Help with FX track LFO

Elektron Gear Syntakt
#1

I’m having trouble controlling the LFO on my FX track via the trigs

The trigs don’t seem to have any effect on the LFO behaviour

I have the LFO set to modulate the AMP PAN.

I want it to go from left to right and back over 16 trigs, then go from right to left and back over 16 trigs, then left to right and back over 32 trigs

LFO.T is on in the TRIG section.
Default LEN is 16
LFO section is LEN 16, BPM 16 SPD 8, trigger mode is TRIGGER, DEPTH value is 128

I set trigs on 1, 17, 33

17 has the value at -128

33 has the BPM at 8

but the actual behaviour of the LFO is that it’s running free and totally unaffected by the trigs.

What am I doing wrong?

#2

Have you tried the HALF and ONE trig modes? They seem better suited for the behaviour you want.

(I know this doesn’t explain why you experience FREE-like behaviour. I don’t know why that is; sorry! )

#3

just tried now - if i set the trigs to one or half, there’s no difference in behaviour - if i set the default to one or half the LFO doesn’t function at all… not sure what any of this means!

#4

Hmm. The Length parameter on the trig page doesn’t affect the LFO (just the envelope in ADSR mode). Have you set the Depth parameter of the LFO?

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#5

Are you using lock trigs (yellow)?

You have lock LFO.T manually on those

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#6

Do you use red or yellow trigs ? I think yellow trigs are plocked with LFO.T plocked to off…
Same thought @DaveMech !

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#7

ah good to know about the length - yes the depth is at 128 and -128 - the LFO is working, i hear the pan, it’s just running freely and not the way i want it to

no, it’s the regular red trigs - should i be using lock trigs instead on the FX track?

what’s the difference between red and yellow trigs when it comes to the FX track given that the red trigs don’t play notes?

I tried with the Lock Trigs after your suggestions, but when I do that the LFO doesn’t run at all (turned on the LFO.T manually on each) - i’m sure there’s something stupid and obvious that i’m missing…

#8

Good question. Appart auto plock of FLT.T and LFO.T (Edit : Forgot AMP.T) can’t see a difference for now.

As you like, maybe depending on above point…

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#9

Red trigs fire the Amp envelope by default (and LFO and Filter envelopes), but all three can be changed per step.

Also: another very common trip-up is that it’s easy to accidentally mute the FX track going in and out of pages—double check pattern and global (purple and green) mute states , in case no one has mentioned…

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#10

I forgot AMP.T !

#11

all the lights are on in the global and patten mute states, so should be fine?

#12

Even the FX light ?

#13

In fact there seems to have a difference between trigs and lock trigs, even with same settings. Red trigs recall track values, not yellow trigs.

So, a non plocked red trig can recall track’s lfo parameters. Settings :

20230508_180620
20230508_1806204000×1800 1.45 MB

Lock trigs don’t.
Default settings :
20230508_180630
20230508_1806304000×1800 1.19 MB

So @johnnyhaggis I’d also investigate in this. Maybe your red trigs recall track’s lfo settings.

#14

that was what i said in my earlier post :wink:

#15

yes - i don’t use mutes very often - so that means it’s not muted i believe…?

i’m not sure what you mean - i tried with both yellow and red trigs, and i checked each trig to make sure LFO.T was on - is that what you mean?

#16

What lfo waveform are you using by the way?

Try the following:

Set the depth to something a bit more subtle like 32.
Try a mult of 512.

Do you hear the lfo working now?

I think this might simply be a case that the lfo is triggered to fast with a max setting and a speed setting that simply makes it insubordination because it is being retriggered to quickly. Especially with a square wave and a max depth setting this can happen. Just a thought

Edit: derp got lost in a thought and forgot the initial premise of the question haha.

#17

the LFO is definitely working - it’s just not behaving the way i want it to - it’s a sine wave

it’s just running free and ignoring all of the trigs. i can’t seem make it do anything else.

i’m trying to get it to:

cycle once from left to right over steps 1-16
cycle once from right to left over steps 17-32
cycle once from left to right over steps 33-64

I might just do it manually and have that automate so i can get my track done, but i’d like to know how to do it properly!

#18

It’s difficult to problem solve this without video and audio. But just to make sure:

Can you set the AMP pan parameter to -64

Now start and stop the sequencer a few times in a row. Can you hear the movement from left to right and the same every time you restart the sequencer ?

#19

I’d try with a simpler/smaller patter with @DaveMech settings, noticeable difference…

#20

yes i hear it, and yes it seems to be the same each time, starting on the left and moving to the center.

but if the AMP pan is at 0, then it starts in a different place in the stereo field each time i start the sequence

maybe ill make some video later if i can figure out how to make sure the audio input gets recorded in stereo