What synths have you used that work with midi program changes?
Lets make a list of working, partially working, and not working synths in regards to program changes. I think some of these synths could maybe have firmware updates if you email their support and tell them about the issue of PC not working, thats what I plan on doing in the case of my behringer synths that unfortunately do not yet work with the PC messages sent to them (read for more info about that below).
Example of a synth setup that is working:
Say you have a synth setup with 7 synths, when you change to pattern 10 on your master device, you probably want all synths to change to pattern 10 and/or sound 10 along with the master midi device which is sending transport, clock, and program changes. This is what I mean that the synths “work” with program changes. So if you use song mode on A4/K, AR or OT this means all of the synths would play along with your song mode, if all the synths were responding to program changes correctly, so you could program them all by pattern and then set up the song to play which order and all synths will follow as if you have one huge sequencer of tracks. Thats why having a synth that works with program changes can make a big difference IF you are going for a setup like this.
This is a great workflow commonly used in complex synth setups to keep everything organized and understandable and powerful. When this works it feels like all of your synths are part of one larger unit and their outputs meet at the mixer and then go to the speakers.
I tested some synths of mine and the ones that worked were both korgs (minilogue and monologue). Again, by “worked” I mean that the program change message sent from the master midi device made the slave midi device/synth in question move to a new pattern and changed to the sound of that said preset &/or pattern. The change did not have any rhythmic problems or timing issues either. For example, you change to pattern 2 on the octatrack, so the monologue changes to its sound 2 for that preset (and the pattern if there is one).
Obviously all elektron devices work for this type of functionality as far as I understand (I know it works on Model:Samples & Cycles, Digitone, Digitakt, Analog Heat, AR, AK & A4, OT - I bet it prob works on the other older elektron machines as well - monomachine, machine drum, & sidstation - but I have not tried these). So for elektrons, if you set up the master midi device to sync transport and Program Change messages and send these on one channel (let’s say channel 16, for example) to all receiving devices via midi out and thru ports (depending on how many synths in your setup) all elektron devices set to receive program changes, clock, and transport on channel 16 will change patterns (and to the sounds associated with those patterns) with no problem at all.
Note: transport and clock is not required for program changes to work, but typically these are set to be in sync as well along with the master midi device - unless you wanted different tempos of patterns, and having to hand start and stop the transport of all your synths…
Synths that DO NOT work with elektron PC messages:
I also tested some behringer clones (808, 303, 606, mother32) which all did not respond to program changes (only clock/transport). So until there is a firmware update these will not work to change their sequencer patterns along with elektron devices via midi program change messages.
Kind of a bummer, because these are good synths, they just released pre-orders for the 909 clone.
Synths that partially work with elektron PC messages:
The bass station II which will change the sound ONLY if the PC message is p-locked to the sequencer trigs, otherwise it will only change to the program on arpeggiator step 16 and then it will go back to the preset that is already loaded - so it doesn’t work fully - only with p-lockable program change functionality of which you can do on digitakt and digitone but cannot do on octatrack (yet).
When program changes don’t work this means you have to change the patterns by hand or program them to play in the same order as you intend using a song mode or alike in order to use different sounds/presets and/or patterns.
When program changes are not working this means if you switch a pattern on your master device the sound of the “non-working program change synth” will not switch with that pattern change automatically, you will have to make the program switch by hand or plan for it beforehand in some way (maybe a song playback mode or pattern playback mode) which usually leads to mistakes, headaches, or a rusty workflow that isn’t optimized. When your hands are not free during pattern changes this makes it impossible for you to do other things like change the filter or fxs as the pattern is changing. Optimized, means your hands are free to do more because you do not have to switch the pattern, as that is done automatically through a song mode, or if you don’t have a song mode, you only have to switch the pattern on your master device once to switch all other devices…
So in the case of “partially working program change synths” it could work for bass-station if it was sequenced by a program change p-lockable elektron sequencer, but since it has its own arpeggiator and not a sequencer it would not work to use it to switch the bassstation patch and arp sequence as this is not possible, in other words every bassstation sequence would have to be stored on the elektron sequencer itself to change the sounds along with every pattern you have via program change p-locks - that could work. You need a p-lockable program change capable elektron device for that case. So you might say synths like the bassstation II work partially with program changes, usually these are synths without sequencers, but they will still respond to program changes. In the case of BSII it has an arpeggiator, not a sequencer. Although the analog heat has no sequencer and still works to change along with program changes so that is a possibility as well…and the AH is a tonal fx, not a synthesizer.
When program changes work this means you can synchronize your presets along with your patterns and they will always play in sync with one another.
The problem is some synth manufacturers don’t realize this area of midi functionality and they don’t set up their synths right to work with program changes.
Specifically, with elektron stuff I find it much more useful when all the other synths in the setup work with program changes. So if you have any success with the program changes mirroring the changes on your elektron, please share here, it would be helpful to make a list.
Obviously you can use synths that don’t work with program changes as well, but typically this would only be useful or practical in the case of working on one song or piece of music at a time as once you change the patterns things get really messy really quickly if you start trying to change all your synths by hand, so its not really a practical setup or a good musical decision at that point if you’re trying to create many songs without having to struggle through an unpractical workflow of changing patterns by hand. Although sometimes this can be useful when jamming or experimenting by hand changing programs, its not really the type of setup I am talking about here.