Rytm receive midi from Ableton via overbridge

Elektron Gear Analog Rytm
#1

Has anyone got this working successfully?

There isn’t much information out there about this configuration but I have everything set up as described by the resources I did find.

Ableton midi track sending midi to Rytm channel 1
Ableton audio track receiving audio from Rytm BD

Midi port config:
Receive notes ticked
Input from MIDI + USB
Output to MIDI + USB

Channels:
Track 1 channel: 1

System USB config:
Overbridge ticked

From what I’ve read it should be working with that config but I am getting nothing. What am I missing? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#2

Yeah it should work. I’ve done something similar in Bitwig. It did take a good bit of fuckery though. I had to turn off auto channels on the rhythm for some reason and it worked.

It was pretty slick to be able to use the electron sequencer for most of the tracks but then use my midi keyboard to record and sequence the DVCO bass line outside of the electron grid.

Can’t say I’ve done this many times since, but it was handy.

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#3

Thanks for the advice Phil.

I just tried that (turning off auto channels) but unfortunately, it didn’t work. This is so frustrating because it should be something so simple

#4

Same here w/ableton as described in a different thread. I am have raised this with support and waiting for response.

Meantime, inspired by @philroyjenkins 's reply, I have started bitwig and indeed, in a matter of seconds, have configured it to master both the sync and the transport.

I have also spoken with a chap using mc-707 and cubase - with 8 channels of audio, in perfect sync and less than 10ms latency.

Might be something about Ableton’s engine. Have you tested on Ableton 11 or earlier?

#5

How did you set up bitwig to be getting Rytm’s audio via usb?

#6

I have a similar (but working) setup. Is your Ableton track 1 monitoring set to In? I can never remember the exact criteria, but I find these MIDI port to MIDI port channels only function correctly in Ableton if monitoring is on that.

#7

Great to hear. It would be a pain to learn a new system.
I have never heard of the significance of track one setting :rofl:

#8

Yes, it is set to Monitor In. If you wouldn’t mind checking your config I would really appreciate it

#9

I just said Track 1 cos that’s what I thought Sledge said their Ableton track was for sending MIDI through to Rytm, no significance re: track number! Basically, when Ableton is using a track to pipe MIDI to something that isn’t an audio device on that same track, you need the monitoring on that MIDI piping track to be IN otherwise it doesn’t let the MIDI through. It kind of makes sense that it works this way once you know, but is pretty counterintuitive when you don’t.

When I get a spare minute I’ll take some screenshots of my settings.

#10

I have done checks my end. For some unclear reason, the sync is good now, I have set Rytm to both send and receive clock and transport (not sure if that is okay), still, receiving transport but not sending, or Ableton not listening.
Removing the ‘leading’ track makes not difference though, so it was worth trying just once more. Setting Ableton to external sync (button in left upper corner) messes things just very slighly now. Still, reverting to Ableton being master.

Further edit.
Ableton settings in midi remote are obsolete if you use the vst to get the audio into ableton at least, because its settings of transport and clock - or both (my choice) - override.
First track was snake oil but helped anyway.

Ableton is master, song position helps lock synchronisation.
timecode corrections make no difference to latency, 12 ms for audio recorded into a loop.

Before connecting, check project tempo and set ableton accordingly or it will override with its setting.

If connectivity is lost, just replug Rytm - no restart is needed.

#11

OK just took a look at my set up.

Screenshot 2022-09-15 at 15.45.03
Screenshot 2022-09-15 at 15.45.031150×1848 270 KB

First things first, as far as I’m aware (and this seems validated by testing I just did) when you’re sending MIDI to the Overbridge plugin the midi channel settings on the Rytm itself are ignored. It seems like the 12 tracks are hardcoded to 1-Analog Rytm - 12-Analog Rytm in second dropdown when you send MIDI to Overbridge (see the Rytm MIDI track in screenshot).

You cannot access the Auto Channel when sending to the Overbridge plugin as far as I can tell, and in fact this is why my set up is not usually what’s in that screenshot there, but instead I send MIDI from Ableton to Rytm through its MIDI port, since I typically want to hit the auto channel and not have a MIDI track for every Rytm channel in Ableton. With things set up as in that screenshot, I was able to play the RS track on Rytm with my external keyboard. If I record into a MIDI clip in Ableton in the Rytm MIDI track, I need to turn monitoring on that track to auto or off to have the clip sent to the RS track of Rytm - all as expected with the way Ableton handles MIDI.

It’s possible that the mistake being made here is sending the MIDI to the Rytm’s USB connection, rather than the Overbridge plugin. I had to get back to work (lol) so didn’t test it just now but I’m pretty sure you can’t send MIDI over USB while in Overbridge mode - you’re intended to send MIDI to the overbridge plugin, though you can still send MIDI through the DIN port (which is what I usually do so I can still use the auto channel).

I think if it is still not receiving MIDI from Ableton with this set up, something is likely wrong with Ableton and/or Overbridge and/or Rytm. Hope that helps.

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External triggering of Analog Rytm - Not Happening!
#12

Thanks for taking the time and sorry for the delay in looking into this. May I ask what do you have on the Overbridge track? Do you have the Rytm VST on that track?

#13

Yes

  • Overbridge: Rytm Overbridge VST
  • Rytm Main: Audio channel for recording output of Rytm Overbridge Channel
  • Rytm Ind. Outs: Group containing audio tracks with individual audio outputs of the 12 Rytm tracks
  • Rytm MIDI: Midi channel sending MIDI from my keyboard via a MIDI interface into Overbridge plugin’s channel 3
#14

I got it working!

I went over your settings and I have it configured just like you, yet midi clips were still not being sent to the Rytm.

Through trial and error I figured out two things:

  1. I recently set my Ableton buffer size to 2048 to save CPU in a recent project. I now know that overbridge doesn’t work in that buffer size.

  2. The note range in the clip that the Rytm will detect is not C3 as one would expect. It is C2 to B2.

Thanks a lot for your help and I hope this information will help someone else in the future.

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