…i’m currently running the AR into the MM (into OT) which works for me, although i need to make sure i’ve got the levels right on the MM 
but still…the input on the AR is just there doing nothing…unless i feed it with something that already has a good level…but still, it’ll need to be ‘properly blended’ with the AR sounds so mm…for just now i’ll keep this setup
I’d say that gainstaging on the rytm tales a long time to master (still figuring it out myself). You can attain subtler results with subtle param values, AFAIK it’s way too common for people running everything way to hot with the rytm. Using loud synth levels, lots of overdrive, track level maxd out etc, losing alot of the possible headroom within, not leaving much room for the comp to do anything… The rytm is not a DAW, all the level changes throughout the system also affect the way things sound, not just their amplitude.
Dunno, maybe I need to start using the audio input more, for giving me a new “loudness” reference with the internal rytm workings… I’ll give it a try.
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the interaction between filter/overdrive, amp/amp envelope, track volume and overall compressor settings provide a great number of ways to louden up your sounds but definitely make gain staging the rytm and its inputs a journey rather than a set solution depending on your recording/mixing methods.
a stereo bus compressor and a nice stereo eq can help bringing the rytm to a nice level with out having to kill your internal rytm headroom for loudness.
I know the analog heat offers these possibilities in a nice and inexpensive package 
if i had this option years ago i would have gone the AH route first before diving into 500 series/uad for signal processing
As good as the heat is, I doubt it can match what is possible with class A boutique modules in a 500 series rack with a healthy power supply. The heat is a great product with an attractive form factor (perfect size for taking to a gig), but I have no doubt that you’ll do even better with what you got 
Just one question if I may - you say you need to use outboard for getting usable levels into your DAW? What levels are you recording, peaks at -?dBFS?
Interesting, I find my rytm blazing loud with no overdrive or distortion and not super boosted levels. Still haven’t tried the input but when I do I think I’ll take a direct out or aux send from my Mackie vlz4 to be able to boost it. A lot of us have mixers, no? Seems like the easiest way to boost the input volume…
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well technically i don’t need outboard to get proper levels into my DAW but how my system works I have all my elektrons going in through 4 stereo pairs of my interface then summed internally through the UAD mixer and sent over a stereo sum through the apollo’s outputs into my 500 series rack and then that stereo signal goes in to a burl b2 adc.
that returns on spdif to my apollo where i add another chain of plugs on the stereo master bus if i need to add more. This gets printed to my DAW along with all my elektrons as stems unprocessed. In terms of levels i don’t like my extreme peaks to pass -3 to -5 db but generally sitting in the green around -9 to -10 db. You can drive the b2 adc pretty hard, it has an input attenuator on the front that sits after the transformer so you can mix into it hot without clipping by attentuating the signal, or lightly with no attentuation for a more transparent sound.
I don’t tend to do any post processing after recording, just jam out adjust my eq/comp to taste and get my levels right and just print stems and my final stereo sum to my daw. this way I have raw stems for future work and a nice stereo “tape” return from the elysia -> b2 chain in my DAW for archiving the jam/session
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Well I must be one of the very few, but I’m pretty satisfied that Elektron included an input on the the AR.
This is possibly due to my very specific setup, that might look like blasphemy to a sound engineer. If it can be of any use to anyone, here it is:
Players are as follows: Teenage Engineering OP-1, Analog Rytm, multitrack audio interface (RME) and Ableton Live (standard edition)
- OP-1 and Analog Rytm are more than enough because both machines are soooo vast and complex that it’s already a lot to control in a live setting (I mainly do live acts)
- The OP-1 single stereo output and the 8 separate outputs of the AR are all fed into my multi-track audio interface.
- The separate outputs of the AR should be excluded from the mains (in the Routing menu).
- On my computer I use Ableton Live, essentially as a mixer and not much else.
- I send the main stereo output of Ableton Live, with all the AR+OP-1 tracks, into the stereo input of the AR.
- My (active) monitors are directly plugged to the main output of the AR, so it acts more or less like another audio interface, just before the speakers, treating the mains.
This way, all the tracks are nicely compressed together using the terrific analogue compressor of the AR. The OP-1 and AR complement each other quite well, the OP-1 sounding very digital and the AR very, well, analogue. Level is not an issue, and even if it was, I could do something about it in Ableton Live. I use the OP-1 essentially for pads and long release sounds, and it’s nice to have its very peculiar synths processed with the analogue compressor of the AR. The sounds of the Elektron work not unlike a side-chain signal for the OP-1, adding a rhythmic dimension to pads and background waves. And everything is more or less under control.
Drawback: The other effects of the AR are out of the game, because, reverb, delay, and even distortion, all intervene ahead of the compressor :-/
I’m still working on finding a work-for-all setting on the compressor of the AR, so any comment is welcome
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Monomachine seems to going ok into the input and compressor.
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I too love the compressor. But in my case I like that it comes after the other effects! I mix everything on the Elektrons, the A4 connected to the AK which is connected to the AR. So I gainstage the AR, and apply mild compression when I am satisfied with the mix. This way my mixes get very loud, at -6 DBs, with reasonable dynamics and mild analogue distortion at extreme cases (but sometimes creatively), and my mastering engineer is very happy about it! And I believe that is why the input level is set that low, because even after gainstaging, it takes very little compression to bring a lot of loudness, and a little more to start clipping!
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Just wanted to add my findings. I hadn’t had any reason to use the input so left it alone, however I knew people were raising the issue. That was until I wanted to put an SP303 in it and have a sweet little grimey duo.
I had my fears I’d be disappointed (unbalanced RCAs), and was, until I remixed the AR around the SP303 and redid the compressor, hitting the makeup gain.
Gorgeous. Sounds great. And I know a lot of people also think the makeup gain adds noise…it’s probably due to people mixing too high to begin with.
Reduce the heat to simmer people and add more ingredients!!!
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I’ve got a Rytm on its way to me, which I’m super excited about btw 
Wondering if anyone has experience running an OP1 through the external input. Should I plan on getting a box to boost the signal, or does the OP1 have enough output to be heard without having to lower the volume of all of the Rytm’s internal sounds?
The op-1 compressor is fine to drive it hot enough into the AR, no need for any external amplification.
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I’m hoping there is a “SURPRISE!!! AR mki can sample now too!” If they’re runnin the same software…
you dream
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the mk II has all-new sampling inputs for the sampling, so no hope of that being the case I’m afraid…
AR into A4 much better and is how i use it.
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But you have to setup your external input volume on all the kits.
I have opposite opinion. AR has compressor and EXT IN goes trough it. So it is better to send A4 to AR and have compression based on AR+A4 signal.
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When I had the A4 I loved running Rytm through it, p-locking the FX, panning, and volume for some crazy stuff. However the most coherent mixes I made were by piping the A4 into Rytm to smoosh things together nicely.
I wish the Master FX and distortion could be applied to the EXT In, but the compressor alone is pretty nice.
I just revisited this idea of gainstaging the AR to compensate for its low input. It actually works quite well.
It seems to me there are two good options: 1. Turn down the track levels. 2. Turn down the AMP levels.
In both cases, given the gain structure of the AR, it seems the only effect this has on the sound (aside from volume, obviously) is the input to the AR’s compressor is weaker, so you must lower the threshold more to get the same amount of compression. Additionally, the overall output volume of the AR is quieter, so you can either boost the compressor’s makeup gain or boost the signal elsewhere in your mixer chain, which in my case, would be turning up the input on the OT.
I am currently favoring this option: Turn down AMP levels in AR, and turn up makeup gain in AR compressor.
To me, turning down the AMP levels instead of the track levels allows me to save those levels with my kit, so that using that same kit in other projects works the same way. And, I like using the track level more for mixing.
I am pretty happy that I can run my Moog into my DN, my DN into my AR, and my AR into my OT without any other mixers, all with the nice compression of the AR.
Any thoughts on this? Any better ways? Any obvious problems?
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