Wanted to share an idea to easily set track volume per channel per pattern (in all boxes, Rytm / Digitone / Digitakt / A4 etc) to mix live sets “high level”, not using external mixing desks and such. Curious to hear your thoughts and feedback! Hopefully this is something Elektron could consider for future development?
Challenge:
For the sake of playing live in a smooth way, it is rather challenging setting mix levels between different patterns. It can be a creative choice not to do this, but i find for many styles of music there are benefits retaining a red thread in volume within one project - Switching patterns can sometimes yield discernible volume differences unless the different kits and patterns have been levelled. This can of course be omitted by setting/mixing the sounds pattern by pattern, kit by kit, but is neither smooth nor efficcient as one needs to dial in each pattern volume track by track, and do lots of A/B listening to compare the levels.
Idea:
Imagine you have a 16 pattern project. For sake of ease, let’s assume that each pattern contains different kits. For each pattern one track is selected as the benchmark track. All other track volumes are set individually - but can be re-set relative to how the benchmark track’s volume increases or decreases. It works the same as if selecting several tracks/channels in a DAW and adjusting the volume of one track - the others follow relative to the one being adjusted.
Let’s assume that for a house / techno project on an AR, the user selects the BD track as benchmark for each pattern and kit.
- The user firstly mixes the tracks and sounds within the kit and pattern so they feel and sound according to the vision.
- Secondly, the BD track is assigned benchmarks which sets the overriding volume functionality within the kit and pattern.
- The user then measures the BD output of whichever kit & pattern he/she wants to start with against a certain unity gain benchmark, say -6 dB. Whilst dialling in the right level - all other tracks within that pattern adjust relative to how the BD track changes in volume. The user then moves to the next pattern, dials in a similar/sought after BD level against the previous benchmark, and knows that all other tracks within the kit and pattern adjust accordingly.
- This process gets repeated until the whole project is set on a reasonably similar level - retaining a red thread and hopefully smoother transitions between patterns in a live set context. Again, in my example with a house/techno context in mind - this would mean that all kits & patterns retain a relatively similar BD level throughout. Given that the individual kits & patterns are mixed on a micro-level before the bechmark stage, the macro/high-level mix then gels well.
Perhaps this function (setting benchmark track) could become available within the kit menu (enable benchmark On/Off > select benchmark track) or perhaps the Trig Setup button.
I think it would be quite powerful in order to smoothly align levels and mix “high level” for live sets. It’s possible to compare this to the way a DJ mix with several tracks usually keeps a relatively even level of volume throughout the set even thoguh there are peaks and breakdowns within tracks. One could almost compare it with playing mastered / unmastered or mixed / unmixed tracks on full mixing channel volume without gain adjustment to eaven loudness.
Let me know what you think! How do you do this for your live sets today?