I want to use my OT to control the pattern selections on my MM, MD, and A4. My goal is to sequence a whole song on exchange devices sequencers, then organize the patterns on the OT so I don’t need to create song modes on each device. Is this possible? If I start the OT on pattern B01, do I need to use the same patterns on the other devices? Am I going to complicate things by not just programming song mode on each device?
up ?
I cannot chain today the OT and A4 ? Programchanges with chains from OT are working ?
If scales correspond, it should work.
You have several options to consider:
The simplest option is to enable MIDI Program Change messages to be sent from the Octatrack and received by the MM, MD, and Analog Four. Whenever the OT changes pattern, the other instruments change to the same number pattern (for example, changing to B02 on OT changes all the other units to pattern B02). The advantage of this method is the simplicity.
Another option is to use the OT’s MIDI sequencer. If you set a MIDI Program Change number on an OT MIDI sequencer track and save the Part, when you switch the OT to a pattern connected to that Part the OT will send the Program Change message on the MIDI channel of the OT’s MIDI sequencer track. The advantage of this method is that you can specify any Program Change number (so the pattern numbers don’t have to be aligned on all the instruments); the disadvantage is that there are only 4 Parts per bank on the OT.
Alternatively, the MM, MD, and AF all provide the (Multi) Map feature, which allows them to change pattern on receipt of a specific MIDI Note message. So you could change pattern on any of the other instruments just by sending the appropriate MIDI Note message from the OT’s MIDI sequencer. You can do this on any step of the sequencer tracks. It’s the most flexible method, but also potentially the most chaotic.
All these methods are more spontaneous than use of the Arranger/Song modes on all devices, which is optimized for (but not limited to) arrangements where the exact shape and duration of the ‘song’ is predetermined.
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I feel like the first way of doing things is the easiest, but then it means you can’t use the same pattern with different channels muted in various places throughout the track.
My options seem to be (for my current purpose) to have patterns B01-B16 set up with proper mutes and such on each device, then sequence it all from the OT, OR to use just a few patterns and program on each device in song mode so I can use the mutes.
Thanks, Peter!
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