Hi, when I play my main volume knob is positioned at 8 o’clock. That is giving me barely any room to have control over a fade in of volume in some transitions I do between the Syntakt and other devices. Is there a way to reduce the overall output volume via some settings? So at least I can have the main knob around 10 or 12 o’clock?
Thanks!
Does your mixer have an input gain param?
Hey, would you be able to rephrase it to clarify what the problem is? Maybe I’m just not getting it. I understand what you’re saying but the problem isn’t clear. You can’t just use track levels to change the overall volume aside from the analog pot use? That seems like the obvious solution.
What is the syntakt plugged into ? Best to trim the volume on that device weather it’s a mixer or another elektron instrument.
… turn volume to the max on your Elektron and use the “pad” function on your Interface or Mixer …
Hi, sorry if the explanation was not clear. I don’t use a mixer (for now), that’s the thing. And I’d like to avoid relying on individual tracks levels. This is my use case: I have a loop going on a Boss Rc-202. Then I want to introduce a new Syntakt pattern with a few tracks unmuted, fading in the Syntakt while fading out the Boss RC-202 and doing a sort of DJ transition (was inspired by one of your video @DaveMech, big fan) So I rely on the main volume knob for that. But then I have a very short route from 0 volume to the level I find pleasant in my headphones. So I need to turn the main volume knob extremely slowly to do the fade in. It would be different I could somehow change the output level so I would have my preferred level when the knob is at 12 o’clock. In which case the fade in would be easier to perform. Hope is a bit more clear now. Sorry for the confusion
Ok that makes way more sense. Well, first, you will never escape the set curve of the logarithmic potentiometer so the best you can do is work around it. I guess you could interpret the curve as the speed with which and under what behavior a potentiometer will increase the volume. A linear potentiometer steps up incrementally in even portions throughout the entire turn of the pot’s wiper, a logarithmic or “audio” curve is meant to mimic human hearing which means that the lower part of the pot usually moves a lot slower and then very quickly increases in volume after you get to a certain point in the rotation, and I think that’s part of the issue that you’re dealing with (at least from your description).
An elektron device at max volume is supposed to be outputting line level audio, so the analog volume pot is just an attenuator which brings the output down from line level. Generally, line level is where you want your volume at for recording and mixing with other devices which is why they’re suggesting that you use a higher volume on the syntakt and a lower volume on the mixing device.
Somehow, I already assumed you weren’t using a mixer from your initial statements which is why I suggested using track levels until the volume pot position is relative to your desired “mix” volume. It’s not a good practice to do this in general but I think for you, it’s the closest you’re going to get without adding a small mixer either in-line between your devices to further attenuate the level, or a larger mixer which you run your rc-202 as well as the syntakt into.
If you want to try it with adjusting the track levels, just make sure you don’t save the project after the adjustment so that you can always reload if you aren’t happy with the results. If you do notice the volume pot bunching up at a certain place though, where it seems really difficult to adjust the volume from there on up, that is likely due to the logarithmic nature of an audio pot, and I’m almost positive elektron uses logarithmic analog volume pots as it’s a pretty standard practice on audio devices of all kinds.
I hope that makes sense, and just so you know, you could score a cheap mini mixer for probably 30 bucks that would make a big difference in your situation.
You could even use something simple like a Y cable to an in-line attenuator as opposed to a mixer, just make sure it passes stereo signal. They’re also small and inexpensive and you could use that as your mixing knob as opposed to the syntakt volume pot (just leave that one alone and in place).
like this:
You have options, but without additional hardware your options are a bit limited as there’s no setting which will change the max output.
Hope that helps? Someone else might have better advice so let’s see what happens.
edit: maybe you could run the rc-202 audio output into the syntakt’s inputs and instead of using the volume pot to do the transition, you could use the syntakt mixer page? I think the digital level change should be linear instead of logarithmic so that might make it easier, but it would be a little fiddly. Probably no worse than what you’re doing now though, and then at least the volume crossfade could all be done from the same device (syntakt) since all you’re doing right now is adjusting audio levels. Something to consider at least.
@shigginpit thanks so much for your detailed reply. I’ll think about what you suggested.
Theres 2 line level, consumer audio level is lower at -10dBV and pro is at 4dBu. That seen like the problem.
One is 4x higher or somewhere around 12dB higher
@shigginpit is spot on - run the looper into ST, which is also a mixer, and then you can use the FX track on the looper - which opens up some excellent possibilities.
Yeah definitely opening some interesting possibility. However is not exactly my use case. I have a Digitone going into the Syntakt already. And also, having the looper as an External input would be even worse because then I can’t use the main volume knob to do the fade cause will fade out everything. Relying on the Syntakt mixer is an option to fade in and fade out individual tracks within a pattern. But if I need to fade in a groove made of a couple of tracks together while fading out the loop, I only have the main knob, or the control all function on track volume to perform it. If I’m not wrong. Besides, the looper already have some effects. They are not amazing but they work in same case.
If you explain your full setup there might be other options but sounds like you just need a mixer tbh
The problem is between ST (no digital master level or pad) and RC 202 (no line input level, mic only).
Without external gear, the only solutions seems to reduce all tracks with Control ALL, or send all tracks to FX Track and set level with FX Track level.
@FormalForward do you use FX Track routing for inputs (Digitone)? If not you can invert ST and DN which as a digital master level (PVOL).
ST out > DN inputs
DN out > RC 202 inputs
Yeah exactly. I use ST FX routing on the DN so I’d prefer to avoid having the ST going into the DN.
My setup is DN>ST>Boss RC-202.
I think at this point a mixer would be the solution. Amy suggestion? I was looking into the A&H Xone 43 (but has no FX) A&H Zed 6Fx or some Mackie.
