Oh, I don’t interface it with MAX, I’ve been developing a patch to use with my modular via an ES8.
The explorations on solo OT are in the single cycle waveform zone. Sounding like computer music almost. League of Automatic Music Composers, Florian Hecker, Marcus Schmickler, Alku/EVOL, that sort of thing I guess is what I hear anyway.
Spent this morning setting up a tracking/mixing template in Studio One. I’m really impressed with the DAW so far. The iOS app worked instantly and is great for a more tactile interaction with the mixer and saves a lot of monitor real estate by allowing the on screen mixer to be hidden.
I bought the prepared piano instrument and have been running it through HOK Omega 458A. It sounds wild.
I’d love to see Elektron do 8 voice versions of all their synths.
Yo I love studio one 4 too.
The chord track is great for me, I can come back to a song I recorded guitar ideas for a while ago and right back into it, cuz it’s all written up top!
UGH youre lile a much better version of me. Would you tell me a little bit about how you are tracking in? Are you making entire tracks on the machines then recording in when its done? Or are you recording things in bit by bit?
Ive just bought an 8 input interface so i can track in livw. Thanks!
Here is my input configuration:
As for workflow, I generally work in an Ableton Live .als project per tune.
I’ll name the .als project file based on which pattern blocks I am using with which hardware.
So, for instance Drumatix9_13-16+Monologue90.als (this means Drumatix Pattern Bank 9, patterns 13 thru 16, with Monologue pattern #90)
or TT6_2_5-8+DigitoneA1-4 (TT606 Pattern Bank 2, patterns 5 thru 8, with Digitone patterns A1-A4)
This allows me to recall projects semi-manually without having to rely on MIDI program changes from Live to load the correct programs, as I trigger patterns manually when I record anyway. I will sometimes employ MIDI program changes from Live to Monologue, for compositional purposes, but my TT606 and Drumatix don’t respond to these messages so I try not to rely on them.
From there, I mix in Live and compose on the hardware. It is a hybrid, multitrack setup.
The MOTU Ultralite allows me a low 2ms input latency and 2ms output latency, and I make sure to use plug-ins that add zero or very minimal latency while I record. Waves API EQs, Ableton Live DAW FX, and Audio Damage VSTs are what I use most during recording.
Live is good about compensating for plug-ins that do add latency, but I want as little latency during recording as possible since my main recording is a “live performance” of sorts. I also work to get a great sound during the composition phase as it makes me excited to finish the track.
I will generally record a performance into the Arranger, about 6 to 9 minutes long. Loads of live knob tweaks and different mute configurations. Working to do as much of the arrangement live as I can, as there is some magic in that realtime performance.
After that I will tweak the arrangement, often removing a few minutes of total length, lining up certain passages differently, which is easy thanks to multi-track recording.
I will also duplicate and effect certain instruments to create additional layers. Pitching a Monologue recording down an octave with a lot of processing for a heavier bass, or pitching a small slice of a Digitone passage up an octave with a wash of reverb and chorus to create a pad sound. If I have recorded 10 tracks, I may end up with 12-14 tracks as I develop the arrangement.
It’s a flexible setup and the ultra low latency MOTU Ultralite makes it feel unified, more unified than any other hybrid setup I have had. I am pleased with the results.
Thank you so much for the generous and detailed response, I appreciate it a lot.
Ive been making tunes mainly entirely in the octatrack. From there I record a 2 track of the OT Main outs as I change patterns and mute/unmute elements live to create a rough arrangement. Like you I will probably reduce that arrangement down by cutting out bits I don’t want, sometimes I don’t cut it at all. THEN I record in each individual part from each pattern and painstakingly go through and chop everything into blocks with all variations. I use these blocks to recreate the live arrangement 100% true to the original recording and then work from there.
Obviously this is the slowest possible way to work but I cant create arrangements bar by bar any more now that I know the magic of live arrangement that you mention. I just bought an M Audio M track 8 interface (hasn’t arrived yet) that will hopefully push me further. I want arrangements where the lines are blurred and things don’t just enter/leave the music every 32 beats. This has been in my thoughts every day for weeks now. Its also great to have only 10ish tracks imo. You have to make sure that whatever you include makes a real difference, you have to try and balance out the elements and its helping me to try my hardest to think about filling out the frequencies nicely (something im really set on doing for consistency of mix purposes). People who layer up 40 audio tracks make music that is likely not to excite me.
I didn’t understand how the AD converters gave you extra inputs, and I didn’t understand why latency would be such a deal but I’m sure ill probably find out - I don’t want to veer this thread miles off topic (something I have a massive habit of doing) so you can leave that a mystery for me to work out lol
The way you have everything set up is very organised and well thought out, I have learnt a lot and again I thank you. cheers
2 ms? Jesus, I wish, the lowest I can go is 128 samples. I however don’t monitor in software so I get away with it, but still.
Is there tricks to lower overall latency in Mac OS?
Cheers.
My tricks are the ones I mentioned, use only plug-ins with 0 latency, and do your research on interfaces and what latency they actually operate at. After two months research, I went with the MOTU even though it is USB and not Thunderbolt, because of the low latency.
The 2ms is at 64 samples, btw.
MOTU! Running Ultralite AVB ether to 8A thunder to computer. Pure love.
A serious set up none the less though! Cheers.
Here is my hardware and software setup …
Hardware (Synth, Drum Machine, Soundcard & Controller)
Software - Mixer/Soundcard
Below is the Routing Tab layout of my Motu soundcard. I have actually two Motu soundcards (8A & UltraLite AVB). The configuration can handle 24 analog inputs as follows:
It delivers a very low round-trip latency (RTL) performance of 5.3 ms at 48kHz over USB3 with a 64-sample host buffer size.
Software - DAW
All my non-USB external hardware are connected to Ableton through an External Instrument device (exemple below with the Analog Rytm)
Analog Plugin (Heat)
I use my Heat as an “analog” insert in Ableton (External Audio Effect)
I’m currently in recovery mode from GAS. I’ve sold a few hardware recently and it has been 12 months since I didn’t buy a plugin 
I’m currently studying the Rytm mkII (there are some threads here which are invaluable. Thanks).
I’m still learning the technical aspects of music production and hopefully I could create some good music and have fun in a near future. That doesn’t mean that I don’t like the technical side but it is sometimes very hard to be a perfectionist and a “music producer”
Thanks to all the Elektronauts for the inspiration
Do you have an adat expander for the Apollo?
Oh man!Really drooling for the ACL stuff!!!Played their big system in Berlin’s Superbooth and for me was the MVP!!!
drumatix, TT606 and DR-110? isn’t there a lot of overlap there?
Not if you write 100% electro
not if you’re moby
I really like this. Clean and focused with good input stages.
