Rigging a Midi Keyboard to an Analog Four

PeterHanes · 2019-11-12T19:54:13.258Z

Magnusch:

Will this also work via USB only, means the A4 is only connected via USB and the S61 midi keyboard also?

Yes.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T20:02:50.562Z

I set the under Midi config / channels / the Auto channel to 9.
Unfortunately the midi keyboard only play track 1.
It is the same when I change the Auto channel to 2 for example.

PeterHanes · 2019-11-12T20:05:24.808Z

Magnusch:

Unfortunately the midi keyboard only play track 1.
It is the same when I change the Auto channel to 2 for example.

Have you configured your keyboard and Ableton Live so that they send out MIDI messages on the channel number that you set for Auto channel on the Analog Four?

On the AF, are you selecting the track that you want to control from the keyboard?

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T20:21:24.553Z

It seems that my midi keyboard work on midi channel 2, this is also the setting in the ableton track.
Unfortunately it seems that I can´t change this midi channel.

I can play the analog four via the midi keybboard, but evry time only track 1 from the A4.

PeterHanes · 2019-11-12T20:33:28.992Z

Magnusch:

Unfortunately it seems that I can´t change this midi channel.

Why not? The S61 can assign a MIDI channel number to any key zone, and I would be surprised if Ableton Live cannot change the channel of a track.

The workaround is to set the autochannel number of the AF to be 2 and to ensure that none of its tracks respond to channel 2.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T20:52:28.109Z

I assign in the Controller Editor of the S61 the keyzone for one whole keyzone to Channel 9.
In the A4 I set the Auto channel to 2.
It play only the track one via the midi keyboard.

In ableton the track is set to:
midi from: komplete kontrol S61
channel 2 (no other channel works)

PeterHanes · 2019-11-12T20:54:52.328Z

Magnusch:

I assign in the Controller Editor of the S61 the keyzone for one whole keyzone to Channel 9.

This seems foolish if you are now trying to address channel 2 on the AF.

Magnusch:

In ableton the track is set to:
midi from: komplete kontrol S61
channel 2 (no other channel works)

I hope that an Ableton Live user reading this can help.

Magnusch:

It play only the track one via the midi keyboard.

On the AF, are you selecting the track you want to play?

What MIDI channel numbers have you assigned to the various tracks on the AF?

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T21:01:50.510Z

Yes, I selecting the track that I want to play, but always track 1 played.

The other midi channel number I assigned to the varios tracks in the AF are:
Track 1 channel 1
Track 2 channel 2
Track 3 channel 3
Track 4 channel 4
Track FX channel 5
Track VCV channel 6
Perf channel 8

Auto channel 9

Prog Ch in Ch Auto
Prog Ch out Ch Auto

PeterHanes · 2019-11-12T21:03:30.240Z

Magnusch:

The other midi channel number I assigned to the varios tracks in the AF are:
Track 1 channel 1
Track 2 channel 2
Track 3 channel 3
Track 4 channel 4
Track FX channel 5
Track VCV channel 6
Perf channel 8

Auto channel 9

So all you need to do with these settings is to get Ableton Live to transmit on channel 9.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T21:17:04.154Z

I appreciate your help very much, unfortunately my s61 does not take over the setting for the channel, for whatever reason

Augenadler · 2019-11-12T21:42:20.251Z

In the midi track in live, you can just set the output channel to whatever you like.

Did not use live a long time, maybe the row for that is hidden by default. Pretty sure that will solve your problem.

So just reset the A4’s channels to its default and just choose the output channel in live’s midi track.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T21:42:20.880Z

Find out a way now for the correct assignment of the midi channel for the S61 mk2, I have to use the komplete kontrol software - the controler editor dont work not longer for the mk2.

I assign now the midi channel for the S61 to channel 9.
When I now set in ableton channel 9 I hear the analog four track 1.

But unfortunately it doesn´t change the behavior that the midi keyboard only plays track 1 from the A4.

Any further ideas to solve the problem?

Augenadler · 2019-11-12T21:42:50.590Z

Look above, my first answer.

Found this pic online, as im mobile atm.

Screen Shot 2018-01-19 at 17.00.53.png400×926 31.4 KB

Left side, where there is the Juno, select channel 1-4 of your A4 to adress the voices.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T21:53:58.071Z

Yes, I understand what you mean.
Unfortunately it doesn´t work.

I will try out a factory reset.

I bought it today used, maybe it will help.

Magnusch · 2019-11-12T21:59:27.834Z

Also the factory reset don´t work, to bad.

here are my ableton settings for the A4 in dark blue.

I use 4x audio tracks and 1x midi track with the overbridge plugin for the A4, inside the midi track I change midi from: komplete kontrol S61.

Bildschirmfoto 2019-11-12 um 23.01.21.png3104×1978 1.12 MB

Anything wrong in this setting or further suggestions?

Augenadler · 2019-11-13T01:36:29.210Z

No reset neccessary imo. I’ll get in touch tomorrow, eventually we can sort it out.
Do you have a midi interface? First I’d like to check if it works that way, then tty the OB route.

Magnusch · 2019-11-13T05:48:18.704Z

I have the Rme fireface ucx with also midi in and outs.
The strange thing with the midi keboard is that I have this 2x times in the ableton option menue, wish I could delete one of this entries.
Normaly it should be only one in Ableton.

On the other side all vsts works great with the midi keyboard, so it would be great to even use the analog four with this keyboard.

Great that you will come back to me today, appreciate that and I will be available this evening after the worktime.

Magnusch · 2019-11-14T06:58:32.848Z

No ongoing yesterday to this issue with the midi keyboard.
Has someone maybe another idea?

stripcycle · 2019-11-17T18:51:01.130Z

Hi!

I also have the A4 and while I do not typically use overbridge with it, I have done this in the past and you aren’t crazy, it is not intuitive how to get it working.

Make sure that on the A4 you have MIDI+OB enabled in Global / MIDI Config / Port Config / “Input From”, and also that you have have audio routing set up so that none of the tracks are routed to Main ( in Global / Audio Routing )

Also make sure that you have “Track” Input enabled in Ableton’s MIDI preferences for the “Analog Four ( Elektron MIDI )” MIDI device, this allows you to route MIDI directly to the A4 instead of going through OB, this is important for method 2:

26%20AM

There are two main methods I’ve used:

configure four MIDI channels. In the first MIDI channel put the A4 Overbridge plugin, and for each of the other three, assign “MIDI To” to the “A4 Track 1” instrument for each track select channels 2 through 4:

Then configure Audio tracks to route the individual channels from the A4 back to the mixer:

ANALOG4_OB-SEPTRACKS___ANALOG4_OB_-3.png567×646 29.3 KB

The benefits to this method are that you don’t have to fiddle with both Ableton and the A4, you can just record arm the correct MIDI track and play your keyboard and the right sound will come out. It’s particularly good if you have a push ( I do ) as it lets you select a MIDI track and start playing, from any configured MIDI input.

Another “benefit” is you can record MIDI in Ableton in which case you’re really just treating the A4 like a sound module. Up to you.

If you want to use Auto Channel, the setup is a little simpler actually, but it requires you to switch channels on the A4. This method assumes you are just recording notes into the A4’s sequencer tracks or playing the sounds on the A4 live.

To do this, create a MIDI track and put the A4 plugin there, then disable input on that track. Next, create another MIDI track and for output select the “Analog Four ( Elektron MIDI )” MIDI device and select Channel 9, the Analog Four’s Auto Channel.

ANALOG4_OB-AUTOCHANNEL___ANALOG4_OB_.png605×694 34.2 KB

You would configure 4 Audio channels to route Audio back from the A4 just like in the first example.

In this setup you should be able to trigger notes on the currently selected A4 Track from that single MIDI channel and then play notes into the A4’s sequencer.

Aside: I think there are a few different ways to do this with various trade-offs but these are the ones I got working. I’d be curious if I’m missing something obvious here. Ableton and the A4 with OB are both quite complex so no one way to do something.

Magnusch · 2019-11-17T20:27:34.055Z

Dear Stripcycle,
I’m really very grateful for your great detailed answer.
Fortunately I could completed my midi issue this Friday evening after a short break to this topic.
I am really happy know, think you could imagine and I can use and enjoy now this wonderful sounds of this incredible machine.

I guess there are different ways to handle this issues but for me it is in order now.

The interesting thing is that I let in the audio routing of the A4 the routes to the main active and also the FX.

Here is a pic of my setup, I am not sure if it would be clear for you with only this screenshot but who knows.

Bildschirmfoto 2019-11-17 um 21.20.31.png1718×1234 225 KB

I will definitely try out your method in an blank ableton project next weekend.

Also thanks again to all other guys here that try to help me, I appreciate that.

Best musical regards from Germany,

Marc