intersting. if it is a bug, then it would have to be in a certain version of firmware, betting. I banged on two MD’s live for over a decade and never once noticed this or heard about it before. It does need to be prior to the step hitting, but only ‘just’ prior. i would chalk that up to the design meaning the mute function is a logical one affecting whether a trig even gets trigged…rather than an audio function that silences a given sound. But you can still unmute ‘just’ prior to the trig in question without any ‘delay’ or anything that inhibits live performing /timing, in my experience.
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I think I had it at an older firmware and it still did this. Not sure I ever downgraded, but I upgraded to the latest OS and it did it.
It’s really difficult to work with. You have to be almost exactly 1-2 steps before the next beat for it to trigger the next beat. No other gear that I have works that way. Everything will unmute on the beat if I hit it then.
I never thought of this but now that I checked it seems to be true. I think I see the same thing with adding/deleting trigs, you have to do it ahead of time a little bit?
This is the most annoying behavior to have to deal with. I noticed this a few years back and although I was sure it was a bug at the time, never bothered with posting anything due to the fact that Elektron were never going to update the MD, so it was what it was … and still is.
Maybe there is some hope that it will be looked at by the current genius developers of X.04
Off topic
Mute / unmute on the MD is a pain, I always mess my patterns thinking I’m in mute mode ^^
I thought so as well for me, but I just checked on an isolated snare and it works as it should.
I mean, I always unmute right before the step.
On quick every-step hats, it’s less easy to spot a bug but I haven’t noticed anything suspicious.
Would someone care to explain clearly what the bug is exactly?
And has it been reported to Elektron support already? (not that it matters much, as the machines are not supported anymore, but just thinking, well, you never know ^^)
I think I see the same behaviour when adding/removing trigs. If you do it “just in time” it doesn’t take effect. My guess is the sequencer looks ahead a little for some reason.
…I made a video demonstrating the bug. You HAVE to unmute BEFORE the step. There is literally no other drum machine or groovebox I’ve ever used that works like this.
Not only is it that you have to unmute before the step, you have to do so literally two steps before the beat. I guess for some people this is totally fine and I see that JustinValer automatically compensates for this, however, if I am unmuting two different devices on the beat - this is a huge problem, because I have to do the machinedrum first and the other one next and almost every single time I would do it wrong and the beat would either come in too early or too late.
It’s ‘fine’ because my work around is to not even use the internal sequencer of the unit.
I did reach out to Elektron. They never responded to me.
My guess is that since the developer (JustinValer) even commented and confirmed the bug but said that they just compensated for this in their brain, then I sort of doubt it will be corrected. Obviously, I can’t speak for them, but I think they have different aims for what they want to be able to do. Also, it could be something more than just firmware based. I don’t know. The Machinedrum was the first device they made like this, maybe they just refined it when they got to the Monomachine?
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Unfortunately, I would have to agree. I do not believe that we will ever see an overhaul of that particular problem.
I would like to mention that in no way am I disappointed with the developers of X.04, they have given us some wonderful upgrades and I can only imagine the tedious work involved.
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I agree 100% with you. I don’t know how to properly convey my appreciation that they’ve managed it, while simultaneously still disappointed that I can’t use the internal sequencer of the MD. It’s not to job of the X.04 developers to fix Elektron’s mistake.
What I really really really do not understand is how this wasn’t fixed when it was first developed. Had I bought this new, it would have gone back the next few days due to this. Being that I got it used (and at a very good price) only a few years ago, long after development was over… it was hardly worth complaining to Elektron about. So I complained here instead.
I’m just happy to have a friend in the “Totally annoyed by the unmute issue” group.
That was and is my situation as well. It most certainly would have gone back, and I will never understand why Elektron have never bothered. I fail to see how the current workflow could be viewed as desirable.
have you guys tried using the X.04 midi cc mutes? is there a difference or mirrored with on board function?
i compensate, but definitely miss some beats sometimes, but feel that’s part of the vibe. and (perhaps even more infuriatingly…) song mode is tighter than my grandads slacks.
I have installed X.04 recently and it was unfortunately not improved. However, I have not tried midi cc mutes - but… I don’t know why I would as it would totally mess with my workflow.
That said - I think I have some new ideas for how to compensate. The function+extended to revert a kit to its original state could be used in conjunction with volume and a HP filter… thereby removing most/all of the sound. The function+extended feature actually works instantaneously, which is a surprise to me (but I’ve known it since I got the unit that that was an instant return to the original sound).
I’d love to reach out to @JustinValer to see if there’s any way they can possibly attempt to improve this with their awesome firmware.
My apologies if this has been mentioned but I see no way how this could possibly be fixed. The mutes mute the midi, not the audio and you want to be able to unmute a note while, or a little after, it’s been triggered. The MD cannot see into the future and anticipate your actions.
Speaking of, does anybody know the numbers of the CC’s controlling mutes in X.04 ?
Afaik same as stock os. Cc’s 12-16 spread across 4 channels starting from the base channel.
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Yes, confirmed it’s the same as stock CC
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I have no idea what you’re talking about with the “MD cannot see into the future and anticipate your actions.”
On the MD alone:
- The Function+Extended button combo immediately reverts everything to its saved state.
- The Mute function itself works immediately.
This demonstrates that the device is able to perform these functions instantly, but it cannot do the opposite of mute correctly.
Not only that, I have a plethora of gear that works correctly, made either at the same time or earlier that performs this ‘unmute’ function perfectly on the step. These include:
Elektron Monomachine, Elektron Analog Keys, Radikal Technologies Spectralis (which allows you to choose between muting audio and muting the midi notes), Korg EMX/ESX/ER1, Toraiz Squid, Roland MC-303, EMU MP7, Yamha RS7000.
Not ONE of those has an issue unmuting on the beat, including other elektron gear. How is it possible that those devices can ‘see into the future’ (i.e., upon pressing the notes) and the MD cannot and must simply set unmute to occur 2 steps after pressing the button? We’re not talking about a small delay here. If you set the MD to unmute and have the tempo set to its lowest (i.e., 30-40 BPM), you will STILL get a 2 beat delay to unmute, which is like, almost a second worth of time.
This is a bug in the OS, it’s as simple as that.
This should end the whole debate here 
I live with the MD being like this since 2008…and it still rocks…
Later models from elektron seem to have an evolved way of handling the mutes on/after the trig, so I guess we can witness development and technical overhauls.
Ah, did I mention that my Matrix 1000 has soooo slow envelopes…
I mean, if you decide not to read subsequent responses, you can end any debate anywhere you like.
The reality is that point about muting midi notes is not true. Obviously a device cannot “see into the future”. And yet - when I use a midi controller to activate notes on midi gear, thankfully they do not take 2 steps to activate, delay times to activate a note are imperceptible.
Also, I indicated ways in which the MD does other things (like MUTE and function+Extended) immediately. Also, I imagine (but could be wrong here) that if the unmute was specifically midi based, then pressing the trigs to active the internal drum synth sounds. AND YET, they trigger immediately!
We’re not talking about people wanting to unmute sounds in the past. We’re talking about exactly TWO STEP unmute delay. I hardly think that’s just a “reality of midi” scenario.