General Seq Question

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hey guys,
I’m still wrapping my head around the sequencer here so bear with me. I’m wondering if this is possible because I couldn’t get it to work yesterday:

Single track (4-note poly) on A4 set to a pad sound
Play a two-note chord that I want to sustain for all four bars
At the start of the third bar, I want to hit a note, adding it to the chord that’s already playing

Every time I’ve tried to do that, it’s cut out the other notes.
At this point, my workaround is to just load the same sound into track 2 and trigger the note I want on that sequence rather than track 1. But this seems really stupid.

Is it possible to do this? Seems like it would be very very basic operation…

#2

I don’t well know the A4, have it recently so I meet this kind of problem.

I think that you began to play 2 notes, then a third and the the pattern begin to play step one, that makes 2 more notes. So 5 polyphonie.
Maybe that’s this.

Sorry if I’m wrong.
Thanks for future corrections

#3

Thanks, but no - the max polyphony this should use is 3 notes (when the track is set to 4 note poly), so I’m not sure why the first two notes get killed.
It’s so easy to fix in a DAW, just drag the notes over. I’m trying to teach myself this obtuse sequencer though.
It should be noted that I’m trying to step-enter the notes, not play them live.

#4

go into your poly config (function-kit -> poly config) …enable at least a second track to the voices so that they can steal a voice from each other…if only one voice is checked, there is no voice to steal from another track to play polyphonic.

edit:
btw what exactly do you mean with “(when the track is set to 4 note poly)”

do you already play a four note chord on that track? or do you play two notes with osc1 and osc2 mimicing the additional voices?

“the max polyphony this should use is 3 notes” …then you have to enable at least 3 tracks in the voices settings of the poly config.

#5

Yes that’s what I’m saying. In the Poly select menu (sorry I don’t have it in front of me) I have all four boxes ticked. Four notes should be possible on that track. Two notes are triggered at 1/1. When a single note is triggered on the same track later in the sequence (3/1) (same sound, same parameters, no trigs other than note on) it’s killing both notes played earlier in the sequence.
I’m simply holding the position button on the sequencer timeline with record mode on, hitting two notes. Changing the page to the third page, I hit one note hoping to add that note to the others that are playing. Instead of adding it, it kills the other notes.

Edit - the first notes have a length set at 128, the second note later on has a length of 64.

#6

can you try that with an empty pattern using a default sound?..i tried that, and it works for me…must be some weird setting (although i don’t know what it could be)…all other tracks are silent- meaning no trigs on them?

#7

It’s limitation of elektron sequencer – every next trig mutes previous one. You can’t add additional notes to already sounding chord without its interruption on one track. Workaround is to use another track(s) to play needed notes. You can use sound-lock if you don’t want to assign the same sound on different tracks. A4 is a “simple” 4-voice and 4-tracks synth, so if you want to create rich-sounding patterns you have to be ready to this kind of workarounds and tricks. Limitations give creativity. The same thing with Octatrack midi sequencer.

#8

sure, i did…

Tabula rasa advice
#9

@switchbox, you are right! it is possible in poly mod. :+1:

#10

I’ve had trouble sequencing this sort of thing before. I believe you can live-record it into the sequencer, however. If you press play and record at the same time, anything you play will be recorded into the step sequencer (within the polyphony limits of course.) If your timing is off, you can always quantize or shift the notes afterwards.

I’ve always found myself resistant to live recording because I’m not a ‘good enough’ player, but often it’s the fastest way to get an idea into the sequencer. I forget sometimes that I can correct mistakes later.

#11

Thanks guys, glad to see I’m not the only one that stinks at playing live - which is why I wanted to step-input this simple added note!
I will try out a few other methods when I have a moment, this sequencer really gives me a headache. It is pretty powerful and fun, but I have complaints about it. Even the JJOS in the MPC1000 was easier for me.

#12

I’ve just tryed to do it on clean pattern and it works for me. Try this:

  1. Set 2-notes chord (interval) on the first step.
  2. Set Len parameter in Note menu to i.e. INF.
  3. On step i.e. 7 set another note and set lenght to it.
  4. Go to poly config menu (fn + kit) and check 3 checkboxes vor voices 1, 2 and 3.
  5. Press play.

Now you have to hear like 3-rd note adds to first chord.
Is it what you are looking for?

#13

Thanks for the assistance guys. I’m wondering if it has anything to do with the complexity of the patch I had loaded. Others seem to work just fine. After some work the sequencer is pretty cool, just very daunting!

#14

try to function> clear(play) all your other tracks?