So I just got an Analog Four, checked the manual before I bought it to make sure sure I could integrate it with the rest of my gear. Should be simple right? Disappointed to find out it changes patterns a bar after receiving the PCM. I was hoping to buy more Elektron gear but this has put me off. Does all Elektron have issues with responding to program changes?
I don’t know about the analog four.
But I have an Octatrack MKI and both Model:* devices. Program Change works like a charm and I make heavy use of it.
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Have you tried Direct Jump patten mode? It’s under pattern modes in the manual
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From which device are you sendĂng the program change? Works fine with OT, AR and AK here and also works fine from my daw, but some sequencers send the program change too late for Elektrons and thus it goes for another pattern cycle.
I don´t think Direct Jump would help in this case.
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Ah, my bad, I’ve never actually used it. Program changes have always worked fine for me too, but I only use them between Elektron boxes also
That’s correct, pcm changes seem to be sequential.
I tried using the midi map to send pcms via notes but there is a weird glitch where the first note plays twice which makes the pattern play one step behind.
I’m sending PCMs from the MC-707
Afaik Elektrons expect the program change not at the end of the pattern, but a little earlier. It gives them time to cue the pattern.
If it works, it works great, but if the PC comes in too late, it will be executed after one more cycle has finished.
The Cirklon for example has a setting to send program changes earlier, in a daw you have different ways of sending PCs in time for Elektrons, but if your sequencer does not have any way of changing that, that’s a real problem…
The MC707 sends the note twice?
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…no gear can look into the future…since it remains unpredictable…
and stepsequencers rely on their first downbeat NOW order to play what’s next to come and start their next according pattern more than anything else…
so whatever sends out the order to change the pattern must say so BEFORE that first downbeat bar on the big 1 in measure counting…
so in worst case scenario…u’ll need to put a programchange cc in the pattern before…
with a FILL or HAPPENS AFTER xxx bars/rounds conditional trig…
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No the MC-707 is only sending the note once. I read on another thread that someone else had the same problem when sending a note from the MPC so seems to be an A4 issue
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…because of plocking complexity options, elektron sequencers need to know upfront…
just a tiny little…but BEFORE…no matter what…
u might wanna consider to give an elektron box the master sync job…
then ur free to place any change cc’s in many different ways to all gear that has to follow along…
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I don’t think it’s a sync issue, they sink perfectly. The A4 is just crap at responding to PCMs
If you’re using multiple Elektron boxes and have different track multipliers, PC is a nightmare. That’s one of my biggest complaints about the whole line. It means I can’t use the OT song mode in the way I want. It’s ridiculously. On top of that, the original boxes don’t have PC intervals available for odd numbered time signatures (5/4, 7/8, etc).
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…not talking about sync issues…talking about patternchange issues here…
and if u want to avoid that a4 is keeps changing patterns always one round later…tell it to change pattern before the change…not on/at the change…
u can cheat by delaying all very first trigs of a pattern just a little tig via microtiming, though…
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My experience, as a non-expert, just reading the manual and expecting it to work, is that yes, all the boxes that I have used have issues with PC.
There are threads about it with OT=>DN, about it with A4 and AR, one kind soul went way into it and got Elektron to confirm a bug, but there is yet to be a fix. AR and A4 losing sync!? Can anyone explain this? - #47 by martin01
In general sync between my A4=>AR has been great. The other way around led to late changes on the A4.
…one last argument for the a4, since it’s my most favourite swedish box of all…
analog heart, digital mind…
it has to deal with the most complex realtime options possible…
this is no digital synth…it’s four truu analog monosynth, always ready waiting every moment for an always next possible quick dress change on ALL it’s parameters…
truu heavy sonic duty…i’m not aware of any other analog gear that’s able to shapeshift that drasticly from one step to the next one…anytime U want it to…
I THINK there is a bug in some current firmwares iirc - try setting auto channel to 16 on all machines - maybe that will help.
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I have just been playing around with this, just trying to have the Digitakt follow pattern changes from the Machinedrum.
Patternlength has to be the same length. The Digitakt would not change pattern, until the current pattern was finished.
/thomas
Yup. This is the case. You can’t just use the CH.LEN function if you have different pattern lengths or multipliers. It’s brutal.
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I have the same experience. I always make sure I set every project between my Rytm Mk2 and OT Mk2 with the same amount of master bar lengths. It’s one of the (many) things why too many Elektrons is too much work and setting up for me. Two tops:)
To be honest I thought the issue was only related to using Elektron boxes with external gear. Never thought there’d be issues between Elektron boxes.