Elektron Pattern Clips! Now with Arrangement Mode!

[Airyck]

DO NOT use leading zeros like the actual pattern names in the DT/DN have, meaning: don’t name clips H01, or B09

Ah that’s a good catch and I could see how that would be confusing. I hadn’t revisited the part of the patch for the pattern names since I had just the session mode working. Even though you have it down, I’ll add entries to the database to make it work regardless if you have H01 or H1 for example (I’ll try and get it in the next beta).

but still…nearly every playback, every once in a while a seemingly random change was missed.

The main thing I can think of that could cause an issue with a particular pattern not switching is if the previous pattern was not done playing.

For example, if you have a pattern playing that is 4 bars (4 pages at 1x) on your Digitakt and you request a pattern change 2 bars in, it will still only change after playing 4 bars.

If you request one pattern change 2 bars in and then another just before the 4th bar ended, you would skip the middle pattern requested at 2 bars in.

Maybe just double check that the pattern prior to the one that is missed is the right length or adjust the “pattern clip” to match the length before you request the next change (if it’s even user error at all).

I’ll double check the database to make sure I didn’t have any typos around H2 (I manually typed it all in).
If not, then I’ll run a test with a similar setup and see if I can re-create the problem.

I would like to offer whatever assistance I can to help you resolve that or any other future bugs

Thank you so much! This more helpful than you know Any reports about issues or problems you’ve run into means I can fix them and try to prevent them from happening to future users (like the H1 vs H01 thing).

This is complex enough that it needs to some beta releases to make sure everything works as smoothly as possible.

[Airyck]

All the patterns were freshly set to 64 steps, set to change in intervals of 64 steps, and saved on the device before testing as well. I eventually went to 16 step patterns with 16 step change length to save a little time, but almost always a pattern or 2 didn’t change as intended, or change at all, really.

Whoops, I just realized you already tried this. I’ll let you know what I find.

edit:
Okay, so quick test I did.

I created every pattern in the H bank like in the picture above.
Sent them to the Digitakt Overbridge track on channel 16.
Let it loop a few times and it changed the Digitakt to each of the “Hxx” patterns every time.
So the database is okay.

I did limit the amount of start points for clips that were possible by dividing the play position down to exact beats (to cut the amount of points that needed to be scanned for deleting old data).
So make sure your clips are quantized to the grid when you place them. They wont work if they are shifted by some tiny amount of ticks from an exact beat.

Anyway, it seems to be working as expected here. I’ll try to help you figure it out though.

(I don’t work in rainbows all the time BTW, it just makes it easier to see that the clips are different )

One more thing.

Watch where is says “Pattern Sent” This monitors the request going directly into the database. If it says the correct pattern was sent then the issue is probably outside of the Elektron Pattern Clips device.

[dreamsaremaps]

@Airyck Thanks! I haven’t been able to test it again quite yet but I will shortly and try your suggestions. I’m much more familiar with Logic than Ableton, so it’s quite possible I’ve done something silly like not be exactly on grid, etc. Will report back!

[Airyck]

No worries Maybe try a test with something like I made in the post above (H1-H16 evenly spread over 4 bars each). Use blank patterns on your Digitakt, and just one Elektron device to start with for testing.

[lemoswilson]

Awesome device @Airyck! Thanks a lot. It works fine with Ableton 9 too.

[Airyck]

Thanks ! Good to hear it’s working with Live 9 as well.
I still have some updates planned when I get back around to it.

I’m working on an editor for my Shruthi XT and finally getting around to building some of my Ambika (ordered electronic components).
I’ll probably will make some music first and then come back to this device again (sooner if any major bugs pop up).

[Bemo]

Wow! Thanks!! I’m gonna give this a try.

[Airyck]

Cool let me know if you run into any issues.

[Roger]

Thank you for working on this. I have been trying it out in Arrangement. It works when you follow the guidelines but clips longer than a bar are a little temperamental when you want to Play from a bar other than the start of the clip. It works sometimes but at times it doesn’t. The patterns I have on the MD for testing are a bar long.

[Roger]

Another feedback: A couple of flaws I just discovered are going to mean this is unusable for song production for the present. It doesn’t remember your Program Change / Overbridge setting and the Arrangement memory is also forgotten when you close Ableton. Those should be remembered in the device instance.

Edit: Registration of clips doesn’t seem to be working very well either… the changes happen on time, but they are frequently the wrong pattern (e.g. A2 A1 A3 instead of A1 A2 A3)

[Dayflight]

Hi,
if I change the Bank No. in the Clip from 1 to 2 the Octatrack change the patern from 1 to 9. Why?

[Airyck]

@Roger

clips longer than a bar are a little temperamental when you want to Play from a bar other than the start of the clip

The program change is only sent at the start of the clip. Starting from the middle of a clip wont send a program change. This is something that is hard to deal with because there is no way of knowing how long the “actual pattern” is on your Elektron device.
My only thought on how to deal with this is to make it so if there is a sudden change in the playback position it could send a program change based the start and “end” time of the clip in the database. I don’t currently track the end time in the database. I’ll try and think this through to come up with a solution for lots of jumping around in the arrangement.

@Roger

the changes happen on time, but they are frequently the wrong pattern (e.g. A2 A1 A3 instead of A1 A2 A3)

It’s possible that the new positions of the clips aren’t always getting updated if you’re moving things around and changing clip locations/sizes etc… Currently its fairly easy to forget to select a clip to update the database if you’re doing a lot of re-arranging and changed something downstream from the clips you’re working on. It’s something I’d like to find a way to have update with less user interaction but It will take some more work to figure out a way that can work.

If you’re having difficulties with wrong clips it’s best just to go through and select each clip again.
If you don’t want to do a lot of mouse clicking, (with the transport stopped) place the cursor at the start of the first clip. Next hold the right arrow key on your keyboard to have the cursor move through all of the clips. This should update every clip in the database for that track instance.

Also, if your patterns (on your Elektron Device) are not the same length as your clips in Ableton you may have program changes being sent that don’t actually change on your Elektron device until later because they are not done playing the full pattern (on the Elektron Device). It doesn’t sound like thats what you’re doing but it’s something to keep in mind.

@Roger

It doesn’t remember your Program Change / Overbridge setting and the Arrangement memory is also forgotten when you close Ableton. Those should be remembered in the device instance.

I think you’re correct on this. I never set it up to remember the selection you made for Overbridge vs Program Change. I’ll come up with a fix for this in the next beta.

The Arrangment memory, on the other hand, is supposed to be saved when you save a project. I’ll have to look and see why this wouldn’t be working.

@Dayflight

Hi,
if I change the Bank No. in the Clip from 1 to 2 the Octatrack change the patern from 1 to 9. Why?

It sound’s like you are using the built in Program change/Bank change messages in Ableton’s clips. When using this device you don’t need to set the program change or bank change messages in the Ableton Live clip.

Leave those alone and just type the Pattern name identifier in the name of the clip. So rename the clip A1 or A2 or B3 or G12 etc… When you play the clip it sends the corresponding program/bank change.

[Airyck]

@Roger

A couple of flaws I just discovered are going to mean this is unusable for song production for the present.

Nothing is lost in reality. Even if it doesn’t remember the database (which it should, but maybe a bug?) You can still select your clips that were saved in the correct order when you open your project again and you’ll be back where you started when you saved.

If you want to do a lot of experimenting with clip orders and re-arranging, I suggest using the session view for the pattern playback(it’s more reliable and doesn’t require a database to function). When you have your pattern clips in the order you want for the song, move them to the arrangement view.

Make sure your Ableton clip lengths match the length of your Elektron patterns.

Once the database has been updated with the arrangement clips it should playback reliably. The current difficulties come from moving and updating clips around the arrangement which requires a fair amount of user interaction to keep the database updated and clip lengths correct. I hope to make it work better. It’s already been a huge amount of work just to make the current functionality.

Thanks for the feedback and I’ll definitely get some of the fixes I mentioned in when I find some time. I have a toddler and baby to deal with so my time is somewhat limited these days (especially if I want to do anything beside work on Max projects )

[Roger]

If you want to do a lot of experimenting with clip orders and re-arranging, I suggest using the session view for the pattern playback(it’s more reliable and doesn’t require a database to function). When you have your pattern clips in the order you want for the song, move them to the arrangement view.

I might use Elektron Pattern Clips for performance / jamming / ideas and then when arranging use my delay compensation based technique, which I just posted here: How I switch patterns using program change in Ableton

I’ll be watching to see how EPC evolves in the Arrangement department. Have you considered just exposing the “database” as a list, and just have people edit the list directly? Like a Song Mode in Ableton, heh… could even jump to the appropriate row when you transport.

Could work?

[Airyck]

@Roger

Have you considered just exposing the “database” as a list, and just have people edit the list directly? Like a Song Mode in Ableton

I have actually thought of this and will probably (very likely) implement something like this in a future beta. The first though was simply allowing people to see that their clips were correct. The second thought was allowing users to directly interact with the list.

You’re on the same brainwave with this

It’s not too hard to implement functionality wise. The UI is the hardest part of implementing that type of feature but it can be done.

[astricii]

Bumping to say thanks for this

[Airyck]

Thanks! I’ll find the time to come back around to this again eventually. Session mode is solid. Arrangement needs some work but it’s “usable” for now (with some bugs).

[nilsec]

this works with the cirklon as well!!!

a1 = scene 1, a2 = scene 2, etc

[astricii]

Oh snap

[Prymus]

Awesome Mate! Thanks a lot for this great work!!! <3 <3 <3
Same graphic issues as @DanJamesAUS but has no influence on the function!

Roll on bro