Elektron are not resting on their laurels. Instead their latest update for Overbridge, Analog Keys, Analog Four and Analog Rytm see some prime time new features added. Timo Preece digs deeper here.

Once again there’s exciting news from Elektron. At NAMM 2016 Elektron unveiled their latest update to Overbridge (Public Beta 1.10) and OS 1.22 for Analog Keys, Analog Four and Analog Rytm. The list of enhancements is a lengthy one and I want to share how powerful some of these additions truly are.

OS Updates

Relevant to Analog series owners, there are powerful OS updates for all machines… Analog Keys/Four and Rytm. Some of the features are tied to Overbridge 1.10 while others enhance the hardware itself.

Note: It’s worth mentioning that all of these updates are free and available for immediate download on the Elektron website.

https://www.elektron.se/2016/01/major-overbridge-and-machine-os-updates/

Sequencer Note Conditions

Undoubtedly, Elektron sequencers are some of the most advanced on the planet… a big contribution to why they are so popular. The new OS 1.22 takes Analog Keys/Four and Rytm sequencing to the next level. How is this even possible?

One of the caveats of step sequencing is the inability to vary triggers automatically within a set pattern. Unless you’re punching in and out steps manually, programed symmetric patterns often sound redundant as they simply loop over and over again until changed. Such aforementioned functionality has a tendency to make programming predictable and static, especially when using shorter loop lengths (i.e., 4 bars compared to 16).

The predictable becomes less predictable if algorithmic variations are programmed to happen periodically. What if there’s a way to add additional notes and/or parameter automation that doesn’t happen each iteration but instead occurs a percentage of the time based on a probability ratio or a specified number of pattern iterations? This optimal feature is exactly what Elektron is now providing with these updates.