Do you use a mixer?

The Lounge Other Gear
#41

I had the mixer pluged in when the tetra arrived but each voice form the tetra would cycle from left and right one for each channel. maybe I had the mixer set up wrong. never been that good with them.

The Tetra can be set up as a single patch four voice synth, (where the individual outs make no sense to use). Or you can set it up as four mono synths, which is really cool, and then the individual outs make sense to use.

Re-read that manual and you can get exactly what you want. I use it with my Octatrack in combo mode to get four mono-synths on four midi channels. Not a lot of small synths have this many individual outs, so itā€™s less crap to take out live.

#42

Maybe Iā€™m wrong, and I donā€™t know how the Tetra works, but it seems like the same of AnalogKeys 4 singles out: using polyphony, when you play legato notes, each note exit from a different output, cycling. It is the way a lot of analog polyphone synth with multiple outputs works.
When play in polyphone mode, using the ā€œmain stereo outputā€ works great, but when using the single voices/parts output every legato note have to use the next free voice, cause every output is tied to one of the 4 voice of a 4 voices polyphony synth.
It works in this way for AK, I think itā€™d be the same for Tetra.

You can both use the main stereo output or group the 4 voice outputs on a mixer, in a subgroup for example.

#43

The Tetra has an ā€˜Audio Outā€™ global parameter with four modes:
[ul]
[li]Stereo: stereo mix of all voices on outputs 1 & 2; voices 3 & 4 on outputs 3 & 4 respectively[/li]
[li]Mono; mono outputs on outputs 1 & 2; voices 3 & 4 on outputs 3 & 4 respectively[/li]
[li]Quad: voices 1,2,3,4 to outputs 1,2,3,4 respectively[/li]
[li]Quad LR34: voices 1 & 2 are panned across outputs 1 & 2; voices 3 & 4 on outputs 3 & 4 respectively[/li]
[/ul]

#44

i think one of these second hand might be niceā€¦
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/740850-REG/Ecler_CEVO5_EVO_5_Professional_Digital.html

#45


Working on a mobile box in a DJ coffin using a Xone:23 for the OT, AR, and A4

#46

Very nice !! Thankā€™s for sharing

#47

I use a Behringer XR18 for a mixer paired with a cheapo 10" Android tablet for the control surface. This has 16 mono inputs and one stereo input (18 channels total) with 6 mono aux. Since it is a digital mixer I can route pretty much anything to anything. Two mono channels can be combined to make a stereo channel so when you increase the volume of one it increases it for the other. Same for the EQ on each channel, if the channel is set to link as a stereo channel then changing the EQ on one changes the other as well. The dynamic EQ is awesome since you can see in real time what sounds on a specific channel are in what frequencies. Then you can just sort of draw in what you want to cut or boost.

The mixer has four built in DSP effects slots and any or all channels can be routed to one or more of the effects slots. I use my aux channels as effects sends to my other gear. I have two set as a stereo pair going to my Korg KaossPad, two more to the inputs of my Octatrack which can send either one stereo signal or two separate mono signals, and the other two sent to my VT-3 vocoder (underrated as a dirty effects unit).

You can make scenes to switch up any of the routing, EQ, or really any parameter on the fly which works well for me since I wonā€™t necessarily have the same routing from song to song and no need to physically repatch anything. Just call up the scene on the tablet and everything switches. It takes maybe five seconds or so to fully load it but it is usable for me. I really wish this had more sends and I feel like I might need to connect one of my smaller analog mixers to split an aux stereo pair between two pieces of gear.

1 Like
#48

Killer socks, arenā€™ t they?

Yeah, I think Iā€™m going to enjoy the final product.

My main use for this stuff is actually writing in conjunction with my ā€œrockā€ band, so when I set up I have a very short turnaround. Iā€™m also busy setting up my projector, screen, bass amp, pedalboard, and tuning two basses. I need to go from 0 to running in no more than 15 minutes, and thatā€™s with loading the stuff on stage. It kinda sucks having the machines in a massive walled garden (no jamming in my lap), but i donā€™t have a bunch of options.

As for the mixer, it solved an issue with presenting sufficient outputs for FOH and the mini-PA we bring so that the synth stuff will sound like itā€™s coming from the stage - something Iā€™ve found essential to killing off the ā€œkaraokeā€ vibe having a band play with backing tracks can present. I converted all the inputs to line, and I think Iā€™ll have fun using the filter situationally. As it standā€™s Iā€™d be happy to remove the crossfader, but maybe Iā€™ll find it useful down the road. I like that the mixer requires me to just premix everything down to stereo and not micromanage the sounds. Chasing the perfect bass tone does not help me finish songs. Iā€™m gonna put an Overhub in the case and prewire all the usb so that when I want the extra sound shaping from Overbridge or access to the OTā€™s card I can just plug a USB cable into a single port.

No lie though, itā€™s a big bastard!

#49

Very nice!
Sorry for offtop, but how did you fix elektrons inside the case? Iā€™m thinking how to fix mine.
Thanks!

#50

Very nice!
Sorry for offtop, but how did you fix elektrons inside the case? Iā€™m thinking how to fix mine.
Thanks!
[/quote]
The case came with enough foam for the mixer and the right side (A4 and OT). I purchased some EVA foam workout tiles from Amazon and cut them up as foam for the AR and the QuNexus.

#51

Got it! Thaks!

#52

Hi

after weeks of searching, I finally decided for the Allen & Heath Qu Pac. Counting the required number of inputs, I have the OT (using the CUE outs as second pair of outputs?), AR and A4, maybe one or two synths in future, one (two?) external effect devices (taking up two stereo channels) and I might also add some input from the DAW (USB or Firewire Interface, please?) ā€¦ ending up with the wish for at least 12 channels. Now, I am happy with the control of levels on the Elektron machines, which means I could do with knobs instead of faders on the mixer but for 12 or more channels, the mixers will usually have faders and after taking out a tape measure, I quickly realised that the mixer, not the instruments will dominate the space on my desk ā€¦ . The Qu Pac takes relatively little space for the number of channels. The mixer appeals to Elektronauts that like to spend time getting their setup right. It took me three full days to study the diagram of this thing and to realise how I could map my setup on this machine. The options are enormous and the fact that one can configure many things to your own liking, is great. I first worried about the need to use a touch display, when I really prefer knobs and buttons ā€¦ but it turns out that one not even need the iPad or iPhone apps at all. Not only that the use of the panel is very easy, there are 15 select keys that can be freely configured for direct access and 15 softkeys onto which one can map various functions. One can save 100 setups in ā€œscenesā€, which I used to create various routes for my instruments going through external effects. Choosing these is a press of a single button on the front panel.

I have not even started with the effects, the ducking, and the graphical EQs and there is even a spectrum analyser on board. In case someone considers this mixer, I took some notes on creating my setup, which may be useful to others (jump to the section "Choosing and using an External Mixer).

Best, Olaf

1 Like
#53

In the studio I use Cubase as DAW, and a RME Hammerfall soundcard, with 3 ADAT pipes connected. This gives me 24 IN/OUT (I use the Behringer ADA8200 pres, they are cheap, and sound decent enough for my use), in addition to this I use overbridge on the AR and A4. This way I have managed to not using a mixer at all, and still being able to multitrack all my gear realtime - and thus getting rid of the big old 02R we used before.

Live we now request one DJmixer, and just connect:
AR + A4 to the inputs of the OCT and go straigth to one channel on the mixer. (So that I can PFL via the Octa), and the other channel on the mixer has TR-8, TB3 and ES-2 connected, hubbed via TR-8 and some joining cables. - We used to carry a mixer around (Line6 M20d), which was great sounding and all that - but since we donā€™t use any live instruments / live vocals now weā€™ve dropped it in favor of portability and a quicker soundcheck / setup time.

We also just added a iConnect Midi 4+ (or whatever the name is), to do the midi routing through - which is great since we can hook something like the old Korg Nanofaders to it and use those to control the octa volume, and also use the Midi Designer APP on an iPad that i programmed to trigger different sections of the setup. This means that we have the Dark Trinity clock synced, but not program changing eachother, but I can do that via the iPad for parts of the live where itā€™s nice that they play the samme patterns (like for instance AR can be on A02, Octa on A04 and A4 on B03 and I can click a pad i made on the iPad and they would all jump to and launch A05 - or something like this. This is also nice, since you can label on the iPad for reference)

Not sure this helps and isnā€™t really that much on topic - but maybe it gets some people some ideas :slight_smile:

Much love
Vegard

#54

I was right before buying RME fireface 800 + 2 ADATs to go together with a 16-32 channel analog console, when I spoke to a audio engineer here (really acknowledged mastering guy btw). He then introduced me to Midas Venice F series and advised me warmly to buy the biggest 32 channel one if I have the space somewhere in my studio. It was a hard decision initially, regarding this beast is not exactly portable.

Wellā€¦I then took the plungeā€¦

Now, after 1 month of having it I can only say:

  • it is quite smaller than normal 32 channel audio consoles
  • 32ch firewire with Midas converters is fu**ing unbelievable!! what can you do with all of these i/o is magic. I donā€™t need 32 channel console but the fact that you can use up to 6 of these firewire i/o with 6 AUXs on the board and put on ANY plugin you desire has fast-forwarded my workflow.
  • one thing to mention is also that I simply hate using EQs inside DAW and this beast is packed with EQs beyond my imagination.

I could write on and on about advantages that this console brought to me but I would be too long. Just two things more maybe: 1) only 7 channels remain free after hooking AR, Moog and AUXs (go for 32ch) 2) the price is ridiculous, I paid 1990eur for the 32ch version new.

1 Like
#55

Im really interested in the Midas F Venice 24 but been hearing about noisy fanā€¦is it an issue for u? And if noisy how muchā€¦like a MacBook PRO booting up?

#56

Fan is quite noisy yes. Before I bought the console I have been in touch with Midas/Behringer support about this. They said that every modification made by the shop where I bought it is not voiding the warranty. If they canā€™t do it they have to find a technician who can. So your warranty stays. A fan that suits the console is around 15eur, an hour of technician work is around 30eur. So no worries there.

Btw, I will also do a post-fader via firewire modification on it. To be honest, I have been using it for a month now with the stock fan and you hear it when not working. When music is on I totally forget it is there. But yeah, someday in 2016 I will do the modsā€¦

#57

I used a mixer for a while when I owned the MnM and MD to allow more live control over the many audio output possibilities from those machines, but during that time I could not decide how to use the OTā€™s ins and outs most efficiently. Now I have swapped the MnM/MD for the AR/A4 and I sold the mixer. The OT is now my mixer and my overall FX unit. If I did not have the OT or had lots of synths Iā€™d need a mixer, no question.

#58

Old thread, and you may not even still use this forum or set up, however this is exactly the set up I want to achieve with my OT and my x18.

Would love to pick your brainsā€¦

#59

I still lurk around. DM your questions, I mostly still use the same set up with the XR18 and now an XR16.

1 Like
#60

IMG_9139
IMG_9139.jpg4032Ɨ3024 1.86 MB

I use a mixer for my rig (when I have it all hooked up).

Iā€™ll run the Digitone either directly into the mixer on a stereo channel or stick my Strymon TimeLine in its path. The 856 (or some other looping-type pedalā€¦ Count to 5, Tensor, El Capistan), AMA, and Deco are all running from the FX send so I can capture sounds and mangle them on the fly. Iā€™ll run my pedalboard and iPad into separate stereo channels, too.

Iā€™m tempted to sell off some pedals and replace the outboard looping with a Morphagene but, you know, costā€¦!

1 Like