elektron Transfer User Manual

: June 9, 2024
: elektron

Table of Contents

elektron Transfer
INTRODUCTION
USING TRANSFER
- CONNECTION PAGE
CREDITS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
- CREDITS
CONTACT INFORMATION
References
Read User Manual Online (PDF format)
Download This Manual (PDF format)

elektron Transfer

elektron-Transfer-PRODUCT

Legal information
This manual is protected by copyright and all reproduction and further distribution without written authorization from Elektron Music Machines MAV AB is strictly prohibited. The content of this manual is for informational use only, is subject to change without notice and should not be read as a commit- ment by Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. Elektron Music Machines MAV AB holds no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual. Also, In no event shall Elektron Music Machines MAV AB be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence, or other action, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this information. Elektron Music Machines MAV AB or its Licensors, holds all the rights, including intellectual property rights, consisting of but not limited to, patents, copyrights, designs, trademarks and trade secrets to and in relation to Overbridge and all its software and hardware components, including the Analog Keys, Analog Four, Analog Rytm and Analog Heat and their corresponding Plugins, as well as any future Overbridge Applications and Devices.

THE FOLLOWING SYMBOLS ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL:

Important information that you should pay attention to.
A tip that makes it easier for you to interact with Transfer.

Transfer User Manual. This manual is copyright © 2022 Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All reproduction, digital or printed, without written authorization is strictly prohibited. The information in this manual may change without notice. Elektron’s product names, logotypes, titles, words or phrases may be registered and protected by Swedish and interna-tional law. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This manual for Transfer version 1.5.0 was last updated April 21, 2022.

INTRODUCTION

ABOUT ELEKTRON TRANSFER
Transfer is an application for Mac OS and Windows that simplifies the transfer of files between your com-puter and your Elektron device. Transfer can perform several different tasks:

Installing/updating device operating system
Transferring samples to and from your Elektron devices. Transfer supports various sample formats and sample rates, and it automatically converts the samples to the correct native format.
Making backups of device data such as projects, samples and sounds/presets.

A simple drag & drop interface makes it easy for you to transfer the files. You can drop entire folders or zip-archives directly onto the application, and preserve the folder hierarchy for all the files contained within. Transfer also uses native file types to make it easy to import, export, and share samples, sounds, and proj-ects. For example, a project can be exported as a single file containing all project and pattern data together with all samples used in the project. The internal file types in the devices each have a desktop equivalent, with a specific file extension. Ex: .dtprj for a Digitakt Project, .dtsnd for a Digitakt Sound. Transfer uses a USB-MIDI protocol and does not require any additional drivers installed on your computer.

SUPPORTED ELEKTRON DEVICES
Transfer supports the following Elektron devices.

Syntakt
Model: Cycles
Model : Samples
Digitone/Digitone Keys
Digitakt
Analog Rytm MKI/MKII
Analog Four MKI/MKII
Analog Heat MKI/MKII
Analog Keys
Monomachine
Machinedrum

Your specific device OS may enable/disable certain Transfer features. Therefore you should always run the latest OS for your device to get the best experience from the Transfer application The latest Transfer release is found here: http://www.elektron.se/support/transfer/
The latest device OS for your Elektron device is found here: http://www.elektron.se/support/

SUPPORTED FILE TYPES FOR EACH ELEKTRON DEVICE
Transfer supports file transfer of several different types of files depending on your Elektron device.

	OS FILES	PROJECTS	SOUNDS/ PRESETS	SAMPLES
Syntakt	X	X	X
Model:Cycles	X	X	X
Model:Samples	X	X		X
Digitone/Digitone Keys	X	X	X
Digitakt	X	X	X	X
Analog Rytm MKI/MKII	X	X	X	X
Analog Four MKI/MKII	X	X	X
Analog Heat MKI/MKII	X		X
Analog Keys	X	X	X
	OS FILES	PROJECTS	SOUNDS/ PRESETS	SAMPLES
---	---	---	---	---
Monomachine	X*
Machinedrum	X*

OS files can be transferred to the device using the SYSEX TRANSFER page.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM
Transfer supports the following computer operating systems.

PC with Windows 7 SP1 or higher.
64-bit Apple computer with macOS 10.12 or higher. 32-bit architectures are not supported.

COMPUTER HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS
Elektron recommends at least the following hardware specifications.

4 GB of RAM.
Intel Core i5 CPU.

INSTALLING TRANSFER

WINDOWS

Extract the downloaded ZIP file.
Double-click the file called Elektron Transfer Installer.msi to run the installer software for Transfer.
Follow the instructions in the installation program

MAC OS X

Double-click the downloaded DMG file from Finder to mount it.
Drag and drop the Transfer.app file from the DMG into your Applications folder.
Unmount the DMG file again by ejecting it via Finder (or via your Desktop).

UNINSTALLING TRANSFER

WINDOWS
Use the Uninstall program option in Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features menu to uninstall Transfer. You may need to restart your computer after the uninstallation for all installed files to disappear.

MAC OS
On macOS, just drag and drop the Transfer.app file from your Applications folder onto the Trashcan to uninstall the application.

USING TRANSFER

CONNECTION PAGE

CONNECTING TRANSFER TO YOUR ELEKTRON DEVICE

Connect your Elektron device to your computer via USB and switch it on.
Start the Elektron Transfer application and select the USB MIDI port(s) for your Elektron device on the Transfer CONNECTION page.
Click “CONNECT” to create a device connection.

Once you have connected a device it will show up under AVAILABLE DEVICES. If you have connected multiple Elektron devices you can switch between them here. If you use macOS, Transfer might ask for permission to browse the desktop the first time you start Transfer. You should allow this, and If you want to revisit this setting later, it can be found in the macOS System Preferences.

elektron-Transfer-FIG-1

USING THE SYSEX TRANSFER PAGE
If you have problems detecting or connecting your device please make sure you have the latest OS installed on your device. You can use Transfer to update your device OS even if Transfer does not detect your device. Click the link in the text on the CONNECTION page that reads “go to the SYSEX TRANSFER page”. Follow the instructions on the SYSEX TRANSFER page to upgrade your device You can also use the SYSEX TRANSFER page to upgrade your device OS when you are in the EARLY STARTUP menu on your device. On the SYSEX TRANSFER page, click “OS Upgrade via device startup menu” and then follow the instructions. Make sure you select your MIDI interface instead of your Elektron device in the drop down menu.

elektron-Transfer-FIG-2

DROP PAGE

elektron-Transfer-FIG-3

Here you can drop device OS files, sample files, folders or zip files containing samples, directly onto the drop zone to transfer the files to your device. At the bottom of the application window is a list of currently active transfers. You may drop additional files to the drop zone while other transfers are ongoing. The files are added the job queue automatically.

SAMPLES
Various sample formats are supported (.wav, .aiff, .mp3, and more). The exact list of supported file formats may depend on your computer OS and its built-in codecs. When dropping complete directory structures onto the Drop zone, Transfer creates the corresponding directory structure on the device, even if you drop zip files. When you transfer samples to the device, Transfer creates a target folder with the name /transfers-YYMMDD (adding the current date to the folder name). The files are converted and re-sampled automatically using high-quality algorithms if they are not already in the native format supported by your device (typically 16bit/48kHz, mono). Files that were previously backed up by the Transfer application itself are transferred in a bit-accurate manner, preserving compatibility with your device projects.

TRANSFERRING SAMPLES, SOUNDS/PRESETS, AND PROJECTS

Connect the Elektron device to the computer via USB.
Open the Transfer application on your computer.
On the Transfer CONNECTION page, set the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports to your Elektron device,and then click ”CONNECT”.
On the Transfer DROP page, drag and drop the files you want to transfer. The samples/sounds/presets/ ,projects will automatically be transferred to the Elektron device.

TRANSFERRING OS FILES AND UPGRADING DEVICE OS (STANDARD MODE)
This is the standard mode of transferring device OS files to your Elektron device is to use the Transfer DROP page and in this way upgrade your device OS.

Connect the Elektron device to the computer via USB.
Open the Transfer application on your computer.
On the Transfer CONNECTION page, set the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports to your Elektron device, and then click ”CONNECT” (or just click “CONNECT” next to your device under PREVIOUSLY USED if it had been connected before).
On the Transfer DROP page, drag and drop the OS file. The OS file is then automatically transferred to the Elektron device and the OS update initiates.
On your device. Press [YES] to confirm the OS update.

We recommend that you select USB MIDI mode on your Elektron device. You find this setting in GLOBAL SETTINGS > SYSTEM > USB CONFIG, or CONFIG MENU > DEVICE

USB MODE depending on your device.

EXPLORE PAGE
On the EXPLORE page, you have a two-column explorer view with the Elektron device’s contents on one side and the computer contents on the other side (or with the device’s content on both sides). Here you can do easy drag and drop transfers of files and directories from your computer to your device, or the other way around. You can also preview the samples you have on your computer here or rearrange the content on your device.

elektron-Transfer-FIG-4

BACKING UP PROJECTS, SOUNDS/PRESETS, AND SAMPLES TO A COMPUTER
You can backup up your projects, sounds/presets, and samples from your Elektron device to a computer. Here is the general procedure for how to back up your device:

Connect the Elektron device to the computer via USB.
Open the Transfer application on your computer, and then select the USB MIDI port(s) for your device on the CONNECTION page, and then click “CONNECT” (or just click “CONNECT” next to your device under PREVIOUSLY USED if it had been connected before).
In Transfer, click the EXPLORE tab to open the EXPLORE page.
On the EXPLORE page top left side in the drop down menu, make sure “MY COMPUTER” is selected.
On the top right side, in the drop down menu, select the type of file you want to transfer.
In the window on the right, navigate to the files or folders you want to transfer
Drag and drop the files or folders to your preferred folder under “MY COMPUTER”.

For a more specific description of how to perform a back up from your device, please see your device’s User Guide.

TRANSFERRING FILES TO AN ELEKTRON DEVICE
You can use the EXPLORE page to transfer files from a computer to your Elektron device. Different devices supports different file types. For more information, please see “1.3 SUPPORTED FILE TYPES FOR EACH ELEKTRON DEVICE” on page 4.

Connect the Elektron device to the computer via USB.
Open the Transfer application on your computer and then select the USB MIDI port(s) for your device on the Transfer CONNECTION page, and then click “CONNECT” (or just click “CONNECT” next to your device under PREVIOUSLY USED if it had been connected before).
In Transfer, click the EXPLORE tab to open the EXPLORE page.
On the EXPLORE page top left side in the drop down menu, make sure “MY COMPUTER” is selected.
Under “MY COMPUTER”, navigate to the files or folders you want to transfer.
Drag and drop the files or folders to your preferred location on your device on right side.
Depending on what file type you send you might see a number of pop-up windows asking you to decide what files you want to send and how you want them to be organized.

REORGANIZING FILES ON THE ELEKTRON DEVICE
You can also reorganize files on your Elektron device.

Connect the Elektron device to the computer via USB.
Open the Transfer application on your computer, and then select the USB MIDI port(s) for your device on the CONNECTION page, and then click “CONNECT”.
In Transfer, click the EXPLORE tab to open the EXPLORE page.
On the EXPLORE page on top the left side in the drop down menu, select your Elektron device (e.g. Digitakt or Analog Rytm etc.),
On the EXPLORE page on top the right side, select the type of file you want to organize.
Navigate to the files or folders you want to organize
Drag and drop the files or folders to your preferred folders.

Project files contains project data, and samples (if applicable).
Sound/Preset files contains, Sound/Preset data, and samples (if applicable).
You can not see or access the Elektron device’s FACTORY folder in Transfer.
When you select an audio file in the “MY COMPUTER”-side, there is a preview pane that allows you to preview the audio file using the default system audio interface. It also shows a short file info summary.
Samples that are transferred from your Elektron device to your computer are stored in .wav format with bit-accuracy such that they can be transferred back to your device again with full project compatibility preserved. Note you should keep the .wav files unaltered on the computer if you want to guarantee that they are kept compatible with your device projects. Should you edit the files, they end up with a different hash sum, which in turn means that the Elektron device will no longer be able to load them into your projects. You may, however, rename or move files both on the computer and on the device without losing project compatibility

MAIN CONTROLS
There are three buttons available for each of the two columns.

UP Navigates up one level in the folder hierarchy.
CREATE FOLDER Creates a folder in the current directory.
REFRESH Updates the files and folders to the current state

RIGHT-CLICK MENU
If you right-click on a file or folder in the main windows on the EXPLORE page, it brings up a contextual menu with the following options:

RENAME Lets you rename the file or folder. (Available if you have selected a folder or sample file.)
DELETE Removes the file or folder. (Available if you have selected a folder or sample file.)
CREATE FOLDER Creates a folder in the current directory. (Available if you have selected a folder or sample file.)
REFRESH Updates the file or folder to the current state.
REVEAL IN EXPLORER/FINDER Opens the file’s or folder’s location in Explorer/Finder. (Available if you have selected a file that resides on your computer.)
SAVE TO COMPUTER Saves the files or folders to the computer. (Available if you have selected a project or sound/preset file.)
LOAD INTO SLOT Loads the file to the selected slot. (Available if you have selected a project or sound/preset file.)
COPY Copies the selected file. (Available if you have selected a project or sound/preset file.)
CUT Removes the file or folder. (Available if you have selected a project or sound/preset file.)
PASTE Pastes the previously copied file to the selected location. (Available if you have selected a project or sound/preset file.)

RIGHT-CLICK MENU IN THE TRANSFERS PANE
If you right-click on a file in the TRANSFERS pane, it brings up a menu with the following options

REMOVE Removes the file from the TRANSFERS window.
CANCEL Cancels the ongoing file transfer.
RETRY Retries to send a file that has been stopped or canceled.
RETRY RENAME This option is available if the file you try to transfer a file with the same name as a file already in the destination. It lets you rename the file you are sending so it can be transferred.
AUTO-SCROLL With this option selected, the file currently in transfer is visible in the TRANSFERS pane.