Hi folks,
I have two questions about pattern chaining / song mode and working in odd time signatures on the Analog Rytm. I currently use the Digitakt, but I’m looking to move up to the Rytm for the drum synth voices, the scenes, and the song mode!
- When you make a pattern chain in “chain mode” (not song mode) - can you save this chain anywhere? Or do you lose it when you change bank / cycle the power like you do on the Digitakt ?
- When in song mode, is there any way to loop a given row (pattern chain) “infinitely” and only progress to the next row of the song when you manually trigger it - similar in functionality to using scenes in Ableton? (If so, how do you do this?)
Why I’m trying to figure this out:
As is quite well documented, working in odd time signatures (3/4, 5/8 etc etc) is functional but a bit clunky because the Elektron sequencer uses “length” for its sequences, rather than the concept of “bars”. The best work around I’ve found for this is that if you want to, for example, make a four bar pattern in 3/4, you set each pattern to be one page (so that beat 1 of a bar is always on step 1), and then just chain four patterns together to make your four bar structure.
Say you then want to make a simple song in 3/4, with a four bar sequence for the verse and a four bar sequence for the chorus - you would make two pattern chains (both four patterns long). If you’re happy to play your song on a fixed structure (ie, the verse and chorus are always the same length) - then song mode would do the job just fine for this. What I want to find out is if it is possible to have some more improvisational freedom in a performance - say to play the verse for as long as you like, and then move on to the chorus when you’re ready - whilst using this pattern chain workaround.
Thanks !