THanks for watching everyone - and yes I made a few word bloops - calling Overbridge, overdrive at one point (easily done) and a few more AMP = amplifier not amplitude! 4 LFOs when really 2 with 4 destinations etc etc: be kind in the comments! ... it's all live after all ... and wish I had done a jam, but time and all, will get out on a cliff somewhere and have a go :) Cheers
doing the lords work with this thoughtful and well-presented walkthrough -- i'm fairly used to the elektron workflow but the A4 panel is still notably more intimidating and there are considerably more features to unearth. this helped fill all those gaps in my understanding though and has given me a huge appreciation for what may very well be my favorite synth i've owned, thanks!
Cheers Evan - yes I love it too and severely been neglecting it recently. But I think would still be my desert island single box. Glad I was able to help you in your journey :)
Great session Gary. Thanks so much. Really useful set of technical and performance tips and advice - a true MasterClass for beginners from a power user/performer ! Looking forward to the next A4 jam or tutorial. 👏🙏👍
Wow just found this, this is awesome Gary, I'm currently tossing up getting one of these or a digitone and no matter how many technical reviews I watch they don't seem to help my decision at all. Hopefully after I've finished watching this it'll help sell me on one or the other!
Thanks Battel - yes it really comes down to what you need. A very customisable analog synth with four tracks or an FM preset style box, less customisable but with more polyphony.
Great tutorial. Trying to follow along at home and some things are a bit different. At around 15 minutes you twist the Sound Browser knob and it takes you into the kick and then a few minutes later the hi hat. I just got my analog four a few days ago and when I twist the Sound Browser it just comes up with empty slots. How do I add a kick or hat into those slots?
Thans Jimmy - yes you have to purposely add items from the Sound Library to the Browser, when you are browing the library there is an option to add them OR even better use Overbridge USB to your A4 and you can do it all from a nice big computer screen ...
Hi, Gary! I'm digging in my A4 MK2 now :) Your thoughts about chords are pretty interesting! Because the manual seems to be written by some lawer :D IMHO, I wish they could just made "+/- value of semitones" for sub-oscillators. This could be so much easier. Not sure if it's possible in that analog design. The simplest sub-oscs uses CD4013 CMOS chip but I'm not really sure that here is this way in the design as they have an option of 5th. Probably it's a separate VCO (with simpler design) that is digitally controlled by some "master chip" (like that was using Z80 CPU in Jupiter8 for example). Thus it makes me think that there are some more options that just weren't implemented in the FW level. What do you think about Polybrute's Ladder filter? Is it better than this one in A4? I'm not going to buy Polybrute soon (takes too much space for my room and isn't in my budget range yet) but just curious to know others thoughts!
Yes to be honest Elektron could have implemented a sub oscillator that would follow chord rules (if you put the key / root in), but doing these split voice chords are OK but not the best use of the instrument ... I have a video tutorial on just doing the chord stuff on the A4. I have no experience of the pBrutes filter in comparison so best not to comment ... best on a forum I think ... cheers mate! And enjoy my fave elec instrument
Cheers CT! - I always start from scratch to be honest. Rarely go back to a track and tweak it as I am constantly changing the sounds and sequences anyhow. All my lives are recorded to the streaming laptop too in slightly better quality and sometimes I have my zoom capturing at 24bit/90khz - that allows me to take the lives and do this sort of thing a few days later th-cam.com/video/E39DNZPynfk/w-d-xo.html
I had it here really to demonstrate how to use the stereo ext ins - I use it all the time in my main A4 jams eg: th-cam.com/video/JRVJu03epkA/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes th-cam.com/video/wFh6qWfjsxc/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes. th-cam.com/video/k35A_kXp2Bw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes. th-cam.com/video/pt0w9H3r7_0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes.
Dear Gary, I would like to ask Sergeï's question "How do you think, is this sequencer good for experimental avant-garde music?" again in a different way, because your remark about the great modulation depth of the A4 did not answer the question imho too well. So I'd like to define avant-garde music as crossing a boundary by creating sounds and rhythms that no one has ever heard before. Is the A4 capable of crossing that boundary, or is the A4 only capable to replicate or vary the kind of music that was prevalent when the A4 was developed? Do you have to control a lot of (newer) extra gear with the A4 in order to cross that boundary? I am looking forward to hearing your response. Yours, Markus
Thanks Markus - the definition of avant-garde or contemporary or experimental is very broad and even your definition 'no one has heard before' is pretty vague too. Of course you can push the A4 into micro tuning and different meters and polyrhythms and endless modulation of pitch or sound parameters, the list goes on. One reason I now use modular is the total freedom to take more free directions without too much menu diving, which is what you have to do on the A4 to make it more experimental ... the reason I focused on the modulation aspects was that every parameter can be affected by four LFOs and if you want to quickly get to a place of 'unheard' that is one easy route ... my live this morning in an hour looks at some experimental sections linked with modular ... might see you there
Dear Gary, thank you for your answer. Yes, my definition of avant-garde was very vague indeed, but my question based on this vague definition wasn't. I learn from your last answer you might get more freedom to designs sound and rhythm using modular gear. Ok, that makes sense, because I already own a Eurorack system and know the vast range of modules and parameters. From time to time i feel a little bit lost by all those possibilities a Eurorack system provides. So I'm currently watching out for a device what would help me to structure my sound and rhythm designs on my Eurorack system. As far as I learned from your and other videos the A4 could do the job. I think I could use it to program tracks and patterns and after connecting it to my Eurorack system I would have the freedom to concentrate to modulate the Eurorack system live while different loops and track and patterns a playing on the A4. Does this approach make sense to you? Yours, Markus
Can I send it four-note chords with midi? I’m thinking of getting the A4 MK1, but I’m confused, would I have to send each note to a different midi channel so it plays each one on a different voice? Or could one voice play four-note polyphony?
You can assign each track sound to the same midi channel and then make sure you are in Poly mode it will allocate - I rarely do it like this as I tend to use it as a four track poly synth standalone
@@GaryHayes I see! Thanks, that clears it up. I havn't seen anyone on YT do this, they're all playing monophonic arps and stuff. Would you recommend the A4 MK1 for polyphonic chords and such? I love the tone and flexibility of it
Do have any idea why, in realtime record, the portamento is not recording? Its non quntized and set to 1/8 scale and over a large amount of steps so that I can have a long sequence that has lots of silents space inbetween the notes. It doesnt play back the way it sounds when Im performing it. Its as if its not recording the sustain to produce the sliding portamento? The notes are pretty close together in the melodic phrase. Any suggestions as to why this is happening? Thanks
I think I figured it out - Not the greatest micro resolution on th A4. On a MC707, you can have time scale down to a real slow pace and the sequencer still picks up 16th notes if unquantized.
@@GaryHayes No problem. Taking a break is important. I’ve got it to work - to a point. I have to sacrifice a little syncopation for the longer tracks with 1/8 resolution but that’s ok. The time scale is really different than the Roland time scale,so I’m having to unlearn. Having to extend the master length just doesn’t seem very intuitive compared to the Roland resolution. Your right though, I think I’ll just use my Novation Tracks sequencer and external hardware for the extended pattern lengths and the A4 for more spacey“melodic/rhythmic drones” from the ambient Berlin School. :)
@@chrisgoebel 'he' you mean me ... You just initialize each sound on each track (delete all sequences on each track) and then save it as a kit - which is easy to do, detailed in the manual
THanks for watching everyone - and yes I made a few word bloops - calling Overbridge, overdrive at one point (easily done) and a few more AMP = amplifier not amplitude! 4 LFOs when really 2 with 4 destinations etc etc: be kind in the comments! ... it's all live after all ... and wish I had done a jam, but time and all, will get out on a cliff somewhere and have a go :) Cheers
Thankyou!
I Love Synth Bleep/Blop/Bloopers🙂
Thanks for the great vids - very instructive indeed :)
@@GrootsieTheDog cheers A B
Thanks!
Welcome! A B
Haha! I bought an analog four, more or less, because of this video. I've had it for about two weeks and boy is it deep. Great video mate.
Excellent! Now if only I had put an affiliate link in!! But enjoy it knurkas, it will keep you in analog goodness for years!
doing the lords work with this thoughtful and well-presented walkthrough -- i'm fairly used to the elektron workflow but the A4 panel is still notably more intimidating and there are considerably more features to unearth.
this helped fill all those gaps in my understanding though and has given me a huge appreciation for what may very well be my favorite synth i've owned, thanks!
Cheers Evan - yes I love it too and severely been neglecting it recently. But I think would still be my desert island single box. Glad I was able to help you in your journey :)
Great session Gary. Thanks so much. Really useful set of technical and performance tips and advice - a true MasterClass for beginners from a power user/performer ! Looking forward to the next A4 jam or tutorial. 👏🙏👍
Cheers Ken - will get onto it!
Wow just found this, this is awesome Gary, I'm currently tossing up getting one of these or a digitone and no matter how many technical reviews I watch they don't seem to help my decision at all. Hopefully after I've finished watching this it'll help sell me on one or the other!
Thanks Battel - yes it really comes down to what you need. A very customisable analog synth with four tracks or an FM preset style box, less customisable but with more polyphony.
That probability is amazing definitely part of elektron differentiator ;) thanks gary a very cool tutorial
Glad you liked it! StefKob - yes trig probablities really add a humanistic feel
A lot of useful tips! Thanks a lot! :)
Glad it was helpful! Mariusz!
this was great, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Saith!
Great tutorial. Trying to follow along at home and some things are a bit different. At around 15 minutes you twist the Sound Browser knob and it takes you into the kick and then a few minutes later the hi hat. I just got my analog four a few days ago and when I twist the Sound Browser it just comes up with empty slots. How do I add a kick or hat into those slots?
Thans Jimmy - yes you have to purposely add items from the Sound Library to the Browser, when you are browing the library there is an option to add them OR even better use Overbridge USB to your A4 and you can do it all from a nice big computer screen ...
Hi, Gary! I'm digging in my A4 MK2 now :) Your thoughts about chords are pretty interesting! Because the manual seems to be written by some lawer :D
IMHO, I wish they could just made "+/- value of semitones" for sub-oscillators. This could be so much easier. Not sure if it's possible in that analog design. The simplest sub-oscs uses CD4013 CMOS chip but I'm not really sure that here is this way in the design as they have an option of 5th. Probably it's a separate VCO (with simpler design) that is digitally controlled by some "master chip" (like that was using Z80 CPU in Jupiter8 for example). Thus it makes me think that there are some more options that just weren't implemented in the FW level.
What do you think about Polybrute's Ladder filter? Is it better than this one in A4? I'm not going to buy Polybrute soon (takes too much space for my room and isn't in my budget range yet) but just curious to know others thoughts!
Yes to be honest Elektron could have implemented a sub oscillator that would follow chord rules (if you put the key / root in), but doing these split voice chords are OK but not the best use of the instrument ... I have a video tutorial on just doing the chord stuff on the A4. I have no experience of the pBrutes filter in comparison so best not to comment ... best on a forum I think ... cheers mate! And enjoy my fave elec instrument
Do you record your performances? Very Zen in deleting it all and starting over..great vid thanks!
Cheers CT! - I always start from scratch to be honest. Rarely go back to a track and tweak it as I am constantly changing the sounds and sequences anyhow. All my lives are recorded to the streaming laptop too in slightly better quality and sometimes I have my zoom capturing at 24bit/90khz - that allows me to take the lives and do this sort of thing a few days later th-cam.com/video/E39DNZPynfk/w-d-xo.html
Hello Gary. Near the A4 stands korg kaossilator 2. Have you definitely use it? 😊
I had it here really to demonstrate how to use the stereo ext ins - I use it all the time in my main A4 jams eg: th-cam.com/video/JRVJu03epkA/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes th-cam.com/video/wFh6qWfjsxc/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes. th-cam.com/video/k35A_kXp2Bw/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes. th-cam.com/video/pt0w9H3r7_0/w-d-xo.html&ab_channel=GaryPHayes.
Dear Gary, I would like to ask Sergeï's question "How do you think, is this sequencer good for experimental avant-garde music?" again in a different way, because your remark about the great modulation depth of the A4 did not answer the question imho too well.
So I'd like to define avant-garde music as crossing a boundary by creating sounds and rhythms that no one has ever heard before. Is the A4 capable of crossing that boundary, or is the A4 only capable to replicate or vary the kind of music that was prevalent when the A4 was developed? Do you have to control a lot of (newer) extra gear with the A4 in order to cross that boundary?
I am looking forward to hearing your response.
Yours, Markus
Thanks Markus - the definition of avant-garde or contemporary or experimental is very broad and even your definition 'no one has heard before' is pretty vague too. Of course you can push the A4 into micro tuning and different meters and polyrhythms and endless modulation of pitch or sound parameters, the list goes on. One reason I now use modular is the total freedom to take more free directions without too much menu diving, which is what you have to do on the A4 to make it more experimental ... the reason I focused on the modulation aspects was that every parameter can be affected by four LFOs and if you want to quickly get to a place of 'unheard' that is one easy route ... my live this morning in an hour looks at some experimental sections linked with modular ... might see you there
Dear Gary, thank you for your answer.
Yes, my definition of avant-garde was very vague indeed, but my question based on this vague definition wasn't. I learn from your last answer you might get more freedom to designs sound and rhythm using modular gear. Ok, that makes sense, because I already own a Eurorack system and know the vast range of modules and parameters.
From time to time i feel a little bit lost by all those possibilities a Eurorack system provides. So I'm currently watching out for a device what would help me to structure my sound and rhythm designs on my Eurorack system. As far as I learned from your and other videos the A4 could do the job. I think I could use it to program tracks and patterns and after connecting it to my Eurorack system I would have the freedom to concentrate to modulate the Eurorack system live while different loops and track and patterns a playing on the A4.
Does this approach make sense to you?
Yours, Markus
th-cam.com/video/HNP3IjAYzYk/w-d-xo.html
Can I send it four-note chords with midi? I’m thinking of getting the A4 MK1, but I’m confused, would I have to send each note to a different midi channel so it plays each one on a different voice? Or could one voice play four-note polyphony?
You can assign each track sound to the same midi channel and then make sure you are in Poly mode it will allocate - I rarely do it like this as I tend to use it as a four track poly synth standalone
@@GaryHayes I see! Thanks, that clears it up. I havn't seen anyone on YT do this, they're all playing monophonic arps and stuff. Would you recommend the A4 MK1 for polyphonic chords and such? I love the tone and flexibility of it
Do have any idea why, in realtime record, the portamento is not recording? Its non quntized and set to 1/8 scale and over a large amount of steps so that I can have a long sequence that has lots of silents space inbetween the notes. It doesnt play back the way it sounds when Im performing it. Its as if its not recording the sustain to produce the sliding portamento? The notes are pretty close together in the melodic phrase. Any suggestions as to why this is happening? Thanks
I think I figured it out - Not the greatest micro resolution on th A4. On a MC707, you can have time scale down to a real slow pace and the sequencer still picks up 16th notes if unquantized.
Glad you sorted it - sorry been travelling for two weeks. I wouldn't use the A4 for what you are doing anyhow
@@GaryHayes No problem. Taking a break is important. I’ve got it to work - to a point. I have to sacrifice a little syncopation for the longer tracks with 1/8 resolution but that’s ok. The time scale is really different than the Roland time scale,so I’m having to unlearn. Having to extend the master length just doesn’t seem very intuitive compared to the Roland resolution. Your right though, I think I’ll just use my Novation Tracks sequencer and external hardware for the extended pattern lengths and the A4 for more spacey“melodic/rhythmic drones” from the ambient Berlin School. :)
how do you get the initialized sound
Press and hold 'track key' of sound you want initialized, then press 'clear' (play key)
@@GaryHayes Specifically I mean how did he create his "kit init" settings that creates the 4 track "normaled" kit.
@@chrisgoebel 'he' you mean me ... You just initialize each sound on each track (delete all sequences on each track) and then save it as a kit - which is easy to do, detailed in the manual