Octatrack control of Access Virus Ti2

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi,

I currently have an AR and A4 setup. I use the AR as master, A4 slaved. Now this works great with the “kit per pattern” on both machines. I use program changes sent from AR to A4 and it will easily jump to a new kit/pattern. Its like a one for one kit/pattern and must say its perfect for this type of workflow.

Anyways. I was thinking about expanding setup to also have Octatrack and Access Virus Ti2 on the other side (of dj mixer). This is so I can treat AR/A4 as one song and then OT/Virus as other song and mix them like a dj mixes.

So, How would the OT control virus?

These are the issues I wish to know -

  1. All I want is midi clock between both sides/songs, no program changes. Only program changes between AR/A4 and then Program changes between OT/Virus. Is this do-able?

  2. I generally have 4 Songs per Bank on my AR/A4 combo giving me 32 songs per project across banks A-H and all kits patterns/sounds change easily.

Now the OT has 4 Parts per Bank so I was thinking this would work well to have the similar structure as AR/A4 (4 songs per bank). Each part could contain a “song”, four patterns using the part.

Now the bit I’m not sure with. How the Virus would integrate with the OT. Would it switch to a new kit/banks of sounds when I trigger a pattern on OT?. Id be wanting it to change sounds and also then start using the midi sequence data sent from OT with these sounds.

  1. How does the file/ kit management system on Virus work compared to A4? Can I make lots of kits of multiple sounds similar to A4 and have these easily called upon with a program change?

Any other tips or things to look out for appreciated. My planning stages for expanding setup are in motion :wink:

#2

I use a Snow with my OT. I always have the Snow in multi mode and incrementing/decrementing patterns on the OT switches up and down the Snow multis nicely.

On the Snow a multi comprises 4 patches (16 on a TI2), and each patch has its own midi channel so it is no problem using 4 midi tracks on the OT to sequence and modulate the individual patches of the multi.

#3

Thanks for that.

Will need to check how many of these “16 patches multis” I can have on Virus. Ideally same amount of OT parts which should be 16 x 4 i think…16 Banks each with 4 parts = 64 “songs” (on OT). Even if it was less than 64 Multis on Virus im sure being 16 patches multis I could use 1 multi to make up to 4 songs, 4 sounds per song.

When you said incrementing/decrementing patterns. Can I just double check that you can jump from any pattern in OT to any other bank/ pattern and obviously virus follows. Like from Bank B pattern 4 to Bank E pattern 9. Not just incrementing/decrementing to next one or down.

#4

From specs -

Patch memory
Virus TI Desktop/Keyboard/Polar:512 RAM patches and 3328 ROM sounds +
16 Multi Mode slots which embed all patches used + 112 referring Multi
Mode slots. Virus TI Snow: 512 RAM patches and 512 ROM sounds + 64 Multi
Mode slots which embed all patches used.

Im not quite understanding the Multi mode usage. It states 16 MM slots + 112 referring MM slots…im confused.com :wink:

#5

the first 16 slots are self contained i.e. the patch data is stored in them as well.
the other 112 slots, refer to other patches stored in the TI in the single patch ram/rom.

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#6

Seems to be an “S” thread :wink:

Each Multi Patch can hold 16 different patches. But there are indeed two kinds of Multi Patches insided the Virus TI.

The first 16 (1 - 16) Multi Patches contain 16 patches, which are independent from the patches in the banks A-Z. You can directly dial in what you want and create patches or you can copy a patch from the banks and tweak it as much you want, without changing the “original” patch.

Tho other Multi Patches (17 …) are only “links” to patches in the patch memory. If you change the patch in your Multi Patch it changes the original patch too. And vice versa. If you change the “real” patch, your Multi Patch will be changed also.

The reason for this is in the history of the Virus series. Since a software update, those first 16 Multi Patches have been added, to provide a flexible patch twiddling without destroying other patches.

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#7

You can operate the Virus Multi Patch mode like an expander with 16 independent voices, which can be controlled via MIDI. This does not mean that you can exceed the amount of voices the Virus can generate. If you try to pull out too much, you will experience voice stealing.

Some options since OS 5 are heavy on the CPU. So check out CPU loads of single patches. If this “load” bar is quite full to the right, such a patch might not do well with others in parallel.

The OT allows to set MIDI program and bank. If you use this and the option to send it after pattern change you should also be able to swap Multi Patches.

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#8

Thanks a bunch for the info peeps, appreciated…self contained multis should be the way forward ;).Recon I could probably do a whole set with the 16 MMslots. 16 x 16= 256 patches / (number of OT songs 16 x 4 parts =64 >>>>>>>> 256/64 = 4 sounds per “song”…Nice one.

However -

I will have to take care when not using these other 112 multi slots not to mess up other multis…Ill prob do this by always making new singles for these multis, you have enough single slots by looks of it :wink:

I think it get the virus workflow :slight_smile:

Now I just have to save up money lol

#9

Somebody can tell me what would be necessary on the octatrack to midi call each multi change? I’ve reserved channel 16 like auto channel to the virus, but it’s response is not always like i would like…some time ago when I changed song on octal,virus changed the number multi patch, but after some time, nothing happens…and I think I changed nothing…

#10

Ok. I found it!

…nothing like post a question, and found myself the solution in 30 minutes….it’s like the fact of ask and post, push me really to the foundations of the problem…:grimacing::joy:

Accidentally I’ve had changed the auto channel on Virus, maybe when trying an Evolver desktop last month…now, on channel 16, it plays perfectly.

My ‘little’ problem with Virus is that on multi( i’m using multi 0 to 16), when I tweak a patch, I edit it and store it. But when recalling the patch, it stills like before, none of my edits are kept… I thought you can edit the sounds on multi and store as I want…:zonked:

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#11

If you plan to automate the Virus with p’locks, I made a one sheet CC reference for that purpose when I had a Virus. Here it is in case you find it helpful.

Virus TI MIDI CC List - Layout.pdf (59.0 KB)

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Connecting Virus TI2 Octatrack and Analog RYTM
#12

Nice one…yeh defo be wanting to plock stuff…

#13

I did see a video on youtube with a OT/virus combo where the guy was using p-locks which even more sold this idea to me(always liked the sounds of virus)…

Here it is -

Dope

#14

natrixgli15m
If you plan to automate the Virus with p’locks, I made a one sheet CC reference for that purpose when I had a Virus. Here it is in case you find it helpful.

Virus TI MIDI CC List - Layout.pdf5 (59.0 KB)
Thanks for that…could be a solution…

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#15

I have my RAM patch slots mapped onto multi-presets, so for the multis above the first 16, the first of them maps to the first 16 RAM patch slots, 17 maps to the next 16 and so-on.

It’s the only way my brain can cope with organising things on the Virus.

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#16

Good way of working Pursha…recon ill follow that.

I take it OT can access all 16 midi channels on Virus but only use 8 at a time?

#17

Exactly … 8 midi-tracks of the OT can address 8 different midi channels.

But we can use layering of sounds and keyboard splitting, because in multi-edit-mode we can define the midi channels of patches and the keyboard range as well as transpose … if this is combined, it gives us more than 8 voices of the Virus, which can be controlled by the OT :wink: … and … the midi tracks of the OT can save up to 4 notes per step :wink:

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#18

Sounds sweet…

#19

It is … :smiley:

#20

Wouldn’t it be great if Elektronauts made a library of CC one sheets of their gear? It would make for a kickass database.

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