Hey,
I’ve been using Keystep to play my A4 for years, without problems. Now I have an additional A4, which I’d want to (1) also play with the Keystep, without switching cables between both A4s. Both A4s should (2) be TRANSPORT and CLOCK sync’d.
The first aspect works nicely by using different AUTO CHANNELS for each A4 (one set to 9, the other one set to 10) – I simply change the required AUTO CHANNEL on the Keystep, on the fly (Keystep into A4’s MIDI IN, and MIDI THROUGH into the other A4’s MIDI IN).
But in regards to my second requirement: the above strategy disables CLOCK and TRANSPORT synchronization to be sent. That data is only sent when I use MIDI OUT to connect the two A4s (instead of MIDI THROUGH) – but then the Keystep’s note data only reaches the first A4, and not the second A4.
What am I doing wrong?
Thanks!
PS: I just noticed that when using the MIDI THROUGH “solution”, and starting LIVE RECORDING on the master A4 (while having both devices set to a one bar preroll, and both devices having CLICK ON), the slave A4 starts playing while the master A4 is still on preroll. Is this related to my problem?
Thanks!
1st A4 midi out to Keystep IN, send clock/transport and untick receive clock/transport in the A4 settings.
Set keystep to midi input clock with the dip switches. Send the midi output back to the first A4.
Now the Midi thru has both clock and the keystep and you can use the channel select to determine which auto channel to use. The first A4 controls the transport.
The one downside with this is that the keystep sequencer starts as well, so the solution is to have a blank sequencer slot and have it set to midi keys mode (rather than sequence transpose mode).
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Just to be specific: what happens after the Keystep got its data? How is it sent to both A4s?
Is that the only way to go about it? It feels weirdly hacky to have a sequencer running that is not needed.
Thanks!
It isn’t hacky, it’s just using Midi ins and outs and thru in the way they are intended to work, unfortunately the keystep has to have sequencer or arp selected, it doesn’t have a Key only mode. The upside is that you can use its awesome sequencer to target the A4s.
Connect the second A4 to the Midi Thru of A4 1 and set it to receive clock. There isn’t another way of achieving what you want without using an A4 track to target the 2nd A4 via its Midi out. I ran this stystem with 4 Elektrons for a couple of years, it works great. Just try it.
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Haha… thanks for the additional information! 
I’ll test it once I’m with the machines.
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Just make sure you turn off receive clock/transport on the master A4 otherwise you will get a midi feedback loop.
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