This seems like a real challenge to me, as I’m struggling to get smooth transitions between different kits in one track which are different in sound and rhythm. I’m currently trying out ‘transition patterns/kits’ to see how that goes.
Until recently I had never used the A4 in this way so it’s been quite the learning experience! Part of me wants to give up and just use the Octatrack for transitions, but this is surely teaching me something about writing songs.
Maybe the answer is to simplify. 
One way to do so is to use song mode to transition but yes it is a bit limited compared to the arranger mode on the Octatrack. I use both the A4 and Octatrack live since I can fade in and out easier while changing projects on each. The lag time on the A4 for changing projects is a pain and having the OT with it helps smooth things out a bit to have a backing track going.
Could you put all your Patterns and Kits in one Project? The OT would remain useful, but the lag would reduce.
i think so but say I want to transition to another set the limit is 4 patterns at one time I think. I know you can use parts but to be honest, I am rusty on my Elektron gear after spending 2 years in eurorack world and just getting back into it. What I did last night was load a project and tweak it and also have a set on my Octatrack playing so I can switch up easier. Will be fun to add in the Digitone soon to the mix. A4+OT+Digitone will be amazing.
Two suggestions:
This will need some work, but you might like it.
Good tips, thank you!
I’ve been using Direct Jump while working on these patterns and kits because it’s so much faster and did come across some happy accidents - which is one of my favorite things about working with hardware. It also seems at least conceptually similar to the way in which I had been using the Octatrack’s crossfader. So this may be the best path forward for me, but I’m interested in trying out the FX trick you mentioned as well.
An idea with the delay: having a trig on FX track with FILL trig condition with the feedback set for your transitions, maybe one before (also with FILL) that would cancel (set to 0) the actual feedback to “clear the delay memory” so to say and a /FILL trig condition at the beginning of your FX track to set the sound back to normal.
Haven’t tried it, but I think it should work.
Your Elektron kung fu is waaaaaaaaaay too advanced for me lol
Fx track is something I have never looked at and to my musical detriment I would presume
That said a4 mk1 rules as much as puppies are cute and long johns are long
This was the answer! 
I wanted to post a brand new thread for all to see
It was going to be “ I’m looking for a mechanical can opener that is easy on the eyes and the wallet, but is reliable and worth the money.”
But I knew that if I opened that new thread, that it wouldn’t take very much time at all before some A4 owner chimed in about how awesome the A4 is and what a versatile instrument it truly is, so I just thought I’d put this here: I’m looking for recommendations about a nice, mechanical can opener, the last one I had broke…
What do you mean by this? You have 128 patterns per project, it should be plenty for a liveset..
Late to join the band wagon
Just scored a mint second hand Analog 4 Mk2.
Learning the OSCs pages for the moment.
This thing is deep.
Ez-Duz-It. But not nearly as many modulation options as the A4.
I’ve found a very good deal on a mki.
Can’t wait to join the gang
The A4 excels in drums IMO. If you took away the Elektron sequencer, i don’t think many people would buy it as a synth because of its sound.
To me, this is like saying, “If you took away the Sequential oscillators and filters, I don’t think many people would buy the Pro 3 as a sequencer.” Unlike the Pro 3 or a Moog, Elektrons seem to be designed as a system, as sum-greater-than-parts boxes . The Pro 3 sequencer is pretty neat but you could chop it off completely and I’d be fine. Hard to chop bits off the A4.
I think of Elektron as a macro approach to music-making – they’re not as vested in that building block level of sound design on a singular patch level. The Monomachine didn’t even allow for saving of patches (which I hated).
this would be ace with a Perkons and Digitone!
My thoughts exactly about the A4. All Monosynths I owned were kind of ‘fat’ sounding right on. The A4 always sounded thin and lifeless to me. Never sold a synth that fast.
I think the secret here is to ask yourself “Why do they sound fat?” Because sounds (especially those composed of waves as fundamental as your average synth) aren’t magic. There’s some reproducible interaction that’s causing it.
Then the next question is “Can I make the [insert new snyth here] do the same thing?”
In the case of the A4, the answer is almost certainly “Yes”. It has the most embarrassing amount of tweakable parameters of any analog outside of modular.
Of course, that’s no help if you really want your default init pulse to sound a certain way or if you’re just in it for the presets. And if so, no judgment! At least half of my favorite synths are preset-only romplers. That’s a completely valid way to approach hardware. It’s just the A4 just isn’t that kind of box.
You articulated this really well. The A4 can sound huge, fat, warm, thin, cold, whatever you want if you give it enough attention. It’s got all the tools to take you where you want to go — though you will need to do some tweaking, since the init sound is not as impressive as other synths.
That said, I also do plenty of preset hunting on the A4. It’s a pretty dang immediate synth when you’re scrolling through ready-made sounds (and then of course you can do more tweaking from there to make it your own).
I got lost in A4 tweaking last night and it was a joyous experience, probably half of my sounds started as presets and half started as init. And almost all of them end up with some ridiculous audio rate modulation from one or both LFOs.