1010 music blackbox of course 
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The way people talk about how this is such a glaring omission in the elektron boxes I expected this thread to have way more options being posted.
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Squarp Pyramid.
Not sure for the Pyramid. It’s not exactly the same than in Tr8s. In Pyramid, tracks or patterns are more similar to tracks in our Elektrons. In Tr8s seems to be more similar to patterns in Elektrons. When your pattern is runing, then you can write/prepare the variation as if it was another pattern (impossible in Elektron). I think it’s quite unique. Correct me if I misunderstand the procedure.
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I see your point… and think it would be a fantastic addition for live sets and something that has the potential to boost creative fun.
I said ‘sequence’, because the terms are not really clearly defined and the TR8s has ‘variations’ (so you’re actually staying within the pattern), but I actually mean what is a pattern in Elektron land.
So imagine you have a pattern playing on your MD/MM/OT/A4//AK/AR/DT/DN/MS/MC and you could go to a different pattern (ofc even an empty one) and edit it in the background while the original pattern still keeps playing.
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It’s possible to achieve something similar though. Two or more tracks can be assigned the same MIDI channel, and can be edited while they’re muted. It takes some time to get your head around, especially since each track also contains 32 patterns, but it also means it’s possible to mix patterns from different tracks assigned to the same MIDI channel.
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Its a very cool feature, and I am using it a lot currently. Letting my groove play out while I edit variations for later in the phrase.
Or I write 1 bar, copy it across all variations while the bassline is playing, then go into the 4 and 8 to add variations to the groove, move accents, open hihats, ghost notes etc. That stuff takes forever in elektron land, and even longer in piano roll in a daw land.
All while the whole phrase is playing. Totally mental.
It makes the song writing process so fast!
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Yes, indeed, you’re perfectly right. I proceed sometimes like this. This can be really effective and creative (happy mistakes when programming and performing).
But we recognise that as you said it’s something “similar”. Kind or work around.
But yes possible.
For me this is the essential feature in live playing. That facilitate the improvisation. I can pratice the evolution of my pattern while playing with AR. But it demand more concentration and more manipulations/programming that can be exhausting and source of undesirable and nasty mistakes while in live. The only Drum machine that permit such practice without the former problems is the MD. Since you have 16 tracks, with possibility of programming any engine on any tracks, you can decide that half or quarter of machine will be the differents patterns. So you can have 2, 3 or 4 differents variations of the same groove on the same pattern just playing with mutes.
This can only be achieved with samples on AR… limitations are sometimes creatives… but often boring 
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Works with the SEQ12. Sometimes I use this feature after having created and running a basic pattern at the beginning of the performance. I copy the basic pattern to a free slot, make some changes, and switch to the modified pattern.
The reason I use the SEQ12 is that many tasks can be done very smooth and quickly after getting used to the organisation and modes of the “matrix”. Since there are 12 tracks, we can control up to 12 different instruments.
Fun fact … the initial setting of track 12 is prepared to drive the AR directly out of the box 
It’s not cheap, but for live performing artists in particular it’s worth to check it out.
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How practical is this workflow? Would it be possible to ‘switch’ between different tracks with a button press or would this involve planning the whole thing beforehand?
IIRC it’s possible to mute/unmute several tracks on the Pyramid (called a sequence), so seems quite flexible!
That’s how I’ve been making music since I got into techno a few years ago. All machines are playing and I put in the trigs, record midi from a keyboard, change/move around stuff although of course on our beloved Elektrons, I’d have to stop and copy the pattern everytime I want to progress to the next pattern.
It also happens quite a lot when I’m practising tracks, that I’d want to change something on the next pattern or later in the track which became apparent only, because I was fluidly progressing through the patterns and if I do this my whole flow is interrupted again…
Didn’t know that! Have to check the manual laterz…
SEQ12 looks like it’s most useful as a kind of ‘master sequencer’, controlling all or most of your gear, I’ll certainly have a look at the manual.
In fact it lets you edit a sequence while another one is running and it can also play many sequences at once. Not that common a feature.
That’s one of it’s major features. But swapping, changing, jumping around, and creating on the fly is what it’s designed to support.
I use it, because this speed and flexibility in a live situation is - at least for me - not feasible with a Pyramid or a MPC.
I haven’t gone that deep with it yet (tbh most of my recent stuff consists of just slow iteration of single patterns) but yeah, the sequence mode allows you to basically set mute groups for the tracks, which I think also extends to which pattern is active on each track. And it’s pretty open so you can organise it in different ways according to your workflow.
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The Sequentix P3 can. Well, its 3.x firmware anyway.
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I do this when sequencing my synths with Octatrack midi tracks. Ill set up 2 or three and switch betweeen them with mutes.
Yeah sure, I do that, too! It’s great for adding variations to patterns and combined with trig conditions, fills and one shot trigs offers so much - still not the same thing.
Can also be done on the MidiALF.
There’s an ongoing conversation about this on https://www.elektronauts.com/t/editing-a-pattern-when-another-pattern-is-playing-back
Everyone invited