TR8 sync/seq of model cycles

Elektron Gear Model:Cycles
#1

I was wondering if its possible to sync and sequence the model cycles from a tr8

#2

Sync, yes, sure. I don’t know why you’d want to sequence the Cycles from the Roland, the sequencer in the Elektron is way more powerful and flexible. If anything I’d do it the other way around.

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#3

thanks @finalform sounds dope will try both see what works

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#4

Have fun. :thup:

#5

Hey so I hooked up Tr8 out to MC in and this worked for like 10 minutes, now im hearing cycles on all of my channels anyone know how to fix this ?

#6

ahh so I did MIDI out MC to Midi in TR8 and im jamming, how can I record this to a daw using tr8s 11 channels is that even possible ?

#7

You have a TR-8 or TR-8S?

If it’s an 8S then run the Cycles into the 8S’s external inputs using jack cables. Then there’s a mode on the 8S that allows you to get all the individual tracks plus the external inputs, I think. Can check later.

#8

i’m using the Tr8 I know this has internal input as well i’m using that with side chain, its a lil funky is an external midi clock necessary?

#9

There are some guides here (note that you can now change the sample rate, the 96khz thing was an early restriction) and here.

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#10

hey, thanks man these are very key articles, I’m still a bit of a noob when it comes to midi and midi channels I like the midi setting on the tr8 because its useful when transferring audio over usb, but does that effect how it is sending or receiving from MC ? I just want to be able to sequence bass or drum sounds from mC on tr8 using the one channel on the tr8 dedicated to external devices before messing with midi channels on either device, just want to know if setting the model cycles to the same channel will work better currently it sounds weird out of sync or playing to many channels when hooked up via midi either way

#11

I think you might be trying to do something that the TR-8 isn’t really designed for. The main difference between the two units in terms of midi is that the M:C uses one midi channel per track (you can freely assign which midi channel is used for each track from 1-16). The TR-8 uses only a single midi channel and instead assigns the different drum sounds to different midi notes. To be able to play the full drum kit via midi you need a device that is capable of sending multiple notes on the same midi channel (which the M:C cannot).

If you just want to trigger the TR-8 BD from the cycles you need to:

  • run a midi cable from the M:C midi out to the TR-8 midi in
  • make sure the M:C is set to transmit midi note data (it probably already is)
  • Set the track on the Cycles that you want to use to sequence the BD from to the same midi channel that the TR-8 uses
  • Find the right note to trigger the BD (it’s probably C-something) and use that note for each trig in the sequencer
  • turn down the track volume on the M:C if you don’t want to hear that at the same time

From your replies I wonder if you are getting confused between midi and audio signals. Midi is not sound, it is just instructions, data that tells a device what notes to play and when. Audio connections are the sounds you will actually hear.

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#12

ahh I see that definitely makes things a lot clearer, so I definitely need a midi clock ? I understand midi vs Audio like if I just use external audio in from tr8 I would just have to have a crazy beat matching session but when I plug in midi, model cycles responds to everything on the tr8 and shit gets weird, thats probably due to channel assignment I will see if theres any fixes, MC has a lot of midi capabilities it seems like but I do not fully understand them, will rtfm lol

Thanks man !

#13

One of them needs to be the midi master that sets the clock. Midi out from that goes into the midi in of the other. If you set the devices so that the master device sends midi clock and midi transport (start/stop messages) but not note information; and the receiving device listens to midi clock and midi transport, but ignores midi note information, you will be able to have them stop and start together and stay in sync just by stopping and starting the master device. And you won’t have sounds triggering that you didn’t mean to.

That’s the way I’d do it, just use the sequencers on each device to program your beats and only use midi for clock & transport.

If you start using a computer or a more advanced sequencer that sends midi CCs (control change messages) you might want to have them listen to note information and CCs so that you can do more complex sequencing. But for now I’d turn that functionality off.

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#14

dope ok will try this out!

Thanks man!

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