Overlapping MIDI notes

sjostrand · 2015-04-30T07:33:22.000Z

So I’ve been using the OT as a MIDI sequencer, which works okay so far. I have an issue though: I can not get notes to overlap. It is fine if the notes start at the same time (you use the chord feature), but not if they don’t (like playing a broken chord). Let’s illustrate:

Note 1: ---------------------
Note 2: ---------

Result:
Note 1: ------
Note 2: ---------

Do I have to use two or more MIDI tracks for this, or can it somehow be done with only on track?

glaciertree · 2015-04-30T22:52:55.000Z

If you want to do that, you’ll have to use multiple tracks. The OT MIDI sequencer is essentially paraphonic.

kirkwood · 2016-09-29T14:56:18.075Z

I recently ran into this same blocking issue and figured out a work around. Assign one of the knobs to use Sustain CC.

It seems to work pretty well as far as I can tell. Sure you can’t do intricate note overlaps but if you’ve seen any piano player they use the sustain pedal quite extensively to get that effect.

Sustain controller (CC 64)

When you want your notes to either not hang anymore make a trigless lock to reset the CC value to 0.

pirxthepilot · 2018-02-23T09:17:25.190Z

Has any of the recent versions fixed this behavior, I wonder?

Clancy · 2018-02-23T11:14:24.454Z

No

binaural · 2018-02-23T11:25:03.308Z

This is why I bought a Pyramid, which is ‘what you play is what you get’

ioth · 2019-11-18T14:34:28.788Z

is there a possibility to create ties using notes? e.g. if you want to have notes slide, if thats a thing your synth supports

sezare56 · 2019-11-18T17:07:19.168Z

Not sure what ties is but maybe Legato in arp page is what you’re looking for.

LEG controls the legato of the arpeggiator. This setting will affect the note trigs of the track even if the MODE setting is set to OFF.

Schnork · 2019-11-18T22:15:21.808Z

Yes, Arp Legato locked to on at the second note (the note you’re sliding to) and extending the note length of the first note (the note you’re sliding from) creates note ties/slides.

ioth · 2019-11-18T22:39:06.605Z

cool thx! yep legato is exactly what i’m looking for, but the feature is called a tie in many other seqs

sezare56 · 2019-11-19T08:12:31.320Z

ioth:

tie in many other seqs

Sexy, no ?

jpg_640x640q70640×640 29.5 KB

ioth · 2019-11-19T14:10:41.718Z

uh love it

DJXNils · 2020-12-04T09:10:20.596Z

Hi, is this overlapping midi notes problem with the new os version 1.4 now solved or not ?

PeterHanes · 2020-12-04T12:31:09.519Z

Welcome to the forum!

DJXNils:

is this overlapping midi notes problem with the new os version 1.4 now solved or not ?

No. There is no change in this aspect of the OT in OS 1.40.

DJXNils · 2020-12-04T12:50:57.836Z

Many thanks for this info

LFOver · 2021-01-19T16:26:24.220Z

I’m astonished!

Thanks for the straightforward answer up there. I’m about to press the button on an OT just in time for the nice black box, and I knew this was an old issue looking at some antiquated posts around the net. . I would’ve assumed this niggle would have been addressed by 1.4 or earlier.

I currently use a DT as the centre of my DAWless setup and although I know OT+DT is a great pairing it has to be one or the other for me atm, and robust MIDI sequencing is basic stuff, if not fundamental. (Assuming I don’t want to be implementing per note workarounds)

Anyone reckon this is ever going to get looked at? … or is it a MK3 job?
Given the age of this post, by the time it might get fixed (if ever) I’m sure I could have saved up enough to keep both DT+OT anyway, but I’d rather have the OT and a AR by then.

Confirmed Elektron junkie.

DanJamesAUS · 2021-01-19T17:01:23.287Z

The analog four only got the improved overlapping note behaviour in the last update,
So if Elektron continue to update the Octatrack there might be a chance.

Supercolor_T-120 · 2021-01-19T17:58:13.349Z

The way notes work on the OT isn’t a design mistake, it’s pretty standard behavior for step sequencers. For overlapping notes you really want a linear sequencer like an MPC.

DanJamesAUS · 2021-01-19T18:21:16.914Z

the digitone and analog four both do overlapping notes with elektron style sequencing

sezare56 · 2021-01-19T18:23:14.716Z

And Digitakt AFAIK (experimented it with DN only).