OT as MIDI seq for ext gear, and Program Change messages

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

I’m wondering how to use the OT as a MIDI sequencer effectively.

All my synthesizers support MIDI program change messages, and with the OT midi tracks being able to send MIDI program change (PC), bank (MSB) and sub-bank (LSB), I was under the illusion I can program a full performance on it.

But the illusion fell apart pretty quickly as I made the second pattern, and try to use different synth patches in there, discovering that I am actually changing PC for the whole SET, i.e. the PC is not saved with the pattern!

Why Elektron decided that PC is not something to save within a pattern? Is it realistic to program dozens of MIDI patterns all using the same set of synth patches?

Is there a workaround in the OT itself (without using external “MIDI message converters”)?

2

The Octatrack has two methods for sending Program Change messages:

  • when a new pattern starts: a single value corresponding to the pattern number, and
  • when a pattern linked to a different Part starts: a custom value for each MIDI track (the values are set in the Part).
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3

First method is more suitable for linking Elektron devices so that pattern A03 on OT causes to switch pattern A03 on ST/DT/etc.

Second method should be the one to use with external synthesizers (8 of them).
In this case, the PROG value is not linked to the pattern, then only 4 combinations of 8 PROGs (1 per each MIDI track) are possible?

Unless I haven’t understood it right, that’s totally unrealistic for a performance with external gear…

4

No. There are 4 Parts per bank, and there are 16 banks. So 64 combinations of Program Change setups.

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