Ok firstly I admit I am struggling with the built in sequencer with this kit. Used workstations before, but this one has beaten me.
So onwards and upwards to implement in workflow.
I work within Cubase 7.5 along with other kit :
NI Maschine for drums and samples.
x0xb0x either remote sync but tend to record midi into cubase for timing.
Virus TI over USB, 1/4" used for bouncing/mixdown.
TC Fireworx external hardware effects
Various vstplugins instruments/effects.
All hardware routed through a Fireface 800 and set up as external instruments.
Where I am struggling (and this should be simple in theory), I have set up the AK as an external instrument with the option for midi 1-4 for 4 slots and 4audio outs routed into the Fireface (FF).
How are people using the AK within their workflow with the DAW environment.
Hey. I’m not using Cubase at the moment, but I did use to use it a lot.
What seems to be the problem when you have it set up? Is it not recording the separate audio channels, or are you not able to record the midi properly?
I use Reason, and use it as master, sending the midi clock and start/stop info onwards to the AK. So if I want to use the sequencer, I just hit start/record in Reason, and it all syncs up. There’s not enough outputs for 4x stereo, so I’ve been recording the whole lot on to one track.
The other way I’ve been using it is recording a track at a time, just using like a 1 voice external synth. I was trying to get four midi tracks going at the same time, but it was acting a bit funny. I think it was playing the channel one track on every channel as well… or something odd. Still need to figure what was going on there…
I’ve just not clicked with this synth. So frustrating as I want to like it. I can hear some great demos but I just cannot get my head around the workflow.
I’m waiting for overbridge to release it’s creativity for me.
I am sure it’s easy for some…I’ve read over and over the manual.
It’s jsut not falling in place for me.
I can’t wait for overbridge to solve this problem.
For now, I’m sequencing and recording manually…
There’s a good thread in the MnM section regarding ho to setup latency. I haven’t used cubase since SX3 so I can’t help there. In ableton you can adjust for the latency for the audio. Mine is set to something like -38ms but it changes depending on how hard i’m pushing my system. It takes 2 secs to setup though so it’s not an issue for me.
Well for me setting up gear as an external instrument in Cubase just involves a lot of swearing. But if that’s what you do with your other gear then I guess that’s what you want to do. I like using regular audio and midi tracks instead, but that’s me.
Starting out on an Analog Four I was frustrated like hell just getting around doing the most basic things. After getting my head around how it works it’s a joy to use. It’s the whole project, kit, pattern, track, sound +Drive and how they relate that took me the longest to understand. There’s something very awarding with the way Elektrons boxes work once you get a few “aha” moments. And different people seem to have quite different ways to go about doing things. So basically just have some patience.
For melodic stuff I hook my a4 to Cubase and record the midi data in Cubase and if I’m happy with the result I record it into the a4 sequencer and then go in and do p-locking and tweaks in the built in sequencer.
Midi control of mutes, performance parameters and using multi maps for pattern transpose and pattern selection works great from Cubase.
My advice is to stop using Cubase for a few days, work solely in the AK and find your flow with it and then work backwards and incorporate the rest of your gear into the workflow of the AK.
The Elektron stuff is very self contained, and I really don’t understand what you are struggling with to be honest. It is very intuitive.
Can you be more specific? It “just not falling in place” is very non-descriptive. What do you find difficult about it?
If you simply want to play the keys you can just record it live by pressing record and then play. Play the keys. Stop the sequence. Play + Rec- Record some knob movements.
You can load various sounds into the sound pool and sequence them by holding the button down on the sequencer that you want the note to fall on and then using the big scroll wheel to go to the desired sound. This is how many people write drum patterns and add FX sounds, or chords or really anything meant to play independently for a short time.
There’s really so much and personally it’s so intuitive that I am having a really hard time understanding what you are struggling with. Would be glad to help if you have any specific questions.