Monomachine User Scales & Sequencer

Elektron Gear Monomachine
#1

There is Maj and Min? That’s it? lol?

Little disappointed with Monomachine sequencer, and I guess Elektron sequencers in general. Have no idea why everyone raves about them.

I have a $150 Zaquencer that blows my $1500 Monomachine out of the water in terms of sequencing. I accomplish in 5 minutes what would take me an hour on the Monomachine.

I also don’t see why tracks have to have the same pattern length. Just makes no sense to me.

BeatStep Pro, Cirklon, Zaquencer, all have many user scales, alternative sequencing modes, even randomizers.

How much extra memory would it take to hold some more scales on the Monomachine? Extra effort to have tracks with independent sequence length?

Zzzzz… I promised myself many years ago I wouldn’t get sucked into hyped-up gear and here I am complaining.

Really not considering buying any more Elektron gear until the sequencers improve.

#2

Parameter locks is why people rave about them.

What other Elektron sequencers do you own?
Because the 3 that were released after MM all have updated sequencers with some new features like individual track length, and micro timing.

Monomachine is a bit of a legacy product, really.

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#3

Ok but ‘parameter locks’ are also nothing new. They’re called CC automation, lol. Sure they made it easier, and can retrig LFOs (i used this occasionally), of filter env, but I think all this should have been added after basic sequencer features like snap to scale and different sequence lengths for each track.

I have the Monomachine MK2 version. Which is use more like a hybrid mixer,synth,effects,drum machine all together, because I have other synths too.

I only used A4 and Octatrack at a friends place and as far as I remember they didn’t have the features I’m talking about either.

#4

I get what you are suggesting but as I have said in the past- there are different track lengths , random on, backward and forwards, scales

The arp is a sequencer in a sequencer and you will find huge and unusual seq combos here, in poly mode in particular

Here is an example : hold down a note on a step and multiply the note by say 50 in poly mode
Copy the note and change the note to whatever random note you like -
Set the arp to your track length liking 2,3,4 whatever - I go with 10-20
Set arp to random, maybe Sid or add
Hold down keys
Change octs
Strange soundsemerge
P lock the shit out of everything in record mode - filters, amp whatever
Drive the recorded notes backwards or forwards with the arrow key
Copy some mass notes -
The arp is still running btw
Hold down some keys or trig from an external key board
Change the tempo, do something creative like transpose, plock again
And this can just go on and on and on - just the strangest shit and 4 hrs later you think this is just the most bizarre sequencer on the planet

Recently I just had the tr 626 midi triggering and recording notes into the mono with the arp on and for the first time I hit note lock out of memory
The mono machine just froze a few times but just kept spitting out this random seq with Roland tr groove just shuffling along an acid line into planet e and planet drexciya

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#6

drexciya… yes!

just spent 15 minutes in the Monomachine manual and couldn’t find anything about different track lengths or back/forward scales tho.

#7

I’m sorry, but I can’t help laughing out loud at ‘Sure they made it easier’.

This may perhaps be the greatest understatement I’ve read anywhere online, in some time. :joy: [/quote]
cool story bro

#8

I do this thing where I focus on what a tool can do rather than highlight what it cannot. It’s helped me with creating because no tool will do it all.

The other thing I do is read the manual of an instrument before I purchase it, so that I know exactly what I am (or am not) getting.

Good luck with your endeavors.

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#9

I bought the MnM before I was using scales. Actually I even bought the MnM after knowing about pattern lengths. After trying a couple cheap-ass sequencers that have these features I looked at the Monomachine and saw only Major and Minor. Since I don’t use the internal sequencer much, the pattern length is not really an issue for me.

But thank you for the wisdom AdamJay, very helpful.
I will no longer highlight what Elektron gear cannot do.
Was my fault for assuming this was a forum, guess its a fan club or something.

Cheers

#10

Work arounds
Input a note into the seq and use function plus arrow to move the backwards and then forwards
Not really the same thing but it’s unique to mono

Just try the arp on one track for different pattern lengths for starters

#11

All I can say is, oh well. Lots of people love love love the Monomachine. Some do not. Oh well.

It may not do all of those sequencer functions you so crave, but, it is a pretty fucking amazing six voice digital monster. But if it’s all about having a RANDOM and REVERSE mode for your sequencer, then it probably isn’t the synth for you. Oh well.

The good news is that the minute you put it up for sale, it will sell with great resale value.

I on the other hand bow down and worship at the alter of thee Monomachine. I free king love it!

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#12

Truer words… Even though I’m the kind of person that reads manuals cover to cover several times before making a purchase, there was always some shortcoming that I’d get hung up on that would drive me nuts.

I’m trying to get away from that now and not look all the gift horses in the mouth, and when I manage to do so, I’m always much happier and more musically productive.

#16

The Mono isn’t really getting updates because it is a finished product. They may still fix bugs, but you’ve got to remember that Elektron have been updating this machine for years, and now it is in a completed state. The RYTM is still getting updates, sure, but there’s a pretty strong argument that it is not a completed machine, not by a long shot. So…you can return your Monomachine, but realize that you are doing so for entirely the wrong reasons.

#17

The free Oxford Overdrive OSCar digiwaves breathed some great life into the DigiPro machine, and that was just back in April 2015.

Not an “update”, per se, but it was evidence that Elektron hasn’t abandoned MM users.

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#18

QFT, like a whole new machine using those.

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#20

reviving a long gone post to recommend getting a scale book and just work within those notes…that’s not too hard to do.

#21

not hard to do but just pointless to do. with sequencers like Zaquencer and MIDIBox, the pattern is set to whatever scale you want, even custom scales, so as you randomly change notes, its always in the desired scale… and yes, they have randomizers to quickly create things that match scales. these are pretty much basic functions now on better sequencers.

moot point because i sold my monomachine almost a year ago and i don’t even use scales much anymore. using only the analog rytm, octatrack, and heat now and its everything i wanted.

i think i was salty about the monomachine because I owned many great sequencers and always felt it lacked any creative way of sequencing besides usual p-locks etc. i don’t really miss it… well, i miss easily making cool sounding chords and some other sounds but i still don’t think its worth it. would rather check out the new drum machine.

#22

i’ve owned a MnM since late '07. it’s the pea to my carrots, love her til i die. she might not be perfect, but perfection is overrated in my book.

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#23

All hardware has limitations. Limits are what gives form to creativity. If you mess with a true universal language like Max MSP, you find out that having potential to do anything can actually leave you stuck in the realm of potential rather than actualising your music. It takes focussed intent, and/or a narrowing of vision to create using a universal system. DAWS can be very flexible too, which leads most people to make music based on genre conventions rather than the limitations of the software. Hardware can serve as a tool to focus creativity into actualization. This is painful sometimes , because it seems like a restriction of freedom, but ironically, the infinite appears like a hologram out of these restricted systems.

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#24

i wasn’t really complaining that “hardware has limitations” but more that “monomachine sequencer sucks compared to others”. and I think Elektron agrees because the Analog Rytm sequencer is far more powerful than MM.

#25

The Rytm sequencer can’t send MIDI, doesn’t have an awesome arpeggiator, and can’t forward a sequence to other tracks. They are just differently featured.
All Elektron sequencers piss on a 303, whose limits formed Acid House

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