Recording to elektron boxes on MPC Live/ Push3 / force

hi!
i would like to sequence/mix my Analog four and my syntakt with an Ableton push 3 (or let’s say any mpc/force which has only 1 stereo pair input). Any suggestions on how to connect? on Push I don’t have additional ins for the moment - just the stereo pair. right now stereo signal comes out of A4, goes into Syntakt which goes into the push3 - which is fine. But like this, every effect i apply to the inputs, is going to affect syntakt and A4 likewise. Also, i can’t, let’s say, sidechain a pad from the A4 to the kick of the ST.
The only thing i could think of, beside getting an ADAT expansion or using a computer with Overbridge (which i don’t want for this project) is running both devices in mono and record them on two separate mono channels. Is that possible (using just Syntakt’s R or L out?) / are there disadvantages?
thanks!

Get a small mixer. This is literally what mixers are for.

This is my plan. I just ordered a push 3. I will be using my mixer’s aux sends to run audio from all of my various hardware synths into the push 3 while running the mixers mean outs into an Apollo thunderbolt interface for using Live on the computer.

how could a mixer possibly help me to achieve sidechaining the A4 to the Syntakt with push’s compressor? i’m talking about a live performance where i want to do it in realtime. That’s why I asked if or how i could do it by working in mono and using one input for the A4 and one for the Syntakt

Since you mentioned the Force / MPC earlier, this would be doable with a mixer capable of multichannel USB audio. For example I could use my Zoom R16 to deliver four channels from the stereo outs of the Syntakt and A4. I could have the Syntakt kick on ch1, A4 pad on ch2, rest of Syntakt on ch3, rest of A4 on ch4, and use the compressor on the Force with channels 1 & 2.

If it was an A4 MK2, I’d have a bit more flexibility thanks to the individual outputs.

I don’t know what the situation is with USB audio on the Push, but I think it’s doable on the Akais this way - a suitable mixer / interface (important to check compatibility), and a bit of compromise with the stereo field.

thnx! yes i was thinking about the same solution. but “unfortunately” in my case i have the push 3 which right now does not support usb audio interfaces…

I think you might have to accept that a setup with just the three devices is too limited for what you want to do. If you sample the drums into the Push in advance, you might be able to do it - pad to one input, sidechain that to the sampled drums, all other external sounds mixed to the R input - but that’s a lot of stuff being pushed into one channel. If you could get the drums and pad sampled into the Push, then you’ve got the best setup under the circumstances - even if you’re not worried about stereo input, you could still split the remaining A4 and Syntakt voices into two mono channels to give you a bit more processing flexibility.

Of course another solution would be to stick a laptop in there and use Overbridge - once everything’s connected you should be able to ignore the computer and just focus on the Push.

Basically everything that doesn’t involve sampling involves extra gear, because of the two-input limit. Well, another alternative would be to fake the sidechain with an LFO, but that only really works if your drum pattern isn’t liable to change.

1 Like