AR + Syntakt (sync Song Modes)

Hi!
Is there a way to sync two Song Modes on both devices?

1. I tried Song Mode on Syntakt, while AR receives program changes:

  • First problem is that you can’t specify mutes on AR and you HAVE TO create a pattern for every new sound revealed.
  • Second problem is that you have to copy-paste all patterns on Syntakt and add a new row with a new pattern in Song Mode every time you want a new sound to be revealed on AR (even though all these patterns are identical on Syntakt), because AR listens to Syntakt pattern changes.
  • And one more issue is that on Syntakt you can’t smoothly change params or tracks levels in mixer between patterns, because as new pattern is played, all params being restored to this particular pattern defaults.

2. I tried Song Mode on AR, while Syntakt receives program changes:

  • The first problem is that the Song Mode in AR is much worse than in Syntakt.
  • Second problem is that you still have to create redundant patterns on Syntakt for it to follow AR pattern changes and introduce new sounds when you need them.

3. I tried to run two Song Modes simultaneously (noone receives Program Changes):

  • The first problem - they are not synced and if you want to play from a specific position on Syntakt, you have to go in AR Song Mode and set position there as well.
  • Second problem (again because of non-sync) - if you want to switch Song Mode off and play just a pattern (for testing sounds, for example), you have to manually select patterns on both machines.

So the main problem is when one of machines receives Program Changes and you want to run two Song Modes simultaneously - the Song Mode on the machine that receives Program Changes will be erased.

Does anyone has any ideas how two Song Modes could be played in sync?

UPD: I found out that Song Mode on Syntakt is smarter than on AR, so if Syntakt receives pattern change and has Song Mode enabled, it will continue to play in Song Mode (while AR would erase it’s own Song if Syntakt sends pattern change), no matter what happens to AR. So this may be answer to my question.

Do you use Performance Mode on the Rytm currently? Do you have a free track left on Syntakt?
You could:

  • designate a free track on Syntakt to a Midi machine, set it to Rytm Perf Midi Channel
  • set perf knobs on Rytm to control volume of one track each
  • configure cc lanes on Syntakt to match perf parameters on Rytm
  • set param locks on Syntakt + use trig conditions

I’ve just used this with an A4 instead of rytm and it worked quite well. Didn’t use song mode on A4.

Don’t understand this. Could you explain more detailed, please?

Oh, sorry, on the Rytm performance mode is using the pads, not the knobs. Shouldn’t matter, though. Enter performance mode on Rytm, press [FUNC]+[a PAD]. Now you can select various parameters to be influenced by pressing this pad in performance mode or via the Midi Performance Channel. Set amp volume to -127 (will be subtracted from current volume). Now fully pressing this pad will silence the corresponding track. Or you could send a value of +127 (equals fully pressed pad) to CC 35 (for pad 1 - see documentation for the others) on the performance channel from Syntakt.

I hope this doesn’t make it more confusing. Don’t have the equipment to record a video. I think this would be easier to explain. Best you check out the chapter on performance mode in the Rytm manual as well as the Midi Appendix.

So you are saying that AR’s Performance pads can control Syntakt?

No, the other way around. But using those you can control multiple Rytm tracks from one Syntakt Midi track. Where you p-lock the states of the performance pads.

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