Just for sharing. I hope it will help to understand a little more the first version of MD (MKI). It can be useful for people who want to buy it second hand and to know the difference with the rest of versions that already incorporate +Drive. I paste the conversation between me and Elektron.
Me:
yes, all the patterns I use in the different songs are connected to its specific kit for that song. That’s how I usually work. One song, one kit, and I save always.
From what I’ve read, maybe the problem is that being the MD MKI version it doesn’t include +drive or snapshots, and that would limit the storage space.
In short, if I use the A01 pattern in different songs and in each song I relate it to a different kit (as I have said normally I use a kit for each song), when I open an old song should appear the A01 related to the kit I used in this concrete song or should appear the kit I used in the last song for A01?
In my case, it happens the second possibility, when I open an old song, all the patterns appear well organized but the kits are the ones I used in last songs. This leads me to think that in the MKI you have 16 patterns for A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, and if you occupy those patterns with some kit, because you can’t save projects because there is no +drive, if you use that same pattern in another song, the kit that will appear is the one of the last song.
I hope you understand now better my case… I need to know if it’s working right like that or not.
Elektron:
Ok, I think I understand. The song mode only holds the information on what patterns should be played in sequence so yes, that is expected behavior. If you load a different song it will use the kit that is associated with that pattern.
If you use all the patterns in all banks for one song you need to create a new project for this to work. And as you said, it’s not possible without the +drive and you have to save it and send it to and from your computer (through Sysex). Like you do.
I use the banks as songs since I don’t need all patterns for one song. For example, Bank A is one song and Bank B is another one and so on. But of course, it’s a bit easier when you have the +drive. It’s a bit tricky to describe and I hope that my explanation isn’t too hard to grasp.