Yeah it’s a big undertaking for sure. I like to not plan that much in advance, because then you’ll encounter the real obstacles that anyone would face while doing stuff. But doing this unplanned, in a teaching manner, would take like, 10-15 hours of recording, and be highly unstructured, and nightmare to edit and watch.
But perhaps there’s a more specific key here that could propel you to the next level? Like program change, sync, pattern mirroring etc?
Obviously there’s really a lot of ways to achieve the dynamic aspect of a live performance with all 3 machines, for example the A4 performance controls, RYTM performance and scenes, and OT scene transitions using the slider. Most likely it would be a combination of all of them. So, as the tutorial masters above said, it’s a complicated subject and there’s not a single correct way to do things.
I think for many people it’s fairly easy to create a single decent-sounding pattern, but the problem may be to spread it to an evolving performance with dynamic control. Maybe “From idea to single pattern” could be one tutorial and then “From single pattern to a song” another one. And possibly the dynamic performance with all 3 machines could be a tutorial of its own. It’s quite a wide topic. Well, just some thoughts…
I understand that this would be a huge work, probably an entire course over many episodes. My take on this is that I am really impressed by the work and talent @cuckoomusic and @CarlMikaelBjork puts down into their work that helps lift up the knowledge for all users in this community.
So IF any one could pull something like that through, it would be one of them! 
If I see you guys around Möllan in Malmö some day, a beer’s on me 
Thanks guys!!
After sitting behind the dark trinity for a while; I’ve found two machines to be my sweet spot for live performances. For me it’s the OT/rytm combo. Anything I might need a third unit for can be sampled and played back from either box.
Once I can really take command of these two together (I’m getting there) then maybe I’ll add the aKeys back into the equation.
My current workflow with the OT/rytm combo is:
a) make a few unique rytm patterns
b) live-sample a beat on to the OT
c) this sampled beat is one side of the crossfader, live feed is the other side of crossfader
d) playing the sampled beat I can mute parts of the live pattern or change patterns completely on the rytm and crossfade in new elements/pattern
e) work your way through the rytm patterns
With propper settings on the OT you can go from a rytm-kit to a whole song in just a matter of minutes.
Edit: this seems like such a simple workflow but took sitting behind the OT for almost two years before things became smooth.
Why does.the a4 not fit so well
Poor a4. It wants to play too!
I’ve been playing the A4 today, and it was sweet. 
Comes from the guy who ditched all of them, in favour of the Octatrack alone! Ha ha…
I think, with careful planning, it can be really fun playing with the Octatrack alone. But that Rytm has got 12 tracks to work with! That is great. And the new synth engines are pretty darn tasty.
do you mean a Tutorial for something dreamy like this?
But with A4, AR and OT? Instead of the old Trinity? 
I would love that as well. Maybe i’ll do something like this somewhere in the future. When i finally moved to my new home i hope that i have some time again …
reading the comments on this now - and now i know what this is all about 
Hehe, yeah. A “how to perform with Dark Trinity” Tutorial isnt easy. I would say: Its nearly impossible. Each machine has its own methods of live performing - the Rytm offers the Scenes and Performances, the A4 offers the Performances and the OT has the Scenes again. They are different in what they offer here, so you thread them differently.
It largely depends on what type of Music you want to create. Personally, i always liked working with pre-made patterns and pattern chains. Turning stuff on and off with the Mutes and doing variations on the fly with the scenes on the Rytm and the Performances on the A4. Havent used the OT for a while though.
If you create contemporary electronic music (or generally more commercial type of music) its pretty easy: prepare the basic patterns and their variants on the machines to your liking - deciding what you wanna take from what. the drums from the AR for example, bass and lead sound from the A4 and some sampled loops (like strings and even vocals) from the OT: prepare them on the same bank and pattern spots so that you dont get confused. and now either arrange them in song mode or pattern chain them. prepare variations with scenes and performances and your good to go
sounds easy, but isnt - i know. when i moved to my new home i will connect the dark trinity again - as i then have the space to do so. and if i find the time i will do a tutorial on a track i already have in mind with them
Woop!
For me, it is easier to coax a nearly full song/loop out of the RYTM. With 12 tracks and pad-mutes.
The bigger reason the A4/keys doesn’t make the cut; I also have a prophet 6. It just sounds so good.
Sitting behind 3 Elektron boxes just wasn’t all that inspiring, for me. There’s so much sequencer. I needed some other flavor. P6 fits that bill in spades.
Let’s keep this thread alive… How do others incorporate 3 elektron’s or 2 elektrons + something else.
Thanks.
I have a4, rytm and OT, just learning them individually at the moment so curious as to your workflow with these machines. having P6 adds another dimension.
love the dreamy vid
If you just got 2 of the 3, I recommend trying all kinds of things over time.
So many ways to hook it all up, and each one has it’s strengths and weaknesses.
I had to make a few tracks on each individually to help understand all of it.
I’ve tried a lot of things, but in the end it has become more and more simplified.
I treat the A4/AR/OT like one instrument driven by the OT.
A4 > OT A&B
AR > OT C&D
If I use external gear they get piped into the A4, and anything else into the AR.
For example, sometimes I route external synths into the A4, sometimes the computer out put.
In the end it all gets handled by the 3 boxes, everything else just becomes a tool for sounds.
Thats just me though.
Lots of ways to do things.
When I had a Tempest, I ran the kick and snare to the OT A&B, and the Master outs to the C&D.
With a hardware mixer I tend to want a everything to go to the mixer, and use the mixer routing to go to the OT.
Some like the AR > A4, some like the A4 > OT > AR for the compression.
I do like using the CUE outs of the OT for external processing.
I also like using it for sending to dub style delays.
Seems like the Monitor Station V2 will offer lots of possibilities.
Again though, once you figure out how the OT fits in your set up, you may re-think everything.
Alternatively to use the OT as the center for audio streams, I would suggest to consider the use of one of those small mixers. I find it convenient, to hit a mute/unmute button occasionally or ride the faders …
I sometimes use Push as chief director - switching scenes/patterns on Rytm and Keys for me.
You could also make one of your instruments the boss by having it send program changes for pattern change.
Curious on what you mean by “templates”.
Use program changes to keep all patterns switching together
I just remembered. One of the elektronauts(I can’t remember his name, but he’s a swell fella) made an ableton plug in to control the dark Trinity. I’m not sure if this will help your specific needs, but this mixed with OB you should be all set!
I have keys, rytm and octatrack… and love it.
Rytm is my master, since I feel most confident with that one…
it sends midi to octatrack, and octatrack sends the midi through to the keys
not only tempo, and start… but also the pattern changes come from Rytm
Both the keys and the rytm send audio to Octatrack
I used to use the Thru machines for it, but had problems with the sound…
so now they go in the Dir (=127) in the mixer menu of the Octatrack
I reserve one track in the octatrack for looping. So Track 1 is connected to Flex machine and recorder 1
The reason is, that if I record a loop, and I go to another pattern, this new pattern still has the recorder 1 and is playing exactly the same loop… this I use for song transition.
I use track 2, 3 and 4 on the OT for crossfader fills (I also use the fill mode on my Rytm and my Keys)
In octatrack I record a loop from my rytm… and slice it and make new patterns with it. Not only the order is changes, but for example also reversed. Many ways to create nice fills…
To play with the fills, I use the crossfader and scenes on the OT. The scenes turn down the volume of the incoming Rytm, and turn up the volume of the track 2, 3 or for, containing the fill loops.
Track 8 on the OT is my faster
track 5, 6 and 7 contain samples, like voices… (at the moment I am busy with ‘a thousant kisses deep’, a poem by leonard cohen.
I hope it helps… If people have remarks, of ideas… I’d love to hear about it…
At some point I’m gonna have to figure a way to perform live with these things, which will completely change how I go about my elektron setup. I’ve just spent the last 2 years just on love with composing with Elektron and exploring the sound(it was my first electronic gear…before that schitz folk).
What are you doing for visuals?