There’s actually a lot of different settings for MIDI in these boxes, especially confusing if your new to this stuff. Check into these things.
Go into the midi preferences and see what midi channels tracks 1-4 are set too on the AR.
Turn off Auto channel for now.
Seems you have Transport Receive/Clock receive, already set to on, or checked.
In the OT Midi Preferences,
turn off CC Direct Connect for now.
Audio CC IN-off
Audio CC OUT- INT
Audio Note IN-off
Audio NOTE OUT- INT
Transp Send-check
Clock Send-check
Now in 4 of the OT Midi Tracks, match the 4 midi channels of the A4 tracks.
Go into the midi preferences and see what midi channels tracks 1-4 are set too on the AR.
Turn off Auto channel for now.
Seems you have Transport Receive/Clock receive, already set to on, or checked.
In the OT Midi Preferences,
turn off CC Direct Connect for now.
Audio CC IN-off
Audio CC OUT- INT
Audio Note IN-off
Audio NOTE OUT- INT
Transp Send-check
Clock Send-check
Now in 4 of the OT Midi Tracks, match the 4 midi channels of the A4 tracks.
If the track in midi mode is set to the same channel that already set in the midi dialog on the audio tracks, the midi tracks will not send midi info. This stumped me for a while, but it is described in the manual. Try setting the midi track to any channel that IS NOT being used by the audio tracks. You should hear something after that.
Only thing I can suggest is checking that the MIDI port config settings on the A4 (i.e. Global>>Midi Config>>Midi port config) that the the “receive notes” setting is checked.
Whatever it turns out to be, it couldn’t possibly be as bad as the time I spent almost tearing my hair out trying to control a volca with the OT. Turns out there were 2 cables in that coil and I was trying to use both of them!
Setting up a midi-communication is no witchcraft. It’s only to follow a systematic process.
First check that your cables/connectors are okay, sometimes trivial things can kill you
I don’t know if this is possible with a one button command, but I would suggest to reset all midi options on the OT and the A4 to factory settings. For a test you might want to start on both boxes with a “new project”. Thist get’s you a clean starting point. It’s too easy to lose overview and having left the one or the other setting in a “special” condition that prevents success.
From my experience the OT and the A4 should be ready to communicate via midi without special settings. (Exception is, if one shall be the master for transport and/or clock).
There should be one clock-master only in a setup sending the midi clock. All others should be synced to external clock. Sometimes a wrong configuration may silence a synth. Check that OT is sending midi-clock and A4 is in external sync mode.
Check that the OT midi track (output) is set to the corresponding midi-in channel of the instrument to be controlled and that the receiving instrument is ready to accept midi notes and CC on this channel. A simple test would be, to push a trig on the OT and let repeat the pattern of the note until the other instrument generates sound. … IMHO this should do it.
If it’s any consolation, I’ve had an octa for 2 months and have had a few times feeling like this. The good news is that it has ALWAYS been pilot error or a lack of understanding on my part. Elektron has it’s own way but it is a logical process.
