LFO does not work properly on track with melody

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

Digitone 1.10a

  • Track with one note on every step playing a melody.
  • All note trigs without Filter trigger or LFO trigger (no lock trigs)
  • LFO waveform: triangle (also tested with other waveforms)
  • LFO trigger mode: free (also tested with hold trigger mode)

Try to sweep the filter with the LFO, but the LFO behaves like multiple LFO with different starting phases on the notes or a LFO with a random wave -> no sweep. Sounds like different voices with different sweeps or a random filter on every note.

If I play only one note several times manually, the LFO works properly. If I hold one note and activate the arp with range = 1 the LFO works properly, as well.

BUT when I play an arpeggio with different notes manually or if hold only one note and activate the arpeggiater with a range>1 the LFO behaves like multiples LFO for different voices or a random wave again.

How to do a filter sweep on a melody?

#2

I think it’s because LFO is independent per voice, so it can get out of sync (though I don’t really know how it could happen…). I kinda like it this way sometimes, especially when exploiting it using the random shape, but I can see why you’d be frustrated at its inconsitency when playing a melody.

A fix, if it’s appropriate for the track, is to restrict the voice count to 1 for the track; that way it’ll use the same voice every time. Obviously this only works on tracks you want to be monophonic though.

1 Like
#3

Thank you very much! I think the explanation is, that the voices are used kind of randomly if they are used dynamically for the track because other tracks are also using voices.

But locking the voices for the track helps!

I locked the voices to 3 instead of dynamic voice control (I need 3 because of the release time), set a LFO trigger for the first three notes, and adjust the LFO speed to the pattern. Now the LFO are playing (nearly) in sync and it sounds like one continuous sweep up and down.

1 Like
#4

Ah yeah, that explanation definitely makes sense now that I think about it, as when the other tracks use the voices, the LFO can be thrown out of sync.

#5

Yes, thanks a lot. That makes sense!