The most important part is keystep pitch into werkstatt VCO and key step gate into into werkstatt gate. After that it's all optional, good luck.

There are other comments about this. I have the 2014 version, the later release is a little different, but the functionality is the same.

I haven't noticed, but okay. Still, I wanted to figure out how to use the Werkstatt as a CV source, as there is now no Gate-Out, only a KB CV-Out for pitch. From reading the manual, these connections all exist in the patchable header, but they are not patched into the CV Extension. Only 12/22 connectors are patched out, hence the differences in versions. Unfortunately the Moog Mavis (aka Werkstatt v2) is the same, no Gate-Out - so I have not figured out how to connect the two without a Sequencer to drive both. My 3rd Moog, the Theremini also only has the CV-Out for pitch (but no CV inputs) so this must be a cheaper Moog thing.

I don't know anything about the beatstep. The calibration is all about getting a good octave, by making the werkstatt understand what the cv generator's measurement of one volt is.

@@circkus Thank you for the reply. Yes, I'm aware of it, but need to find the 0V note or octave in order to calibrate. Don't know how to find which C note is the 0 Volt.

@@-umbrarium keep going lower until the note stops changing.

I am no kind of expert. I looked up the nts1 and it looks like it is a MIDI connection. Do you have any way to test if the CV outputs of your keystep are working? Other CV equipment, multimeters? Can you get self patching on the Werkstatt to work? LFO OUT to VCO EXP FM IN? Find ways to eliminate variables. Good luck!

@@circkus thanks so much. I will keep trying. And I only have the micro freak and I do have a monotribe I will try some of your suggestions. Thanks

@@circkus yeah it works. Turns out that I didn’t have those little prongs on the cv gate pushed down enough when I first built it. I was timid I guess and when I pulled the top off to try and calibrate it with my Moog grandmother I saw that in needed to push it down more. And bam after i calibrated it with the grandmother it worked like a charm just the way you said. Thank you so much for helping me !! When you said test the patching to itself I started to think something was wrong because it seemed to work but not like the videos I was watching (probably because if the intermittent connection ) so when you said check all the variables that was the key !!

Not that I'm aware of. I don't find it cumbersome.

@@circkus It's a pita when you want to do something complex like play an arp with 2 hands on the keys. I was hoping you knew of a trick haha. I've had the SL for a couple years and like it otherwise. Thanks for the reply.

@@jaydekaytv why dont you use the ARP that is built into each track/channel?

You are correct. 400 points for Ravenclaw.

When I go down past the note I have set as the lowest note for the keystep I get one note. Try changing octaves on the keystep.

They're great machines.

I haven't seen beyond the black rainbow? What is it?

www.imdb.com/title/tt1534085/

Well, if all you are looking for is a midi controller, you can get the Novation Launchkey brand new for about 279 right now. But I don't think you'll find another 8 lane sequencer with MIDI and CV control for $200. If you do, let me know about it.

I ended up doing a gate mod. You can find it by googling "synthnerd gate mod". It might even be in the comments here. My werkstatt is the 2014 version. The new ones might be different. Good luck.

Thanks. I'll check that out. BTW, mine is the same version as yours, 2014. Got busy with other things, forgot about it and assembled maybe a month ago. New old stock, as they say...

There is no DAW in this example, and I use Reaper, so I'm going to be useless for what to do in Ableton. Hopefully I can help a little anyway. The KeyStep has MIDI IN and OUT and CV out. The CV out is the key to controlling the Werkstatt. Anything that sends CV out (there are some details about voltage, I'm speaking generally here) can control the Werkstatt. The Werkstatt is not different from any other synth, or even a guitar as far as your audio connection is concerned, Werkstatt audio out into audio interface in. If you're able to send MIDI to any other synth, sending MIDI to the Keystep controller is the same. You want to send FROM the DAW on the same channel that the Keystep is listening on. The Keystep then converts the MIDI data into CV signals, and sends that out to the Werkstatt. DAW MIDI OUT -> Keystep MIDI IN / Keystep CV out -> Werkstatt. The original Keystep is fairly affordable at around $125 the last time I checked, and it's dead easy to hook up. If you can get a MIDI to CV converter, it should do the same trick. The Keystep is just a good MIDI to CV converter. Good luck!

The VCA (voltage controlled amplitude) switch has two modes, ON and EG (envelope generator). ON behaves as you're describing, EG uses the envelope settings from the ENVELOPE section. If your VCA switch is set to EG and it still behaves like that, contact Moog.

Thanks for your response. After watching your video and a couple of others I did try the VCA switch as you suggested and it did fix the problem. Now I could have sworn I did try that earlier, but maybe not! So next time I will try having the VCA switch 'on' before I plug the Moog in, which will replicate the conditions, just to make sure it does not somehow get stuck if already activated when the unit first powers on. Probably not, but just to be certain. If no issues, then that solves that. Thanks again for your good video and response.

For me the SL MkIII is perfect. I am currently (right this minute) sequencing 7 pieces of hardware with it. I have another lane of automation available, but nothing to fill it with. It's really great. Other options that I know of but have never used are the Squarp Pyramid, and the Octotrack. I don't know how they are. They're worth a google I'm sure.

@@circkus nice.. I really appreciate your time. Sounds really nice.. the pyramid and octo and the "seq" are a few others in the running... I'm using microfreak, blue box, minibrute 2s and any day a desktop hydrasynth, I was thinking about getting the black box for sequencing/ sampling using the hydrasynth as a usb midi controller in black box and learn to use the sequencers on the hardware I have individually to their best capability and get a case and start a eurorack instead and eventually a really powerful expressive midi controller like a linnstrument, but I really would like the ability to from one device cycle through the different hardware and just kinda build the song. Then again I want to make sure I can get the unique utility from individual synths, initially i felt like "do I have to setup each synth entirely before I can move to midi controller? " then I was getting more into it and thinking ok..I can control more individual parameters with cc settings etc in midi I would guess? Although straight analog is just going to require more hands on. I just hate the idea of Spending so much on a controller/ sequencer

@@softsmoken What is the "seq" you're mentioning there? I'm also trying to find a good sequencer, preferably as part of a MIDI controller, and options are pretty sparse. I'm not a fan of the SL Mkiii keybed unfortunately. I'm heavily leaning towards an Akai MPK249 as a controller and finding an alternate sequencer to use. I don't really want to be stuck in a DAW all the time.

@@ambidex the arturia beatstep pro and keystep pro are what I'm referencing. I like them but I wanted more channels etc. I ended up getting a nerdseq and an akai force later on which I can feed clock into the nerdseq from, I'm still considering the slmk3 also or something. I'm basically running external synths and eurorack and I ended up going with the force to sorta tie everything together with a 1010 bluebox for a mixer for all the synths/rack and straight recording wav files of whatevers playing. Trying to kinda use each synth like a band member. But using the computer is just constant bullshit/problems so I've been going with hardware, it usually just works and if it dosen't it's because you missed a step somewhere or a setting/ channel number. Also honestly I've found alot of each synths own keys or pads if it has them, tends to fit it's synthesis and sounds better than something else played to it through midi, like the microfreak with the touch keybed for example.. or even just the distance the button/ key presses down compared to the one on the synth itself so if I'm playing an external synth from the force for example I end up needing to either make sure velocity settings etc are all right so I can get same sound or I try to use the keys that are on whatever synth to record their part when possible to get the actual sound of THAT synth.

@@ambidex sorry, the "seq" was the nerdseq but it's a eurorack module

Have you tried setting the different SL MkIII automation lanes to different MIDI Channels by pressing Shift+Sessions? Basically I just sent note data to the different channels on the Sound Canvas. This is the best video I've found for setting up templates for the SL MkIII. It's long but it's worth it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/nHi7lKmKo717iK8

@@circkus I'll take a look. Thanks.

Yeah, correct. This video was in response to some comments I read where people were having issues. Separate topic.

I think it should be. Set up the tracks to go to different MIDI channels, then set up your vsts to listen to those channels.

That's correct. There's a little more you can do by creating templates in the components software. But the big thing is each instrument on it's own channel.

Any controller with CV (controlled voltage) outs.

@@circkus I really appreciate your reply. I don't have those on my reface sadly.

I don't have any experience with the beatstep. I'm using an SL MkIII to control my Werkstatt and a lot of other great these days. Enjoy your new toys!

@@circkus thanks man!! if you figure anything else out thats cool in regards to the werksatt be sure to post a video.

My version is from around 2015. When they rereleased it more recently the CV expander was changed to say GATE IN. I don't know if the internal connections are different.

@@circkus i was looking at your set up and the cv plugs were in a different place all together, the pitch and mod plugs were the same but the gate in jack is two plugs higher underneath the lfo fm in..it works like a charm with the keystep . I am honestly super happy and appreciate the work you did figuring it out and then to make the video for those of us who dont know this stuff just yet....

@@mikedegrazia glad you brought this up. I was wondering about the differences between the updated vs older versions.

I don't know what you mean by "If I go gate to gate", but the rest of it sounds like you're describing one long note that is just changing pitch. Just under the Moog logo you will see the VCA section with the "Mode" switch, it should be set to "EG" which means "Envelope Generator". If it's set to "ON" it will continuously sound. If I've missed your point entirely, try describing your problem again. I'll do my best to help.

I think there's a bool variable in there called "doitwork". But you know, the code functions.

Hard disagree.

You should really do more sub 10min tutorials, loopop puts me to sleep haha.

Yeah, the trick is to either copy the session you are on, or to have a template session saved so you don't have to set up all of your instruments again.

Nope. No chord mode.

Mine is the older edition, I got it in 2015 when they were available, not at moogfest though. You are right that the expander is different. Here is a video that might cure your C3/C4 issue: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f6S1hHhnqrV_rK8 The internal calibration adjustment is to get accurate octaves. Good luck and enjoy!

Thank you so much. I spent 40 minutes before I realized mine was a different model. Newer 2020 models need a different wiring diagram. Perhaps I someone listed the actual names of what goes where, instead of “4th plug down goes ___”?

Unless you specifically save the CC values to motion control, they're not in the session. If that's what you want to do, I would suggest going to the first note in the first pattern for each instrument and saving the CC values. Record arm the pattern by pressing record, hold down the note, and move the encoder that adjusts the cc you want to save, get it to the right value and let go. Personally, I just take copious notes on all of my program values and adjustments. Some of my synths are slow to change programs and I think it might make it stutter. The microkorg for example is very slow. If all of my instruments were nice and snappy like my bass station 2, I might be more inclined to save program values in the SL.

@@circkus Thank you very much, this workaround does it. I had contacted Novation and they told me that apparently there is no plan to add a save by session for CCs in the next firmware. Kinda weird though, as all controllers I know (DAWs, Akai Force and others) save CCs in a project/session without the need to record them.