Multitrack confusion

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hi, despite extensive searching here and elsewhere, I’ve hit a brick wall.
This is my current Daw-less setup:

  • An OP-1 and DT both connected to a Raspberry Pi Midi Host via USB
  • Both the DT and OP-1 audio outputs are going into a small external mixer
  • Main output of mixer goes into channel 7&8 of my M-Track Eight
    This works perfectly with the OP-1 on Trk9 of the DT and with Direct Monitoring through the M-Track. No computer required, all good.

So now I want to use Overbridge in Ableton 11 to record multitrack DT jams (including the OP-1 being triggered from Trk 9) but I can’t seem to configure it correctly with Ableton now being the Midi Host.
I can use Ableton External Instrument to send Midi to the OP-1 and at the same time receive the audio back, and this is in perfect sync with the Ableton metronome (having measured and added the required hardware delay in the Ext.Instrument), but this is where my knowledge stops.
So the Digitakt comes in to Ableton via the DT plugin and I can set this up to multi-track record no problem at all. What I cant seem to do is send the Midi out from DT Trk9 to the OP-1 and record just the OP-1 output in its own track alongside the other DT tracks.
I should say at this point (now that I’m using the computer) I’m no longer using the external mixer, both the DT and OP-1 are going into their own M-Track inputs (5&6 and 7&8).
I don’t want to record any Midi data, just the DT and OP-1 audio as multi-tracks.

My DT settings are as follows:
Midi Channel Routing:
Tracks 1 to 8 = Channels 1 to 8
Track A = Channel 9

Port Config:
Output Ch = Auto Ch
Encoder Dest = INT
Trig Key Dest = INT
Mute Key Dest = INT
Receive Notes = Off
Receive CC = On

Midi Sync:
Clock Receive = Off
Clock Send = On
Trans Receive = On
Trans Send = On
Prog Ch receive = Off
Prog Ch Send = Off

Massive thanks in advance, hope that makes sense.

#2

You seem to have Trig Key Dest set to INT, in which case no MIDI will be sent and only used internally. Set this to Ext + Int and your problem may be solved.

I have a similar setup in Ableton, but for an iPad instead of an OP-1, but I’m guessing the principle will be the same:

DT in OB mode, OB Engine running, connected via USB, DT USB mode set to Audio + MIDI.
Ipad connected via USB, running soft synth listening on a MIDI channel.

Ableton track 0
MIDI track with Digitakt virtual instrument.
Set to receive MIDI from DT, audio to master.

Ableton track 1-8
Audio tracks, one set to receive audio from each individual DT track

Ableton track 9
Set to receive MIDI from DT in the track input and with the External instrument configured to send that MIDI to the iPad on the channel it is listening on.

So basically Ableton receives MIDI from the DT (all channels or one of your choosing) and sends it out to the iPad, which in turn returns audio via it’s separate track.

Hope this helps.

1 Like
#3

Many thanks for this explanation, really helps.