Messed up midi meandering

Elektron Gear
#1

Can anyone help me sort out my midi but without buying anything? I just blew all my cash on other toys so can’t go out and buy some big posh midi bay.

I have a modest set up of Analog keys, rytm and octatrack with modular and an Ambika. As it is running now I have octatrack as the master controlling AK which controls modular and then thru to rytm and thru again to Ambika. I traded up my A4 for the AK so that I could use the midi mode to play the ambika but I’ve no idea how to set it up midi wise without causing feedback loops.

What it needs to do:
All machines must follow pattern changes from OT and follow OT transport. AK and RTYM transport are not required as long as they all go when the OT starts. I don’t need to midi sequence the A4 but it it might be nice to have one channel for that p lock arp magic that the OT does (why the AK doesn’t is beyond me). OT should be master clock. Clock needs to be tight, OT clock is tight as a ducks arse. Don’t need to midi sequence the rytm in anyway, maybe have one channel for playing in a bass line but not really a biggy. Ambika only really needs one channel but two would be best. I’d like to be able to play the AK in midi mode and have it play the ambika, but also be able to record sequences into the OT for the ambika. I don’t mind changing midi channels on the fly for this as it’s easy enough to change channel numbers and this isn’t my live set up.

Is this a pipe dream? Am I mad? Does the pope shit in the woods?

#2

You can do this without additional hardware if you are careful with your settings.

The physical MIDI connections would be:

AK Out to OT In
OT Out to AR In
AR Thru to Ambika In
Ambika Out (which is by default a Thru) to AK In
AK Thru to modular In (unless you are not using MIDI to your modular)

Channels/settings:

AK should transmit on the OT’s Auto Channel

Set up MIDI channels on the OT’s MIDI sequencer tracks to avoid conflict with the OT’s audio tracks and Auto Channel. You have seven channel numbers to spare to use with the AR, Ambika, AK, and your modular.

There are, of course, a lot of other MIDI settings to make but it will work. You will have to select the active track on the OT or by using the AK’s keys in order to direct the AK MIDI output to the desired synth.

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#3

Thanks loads dude. Does the order of the chain matter AK and OT aside? ie can I have it go OT out to thru on -> Ak -> RYTM -> Ambika and then have Ak -> OT in?

#4

I don’t understand what you’re denoting by this.

If you can rewrite in an unambiguous manner, for example X Out to Y In, Y Thru to Z On, then I will try to answer.

#5

Sorry, I didn’t mean to be ambiguous. Analog keys out to octatrack in. Octatrack out to analog keys in. Analog keys thru to rytm in. Rytm thru to ambika in.

#6

That should also work OK.

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#7

Thank you. Really appreciate the help

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