OT + A4 connection

subq · 2014-01-24T19:28:50.000Z

Didn’t know whether to post this in the OT forum or the A4 forum but since I have the OT I am posting here.

I am wondering how you guys are connecting these two? Now that I’ve seen the announcement I am definitely going for the A4 to add to my OT.

As of now I have been using the OT to sequence other hardware/ipad etc via midi.

I really want to add midi KB into the mix and use that for composing on A4 and OT. Just wondering if most people are sequencing their A4 from the OT or just creating tracks/patterns on the A4 itself and then just midi clock/program out only from OT.

avantronica · 2014-01-24T19:48:02.000Z

some do, but i wouldn’t compromise the A4 potential by driving it from the OT, except clock (external cc p-locking is not the same)

the A4 makes good content to work into the OT

the mini keyboard is great imo, but sometimes i just merge the OT clock with an external key at the A4 in

now that i think about it, given the amount of midi management the OT needs, (ctrlrs sending out all sorts), i think i’ll sync the OT to the A4 and use the A4 keys, which i prefer to the OT chromatic system - then you have to look out for triggering stuff in OT accidentally - maybe i’ll stick with current method

i think the A4 is a great choice as it does amazing drums and a lot more besides, CV is good for me, the AR will be better for drums/drumming and will be awesome for digital ingredients - but A4 is still a mighty all-rounder

OT is recent for me so i don’t have a workflow as such, they both get improvised on, half the time with the sequencer stopped

subq · 2014-01-24T20:28:17.000Z

the AR doesn’t compete with the OT at all (like I thought maybe it would)

if I could have only one, it would be an OT since I can sample and sequence via midi to pretty much anything

however, I do feel just a little limited with 8 tracks and certain effects constraints (without neighbor)…I pretty much always use a master track on 8 and have reverb/compressor there…would be nice to get my reverb and compression elsewhere and be able to use filter/delay on the whole master

at any rate, I digress, the A4 should allow me to fill my want for a more advanced hardware synth…I only have the Volca trio right now…I would like the AR but I only do this as a hobby and sampling drums should suffice for me until I can afford the AR too.

I will want to use a keyboard though and for me personally, the extra cost for the AK doesn’t make sense…perhaps I can get away with midi kb to a midi box and use the midi in on OT, A4, and other devices…that’s why I asked though, if I go that route, I lose the midi in port on the A4 from the OT…I would want my OT to be the clock just like it is now.

I suppose the more advanced midi units allow you to just plug everything into it and program what is in/out, thru, etc, that way I could change up and have the midi kb going to a4 midi-in and then change it with a button where the midi kb is now going to OT midi in (I’m not real proficient with MIDI stuff yet)…I’m coming from musical instruments (guitar, drums, etc) and a computer only.

Uturunku · 2014-01-24T20:39:58.000Z

In my case midi-keyboard (mk) is connected to Midi In port of A4. This allows me to program sequencer from midi-keyboard and play manually during lives. Midi channel of mk is equal to global channel of A4 which allows to play sound from active track without changing of midi channels of mk. Midi Out port of A4 is connected to Midi In of OT. Also A4 sends clock, transport and program change commands to OT. I use A4 for melodic stuff (and drums in case I use A4 standalone) and OT for drums and fx only because I like to use transpose function ([transpose] + [note key on integrated keyboard] ) of A4 during lives. In future I plan to buy AR and probably sell my OT. Also I’m waiting implementation of transpose function via midi to connect 2 A4 synths and control pitch from one unit (smt like chaining). CV interface is very useful to connect and control additional synths (Moog Minitaur in my case) because transpose function also works for it.

nirun · 2014-01-24T20:50:46.000Z

interesting topic

when a friend comes by and wants to jam along, I set both devices to 2 pages (32 steps) to start and we sequence things together fun because each machine has its own set of parameters on the same voice (when you put them side by side it makes alot of sense)

the trigs on the OT take precedence over the A4, but when playing the A4 mini keyboard it takes precedence over everything.

pretty fun and have come up with some neat stuff.

Uturunku · 2014-01-24T20:56:38.000Z

Another way is to connect midi-keyboard to the midi in port of OT and midi out port of OT to midi in of A4. Then assign midi channels of OT’s midi sequencer tracks to send midi data to A4 tracks. This is also allows to play and program sequencer of A4 from midi keyboard and quickly change active sounds of A4 by changing active midi track. I don’t like to sequence A4 from OT because in this case you can’t use p-locks and sound locks which are mega-great feature of elektron sequencer and allows to avoid limitation of 4 voices.

avantronica · 2014-01-24T21:01:02.000Z

you can get a fairly cheap passive MIDI merger, like this, i’ve no experience or knowledge of the cost of it tho - there’s a recent thread about folk doing wonders with cheap ebay purchases of programmable 8x8 midi interfaces

subq · 2014-01-24T21:54:46.000Z

one of the reasons I use the OT is because of the superior sequencer vs the current hardware synths I’m connecting to via midi…I do a lot of sampling straight to flex on thru machines from them (then mangle from there)

with the A4 I won’t “need” to use the OT sequencer since it is the same that is what will drive a bit of a change in my set up

regardless, I prefer to use a little midi keyboard for everything

I will look into that thru box and try some of those setups mentioned once I have the A4 ordered…thanks!

subq · 2014-01-24T22:40:29.000Z

I will admit, I almost decided to get a moog sub37 (because of the sound) instead of the A4 but in the end I think an A4 would work out better for me since I happen to be one of the people who like the elektron sequencer, menus, etc etc… I am already used to using the OT and I just play music as a hobby

Uturunku · 2014-01-24T23:56:51.000Z

My first elektron box was OT but since I bought A4 I stopped using it at all. A4 is much more creative for me than OT. It allows me to think about music instead of sampling, about assigning machines on track, about loading samples to slot in sound pool, about assigning samples to track… A4 is very fun device.

Tintao · 2014-01-26T23:17:51.000Z

I think we all have different visions of the octatrack and A4 use. I use my OT as a sound designer as well i do with the A4. Samples are just a start, but i like to transform them to extreme, like i do when i start on the A4 with the basic sound.

My A4 is slave of my octatack for the midi (only the clock), and my A4 stereo output goes into OT input.

miketheman · 2014-01-27T00:00:29.000Z

""nirun"":

interesting topic

when a friend comes by and wants to jam along, I set both devices to 2 pages (32 steps) to start and we sequence things together fun because [b]each machine has its own set of parameters on the same voice (when you put them side by side it makes alot of sense)

the trigs on the OT take precedence over the A4, but when playing the A4 mini keyboard it takes precedence over everything.[/b]

pretty fun and have come up with some neat stuff.

This sounds very intriguing, would you mind to elaborate?

(I´m thinking that this might be something similar as an setup I´d like to have with my OT and NMG2…)

It would also be interesting see/hear some of this jams with this specific kind of setup if you´re able to record it in some way?

nirun · 2014-01-27T00:48:43.000Z

""miketheman"":

[quote=“nirun”]interesting topic

when a friend comes by and wants to jam along, I set both devices to 2 pages (32 steps) to start and we sequence things together fun because [b]each machine has its own set of parameters on the same voice (when you put them side by side it makes alot of sense)

the trigs on the OT take precedence over the A4, but when playing the A4 mini keyboard it takes precedence over everything.[/b]

pretty fun and have come up with some neat stuff.

This sounds very intriguing, would you mind to elaborate?

(I´m thinking that this might be something similar as an setup I´d like to have with my OT and NMG2…)

It would also be interesting see/hear some of this jams with this specific kind of setup if you´re able to record it in some way?[/quote]

Funny you ask, I typed this long convoluted paragraph about what is possible/how it sounds but erased it all because it’s much easier to explain with a video. I’ll post it here this week with some annotations and images of the midi setting screens on both devices.

DeltaPhoenix · 2014-01-27T01:13:12.000Z

This all relevant to my interests since I have both as well. Looking forward to the video.

subq · 2014-01-27T02:37:18.000Z

""Tintao"":

I think we all have different visions of the octatrack and A4 use. I use my OT as a sound designer as well i do with the A4. Samples are just a start, but i like to transform them to extreme, like i do when i start on the A4 with the basic sound.

My A4 is slave of my octatack for the midi (only the clock), and my A4 stereo output goes into OT input.

this is likely how I will start as it is similar to what I do now

midi out from OT to gear, audio out of gear into OT, sometimes I play the midi sequence on the OT and other times I play it on the gear, regardless, I generally record, then save to sample and assign

mick · 2014-02-05T15:02:20.000Z

Thanks for this thread.
I have OT, A4 and QuNexus keyboard (with his MIDI Expander).
Regarding those MIDI Solutions boxes, would be great to know which one is good for a specific task.
For example: keeping the Elektrons clock-synced, what I would like to do is play chromatically and record separately on their respective sequencers both OT and A4 through the QuNexus, setting a specific Auto Channel for each Elektron and simply changing the MIDI channel of the QuNexus on the fly according the proper Auto Channel of the machines. Is this possible and reasonable? If any MIDI Solutions external box is needed to do this, how should be placed in the MIDI chain? Thanks in advance.

subq · 2014-02-05T15:36:36.000Z

hey mick,

I was actually thinking about that exact setup…I don’t have the qunexus or the a4 yet, hopefully this month.

maybe someone could chime in if this would work but I was just thinking qunexus to midisolutions quadra thru, that gives 1 in 4 out so I could go to A4, OT and couple other synths if needed

In addition, since I have some other hardware synths that I want to sequence from the OT, I was thinking another quadra thru, OT to quadra, then gives me 4 out to go to those other synths…without the A4, I should be able to put qunexis on OT midi in on that setup as well

obviously, one of the higher end midi switches would be better because then you can define where everything goes, but using a couple midi solutions boxes would be cheap as long as it worked properly

mick · 2014-02-05T17:21:54.000Z

Yes Subq,

the QuNexus pads are very nice and are great for trigger sounds from both machines…

subq · 2014-02-05T22:20:09.000Z

I ordered my A4 today but they don’t get stock until next week so hopefully I will have it in a couple weeks.

went ahead and ordered the qunexus with the midi expander too heheh

jmoney202 · 2014-02-06T05:38:02.000Z

Regarding the QuNexus, do the Octatrack’s 8 audio tracks respond to velocity?