Hello all.
I recently picked up a model cycles after loads of research into something to help me write music away from a laptop and so far I’m really happy with it from a point of view of the sounds, which I knew I would be.
That being said, I’m struggling to write in the ay that I’d like despite watching endless videos both before and after purchase.
What I’m struggling to do is make a patter and have parts add to it as it goes along.
I can pick up the device and really quickly put something together but can figure out copying/ pasting/ linking patters to allow me, for example, start with a drum pattern for a few bars, add some more drums, few bars later introduce some synth sounds. Essentially compose on the thing.
This is probably much easier than I’m exiting but just can’t grasp it. Any help appreciated
Copy one Pattern to the next, edit to suit, repeat.
When you want to play the track back, play the Patterns in order. You’ll have to do this manually as the Cycles has no “song mode”.
If you’re “just” adding/removing parts, you can mute tracks. IIRC you hold FUNC and tap a Track button to mute/unmute. You can give the impression of Tracks/Patterns being longer than their step count by using Trig conditions.
PS Welcome to the forum! Congrats on your new(ish) Cycles.
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i’m just guessing here, but if you’re watching jams on youtube and you’re trying to sort of recreate that where some drums play and then more drums come in and then synth parts, etc… what you might be looking to do is use mute mode more. program your steps and then use mute mode to take parts in and out. or use whole patterns slots for each development in your track
looking at the machine from the compositional angle looks different than seeing said compositions performed. …if that makes sense. at the end of the day these boxes are just storing our patterns and sounds.
also copying patterns and modifying them in another pattern slot is a great way as mentioned above. switch between them
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Besides video watching, elektron reference user manual usually are pretty handy, well written, and covering mostly every need you may have, so I encourage you to check it in case you ou haven’t done it yet.
Cycles is an amazing sounding instrument, you will have so much fun using it and enjoy it lots 
This.
Its so easy. Tracks write them selves.
Write a pattern save it. Copy to next change something. Save it, copy to next, repeat.
Can be done additively or subtractively.
Works with any pattern based gear.
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Hi, new to the forum. I’ve only had the M:C for a month or so but what everyone else said - note that copying and pasting patterns or tracks is the same operation but with step mode on or off, which was a bit confusing for me. Each pattern can have different sounds, triggers, etc. too, so if you want to just add/substract maybe muting is more efficient, within the limits of only 6 tracks. Mute status of a track is kept across patterns though.
You can have steps adding variation that depend on probability or you hitting the Fill button (or more complex logical conditions) so that is also a way to add or substract parts without muting tracks. Considering you have ample flexibility on steps per track and pattern duration (and even when it will change to the next selected one), things can get quite sophisticated with only a few patterns.
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Thanks everyone.
Firstly, let me say that I really appreciate all the helpful responses. Coming here for guitar forums and so on, it’s really a great, useful and encouraging place.
I suppose it’s the copy/ paste to another track that I’m not getting the hand of.