yeah, I really wish it had midi sequencing too. CV works ok. sequencing a slim phatty and minitaur. What a pain in the ass it is though. midi is much more reliable and easier to set up…
Do you think? If so, that’s a terrible decision on Elektron’s part. Buying extra equipment (assuming you’ve got the money/room for it) doesn’t help with layering the analog with another synth unless you use a separate midi sequencer to sequence both and don’t use the internal one… and that would be daft.
Imagine how great it would be (especially in poly mode) to be able to layer the analog sounds with an external digital synth just using the Elektron sequencer?
You should be able to use a DAW as a sort of MIDI bridge once OB is out I’d say? It may require some fiddling, but I can’t see why this won’t be possible.
I rarely use a DAW and not sure my ancient macbook will even be able to run Overbridge when it arrives, but wouldn’t it be much simpler and less prone to go wrong (especially live) for Elektron to just add external midi note sequencing? It would turn a currently good peripheral synth/sequencer into a truly great one.
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I think most of us would pay to get the A4 sequencer to send midi out too…
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If you look at the range of Elektron instruments you’ll see that they are all slightly incomplete. Sometimes instruments start off lacking in features (like polyphony on the A4 or MIDI polyphony on the OT) and get them added further down the line.
It is most definitely a marketing ploy. I own an OT and I use it mainly as a MIDI hub with sample playback abilities. If my other Elektron boxes had MIDI SEQ I wouldn’t own it.
From the day that the specs of the A4 were uploaded we all were a bit sad about its MIDI limitations.
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So when you layer the Analog with another synth, do you just use the OT sequencer and bypass the Analog’s internal one? If so, what’s the point of having both sequencers?
I don’t layer the AK with other synths because I use its onboard SEQ.
I use the OT to clock AK and AR, and to control external samplers and synthesizes.
The AK sometimes controls a modular but that is the extent of its layering with other synths.
Sometimes I use audio voices in the OT to play back textures or to make quick melodies using samples.
I usually layer other synths together via one of the OTs MIDI tracks.
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What makes you guys think that adding midi- sequencing would be a simple thing to do? And if they added it - how deep should it go - what about trig-locks and sound-locks - triggless-locks - etc… ?
How would they have to make it as rasor-sharp as the cv-sequencer ?
And how is it possible some people who bought this instrument didn’t inform themselves and are now surprised there’s no midi-sequencer ?
To me it’s like buying a Porche and then complaining it’s not a mobile-home. ( Why didn’t they make it bigger ??? )
INCOMPLETE ? - So what’s complete ? where dous that stop ?
You want everything possible in one machine ??? Buy a computer - and fill it up with software - and when is that going to be complete ?
I’m shure MIDI is less reliable when it comes to tightness…
I can hear the difference easely.
Adding a midi -sequencer would be like adding a hook + a caravan to your Porche - . Imagine that … 
I think it’s a perfect desing - decision not to add midi-sequencing 
Good to know your opinion.
I hope you don’t mind it if they break the “perfect design” some time in the future and add MIDI SEQ out.
I don’t think you really understand that it already has a digital internal sequencer, it isn’t analog. It shouldn’t be hard to get it to speak to MIDI - even note out and a small amount of CCs.
It also sends MIDI notes, when set to EXT. So, it already is a great sequencer, which can also send out MIDI notes, just not at the same time.
I don’t think it will take much to upgrade the AK.
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What makes you think it might be difficult to do seeing as other Elektron machines from 10+ years ago seem to manage it easily?
Why not just make it as good as the Monomachine or the Ot sequencer? Tbh, just midi notes and a few cc’s would be useful.
I believe the Machinedrum initially didn’t have external midi sequencing either and this feature was added later - why not do the same for the Analog?
Compared to what, cv/gate? Of course but midi has loads of other features (poly/cc’s etc) that make it still very useful to use - as above, it works well on the other Elektron machines doesn’t it?
I don’t really think the analogy works as external midi sequencing has been added to other Elektron machines so could also be added to the Analog.
“Perfect”, really? Well how about they add it and you don’t use it, that way everyone would be happy? I don’t use the cv/gate but I’m happy for it to be there for other people to use.
I understand your poin of view and if the add midi - sequencing one day I won’t say no. But all the machines you mentioned had midi - sequencers to begin with. ( that makes it a less-obvious to be added for the AK - A4 )
I think CV sequencing is a totally different thing.
Ofcourse the analogy I used is strange 
Just midi - notes ? ( with aftertouch - gates - velocity - what else ? - and probably after a while users would complain that the midi -sequencer wouldn’t be complete enough )
You could aswell Wonder why the OT or MD don’t have CV tracks out - or why a Moog-Voyager dousn’t have a sequencer - or why a Korg MS 20 dousn’t have memory’s -etc… )
So these are all incomplete instruments ???
But as Kotare said, if they did add it, would you then consider it “imperfect design”? 
As I said, the Machinedrum initially was sold without external midi sequencing and this was added with an os update - why not do the same for the Analog?
It’s not strange, it just doesn’t work as external midi sequencing has been added to Elektron machines before without somehow sullying them so why not again?
As I said, why not just make it as good as the Monomachine or Ot midi sequencers? I’m sure most people would be happy with that don’t you think?
External midi sequencing can be added to the Analog by an os update. All of the examples you give above would need hardware changes. The Analog already has the hardware in place to do external midi sequencing.
Please Elektron, throw a bone to us hardware only users and add external midi sequencing to the Keys/A4 when you roll out the new os to use with Overbridge.
But as Kotare said, if they did add it, would you then consider it “imperfect design”?
*HA HA HA …
As I said, the Machinedrum initially was sold without external midi sequencing and this was added with an os update - why not do the same for the Analog?
*IT HAD A "INTERNAL "MIDI -SEQUENCER
It’s not strange, it just doesn’t work as external midi sequencing has been added to Elektron machines before without somehow sullying them so why not again?
*I HOPE IT WORKS FOR YOU
As I said, why not just make it as good as the Monomachine or Ot midi sequencers? I’m sure most people would be happy with that don’t you think?
*SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO ADD A MIDI -SEQ - as it’s not inside
External midi sequencing can be added to the Analog by an os update. All of the examples you give above would need hardware changes. The Analog already has the hardware in place to do external midi sequencing.
*WHAT MAKES U SO SHURE OF THAT ? just an updeta hey ?
Please Elektron, throw a bone to us hardware only users and add external midi sequencing to the Keys/A4 when you roll out the new os to use with Overbridge.
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*BUT in the end I hope I’m wrong and you’re right as I prefer everybody to be happy.
I don’t see it happening do… but who knows
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I don’t think you understand. Midi, is just a protocol that can be used for machine’s to ‘talk’ to each other. Elektron don’t need to “add an internal midi sequencer” to the Analog, just program it to send midi data from it’s sequencer. It already partly does this as it can send midi PC and clock, both of which I use. They just need to add the ability for the sequencer to also send midi note/cc. As I keep saying, I think it is possible for Elektron to add this feature with an os update as they’ve done it before with the Machinedrum.
I’m quietly confident that Elektron will add external midi sequencing (in basic form to start with maybe) with the next major os update along with some other new features. Overbridge will be great I’m sure for the percentage (majority?) of Keys/A4 users that also use them with a computer/DAW but I’m sure that Elektron won’t forget about their hardware only users.
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I like how the Tempest was mentioned as an analogue piece of gear with midi sequencing - it’s barely something to shout about and is quite crippled (I love my Tempest regardless by the way).
The Tempest is a cracking example of the struggles of developing high featured analogue gear in a modern “digital” world. It’s taken years to get some of the features added to the Tempest and comparably, Elektron are a smaller outfit to DSI.
I’m no Elektron “rose tinted spec wearing” fan boy but I don’t necessarily think it’s some ploy to make you spend more money on their other gear. I think it’s a simple case of using resources as best they can - some things will naturally become an opportunity cost. Teh A4 was inititall a 4 mono voiced analogue synth with FX and internal sequencer. They delivered this and we had no complaints.
Subsequent development has really opened up the machine and has naturally led many to ask “why no midi sequencer” but this has never been promised. It probably is achievabe but they’d never put something half baked into the machine and nor should we expect them to. Again, look at the issues DSI have had with the Tempest. Also, how to manage midi sequencing? Would each track have its own midi channel? How many notes per track?
It’d be a nice thing to have but like OB is to the OT, MIDI in any of the analgoue gear doesn’t really fit in with the ethos of the units in my opinion.
There may be a connection between the Elektron devices that don’t send midi notes ARE the ones that can be used with OB.
Perhaps Elektron’s proprietary ‘sync’ capabilities are in conflict with midi notes in some weird way. Of course that’s pure speculation on my part.
BUT
I find it odd that all their devices leading up to the A4, could send midi notes. Then beyond that they didn’t. However, the new devices presented us with the opportunity for OB.
Curious…
I’d personally prefer to have (in A4) midi-sequencer or/and independent tracks length (tempo multiplier) like in Octatrack or even external sequencer box from elektron rather than Overbridge (for sure it’s a very nice feature, but first of all we prefer elektron gear for its concept: take one(2,3,4…) box with you and play live without computer).
IMHO sequencer is the key feature of every elektron device. There are huge amount of external synths, modules that sound really better than elektrons, and many of them have sound over USB functionaluty but they all lack of so cool sequencer and integrity. I’d develop sequencer first as it is an real instrument, Overbridge is just things from PC domain that probably will help to someone to perform multitrack recording. As I don’t use PC for music production, OB is really useless for me.
Sorry for off top. 
P.S. And yes, midi sequencer is already implemented in OT, MNM, MD – just take source code of it and reuse in A4. It is not needed to create it from scratch, just adopt existing code for A4’s hardware.
The main issue is that the sequencer on the Four, Rytm and Keys is in a completely different “language” than MIDI. Whether is it difficult or not to implement MIDI, I don’t know, but I do know that it would be very time consuming. We can’t simply re-use old code since the machines are completely different.
However, we are well aware that basically everyone want this feature.
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Well, if “basically everyone” wants external midi sequencing, how about putting Overbridge development on hold until it’s implemented? I’m sure everyone would be ok with that wouldn’t they and wouldn’t mind OB being delayed a bit more…? 
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Haha – Great idea!
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