Read the manual of the DE but still bit confused about how to set it up to be sequenced by the OT so that I can program changes to cutoff, resonance etc. using the parameter locks on the OT.
Seeing as the Dark Energy has no midi out port and just a midi in, I guess the ‘midi learn’ function on the OT won’t work as the Dark Energy can’t send midi messages, only receive. Am I correct here?
Clearly I’m missing something very obvious;)
Anybody working with an OT (or any other Elektron machine) to sequence the Dark Energy, would you be so good as to let me know how your setup goes?
I don’t have a Dark Energy, and I don’t know which version of the Dark Energy you have, but I read this review of the DE:
and the manual for the DE from the Doepfer website, and it appears to me that the DE can extract the following information from incoming MIDI data:
[ul]
[li]note on/off time (to DE gate)[/li]
[li]note number (to DE CV1)[/li]
[li]pitch bend (to DE CV2)[/li]
[li]note velocity (to DE CV3)[/li]
[li]mod wheel (or other controller) (to DE CV4)[/li]
[/ul]
You can then route the four CV signals to the appropriate destination in the DE. For example, to use the MIDI CC for mod wheel to control DE filter cutoff frequency, use a patch cord to connect DE CV4 output to DE VCF F input.
You can program which MIDI CC message is sent to DE CV4 using the procedure given in the “Learn Mode / MIDI functions” section (read note 10 in particular) of the DE manual.
I believe that the DE can have MIDI Out but you would need to wire that up yourself. In any case it would likely be easier to use the manual method for setting up CC messages to be transmitted from the OT MIDI sequencer (page 117 of the OT manual).
That’s an overview - let us know if you have problems with any of the steps.
that’s all there is to know, besides gate/VCO pitch you’re gonna have to wiggle those cables, use the other three cv sources creatively (i.e. forego dynamics and use the velocity feed for something more interesting, but the DE is already limited for patching so it’s not gonna get too funky)
Initially I had just an MD and OT, so I got a knockdown Dark Energy (mark 2) to go along with those. Maybe it isn’t the best companion.
I now have an MNM… so I’m covered for weird (although completely different) sounding synth… which I now have 5 of in the MNM, complete with sequencer.
I think the Dark Energy is bit pointless in this setup as I have no real plans to patch it to other machines. A Xoxbox or effects unit might have been a better idea.
It’s a great companion! Use the button on the back of the DE. Hold that down for a sec, the light will start blinking, twist your CC knob in your Octatrack and it will have learned that. Then output of the CV4 on the back to the front of the DE. Run audio straight into the MD and turn up the delay and distortion and put an LFO on the filters and so on…hours of good times. Or you could just do this and forget about all that CC bidness.
I agree, good companion!
As the OT is the center of the setup and because it really is a complicated deep machine, I prefer all my other devices to be really hands on and intuitive.
So my Dark Energy (and my Mono Lancet) are perfect companions, the hands-on Ying to OT´s complex Yang!
Cheers! From CV4 at the back to which port at the front?
While the DE is being sequenced by the OT, the midi learn is not working at all. Also, each trig on OT trigs sound from the dark energy but in between trigs there’s a constant hum from DE like the note is not bing switched off after trigging.
I cannot record knob tweaks I make on actual DE (e.g… freq) into OT. I can only parameter lock pitch as far as I can tell.
I’m not giving it my full attention as I’m focusing on learning the MNM, but I’ll figure it out. A re-read of the manual is in order.
I think you need to patch from cv4 to input vcf F that should modulate the filter cut-off.
For the "hum"sound between triggers you can try to put the VCA AMP knob to zero and the VCA AM knop to feed audio to the evelope. Also fairly new to the Dark Energy so I could be wrong
Yeah I re-read the manual and somehow missed the ‘turning the VCA pot all the way down’ bit. D’oh!
I’m still having trouble midi-learning on OT but I’m sure I’ll have another duh/eureka moment;)
Thanks for your help:)
I see that people have been able to control freq cutoff of dark energy via the knobs of the OT by midi learn. There are youtube videos of people stating they are doing just that.
For midi learn it appears you need to have a MIDI signal coming from the OT to the DE (via DIN), and also midi must return back to the OT? Am I wrong? I’ve read the manuals, read the midi section in OT manual again and again… looked for info online and I still can’t find the answer.
The DE has no midi DIN output, so I tried to send midi via usb from DE into ableton and let the midi signal flow out from ableton to my audio interface (on correct channel) back to midi in of OT on midi DIN connector… and still I get “listening for midi cc messages” on OT when I am in learn mode on OT turning freq pot on DE.
As far as I can see, the DE manual gives no CC number to manually enter into OT to control freq from OT.
this.
yeah you are wrong
just plug the midi out of the OT to the DE midi in first!
it’s really simple.[/quote]
Hi.
I have tried that many times. That’s why I thought I was wrong about midi only going one way from OT to DE.
Both machines are on same midi channel. Dark energy audio is coming thru and I’m able to sequence trigs. Thats all fine.
Next:
On OT I go to setup of ‘ctrl1’ page on midi track DE is on. Press FUNCTION and C. Message: “Listening for midi cc messages”.
DE is in midi learn mode. Red light is blinking on back of unit.
I turn freq knob on DE. No cc message received on OT. Nor is there any cc message received from any other knob I turn on DE.
Thank you avantronica. I finally get it. You were all pointing me in the right direction but somehow I didn’t get the CV4 thing. I was focusing on the sole ‘freq’ pot without patching.
Apologies to all for my greenness on this issue. I would not keep asking if I hadn’t already spent lots of time trying to figure it out myself.
I did read the above posts again and again but somehow I didn’t follow.
Appreciate everyone patiently taking the time to post these tips.
You’re all correct.
When I am up to speed with these machines I’ll hope to contribute as much as you all have:)
Here’s a bonus tip now you have it rocking. You might like to think about running some modulating audio from the OT to the DE. Whilst you’ll only get a little over a volt out of each cue out, you won’t need that much for some vibrato e.g. Which allows you to save the lfos for other things. Loop some white noise and or a signal type of your liking and apply lfos to the volume of that and so on. The same applies to bespoke ios apps which act as serviceable low voltage lfos. Handy for additional colour. If you’re feeling adventurous longer term there are extra outs waiting to be hacked to jack sockets for additional flexibility
