Optimal routing setups?

Elektron Software Overbridge
#1

Playing around with OverBridge today and exploring a few more things like the Outputs into device effects.

Took a while to figure out, but in the end I realised it’s not possible to route to external effects on your Elektron device using your own soundcard. So for one, I guess I was wondering, if this is a coming feature? Or am I confused?

If not, I guess this means that for now, to use that feature (outputting to your Elektron devices via OB to use the internal fx of those machines) you have to use the Analog Elektron as soundcard.

And this means a few more things - since you can only choose one soundcard, that means you can only route out to one device for external processing. So if I have an AR and A4 hooked up, I must choose one or the other.

Of course, I could simply change soundcards if I wanted to treat with some chorus or filters on the A4, likewise switch to RYTM for Distortion or compression. But not at the same time.

Following that, say I recorded a clip processed by the A4’s fx, now its in Live, but I have to switch back to my main soundcard outs (in this case a MOTU), in order to hear the result. You’ve also gotta switch your fx bus routing off and on during the process.

It’s not a big deal. In the end it is very manageable for what you are able to pull off. But I guess I am just wondering, am I going about this all in the most efficient manner?

I’ve begun drawing different schematics for the possible routing scenarios, and it’s as if there would be optimal routes for different situations. I might scan some in soon, maybe we could share some possibilities.

I’m wondering how others are using OB? And how you might be using it in tandem with Ableton Live?

Obviously there’s multi-tracking scenarios, playing live, recording in improvisation, routing to fx, …

After a couple weeks experimentation I’ve decided to compose as much as possible on the devices themselves, and then multi-track in as needed, hot swapping different virtual inputs (to get all tracks of the rytm in) in separate runs.

Something else that I wonder about is how advisable it would be to do a separate run of each track through its own send fx… ? Or would it be better to just have everything going through the same send at all times?

Hoping to hear some other peoples thoughts on this.

#2

what you are describing is my experience as well with the a4… i had thought about using soundflower or jackosx to create virtual ports and route accordingly. i’ve had some negative experiences doing this with soundflower messing up the native audio drivers on my mac (this was several years ago). im on here looking for an answer to the same question.

#3

okay… so i figured out something pretty cool… if you are on a mac… make an aggregate audio device by going into you audio/midi utility, under applications->utilities->audio/midi utility. i basically setup an aggregate device that included both my primary sound card and the a4 sound card. this will create a single device called aggregate device you can select in ableton’s audio in/out settings. now i can output any ableton track into my a4. if i turn off both osc on the track, the a4 acts as a gate sequencer initally… you can change your osc to feedback mode, which will amp the signal and make it a little volatile. i was also able to easily apply sequenced affects to the gated parts i was allowing through. not sure if i will actually use this in my workflow, but it’s pretty cool thus far.