Is there a Mute Mode on Analog Four like on Syntakt/Digitakt?

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Hey there. I’m the proud new owner of an Analog Four and a Syntakt and loving them both (ordered a Digitakt yesterday to replace my Akai Force, but I digress). I’ve read the manual and searched this forum but can’t find a definite answer.

My workflow revolves around getting my tracks how I want them and then live jamming by using the mute mode on the Syntakt. It doesn’t seem to be the case on the A4. I have to press FUNC with my left hand and mute the tracks with my right. It really breaks the playability for me as I have to currently get my right hand all the way to the left in time to unmute the ST tracks during a drop etc. Would be great to be able to latch the mute mode like the ST. Failing that I could physically move the ST to the right of the A4 so my right hand is nearer but it’s still not perfect for how I like to perform. Any ideas or tips appreciated if it’s not available functionality on the A4. Thanks!

#2

If you hit the ‘Mix’ button, the bottom 16 step buttons become active for mutes, on/offs. 1-4 are your tracks, 5 is FX and 6 is CV.

Then, don’t forget you have other functions related to this, like Trig Mutes… explore that too.

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#3

OMG, I feel like such an idiot. I read the trig mutes bit (clearly not very carefully!) thinking it was just trig mutes, as in muting individual sounds in a pattern. Thanks so much, this has changed everything! :smile: it’s still not quite the same as the Syntakt/Digitakt as if you press another button (to go do a filter sweep etc) you leave Mix and then the mutes aren’t available anymore. I bet I’ll trip up on this until I get the muscle memory to remember to press Mix each time I’ve finished tweaking a sound. Thanks!

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#4

As long as you’re not in Grid Recording mode. You can also hit the Perf button (mkII).

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#5

[func]+track selector button also mutes/unmutes

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#6

The more time you spend on the A4 the more natural the workflow will become to you and you’ll stop comparing it to the ST/DT.
The Analogs (Four and Rytm) are wayyy more powerful performance tools than the black box Elektrons… and that’s not always a good thing. I use way less of the Rytm’s Perf tools than I could/should (like Scenes and Perf macros), but I like knowing they are there.

Trig Mutes are ideal because they let you keep all your p-locks and s-locks in place whilst still being able to ‘perform’.

Edit- also make sure you explore the Quick Perf section of the A4. Hold down the button and use the step seq buttons to select the macros you want to affect… that can bring a ton of performance variation/movement into your A4 patterns. :+1:

#7

Strange… this doesn’t work on mine although it seems the most obvious solution :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

#8

This is one thing that makes the AK better than the A4. Func + mute with one hand is easy on the AK. But as described above there are workarounds so it’s not that much of an advantage.

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#9

It will work. You are likely doing something wrong, or perhaps you are misinterpreting the led colour changes on the track buttons.
Also, have you got a mk1 A4 or mk2? It works fine on my mk2, but I’m sure the mk1 also works the same way.

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#10

It does work indeed… but only with a preset project: it doesn’t when I start with a clean project. I guess it’s a matter of project settings ? thx

#11

oooh, dunno about that. Glad you got a workaround!

#12

Was experiencing this exact issue on my brand spankin’ new A4. My search for a solution brought me to your comment about the project settings, which prompted me to poke around and I discovered that…

Gear Menu -> MIDI Config -> Port Config -> Mute Dest

Mine was set to EXT. Changing it to INT solved the problem and now [Func]+[Track] mutes the corresponding track and LED changes state accordingly as described in the manual.

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