I’m new to OT (had bought one a few months ago but still just playing w the A4) and not sure how to best connect the OT mk1 w the A4 mk1 and a keystep.
I’d connect Keystep midi out -> OT midi in. Ot midi out -> A4 midi in.
This would let you trigger/play stuff in OT, but you can also the A4.
OT would send clock to A4, A4 would receive clock. If you want A4 to follow OTs pattern changes, OT would send program changes.
Settings for OT:
Go to menu on OT -> midi -> control
Uncheck ‘Audio CC In’
‘Audio CC Out’ to ‘int’
Check ‘Audio Note In’
‘Audio Note Out’ to ‘int’
Midi -> Sync
Check ‘Send Transport’
Check ‘Send Clock’
Choose a channel under ‘Send Program Change’ the same channel has to be set on A4.
Midi -> Channels
Choose a midi channel as Auto Channel, Keystep will send midi on this channel.
The active track on OT will be controlled via the Auto Channel. In your case, when you select a track on OT, you can control it from the Keystep.
Settings for A4:
Global menu -> midi sync
Check ‘Clock Receive’
Check ‘Transport Receive’
‘Program Change Receive: Same channel as on OT’
Midi port config -> Input from midi
Midi Channels:
Choose appropiate midi channels. Remember what you set as ‘Auto Channel’.
All A4 tracks can be sequenced from OT.
If you want to play A4 from the Keystep, you have to use a midi track on OT. Set it to output on A4s Auto Channel. This will control the active track on A4 from the OTs midi track.
Another possibility would be ofc to control A4 directly from Keystep, A4 midi out to OT midi in.
A4 could send clock, transport and program changes to OT.
Depends what you prefer.
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One more question and thank you by the way for that concise answer:
How many of what cables will I need?
(foregoing of course the Keystep)
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You’re welcome!
For the midi part, all you you need is a regular midi cable from Keystep to Octatrack and a regular midi cable from Octatrack to A4.
Thanks again shnork
but don’t I need a certain number of 1/4 patch cables [TS or TRS]?
I assume its these audio cables that allow sampling of the A4…¿
When you say sampling I assume you want to connect A4 to OT?
Then 2x 1/4" TS cables from L/R audio outs of the A4 into OT inputs A/B or C/D (OT mk1 has unbalanced audio inputs).
From OT outs you can go balanced or unbalanced.
Do you connect OT to a mixer, audio interface or directly to speakers or headphones?
If you have four inputs on an audio interface or mixer you can go 4x TS or TRS from OT main and cue outs into your mixer or interface.
This would give you more flexibility when recording, you could record OT in stereo and A4 in stereo, 2x stereo from OT or four mono tracks from OT or any combination.
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Dang your good
Thanks so much shnork
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Awesome Schnork, @PeterHanes sent me here, this is very useful.
If I’d also want to send clock from OT to other hardware synths, I assume I need a midi splitter?
for the OT out? (and then one out to A4, and others to the other synths?)
Thanks
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Not necessarily (depending on which synths you have). In the setup detailed above, the Analog Four’s MIDI Thru port would provide MIDI clock messages from the OT.
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One (probably basic thing) I don’t completely understand here:
If you have the keystep out going to the octa midi in.
And connect the octa midi out to the in of another synth,
Do the signals from the keystep also go to the second synth?
In other words does the out also sent what comes in via the midi in? (I thought the thru was for that)
The MIDI Thru does that, by definition.
The OT is smart enough that it can be set to pass through the MIDI messages from the Keystep when required: typically when using the OT as a sequencer and wanting to preview how the attached gear would sound when played from the Keystep.
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Awesome, thanks for sharing your experience peter. This world can be quite daunting at first haha. But fun!