When I hum basslines to myself, this is how they feel. I’ve tried to do this on the Rytm a bit. I should practice more so I stop GASing for a Four.
I can’t wrap my head around this. A demo would be awesome
Been experimenting with performance macros lately, just trying to get faster at setting them up and a better sense of what kinds of parameters work well for hands-on jamming.
Here’s a single pattern loop with some knob tweaks over the top, pretty simple macro assignments (filters, effect sends, envelope decay, etc.) but they make the A4 really nice to play.
I was thinking about doing a video on it, but haven’t found the time or energy for it. I can show you this in the mean time, though!
Recorded through the Digitakt for a bit of compression:
With a compressor, EQ, preamp sim, and limiter added in post:
(plugins used: TDR Molotok, TDR SlickEQ, SGA Phoenix, TDR Limiter 6)
I made a 16 step pattern using one voice and one track, and jammed for a minute tweaking a few performance macros that all affect different parameters on that one track.
I sure am glad I already have an AK…
this is exactly what i love about elektron boxes. that kind of workflow is so hard to get anywhere else. its so easy to make a little one instrument masterpiece once you get your workflow down. and when you realize how powerful those interconnected tools and dynamic interplay between patterns can be, its a very empowering feeling
the a4 is the best for this. esp with the qper knob set to 4 tracks of filter 1&2 freq and some overdrive/fx wet params
the first time i used slides was maybe 3-4 months ago, and the very first experiment i did was the coolest sounding thing ive ever made. i had swing set like midway to full, and some low 808 style bass sounds doing the grooviest shit you can imagine. but unfortunately it had been a while since i last used an a4 and i forgot how to save kits alongside patterns so that you could reload the whole thing properly, so i lost it before i could record it
i also really love setting up the qper knob like i mentioned before for all 4 tracks, then using it when im patching and sound designing, so i can non-destructively experiment a little more radically than i would otherwise for some very pleasant surprises with little effort. its so powerful for building on top of pre existing sounds.
another thing i really like is making four very similar patches that just slightly differ in envelope decay, filter freq, overdrive, filter key tracking, maybe subtle pwm/fm/am/sync, and then laying down a nice melody on T1, move to track 2, paste that pattern from t1 and hold func+right arrow a couple times to shift it to the right, and do the same for 3 & 4. then you have this seemingly complex beautiful melody that sounds more like a vermona perfourmer or mono/poly type instrument playing a complex rhythmic pattern rather than a groovebox or something
I turned this little pattern into a full track and recorded a video of it:
T1: Lead
T2: Arp
T3: Hihats and extra snares
T4: Kick/bass and main snare
Performance macros:
A, B, C, F: The “intensity” of the lead, arp, hats, and kick/bass, respectively
E: Increases delay/reverb
G: highpass on the kick/bass
H: Engages the kick/bass’ 2nd LFO to change the rythm
I: Changes some parameters on the kick/bass to make an “alternate” sound