So I hooked up my A4 to a keyboard to play with it. I don’t actually know why I hadn’t before, actually. I think I was motivated by all the talk of the keyboard version that is coming.
One thing that they must fix before releasing the new version is the zipper noise you here as you modify certain controllers via MIDI. I can’t believe I am typing that as a complaint on a device made after 2005! Or rally anything past 1995!
All you need to do to here it is put the resonance on the filter up and assign modwheel to filter cuttoff. Hold a note and move the wheel fast and you will here a very terribly stepped output. Moving it slowing with a MIDI analyzer running, I could see that it isn’t the controller skipping MIDI values, either. Incrementing by a single data value results in an instantaneous step instead of a smooth transition.
Now, I know…this is an device and MIDI is digital. But my Poly Evolver is the same tech and it’s got a completely smooth MIDI response thanks to a simple smoothing done in the DAC that affects the CV.
They need to address this. Or maybe elektron users don’t really care. I don’t know. It really reinforces my feeling that the A4 was rushed out to meet Elektron’s new forced release cycle, rather than incubating until it was really done. I just don’t get it.
Could it possibly be due to the A4 encoders having two different parameter resolutions and your midi controller may be addressing a “lower midi resolution bit rate like 7 instead of 14” ? Just a thought and a question as am an A4 owner but I could be seriously bummed if new OS does not implement full midi out and make it so an A4 can be seamlessly integrated into the new AK.
I DO know I had connected the Keith McMillen QuNexus with KMI Midi Expander to the A4 and I did NOT experience ‘zipper noise’ when modulating filter by moving finger on key sensors of QuNexus.
However, was bummed since then learned I would not be able to INPUT Aftertouch and modulational dynamics INTO sequencer while recording on A4, (nor do A4 mini keys, having to input each and every as a separate step can be killjoy on creativity if one is a keys player) so there’s some kind indeed of “midi limitation” incorporated or inherently with A4 and yes, would like to see the liberty and freedom of 2013 studio instruments rather than being entirely “Elektron-centric”…my 2 Euro
The A4 interpolates control data. I have automated the cutoff via midi cc and it was smooth. You should check your settings and double check for any anomalies in your midi data or controller.
Hoping the forthcoming OS update will enable the recording of keyboard mod wheel and pitch bend onto the sequencer…
[quote=“” johnny""]
The A4 interpolates control data. I have automated the cutoff via midi cc and it was smooth. You should check your settings and double check for any anomalies in your midi data or controller.
Hoping the forthcoming OS update will enable the recording of keyboard mod wheel and pitch bend onto the sequencer…
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It’s not a missing bit of code that we can’t record MW/AT/PB, it’s a conceptual choice they’ve made - it makes sense when you think about how the sequencer works - it is not a daw - there are only 16>64 steps
to OP
use Nrpn or hi-res cc when you can anyway, much better resolution - you are missing a tonne of sweetspots in your filter response by using 7bit midi
@namnibor - learn to love your machine, it is seriously awesome, we have a lot of similar gear, and the A4 trumps then all, i don’t think it will ever get midi sequencing, it has cv sequencing and the UI is quite dense already - they have an Octatrack for that - trust me this thing is a beast and you will not yearn to pipe some lesser synths thru it if you get stuck in there - celebrate it for what it is, don’t castigate it for not doing something it probably won’t
word on the street is that poly implementation is out of this world
It’s not a missing bit of code that we can’t record MW/AT/PB, it’s a conceptual choice they’ve made - it makes sense when you think about how the sequencer works - it is not a daw - there are only 16>64 steps[/quote]
Well, we’ll have to wait and see about that
i think i may be missing a nuance here, because the workaround is to play on time but there seems to be demand for a more universal approach - if that’s the case, it’d be a good plan to let Elektron know - do these other synths that work in a different way have sequencers & micro-timing - but the issue is that the playing-the-arp-trigs can be unquantized (relative to clock) before they get sequenced or recorded - same applies to playing notes or manual arpeggios i guess, so a system to prohibit microtiming is needed, what happens when you have a slow tempo - the latency would be noticeable ?!
put in a feature request, i think there was another thread about this recently, clearly a demand
This is without the sequencer running at all…no recording happening. I am just hooking up a keyboard to it and playing it from the keyboard. its not quantizing in TIME, its quantizing the values so you here a stepped out put instead of a smooth glide. Instead of a nice filter sweep, you here a series of discrete values.
crossed wires - oops - i was talking about arpeggiator, the filter sweeps need to be performed internally to get the best smoothing, even pressing the encoder down will result in an accelerated scan through the values, it does not interpolate, if it does the stepping via midi it’s a pity, but the hi-res midi would help that and i can assure you that nrpn sweeps are very smooth, they may well be able to incorporate a midi smoothing algorithm, but i guess most of their focus is on the internal sequencing side - same applies, ask then to consider your concerns - i’ve had replies (albeit generally brief, though polite) to nearly all my feature requests, clearly they’ve been busy lately
what’s your controller ,does it support nrpn, if so, give it a go, not many do, that’s why i get most joy from Lemur on ipad or doing it via the mac when i want external control of params
i can assure you i never program sequences or make anything like dubstep or idm, i find it to be a very beautiful instrument now, see the thread on filter feedback - i’d not enjoy steppy sweeps though, i was a bit put off by the accelerated encoder steppiness, but that’s the best they have for now
