I think I'm not understanding how to use all 16 LFOs on the MD

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1

So apparently you can use any of the 16 LFOs to modulate a track, right? But I can’t seem to get this to work. The manual isn’t much help, either.

Let me give you an obvious example: I’ve got track 10, my OH, and I have its own LFO set to pan. I can hear it panning and it sounds fine. But then when I switch to track 11’s LFO, the pan stops. Why is this? I have my update set to free and the manual says something about if it’s set to trig or hold that the track you get it from has to trig it, but I don’t have it set to either of those.

There must be some settings I’m missing somewhere. I’m in extended mode if that makes a difference. This is a non-UW Mk1 and the manual I’m reading is for this same version.

EDIT: Well I figured it out. You have to go to the other track (say 11) and tell it to send its LFO to track 10. I should’ve thought of that! Oh well.

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#2

Tbf, apparently you DID think of that :slight_smile:

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#3

The only “gotcha” is that if you want to use it to modulate another track’s LFO parameters, it has to be a higher numbered track. So e.g. you can modulate track 11’s LFO parameters with track 10’s LFO, but not the other way around.

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#4

Are you sure? That’s true for Octatrack, but I used several lfos to modulate track 15, with lower numbered tracks.

Most annoying things with lfos, proving MD is not finished : no lfos for CTL machines, and MID machines lfos can’t be applyed to themselves. You need CTL 8P to modulate MID machines with lfos. :sketchy:

#5

Only when you modulate another track’s LFO parameters, I think. Other parameters it doesn’t matter, you can freely modulate those from any track.

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#6

Ok thanks. Not a big deal, but this won’t help me to love MD, I’m seriously thinking about a 2nd OT instead. Having to use CTL 8P to modulate MID machines is very boring, I prefer to sequence MD with OT so I’m not sure to keep it.

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