For a short while I owned an OT, and while it definitely was possible to make non-4/4 patterns, it was a bit difficult. The sequencer workflow is obviously focused on making four-on-the-floor kind of stuff.
However, I love when things get irregular and uneven (like Venetian Snares, etc).
So my question is:
Working with the Elektron boxes, how do YOU find creating non-4/4 music? Any workflow tips?
Anyway, the OT was a fantastic and deep machine, but sometimes overly complex and cumbersome to work with. Now, I’m thinking of getting the Rytm MKII in a while, but I’m having second thoughts when I ponder how easy non-4/4 music is to make right in Ableton, which I frequently use. Though, I’m longing back to some nice hardware and lightning fast parameter locks
Should give those vids of yours a rewatch. You have a Rytm as well, right? Polymeter and polyrythms aren’t that different on it, I think? Only big difference I can think of is the OT’s ability to individually “scale” pattern/track lengths.
yes and the trick is to ignore that workflow. Use live recording and turn off quantizing. Never add triggers using trigger buttons. If you still use the buttons, microtime the hell out of it. Never use 4/4 without the artistic need and justification. Never use 4/4 as a starting point, never, for anything, never-ever.
Yes, it is! Thank you @t3h. It’s easy to stare oneself blind on that row of 16 trigs. Kind of makes one forget that there’s a workflow outside the rigid sequencer.
Hi!
The Digitakt, on the other hand, is able to do polymorph rythms of as many beat / measure as you want… then you just place accents to make the “feel” of your groove. You can also input track-by-track lengh. And it’s cheaper than the OT (which I don’t know but I hear is a great machine, BTW).
Cheers
It’s funny; my mate and I just released an album of non-isochronous (uneven) IDM jams, using only Elektron gear (an AR1 and a DT) under the name Xuiqen.
I can honestly say that neither of us have ever been as productive as we are now with the Elektron workflow.
As far as insights go, I’m not sure I have many, as everything was programmed into the sequencer (no usage of Strom as I unfortunately don’t have an iPad). Really, just know it’s more than possible, I actually prefer it (the elektron workflow) in a lot of ways.
Wow. That’s an impressive collection of music. Some of the glitchy songs with more melodic elements are fantastic. Cool to see more of this kind of stuff made on Elektron boxes.
As it is now, the way Elektron implements odd time signatures is a pain in the ass. Let’s say I want to do a 3/4 time sig and I want 12 steps in the pattern to do it. Instead of each page being 12 steps, allowing for easy following of where the first beat of each bar is, it has bar 1 start on trig 1, then bar 2 start on trig 13. Then you have to remember to count on each page. Why not just let us have 12 steps on each page so it’s easier to follow along? It’s bloody infuriating.
You and me, both. I love prog-style time signatures and many of my tracks are lengthy, ever changing things that feature multiple time signatures. The Elektron stuff takes so, so much more effort to work this way. And that’s too bad, as I love using parameter locks in my prog tracks. I would love to be able to choose the step count per page.
yeah, i think if you °intentionally° set out to make a odd time signature song and fight it out, it probably isn’t much fun… but i have also had melodies that sounded great in my head that just didn’t get written by the time i had found the right key or pluck, i guess it depends on your disposition and process. Maybe it’s more advantageous in some cases to use samples/phrases than trigs in scale.
Generally, i just ended up with irregulars based on feeling it out, dropping in trigs, taking out, change scales, switch out samples, and for this I really like it, the push and pull of writing, seeing how it jives and getting feedback, and either building or dropping it out…so it’s probably not for the determinist, we’re in jazz territory after all!
And i too really get bored with common time, especially on the type of layout of the OT, i am coming from that background of linear writing…what i think we’re really after is Feel and Movement, or to make something °seem° more complex than it actually is.
Somehow, as time passes in a session i forget i am working in a constrained set of steps, the musicality kicks in, not paying any attention to the numerical structures at all.
Is there any possibility of an OS update (or setting im unaware of?) that would allow the one page per bar elektron structure to work for time signatures like 3/4 or 6/8? It really sucks have a bar and a third on the first page (in the case of 6/8), and it seems like it would be much more logical if only the first 12 steps were active, afterwhich it moves to page 2 for the second bar.
Ok so i read through all of it and theres nothing answering my question (or for that matter evem related to my question besides also being about 6/4). Merry christmas btw! Hope someone can give me an answer, although im pretty sure its just not possible currently without an os change.
It would be really great if it could be added to the OS in the future. 4 pages with 14 steps each, for example…I just assumed there was a way that I hadn’t figured out yet
You didn’t find the bits about chaining patterns of odd time signatures helpful? For instance, if you’re wanting to play in 7, Pattern A01 is two pages, a bar of four (16 steps) on page one, and a bar of three (12 steps) on page two? Then to get to the next bar of the pattern, put it on A02, then on to A03, etc. Enter song mode, or chain the patterns together.
This way you can visualize the 7 (or whatever it is) a lot better. Instead of having to think to yourself “okay my beat resets on the 13th step of the second page” which, for me, really fucks with my brain.
This isn’t about elitism or prestige, if it came across like that - I just enjoy some variety.
