Live rec midi notes into A4 sequencer via usb/ overbridge

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
1

Hi ,

I would like to know if it’s possible to record midi notes into the Analog four sequencer from a Daw (logic) via usb or / overbridge enabled , and the live rec fonction …
I’ve read this topic : Importing MIDI files?
but it doesn’t work for me … i don’t know if i made something wrong or if i have missed a midi config parameter …
maybe it’s because i’m using logic and the beta version of overbridge …

Anyone can help me ?

Thanks

JB

2

You are lucky … it works quite simple … :smiley:

First I would try it without OB, because OB is not finished and you might not want a source of hidden traps on this :wink:

Typically the A4 receives midi notes on it’s automatic midi channel and then routes the midi directly to the active track. You can also directly send midi notes to the midi-channels of the tracks (usually track 1 = midi 1, track 2 = midi 2 etc.).

I have just done the following myself to check it.

  1. Start a new virgin project on the A4
  2. Auto-channel should now be midi channel 9
  3. select track 1 on the A4
  4. send some notes on midi channel 9 to the A4
  5. you should hear the sounds
  6. now you can go on and record live the incoming midi notes on the A4

From here you should be ready to exploit the midi capabilities by your own.

If you have more questions, just drop them here :smiley:

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3

Thanks a lot Soundrider !!!
I’m not in the studio for few days but as soon as I’m back on my A4 I’ll try it .

4

I record MIDI phrases into the A4mk2 sequencer alot this way (no OB, MIDI sent over USB). The problem is that sometimes it records random extra notes into the sequencer and some notes that are long in Ableton are recorded with a very short note-length in the sequencer.

I am searching for a way to make it more accurate if you’ve any ideas? I’m recording 4 separate monophonic MIDI phrases (channel 1-4) to the four tracks, I’ve made sure no voices are polyphony enabled, and I’ve made sure that there’s no overlapping notes, using no more than 4 voices at a time, yet it still occasionally records with errors in the sequencer. Also I’ve record-quantize off and there’s plenty of resolution in terms of steps.

5

Some of your issues may have their origin in sending MIDI from a “linear- sequencer” (Ableton) to the “step-seqencer” of the A4.

Check please, if it’s really random - meaning totally different pitches or behaviour - or are notes missing and the timing seems to be messed up?

This can happen, if as an example a half note in Ableton is “quantized” down to a 16th note by the receiving step sequencer.

Don’t know by heart, what can be done with A4 recording settings to overcome those issues.

Question: Are the notes transmitted correctly, if you play the A4 as an “expander” from Ableton?

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6

Is 1 track capable of playing more than 1 note that each have different note lengths? E.g. two notes held for 8 steps and 1 note held for 4 steps, beginning from the same trig. While doing tests I realized this may be an important limitation if it can’t.

It’s strange, they were long notes so no reason for it to “quantize” it down.

I continue testing tomorrow, perhaps I’ll make a post showing the oddities. It’s ok if there’s limitations, I just need to understand them!

7

AFAIK no … each step of a track can store one event only.

The event can have many informations about a single note like pitch, modulation parameters, even the patch/preset can be changed event by event.

In case Ableton sends overlapping MIDI notes, only one will be recorded the other will be lost.

I didn’t check the manual yet, so the following might be an educated guess only.

Step sequencer usually know one note length only, which is the time between two steps. Let’s say it corresponds to a 1/16 grid.

If we want to have a 1/4 note, we need to glue 4 notes of length 1/16 and tell each of them to keep the gate high and not to restart envelopes.

Some step-sequencer have a dedicated “tie” button for this, some provide gate-length per step and if the gate-length is set to 100% the note that follows will be tied automatially.

If a step-sequencer doesn’t read and process the MIDI note-length information, then it might just “see” a note coming in and records it to a single step with standard duration, which in this case would be 1/16. This would be a quantisation, even if not intended by the user :wink:

We have to check the manual, whether an Elektron sequencer has the capability to recognize “long notes” and automatically appliy ties accordingly.

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