Forward Thinking Innovations

Elektron Gear Monomachine
#1

Hey gang,
loooong-ass-time!

When I started out making electronic music I had a strictly hardware setup.
Then I crossed into the 100% software zone (focusing on arrangements and mixing). Now I’m either sequencing from the computer and multi-tracking the output of my synths and stuff or just sequencing with the Monomachine.

I’ve been brainstorming for a long time about synthesis in general and I’ve found some new fields on the Monomachine (this thing keeps expanding!)

Here’s a couple of nice things:

Using the Arp at high-speeds and only making it retrigger the filter, then assigning offsets to the notes/steps, makes the filter change while the synths go through it. Neat.

Filter TRACKING!!!
A lot of people complained about the Monomachine being thin+digital.
But the thing is, I just realized this a couple of days ago;
my newly acquired DSI MEK has Transpose set to -24 (-2x octaves) by default. Which REALLY affects the filter tracking.

I applied this to the Monomachine; transpose the track -12 or -24 and play a bit higher on the keyboard (with filter tracking ON) and the filter width starts acting around 03:00 instead of 11:00’o’clock :wink:
This changed the overall sound of the Monomachine!

Also, playing with a friend’s MS-20 mini gave me a new vision on the filter in the Monomachine, set the width pretty tight and pump the HQ up and also the LQ it sort of works like the Korg filter with hi-pass and lo-pass at the same time…

Now here’s the best:
After using soft-synths to figure out what I really love in synthesis I found that I like Hard-Sync A LOT.
Looking at the Monomachine and remembering some synth-engines do have a Sync function, I decided to try making a Two-Oscillator synth:

Track 1 (any synth you like): -Please try transposing it
Filter tracking OFF (and just use the filter to shape the wave, nothing else)
Trigger Track 2. Output BUS CD

Track 2 (any synth with Sync): and put the sync mode on PRCH (Previous Channel/Track). Same with the filter, this is supposed to be a raw oscillator. Transpose this one also.
Trigger Track 3. Output BUS CD

Track 3 The Filter: This could be a THRU track (if you don’t want any effects. Dynamics/Compressor is pretty nice to shape the waves a bit more. Input BUS CD. Output AB
Start working the filter and then try Transposing the “Filter Track” you’ll start hearing the different character in the filter resonance and cutoff as soon as you transpose it.
Slam the ARP on the filter track (making it only trigger the filter)
then use the offset to modulate the tracking!

Two oscillator synth!!
De-tune Tracks 1 and 2 (using the Tune on the Synth Page)

This gave me a huge new view on the Monomachine!
You can use as many oscillators as you want and one filter track…

Also, Distortion behaves wildly when you have another Track filtering the “oscillators”.

Another discovery:
The Main Output knob….
I know most people don’t think about it and put it in an all-time position.
But thinking about the Op-Amps/Transformers/Output stage + the internal DSP Distortion+Levels I realized that it’s sort of like a 0 position in the middle, with clock-wise adjustments being + on top of that.
Keep it below the ‘line’ and it’ll be - values = more headroom. Use an external preamp to bring it back up and it will be a different sound!

That’s it for now you old farts!

-Geir Helgi

Octatrack Monolith
Keytracking
#2

You’re on the right path, just turn filter tracking off altogether. The MnM is an amazing synth.

#3

Yoyo Allerian!
Yeah I used to always do that a couple of years ago,
because the filter (with Tracking On and Transpose set to 0)
acts a bit strange (wide values affecting nothing)
but as soon as you transpose the track itself you can dial in the “right” Filter Tracking :slight_smile:
Now when I’m writing this, maybe one should turn HPF Tracking off to make the filter strictly a Low-Pass filter?

#4

I’ll have to give this a try, thank you!

#5

Nice informations guy, thx alot, for sharing.

I do love Mono

#6

Thanks for the tips and good to see you here man :slight_smile:

Sometimes I wonder if Elektron’s deeper goal with the MnM was creating an instrument containing as many easter eggs as possible. However – unlike some video games I could mention – no one has made a YouTube vid documenting them cos no one is even remotely confident they’ve found them all. :wink:

#7

Thanks for the tipps!
Always nice to get a new idea to play with the mighty mono. Had some crazy fm-only patch today. glitchy and noisy like hell. so much fun to ride the monomachine!
I just tried your 2-oscillator filter-tracking suggestion and it really works nice! Releases some new character … :+1:

#8

Interesting that I’ve never tried the 2osc synth tip. Thanks!

Oh, and remember, you can always dial-in the amount of filter tracking by using the parameters in the ASSIGN->KEY section. Of course, you should turn off the dedicated tracking functions when you do this.

Another great thing I’ve discovered in the last year or so (when I was stupidly consider selling the Mono), is DIST! Not necessarily for hardcore distortion, but for subtle, wave-shaping type effects.

Use it on FM machines for more of an “organic” sound.

Use it on ENS machines to make them more “analog” sounding.

DIST, when used responsibly, can make the SID machine’s PWM sound less digital and more naturally dirty. Combine this with some EQ (which is just another filter, basically) and you have some serious creativity at your fingertips.

In fact, DIST is a vital part of warming up the MnM’s supposedly “cold” and “digital” tone.

#9

Hey gang,
glad you like it!

Now I’m gonna go work the MnM hehe

Oh wow!
I totally overlooked the adjustable filter-tracking parameters in the Assign menu! (I usually just turned them off, but now I want tracking)
Gotta try HPF = Off and only using the LPF tracking+adjusting amount.

Yeah DIST is a totally underappreciated parameter (at least in my world, hehe)
it can be used to, like you say glitched; shape the waves. Which yields infinitely different sounding waves for say another track which would filter those waves.
In the opposite it gives more headroom (which is nice if you have a compressor on the next track).

My friend who’s got a MnM as well told me something about the reverb/fx:
If you have a synth on one track, put the output BUS to: AB+CD
Reverb/fx on another track with input CD* (Output AB)
then you can mix the reverb “pre-fader” into the AB mix.
(100% wet off course) that’s a pretty cool trick as well!
*instead of neighbour

These busses are really good for routing the sound internally,
this thing keeps getting larger and deeper, I love it!

#10

Knowledge dropped!

#11

Lots of great advice here!

I’ve had the Monomachine for about 3 or 4 years, and it’s amazing how many things you can do with it that I’ve only just started to think of.

There’s so much versatility waiting when you start thinking about the different routings. I used to just stick with a one machine-per-track style and would often be a bit underwhelmed with the sound since I was used to two and three oscillator synths.

Now that I realize you can have a 5 or 6 oscillator monosynth, my appreciation is starting to grow quite a bit! Why I never thought to load up two or three copies of a machine and link & detune them, who knows.

One thing to remember when chaining tracks and using a Thru/Effect track for the ultimate monosynth is that you have those extra three LFO’s on each track to utilize as part of your kit. Not too many synths out there with 18 LFO’s available for one voice! :smiley:

#12

Slide + synthesis parameter lock + porta lock + fltr trig + lfo trig = ?beautiful chaos#!

Don’t neglect the slide function. Remember all of your parameter values are absolute on the ‘grid’. Use slide to glide.

Though now i think of it, doesn’t the slide trig affect all parameters? I think it does. If im wrong please let know

#13

Just a huge thanks for having this nice sharing.

It feels warmy and gives honor back to that great Elektron-Users place.

Thanks a lot geri_helgi and all of you guys.

my hug,
-gg-

#14

this thread needs a B U M P ! … serious info in here! … cheers bluewolf7 AND OP

#15

I have a bookmarks folder with around 30+ various Elektron related bookmarks. There’s only a couple from this forum, though, and this thread is one of them.

Great stuff.

#16

When in poly mode, remember all the levels on the individual tracks need to be matched.

Also in poly mode selecting a track, makes what ever sound is on that track play polyphonically

So you have 6 patches at your disposal quite quickly, so make kits specifically for poly mode with 6 sounds that work well with chords

Anybody using Multitrig and Multi ENV? some fun there to be had.

#17

Yoyo,

been a long time since I’ve lurked around this side-of-town hehe

Just moved to Oslo in January, any Elektron heads in Oslo?
Give me a holler…

I brought my MnM with me (off course, superior sequencer for my future synth-sequencing in Norway hehe)

This weekend I’ve tried a couple of different approaches,
on the Tracking Page (in Assign) you can apply a Tracking modulation to the Pitch (up to 16 OCTs)
It’s very strange, because of the scaling it’s totally retarded haha

The reason I’m talking about that is because I’ve been trying this Hard Sync method above…
Is there any way to adjust the Base Frequency of the Oscillator/Machine that you’re working with?

Like uhm… Besides Key-Tracking (MIDI Note Number)?

I’ve been using a 0 speed LFO (Square) with a Pitch Value, but it’s acting quite strange as well…
It seems the Sync’d Oscillator/Track/Machine is quite hard to control regarding the base pitch freq.

One trick was to put a note of your choosing to set the pitch then the previous track would Sync-control the (Sync’d) second track…

The Ring-Mod is also quite strange (in the manual it states that the external signal is mixed with an internal Modulator signal, what’s the base frequency of that exactly?) I wonder if the Ring-Mod tracks the pitch of the incoming MIDI Note Value?

Crazy thing is making 4x tracks of one Machine, differently transposed and tuned + panned ALL being Trigged by the first track.
All go into Bus CD
CD goes into Track 5 (which is a filter, triggered by Track 4)
and that goes into a Chorus at the end (Track 6) yielding a MASSIVE 4 oscillator mono synth hehe = Wannabe Mono/Poly hehe
Chords or a 4-voice mono, it’s pretty nuts…

Elektronauts 2.0
#18

LOL a google search for PRCH:

@rattl_e

すげー MonoMachineのDigiProのSYNC PRCHってどうやって使うんだろ とか思ってたら前のチャンネルのピッチにシンクしてるんだ・・・もう１年は使ってるのにまだまだ発見あるなあ（説明書読んでないだけ
10:25 AM - 27 May 2011

@tknbhszm
19 Sep 13
“@rattl_e: すげー MonoMachineのDigiProのSYNC PRCHってどうやって使うんだろ とか思ってたら前のチャンネルのピッチにシンクしてるんだ・・・もう１年は使ってるのにまだまだ発見あるなあ（説明書読んでないだけ”
———————————————————————————————————————

@rattl_e

Only not read still wish there discovered (instructions for How is do it … another year is sinking to the pitch in front of the channel when I wanted to direct, and they wonder use it are using I DigiPro of SYNC PRCH of soooo MonoMachine
10:25 AM - 27 May 2011

@tknbhszm
19 Sep 13
"rattl_e: I wish there is still found to soooo … another year I’m sinking to the pitch in front of the channel when I wanted to direct, and they wonder use how do I SYNC PRCH of DigiPro of MonoMachine is using (description only not read book "

#19

Quoted from another thread:

So I guess the Ring-Mod tracks the pitch if trigged??

1 Like
#20

Ok so gave it some of ye olde’ brain time/power.
So Track 2 (being Sync’d)
In theory it should be possible to Offset the base pitch using the Arpeggiator (Offsetting the First Step, leaving the others unlit/disabled)
That should Fix the pitch (to your choosing) on the Sync’d track, avoid of the base-pitch/Note Value Track 1 is outputting (Track 1 wouldn’t be Trig-ing Track 2 in this case)
2¢?