I recently acquired a MD MkII UW (non +drive) along with the MCL. Firmware is up to date. I read through the docs and tried it a few times but it was pretty complicated for me to follow and I gave up. I couldn’t figure out how or why this would improve my MD experience and workflow enough to contend with it, especially because the main feature I wanted - conditional trigs - is solved by sequencing through Ableton anyway.
Can anyone let me know what I’m missing? Please convince me this thing is the truth, because I want to get into it and appreciate the work that’s been put in.
I would say for some of us, the MCL is required. I would say that since the MD is so new to you, and you don’t quite have a grip on it yet, that the MCL will be lost on you and make you more frustrated.
Just woodshed on the device itself for now. It will click.
not at all - you have more than enough to get on with without MCL plus if you have most of the other elektron boxes you can midi the required extras, i think all apart from using the md as a poly synth which is worth the king price of the mcl
Transfering samples to and from the MD is infinitely easier with the MCL. Also conditional trigs with parameter locks is a breeze with the MCL. So many quality of life improvements.
Also don’t know if you’re aware but you can upgrade your unit with a +drive these days if you’re interested.
I would say play with the MD more by itself, for some time.
If the MD in general is new to you then personally I wouldn’t recommend trying to learn MCL straight away too. I think it’s a brilliant addition but it is a workflow difference, not just a few sequencer changes. It’s clearly designed by MD veterans, so it really helps to understand the machine in depth.
If you get to really know the machine over some time and start really stretching its capabilities and hitting some walls, then that’s the point where you could look at something like the MCL. Understanding the grid structure and what that gives you, the performance and mixer page with mute groups and scenes per pattern, the chromatic page and polyphonic tracks. Routing options per pattern. Etc etc.
There’s a lot and it’s very powerful but it turns it into a different machine entirely. All just my opinion, ymmv.
Honestly transfering samples to the MD was the most laborious chore I’ve ever gone through for a sampler and i often simply didn’t do it, but transfering the samples to the MCL SD card (simply in wav format, no SDS or SYX) then transferring to the MD via the MCL’s excellent dedicated mode is a dream come true.
Also playing tracks from various patterns located all over the MD’s memory, picking and choosing, building scenes like you do with clips in Session View in Ableton Live, is spellbinding and opens up the MD to all sorts of happy accidents and fun.
This is me. MCL is on my to-buy/to-build list, but every time I go to buy one or parts for one I end up jamming on my MD and discovering something new, or something I forgot about. One day I’ll get an MCL for the MD and MnM, but I haven’t reached the limits of the machines yet.
This is a fairly compelling reason to get an MCL. I’ve got an OT though, and mostly use the MD’s sampling to sample itself, so still not quite ready to pull the trigger.
If you don’t really use gear standalone (daw is your sequencing hub) then it might not be for you. MCL opens up the md as a standalone performance box (with ext midi tracks) and some features could be kinda replicated in ableton.
One thing you won’t be able to do however is utilise the turbo speed protocol.
Others have mentioned the sound/sample management which is ace without a +drive.
Also mcl enables individual tracks (slots) to be loaded from other patterns into the currently playing pattern. Which is a feature you won’t be able to do via daw or many other machines.
As I have a DT, my plan is to grab 64 step samples (the 32 steps, twice) then use the slice machine to reorder the steps for the last 2 bars, as well as enabling probability, reverse samples, etc.
@Claid I’ve been trying to find an MCL with an SD card slot, but no success… how essential is the SD card to the MCL’s sample transfer facilitation? Would you be able to transfer your samples as easily without it?
Anyone have any pointers for getting an MCL with an SD card?
Unfortunately my TM-1 stopped working, so I’ve had to resort to manually sampling in through the inputs… far from practical.
On a side note, can the MCL be used as a turbo midi interface?
