2x TS).

on the Neutron you have to plug CV into OSC 1+2 Input for pitch of the oscillators and GATE should go into envelope 1 Input for instance.

keep in mind that CV is a value for pitch and modulation and GATE is just a trigger for envelopes, VCA etc.

the Invert Input on the Neutron is there for Inverting a Signal! that means if you plug one of the 2 Envelopes into invert, one goes forward and the other is „exactly“ inverted and runs backwards or upside/down.

you have to understand that you need a GATE Signal for opening something and CV for pitching that outcoming sound.

it’s all about Voltage. :fire:

Hi, thx for your answer, I´ll try that out. Also, I bought the Elektron CV out kit, so if there´s anything else I can do with it, please let me know, I´ll be more than happy to test it!

Thx for enlightening Johnny, now I get a wider view of it, however, I´m guessing it is just the tip of the iceberg.

I got the Neutron to start fooling around with modular systems for the first time, and it definitely is a cheap way to start learning the craft.

Nevertheless, before I get addicted to modulars (as soooo many nowadays), I´d rather have all Elektron´s collection. Currently I only own the A4, but the Octatrak and the AR are on the top of my wish list, such great machines for live performance!

Also thanks to everyone else who has been helpfull in this forum.

Cheers!

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