Ideas for Elektron Sequencer

Elektron Gear
#1

Some ideas for future Elektron sequencers. Do you think they could work well or what we have now is enough and it’s just too much to ask? Btw most ideas came from the analog sequencers world.

  • Trig ON / OFF without loosing step values. When the trig button pressed it keeps all the step data and p-lock data in memory, step is just muted and gets unmuted after pressing again. If the trig should be deleted clear+trig combo is ok for this.

  • FRW, BKWRD, PENDULUM, RANDOM play modes.

  • Ability to RESET sequence to the first step, start or stop it with the trigs on another channel/track.

  • Ability to set the start point on the fly the same way as the sequencer length - with step buttons indicate the range of active steps.

  • Ability to set the length of the trig. Each trig in the sequence could be 1/4, 1/8, 1/16 or any other value, so the sequence “speed” can vary from step to step. This could bring a lot of fun and sonic complexity. Basically, it came from Buchla world and MARF sequencer, where you can set the pitch with one row of sliders and the duration of each step with another row of sliders.

  • “Modularity” - this is cool! What I mean is the ability to automate start and end points, scale of the sequence, transpose, trig length and more parameters with the trigs on other channels, or even envelopes and lfos. Actually, would be nice if any track (i.e. midi tracks with lfos and CC control ) could be routed to control any other track parameter.

And yeah… My Elektron experience based on DT mostly, so this could or could not work with other machines and workflows, or maybe some of those things are already implemented… Would be nice to hear your ideas for Elektron sequencer.

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#2

Great ideas. I’d be happy with just a random playback mode for each individual track and a way to only play one page at a time – like loop page 3, for example, so it would be easier to work on something in a focused way before turning the whole sequence back on. I regularly work with 64 steps and waiting for things to come back around again is a pain.

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#3

I like all of your ideas except the speed one. Just leave blank spaces in your sequencer and adjust the note length (sustain). I’m not entirely sure what you mean, but I think I do, and I think it would be a nightmare. XD

1 Like
#4

Trig skip mode.

Sorta like trig mute on the A4 combined with the weird sequencing of the KP3+

Can really lead to unexpected variations

4 Likes
#5

So trig mute is already sort of a thing. It’s on the A4 and AR. You can emulate it on the digitone and I imagine the digitakt by hitting func+trig to turn it into a trigless lock hitting the trig again will “unmute” it.

Most of the other stuff was available in the original song/arranger modes of the ot mnm and md. The song modes on the analogs is pretty weak by comparison.

7 Likes
#6

  • PER PAGE SCALING. For the love of God it shouldn’t be this difficult to visualize time signatures that aren’t 4/4! If I want to make a pattern in 3/4, let me have the first page be 12 steps, the second page be 12 steps, etc…Similarly, if I want to make a pattern in 5/4, let me have the first page be 16, the second page be 4, the third page be 16, the fourth page be 4. Yeah, I sacrifice two bars of 5, but at least I can see what the hell I’m doing.

  • Per Beat Scaling–Drambo does this. This makes it MUCH easier to visualize triplets. So for instance, if I want to play in 4/4, but I want the subdivisions to be 8th note triplets, there would be 12 steps total. But the quarter notes would happen on steps 1, 4, 7 and 10. Then let me have this same layout for pages 2, 3 and 4.

  • The ability to start from/loop a specific page, as has already been said. It should be something in the global/project settings. Something as simple as “Playback starts from selected page” and you just turn it off or on.

12 Likes
#7

thank you for this tip !!! i dont know why i hadnt thought of func + trig for mute even though i had been doing trig + no on octatrack

1 Like
#8

I’d take conditional trigs that only affect p-locks, like the OP-Z.

3 Likes
#9

Recording overdub. Seems like it shud be easy as even korgs 16 step minilogue sequencer supports it! :o

4 Likes
#10

No page !

#11

Yes!

I’m always surprised that the KP3’s way of skipping steps isn’t implemented more often.

I think it’s the same as “active step” on the volcas.

1 Like
#12

Some great ideas! I would especially love to see…

On a per track basis!

Yeah!!!

1 Like
#13

intertrack conditionals.
if x on track 1 sequence = then y on track 2 sequence. etc.

5 Likes
#14

Great topic. Like all of these suggestions! Would really open up the Elektron sequencer(s) and enable them to move beyond their step-based limitations/heritage; the inter-tack sequencing/triggering/control, start point trig and trig length are things I have often wished while working.

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#15

Idea to start sequence from the trigger on another track isn’t new for digital machines. It was for instance implemented in Quasimidi Polymorph 20 years ago. Quite useful to create sequence of sequences and play with it.

When I think of all these options, I come to conclusion that it won’t be useful if you have a clear music idea in mind (like melody or chord progression ) and just want to program it. Complexity and options will make this process more difficult.

Instead this all is amazing for experimental approach, messing with rhythms and textures, thinking of music more like about an algorithm which will be generated. I think it’s more for serious experimental compositions, complex live performances. Of course this also could lead to amazing techno music. I hate this term, but it’s a great way to all kinds of “happy accidents”.

I believe it doesn’t hurt to have things implemented, so both worlds could live together in peace, the question is only how exactly and how well they’re implemented by designers.

1 Like
#16

Cool, thanks! Didn’t know about it, very simple and useful!

#17

This is really great tbh. What’s more, it could all be solved in the software, and in theory then pushed out to a bunch of the devices (assuming the sequencer software all inherits from a base sequencer)
But I know this is just dreaming :stuck_out_tongue:
Another thing I wanted after last night. Map ext midi to trigs.
ie I could play a trig by pressing the corresponding key on my midi keyboard. Even while sequence was running (similar to how you can currently trig+yes on the digi to preview). Obv this would likely kill the sound playing on the sequence in the case of mono seq like digitakt but that’s fine

Novation Circuit Rhythm and Circuit Tracks
#18

Isn’t that neighbor condition?

1 Like
#19

neibour condition is to do with the adjacent trigs on the same track.

#20

I’d definitely want scenes similar to the OT that you could switch between on the fly or program in song-mode.

I also wouldn’t mind a “master” track where you could plock track parameters across all tracks that wouldn’t otherwise be plockable.

Or taking this idea further, using the “machines” system, were You can have different track types, so maybe rhythm (with beat repeats), bass (mono melodic that controls root notes or something), melody (poly melodic with moving chords or something like that), - neighbor track (that follows the above track notes/beats and includes a repeater or arp on top of that), and control machines like the MD, so a track control (for things like start, length, direction), master (for tempo, control all, etc.)

1 Like