A MachineDrum misconception (now shattered)

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#1
  • Warning * Consider this a rant and perhaps just a newbie mistake written up for you to reflect upon.

So… My own misconception about how the MachineDrum stores patterns has been SHATTERED! >_<

I’ve been having my MachineDrum trigger my DSI Evolver a lot lately, first via an Impulse Machine into the Evolvers audio input and having it advance the sequencer, and now via midi the same way. The evolver has a variety of methods to trigger the sequence in different ways… Anyways… I digress.

I had this brilliant idea to use program changes to have the evolver go from one patch to the next. This works brilliantly!

So I had this idea to create one pattern on the MD that plays program 14 on the Evolver, and the next pattern would flip the Evolver over to program 15. So I created a second evolver patch based on my first, changed some of the notes slightly and saved it to patch 15.

Next I created a duplicate of my MachineDrum pattern and turned the little knob to set it over to program 15 (midi out). I heard the patch change immediately.

Next I switched back to the previous pattern on the MD and I heard no patch change on the Evolver… I scratched my head…

What I learned (or maybe I already knew this on paper?) is that the MachineDrum patterns don’t store any changes to the individual machines…This means the only way to save changes to a pattern is with P-Locks… which… Can be great but now I’ve gotta carefully copy/paste changes I want over the entire pattern, over the entire pattern.

I guess ultimately I’m kinda disappointed… The strangest thing is I didn’t really notice this until now (4 months after purchase)

Little misconceptions like this… geeze.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Carry on.

#2

If I understand correctly - wouldn’t it be a little easier to just create a kit per pattern? The kits would be identical except for the Prog change number?

#3

That IS true. Given that I don’t have a +Drive I’ve got a maximum of 64-kits…

The limitations on memory seem strange to me, in this device. I can do what I want with a bunch of P-Lock changes on each pattern… Or if I had a plus drive I could have 128x64 unique kits if I recall.

Almost tempted to spend the cash for a +Drive upgrade…

#4

Another approach might be song mode. I’ve never used song mode but there may be a way to send a prog change on a new song transition? Just trying to save you 290 for the upgrade - but maybe it’s worth it in the long run…?

#5

The MachineDrum is 2000-2001 technology, vintage! That’s part of why the memory is what it is. The +drive is the 2011-2012 workaround.

#6

The +drive is worth it!

Another kit or a simple p-lock should do it. Really - one p-lock.