Model:Cycles Tips & Tricks Thread

Elektron Gear Model:Cycles
#1

I figured I’d start a thread for this, as there’s a lot of stuff that isn’t immediately obvious at first in the Model:Cycles. This mostly applies to sound design, but feel free to post any cool tricks in here.

I’ll start it off with some simple ones:

  • For the chord machine, in unison mode, use the ENV LFO on the Color parameter with a positive depth to “crack” the oscillators out of sync quickly. This results in a less “laser zappy”, more natural unison sound.

  • Another one for the chord track: Use a super high speed LFO set to Shape or even Color can turn a chord into a gritty, noisy drone, great through reverb.

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M:C multilayer Tip
It’s just the snare isn’t it?
#2

Simple one that is probably the same on the M:S, but I haven’t seen mentioned

Holding the LFO button and turning a destination knob sets the destination and depth of modulation.
This gesture can be used with Ctrl-All, which will set mod sources on all tracks to the same destination. Great for quickly messing up a sequence! And something that could not be achieved easily on an instrument without a knob per function interface

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Model:Cycles tips and tricks
#3

Here is a REALLY cool one I found:

Retrig/Trig repeat has the fade function, but what is really nice (and I was hoping would be the case) is that aside from volume fade you can also/or use it to fade any other parameter in or out. This technique can add a lot of possibilities to the sounds and sequences possible, experiment with it!

Here is a brief rundown and example:
Go to pad menu and assign the parameter of interest to velocity, you might want to set VDep to zero if you don’t also want the volume fade. Now when you press a pad or have a trig repeat programmed you have control over the assigned parameter.

For trig repeat it can work really nice with fast retrig, long retrig length and large (positive or negative) fade depth, remember also to p-lock your initial velocity such that you get the effect you are after.

For example if you want a 16 step pitch sweep upwards, set velocity destination to pitch in pad menu, set ddepth to max, place one trig on step 1, set velocity for the step to zero, pitch -24, hold retrig button and set your parameters to Rte80, Len16, Fde96*.

*96 Seems to give the whole range of values from min to max across the 16 steps in the above example, if you set to 127 it tops out before the last step.

Hopefully that all makes sense, needless to say the technique can be applied to other parameters and of course with different settings, you can get quite granular/wavetable fx and tons of other cool stuff, enjoy!

Kind of makes me not miss parameter slide so much now.

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#4

Another one, when setting Dst in pad menu, rather than manually scrolling the parameters you can just go to the Dst field, click blue then turn the actual parameter knob you want to assign.

A (crappy) demo of both these techniques here:

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#5

I’ve found I get much better velocity response when focusing on the speed of the strike and not the force (keeping your finger straighter and striking with the pad of your finger and not the tip also seems to help for me), also when in step mode hold a step and strike the pad to input new velocity values, you can also see the new value input which is a good spot to get a visual feedback to see how the velocity response is acting.

Going through and locking all your different chords makes control all a much safer place if you are using the chord machine. Really the only parameter I found that can go “wrong”

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#6

Yes - totally agree! Hit it faster not harder. There’s definitely a technique to it. I’m still getting used to it myself.

As an aside, from a Physics perspective :nerd_face:, we’re just translating the kinetic energy of our fingers into force on the pad. Impulse also takes into account the size of the contact area, so hit it with the tip of your finger, not the pad of your finger. I’ll see myself out now.

4 Likes
#7

Haha yeah I think for me it is just a straight finger where I hit with the pad has more velocity because of the distance from my wrist, when I curve my finger and sort of brace it with my thumb (like I do on other pads) I can hit much harder but it’s a bit more cramped up and just not as fast of movments.

1 Like
#8

This tip works on M:S so it will work on M:C as well.

I’m not a finger drummer, I personally like trying out different pitches on all tracks via the chromatic step keys, and I use those for live input often.
If you’re like me in this regard, you may like this tip. I’m still experimenting with it.

Quick Mute + Quick Track Select:

1st: Quick Mute

You can effectively turn off the use of the pads for live playing by using a Fixed Velocity setting of “1” (FUNC + BACK to enter Pad Config / Velocity Menu), and a VDep of 0
(On M:S just turn FVel on and set Vel to 0)
Perhaps on M:C , VDep = 0 is the only setting you need? If an M:C owner could confirm.?

By doing this, you can now use the Track Pads as a momentary “quick mute” of sorts.
If you hold down a Track Pad or multiple Track Pads, they will prevent a note off from being sent, and effectively mute the sequencer notes on that track. Lift up and the sequencer notes play again.
Note: Retrig Settings: Always on will still play.

  • Advantages: You don’t have to use the Function + Track # for muting, so a little easier on the fly, and for doing multiple tracks with one hand.
    Function + Track # for muting still works if you need to latch the muting of a track, in a traditional way.
    Five Finger Track Solo!

  • Disadvantages: You lose the ability to use the pads for playback.

2nd: Quick Track Select.

The same Pad Config setting means you can select tracks by simply hitting the Track # Pad you want, without the TRACK + PAD combo.

  • Advantages: Quicker, perhaps less confusing if you are like me and sometimes get the Track and Function buttons backwards in your head.

  • Disadvantages: Again, you lose the ability to use the pads for playback. Also, if you select at the same time of a sequencer step you will briefly mute that step. Fortunately you’re muting the sequencer data and not the audio, so it’s not choppy in an OT track mute kind of way.

So yea, I’ve been using this more in the later stages of track production. When most of the material has been written and any interaction with the pattern is purely on a performance basis.

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Model:Cycles Feature Requests Thread
#9

Just hitting a pad also mute the track (but play once). So you can get all your functionalities with normal velocity if you’re ok with a note being played.

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#10

as long as you hold it down

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#11

For a melodic patch setting the pad for a note that is out of the range of the trig buttons can be useful for playing in some stuff live with out going to a keyboard, you kind of find your self playing in some new ways like this also.

I’m sure that Model:Samples people know this one but it took me a minute to figure out you need to put negative fade on the envelope lfo setting if you want to get a really slow attack. Set the destination to volume/dist and turn the natural state of the volume way down and you can get some nice slow pulsing sounds.

@AdamJay tested out your tip/trick… you kind of don’t even need to change any setting if you just use gentle pressure, at least on the patterns I am working on.

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#13

Yea, I kinda started it out this way, but in the heat of a performance, found myself making notes I didn’t want to hear by tapping just a little too hard

:slight_smile:

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#14

and as long as GATE is off :wink:

I think your velo 0 is a better method, but I cant use that one either because I’m used to playing flams by combining the trig keys and the drum pad… I need both! Legacy from all the years with my rytm.

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#15

Blue encoder can be pushed or associated with Func to get wider jumps in value.
Just saying.

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#16

Hold random lfo.

Set lfo to reset and lfo speed to 0, by setting speed to 0 lfo multiplier will do nothing.
Random lfo to destination of your choice; now everytime you play a note a new random value will be generated and will hold its value for as long as you hold the note.

I do not have the M:S, maybe works with it too

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#17

Don’t know if this a tip or just didn’t seem obvious to me hah! But I was super stoked when I found this.
Open a tracks machine page an then use the blue encoder with CTR all to change every track to the same machine. Yields some interesting results. I’ve had some cool breaks from all snare or metal machines.
Love this box more an more each time I use it!

24 Likes
#18

7 posts were split to a new topic: Model:Cycles → operating question

#19

Hi. I’ve found a midi cc not mentioned in the manual. Put a random lfo from another device or daw of preference on midi cc #64 to change the machines on the model:cycles for instant flow of happy accidents. I have set lfo depth to max. 16 on my Digitone to cover all 6 machines. Have fun!

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MPC and Model:Cycles machine reset on play
#20

That’s awesome! I’m gonna have to experiment with that on my Monomachine for sure. Machine type as LFO destination was one of my original feature requests.

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#21

Did you set that cc to the global midi channel, or is it per track channel?