Thanks for sharing!
I did the same setup (and kept it as a template) where I had an entire column dedicated to the same instruments groups and each row was controlling Macros respectively for each instrument. While I rolled with it for a few days, I changed to another template I made, which worked a bit better, but still has challenges.
I hope Thomas and Co at Neuzeit will put out a “Tips and Tricks” video that’s more focused on composition and use cases.
While I know Neuzeit recommends to use the Clean Init template and to add controls as they come, when switching pattern sin Elektron devices, we established it does not scale well when switching patterns on Elektron instruments.
I feel like having “static” templates that never need to change from pattern to pattern and locked instrument groups on Elektron boxes is till the way to scale from pattern to pattern. However it also has its limitations.
I will share the “templated” approaches for multi- pattern sets I work with and know of, and hope others have more to share!
MULTI PATTERN SET TEMPLATES
1. CLEAN INIT
That’s the official default starter template for hardware inside your SD card and the one recommended in the manual.
it’s an empty layout with some minimal parameters pre-configured. I read the latest firmware added to it.
Pros
- If you stick to one pattern basically, it’s the most creative, unrestricted approach. Just pick a knob, slap controls, it’s fun!
Cons
- You had a little too much fun and now your layout is not making sense visually. You can copy over controls to re organize though.
- You want to start switching patterns on your Elektron device. Even if you keep machines consistent, snapshots keep addressing the same CC#, so you either:
– wished you could call snapshot layouts from other projects (not doable seamlessly), or
– Maintain the strictest diligence with your track and instruments in all patterns and better hope they share the same parameters and value ranges. I would argue that at this point, the Drop starts complicating the workflow and now limits creativity to some level.
2. INSTRUMENT GROUP MACRO ARRAY
You need to keep a consistent layout by locking the same macros on all banks of snapshots, and/or controls that are universal to all instruments and their machines (ex: Track Volume).
The programming is an array where your channel group(and color) is the same on each column and the Macros and controls are the same on each row.
Example
The kicks are red, on the Digitakt (CH1,2,9,10), the Red column Encoders offer all macros (Mode Wheel, After touch, Pitch Bend, Breath Controller, Fader controls volume on all kicks.
Same applies for other groups (Percussions, Cymbals/Hats, Bass, Pads, etc.)
Note: You can see I put magnetic labels over the DT2 and DN2 to map groups visually by color and make it match on the drop. Yes, I love colors.
Pros
- It sure met my OCD cartesian requirements…
- It scales well with multi pattern sets
- If you want multiple performance macros on the same track groups, this lets you have that.
Cons
- I would rarely use all macros for all instrument groups, so I was often left with encoders that were not assigned for some instruments, then I would be tempted to assign these to other instruments that could have used more than 4 controls, or instruments I wanted to control individually. Can’t do that or the template breaks on the next song
- While it sounded great on paper at first, using multiple macros on multiple instruments resulted in more noise than happy accidents and were a rarer occurrence overall. It makes sense for tracks like kicks and drums that always require the same parameter tweaks, but mix FM into the mix and now I entered a deeper rabbit hole where the Drop complicated and slowed my composition flow.
3. MOD WHEEL ARRAY :
Based on the template above, I realize I could go more granular with each track, could pack up top 4 parameters on one macro and have basically have each encoder be the one performance macro for each track.
Example
Encoders: two top first rows match the Digitakt tracks, two bottom rows map the tracks of the Digitone 2.
Faders: Control Volume on each instrument group. ie: red fader controls volume for all kicks.
Push buttons: Call a few Octatrack scenes (Accessory) and some secret sauce ingredient made to work with a Blokas MiniHub.
Note: imaging you have the 16 tracks of teh DT and the 16 tracks of the DN stacked over each other, but controlling the Mod Wheel Macro with the encoder and the Mute Value with the encoder push button, that’s it. Straightforward.
Pros
- It scales with multi pattern sets
- I have more control over each track, less unexpected effects colliding.
- I think it is a pro, but some may view is as a con; it forces me to use the elektron controls for more one off crazy variations and build ups with Func+no, while I have one safe perfomance macro to recall snapshots with. I kinda like that balance between the two, working them in parallel.
- Since each encoder is a track, I can use the push button from the encoders to mirror the status of Global Mutes, see green lights under each encoder. ( I would have preferred using pattern mutes, but for some reason, it will not give midi feeedback ). While you can do that in other modes, this reinforces the logic in my brain that tracks = knobs.
- But really, it’s the fact that you now save the mute status for each track inside of each snapshot that allows this setup to let me explore patterns before switching to the next one. If you see above, i have 6 blue tracks on the Digitone, these are all bass lines. Snapshots can now bring them in or out at will and have now patterns I can explore for a while, with tons of safe snapshots with multiple configurations of drums, bass lines, pads etc.
Some snapshots will call all controls to reset some key parts of the song, some will only call specific instrument groups, including their mute status.
Cons
- Same as for #2, there are a few channels unused, for the same reason that you have to stick to a static layout, but it’s much less.
- In some cases, I could wish I could trade an encoder to give to controls to one track and none to the other, like having separate delay and reverb on your kick. You can do it if you decide to commit to do it for the whole live set, but nice try, we’re not creating singularities in this perfectly ordered layout… this is where I would maybe get into using Layer B, to add these one-off controls you want to play with for certain parts of your songs
Note that this point, you might be wondering why I did not leverage the controls on Layer B… Well, some people just want it all ready and handy. Flipping pages is the last thing I want to keep track of, even if it’s only 2, because trust me, I’ll find a way to f*** it up in a live set. If there is a way, I’ll find it, so “foolproof in concept” is what I am aiming for here…
If you made it this far, thank you.
If MIDI also has consumed your soul for years and you also gave this types of projects way too much time than you should have AND have recently acquired a Drop, I feel like it makes us all part of a special club and we’re all excited about what Drop can do, that we could not do with two hands out of the box with our beloved Elektron gear.
This product understands me somehow; it knows I subconsciously have no problem and will be happy spending days tweaking controls, seeking perfection and never finishing a song, but it also rewards me for it with creative fun once it’s working.
So now I grab my Digitone 2 or Digitakt 2 on the couch, compose for a while, fill all the tracks, compose some performance macros on the modwheel only, which is scalable enough and doesn;t take too much time.
Then, plug them to the drop and no extra work is required to start performing on one pattern and get the most out of it.
For multi patterns, I program snapshots to call program changes and they land all on controls that use the same CC, the same channels and very importantly; same value ranges (macros are great for that)
What’s your way to work the Drop for livesets? Got any self-made templates to share?
Cheers!
