Axon2 difficulties

[Deleted User]

Having difficulties with axon2. Still reading the manual and watching videos, but still struggling. Also the apps overall responsiness seems buggy. Got any tips??

e121

Use another sequencer to sequence it. That’s probably the easiest thing you can do.

If you do try to use the sequencer, start with the first node (“00”) as the tempo setter, and use high values for the threshhold knob. You may have to up the tempo and increase the rate to 1/32, because high threshhold values spreads out the trigger for each node, but this also results in more variety in the sequence.

Overall Axon’s sequencer is unusual. Once you figure out what’s going on, that each connection sends triggering information, it starts to make a bit more sense. I don’t think you can really get rid of the peculiarity of it though, which may lend to it’s feeling “difficult” to use.

Should also say, I have come across what appear to be bugs, in which knob changes don’t seem to register unless you move one of the XY pads. I think it was the “FM” ones. Whatever the case, like I say, you may want to use another sequencer. Maybe even consider using a sampler to sample the output, then going from there.

[Deleted User]

@e121 said:
Use another sequencer to sequence it. That’s probably the easiest thing you can do.

If you do try to use the sequencer, start with the first node (“00”) as the tempo setter, and use high values for the threshhold knob. You may have to up the tempo and increase the rate to 1/32, because high threshhold values spreads out the trigger for each node, but this also results in more variety in the sequence.

Overall Axon’s sequencer is unusual. Once you figure out what’s going on, that each connection sends triggering information, it starts to make a bit more sense. I don’t think you can really get rid of the peculiarity of it though, which may lend to it’s feeling “difficult” to use.

Should also say, I have come across what appear to be bugs, in which knob changes don’t seem to register unless you move one of the XY pads. I think it was the “FM” ones. Whatever the case, like I say, you may want to use another sequencer. Maybe even consider using a sampler to sample the output, then going from there.

Things i needed to hear, time to apply. THX so much 👍🏼!

[Deleted User]

@e121 said:
Use another sequencer to sequence it. That’s probably the easiest thing you can do.

If you do try to use the sequencer, start with the first node (“00”) as the tempo setter, and use high values for the threshhold knob. You may have to up the tempo and increase the rate to 1/32, because high threshhold values spreads out the trigger for each node, but this also results in more variety in the sequence.

Overall Axon’s sequencer is unusual. Once you figure out what’s going on, that each connection sends triggering information, it starts to make a bit more sense. I don’t think you can really get rid of the peculiarity of it though, which may lend to it’s feeling “difficult” to use.

Should also say, I have come across what appear to be bugs, in which knob changes don’t seem to register unless you move one of the XY pads. I think it was the “FM” ones. Whatever the case, like I say, you may want to use another sequencer. Maybe even consider using a sampler to sample the output, then going from there.

Gonna def try and get my head around its own sequencer. Seems to be the tricky part. Success it stays, hair pulling it goes.

e121

@breilly said:

@e121 said:
Use another sequencer to sequence it. That’s probably the easiest thing you can do.

If you do try to use the sequencer, start with the first node (“00”) as the tempo setter, and use high values for the threshhold knob. You may have to up the tempo and increase the rate to 1/32, because high threshhold values spreads out the trigger for each node, but this also results in more variety in the sequence.

Overall Axon’s sequencer is unusual. Once you figure out what’s going on, that each connection sends triggering information, it starts to make a bit more sense. I don’t think you can really get rid of the peculiarity of it though, which may lend to it’s feeling “difficult” to use.

Should also say, I have come across what appear to be bugs, in which knob changes don’t seem to register unless you move one of the XY pads. I think it was the “FM” ones. Whatever the case, like I say, you may want to use another sequencer. Maybe even consider using a sampler to sample the output, then going from there.

Gonna def try and get my head around its own sequencer. Seems to be the tricky part. Success it stays, hair pulling it goes.

A few other things:

When setting up the "Network" or sequence, there are restrictions. I forget what the rule is, but you can't always send signals from one node to another. I think if one node is already receiving from another, it cannot send a signal back. Or something like that.

You can also simply mute one of the nodes using the mixer. This only mutes the sound that node makes, but you can still use that node to send signals. I usually mute the center one ("00") because that one functions as the main tempo setter.

The beats are generally pretty unusual, so like I say a sampler may be the way to go. Just sample a short portion, like a one bar beat, then repeat that to make it seem more rhythmic.

wim

Here’s how I wrap my head around it.

Think of the center node like a counter shooting out pulses. Now think of a connector as a pathway from that node to another. The pulses hit their target node and the target node keeps track of how many hit it. The threshold of the target is the number of pulses will be received without triggering the node. The next pulse will trigger it and set the counter back to zero. So if the threshold is 3 then the fourth pulse will fire the node.

So far pretty simple. If the center node (00) is firing 16th notes, then a connection to 01 with threshold of 3 would play quarter notes. If you then connected 00 to 02 with a threshold of 7, you 02 would pay every half note.

If you only connected nodes to the center, it would be easy to set up regular beats based around 16th simple note counters.

But, if instead of connecting 00 to. 02, you connected 01 to 02, 02 would only get a pulse every quarter note. In this case, to get the same result you’d set the 02 threshold to 1. 01 would send a pulse every quarter note, and 02 would fire when the 2nd pulse hit it.

Things start to get interesting (and complicated) when you have multiple connections to a node. That’s because any pulse that hits a node gets counted. So, lets say you had 00 connected to 01 with a threshold of 3, but then you connected both 00 and 01 to 02. Now, at the 4th 16th note, 02 would get two pulses (one from 00 and one from 01). So a threshold of 7 now would fire the node a 16th beat earlier than it did before.

You can see that unless you’re a math genius, trying to “sequence” a predictable beat quickly gets beyond most people’s ability to direct logically once you start having multiple connections (for instance, if you connected a third node to, say 00, 01, and 02, then 01 and 02 to 03, etc).

For this reason, the term “sequencer” doesn’t resonate well with me for Axon 2 (even though it is a sequencer). I think of a sequencer as something more predictable to my mortal brain, and I don’t even try to approach it as a means to an end that I have in my head. It’s more of a happy accident machine, or a way to break out of the rut I get myself into with my beats.

As for the interface, I’ve never had any glitchiness with it, only the damn tiny controls being difficult as hell to manipulate. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cursed at the interface for not letting me join nodes only to finally realize that I don’t have the “network” button engaged.

I hope that helps a little. My advice is not to try to get predictable results with Axon 2. But if you do want predictable results, then only connect nodes to the center. Remember you can always mute the center node if you don’t want that annoying 16th note chatter.

JohnnyGoodyear

@wim Very good guidance. Tell me, do you enjoy the app?

wim

@JohnnyGoodyear said:
@wim Very good guidance. Tell me, do you enjoy the app?

I did just now while I was writing that.
But honestly it’s not one that I pick up often. Mainly because I never seem to know what to do with the stuff I come up with in it, even though I like said stuff.

[Deleted User]

https://forum.audiob.us/profile/wim
https://forum.audiob.us/profile/e121
Thx for all that info!
Still workin at it.
Def agree the controls are WAY to small, not a UI thats comfortable to work with. Makin baby steps with the sequencer; asking myself is it worth it? Could i have accomplished similar results to what im hearing in a quicker, smoother way?
Thx again for takin the time to respond👍🏼
Luv this forum!

oat_phipps

I open it up every now and then and think 'why don't I use this more?'. Then by the time I have six sounds programmed and am ready to sequence, nothing will connect to the 1 node, host starts crashing, tempo has extreme drifts in and out in any host, etc. I'll probably touch the hot stove again soon, because I like what it does in theory.

JabreyD

I seem to always get into the same exact sounds, not enough variety.

[Deleted User]

@oat_phipps said:
I open it up every now and then and think 'why don't I use this more?'. Then by the time I have six sounds programmed and am ready to sequence, nothing will connect to the 1 node, host starts crashing, tempo has extreme drifts in and out in any host, etc. I'll probably touch the hot stove again soon, because I like what it does in theory.

Ha totally...theory of it is why i bought it, though the functionality is bringing regrets

[Deleted User]

Never been particularly impressed with this one, think it could do with a few tweaks.