What to add to the Elektron gear: a midi controller or effects?

wascal · 2013-10-07T14:50:22.000Z

I bought a Kaoss Pad 3 shortly after getting my OT but sold it a few months later.

It was a fun bit of kit but it was way too noisy compared to the rest of my setup. I don’t know whether I had a dodgy one or whether I was being fussy but it seemed to put out a constant low level hiss.

Either way, sold it and bought an MPD32 and I’ve got much more mileage out of that than the KP3.

jonah · 2013-10-07T17:37:43.000Z

Do you have a patchbay?

Ihatederekreed · 2013-10-07T19:24:00.000Z

The eventide space is amazing. I love using a midi track on OT set to 1/8th scale to live record insane automation. You can Plock some very very intense transistions. Any of the eventide stuff is great.

Goseba · 2013-10-07T19:49:18.000Z

The Eventide Space looks good but too much for my budget at the moment.

myonemanband · 2013-10-07T20:16:44.000Z

Just to add a counter opinion, I use and LOVE the KP3 ,

I use it to process my ESX electribe but I could see it working equally as well in an oT setting.

I love the motion record feature for adding small undulations and glitches to my patterns, to me it is definatley a “less is more” machine, but some of the sounds I have made through it, I can’t seem tofind elsewhere.

Just my 2ps

Goseba · 2013-10-07T20:31:25.000Z

A second hand KP3 or Quad are in my budget.

Interestingly no one has yet suggested the midi controller route.

guga · 2013-10-07T20:38:55.000Z

not sure if this is something you would be interested in…

RyanElektric · 2013-10-07T20:40:26.000Z

You’re running 4 sequencers: a MIDI controller isn’t a top priority since Elektrons are a one or two button presses+knob per function.

The KP3 does have its place in a 4 Elektron Box workflow- I just think it take more effort and concentration away from your actual instruments than it gives you back in sound richness and/or character.

Goseba · 2013-10-07T20:44:11.000Z

I was thinking more Novation Zero, ie, lots of buttons, sliders, knobs.

I have been thinking this evening about another approach. I have an old laptop and am thinking of using that as a midi controller. I could use Bomes to customize midi messages to my needs. It would be easy to create track mutes, solos, or whatever.

RyanElektric · 2013-10-07T20:47:06.000Z

Sounds like you’d be better off with a mixer. Like this (the one I have and love):

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ZED14?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=none&device=c&network=g&matchtype=&gclid=CL_629zLhboCFSRxQgodt1UA2g

Probably most trying thing you could with your set up is to try to do it without a mixer.

RyanElektric · 2013-10-07T20:49:13.000Z

You could also get one of slightly lower quality that has built in FX. Some of the budget mixers have some decent reverbs. Two birds with one stone- control over your volume and track mutes plus some basic FX.

Goseba · 2013-10-07T20:50:51.000Z

At the moment they run in to a rack mount mixer, although I do have an old small Soundcraft mixer tucked away somewhere I could get out.

Using midi commands from Bomes for example, I could mutes all tracks of all machines and just solo one track with just one press of a key.

RyanElektric · 2013-10-07T21:04:04.000Z

I don’t see that being quite that useful considering you’ll be punching in your next sequences and possibly a new project while you are soloing one track. The Octatrack IS a MIDI controller, and a good one, for the other boxes.

Just watch the vids of all the “masters” with 4 Elektrons- not a keyboard in sight and the only MIDI controller I saw was a DIY thing that emulated the “joystick” modulation thing from the Monomachine keyboard edition.

But to each his own: if that’s the way you see it all working for you then go for it!

guga · 2013-10-08T15:21:44.000Z

""RyanElektric"":

I don’t see that being quite that useful considering you’ll be punching in your next sequences and possibly a new project while you are soloing one track. The Octatrack IS a MIDI controller, and a good one, for the other boxes.

Just watch the vids of all the “masters” with 4 Elektrons- not a keyboard in sight and the only MIDI controller I saw was a DIY thing that emulated the “joystick” modulation thing from the Monomachine keyboard edition.

But to each his own: if that’s the way you see it all working for you then go for it!

just for the sake of it: the DIY thing that emulates the ‘joystick’ on the MnM is actually a MIDI controller which integrates nicely with the MnM and gives it some extra features. the controller is getting a face lift at the moment but the old version is still available if anyone is interested. more info here

Goseba · 2013-10-08T17:16:29.000Z

""guga"":

just for the sake of it: the DIY thing that emulates the ‘joystick’ on the MnM is actually a MIDI controller which integrates nicely with the MnM and gives it some extra features. the controller is getting a face lift at the moment but the old version is still available if anyone is interested. more info here

I didn’t realise that the SFX was a DIY controller, I’ll keep track of this anyway.

guga · 2013-10-08T17:38:51.000Z

[quote=““Goseba””]

guga:

just for the sake of it: the DIY thing that emulates the ‘joystick’ on the MnM is actually a MIDI controller which integrates nicely with the MnM and gives it some extra features. the controller is getting a face lift at the moment but the old version is still available if anyone is interested. more info here

I didn’t realise that the SFX was a DIY controller, I’ll keep track of this anyway.[/quote]
the SFX-JII comes as a DIY kit as well but you would need to make some changes on the board (using the remaining PCBs from the public beta) and build the enclosure yourself otherwise you could get the fully assembled one. the new model should hopefully be available soon, it all depends on how long it’ll take to get the new enclosure and PCB ready.

Goseba · 2013-10-08T17:40:28.000Z

""guga"":

[quote=“Goseba”][quote=“guga”]
just for the sake of it: the DIY thing that emulates the ‘joystick’ on the MnM is actually a MIDI controller which integrates nicely with the MnM and gives it some extra features. the controller is getting a face lift at the moment but the old version is still available if anyone is interested. more info here

I didn’t realise that the SFX was a DIY controller, I’ll keep track of this anyway.[/quote]
the SFX-JII comes as a DIY kit as well but you would need to make some changes on the board (using the remaining PCBs from the public beta) and build the enclosure yourself otherwise you could get the fully assembled one. the new model should hopefully be available soon, it all depends on how long it’ll take to get the new enclosure and PCB ready.[/quote]
OK, thanks. I’ll keep watch.

zfigz · 2013-10-12T13:56:42.000Z

I’ve been thinking of getting a a sfx=jii, but not sure if i should wait for the new one.

Goseba · 2013-10-12T15:55:57.000Z

For now I have bought a MIDI CPU and am going to build my own small midi controller.

guga · 2013-10-12T16:28:21.000Z

""zfigz"":

I’ve been thinking of getting a a sfx=jii, but not sure if i should wait for the new one.

hi zfigz, the main differences between the new and the old one will be the enclosure, the PCB and the price; the overall layout/functionality will remain the same so it’s really up to you whether you want to grab one of the remaining beta models or wait for the new one to come out…