Love my A4 mk2

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#23

I tried to love the A4 and AKeys many times, but never got enough of a vibe to make them stick. Now I’m going back to the store on a frequent basis just to play the A4MKII. I’m with @wouzer here, it is a magnificent instrument - very close, yet so different, from the MKI.

I remember last time I just went to the store over and over again to play, and that was when the Prophet 6 was launched. I was so damn close to buying that one, but in the end, the fact that it wasn’t all that good for putting a track together, only to get ideas running, made me stop.

With the A4MKII, I feel the same depths and beauty I felt from the Prophet 6, although with a different character - one which I prefer actually - but I can also build tracks with it. It doesn’t stop with a sequence or a few chords, I can build something complete here.

If Elektron ever releases a keyboard version of this with a half decent interface, that’d be my dream keyboard instrument.

2 Likes
#24

You can use Mpc/Md stand for MkIIs, and sell me your MD ! :smile:

Mpc Live
W424 x D224 x H69
MkII
W385 × D225 × H82

#25

Damn, so the sound difference is huge huh?

I love A4, but as a lot of people said, It always sound thin to me and I often revert to different synths or vsts to program my main melodies.

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#26

I was about to answer “duuuude, not helping”, then I realized the mk2 units are much higher than the MPC live, so it might not even fit, even if the width is perfect… Trying to find excuses here :sweat_smile:

I’ve made the mistake of selling my MD once before, not again. Good try !

By any chance, is there anyone who could send sound examples of the same patch played by an mk1 and an mk2 unit ? If you only have an mk2 (which makes sense), you could post the sysex here of a patch that makes the new unit shine, and someone with an mk1 could record that too.

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#27

Wondering about the analog multimode filter. Is it the same as the MK1? or is it the same from the Analog Heat?
I remember vaguely they told the AH filter was better than previous multimode filter.

To listen now on the A4 MK2 is not fair because the first ladder filter is more transparent in sound.

So can we expect the same analog multimode filter (in mono) from the AH in the Analog Rytm MK2?

#28

I suppose the only reason I’ve yet to jump on the 4mk2 is that I know I’ll likely regret not having demonstrated a bit of restraint when the Kmk2 gets announced.

#29

It has been said by an Elektron official that the multimode has not changed from MK1 to MK2, however the Ladder filter has changed.

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#30

Thx, good to know that. So far soundwise when making a kick/bass drum on the A4 MK2 it sounds more in control and tight in the bass department than the AR.

I need to experiment with the separate outputs of the AR to the A4 MK2 ladder filter and overdrive. Personally i find the AR a bit to boomy or muddy sounding for my taste.

#31

Very cool. Had no idea about the tm-2

#32

@stemshade,
some tracks of mine that are A4 MK1 + TM-2 only;
(I can only imagine how they would have turned out with a MK2!)

I know that @DL also uses the TM-2 with his OT.
And I’ve been experimenting with it on my OT MKII. On A4, the cv trigs don’t offer velocity, the way the OT MIDI notes do (fun fact, TM-2 can also act as a 4 note CV trig to MIDI note translator if you want A4 to trig other MIDI gear) , but you can have some fun with sending the CV LFOs into the CV Value parameter, and assigning performance macros to LFO depth. I used this technique to make fills before fills arrived on the A4 in the conditional trigs OS update. The performance macro would adjust the source track of the trigs for a given CV output. Wild stuff. P-locking the steps for all 4 CVs on the A4 can be cumbersome, but if anything it made me quicker with my copy/paste commands.
I won’t digress too much, though. Only mentioned the TM-2 as a considerable add-on for anyone wanting to stick to the A4 as their primary sequencer for track building.

4 Likes
#33

A4’s nice. For sure. Needs an OS update though. Sound locks at the moment are :-1:t5:

So if you’re on the fence and rely on them. Patience may be the virtue. Otherwise. Pull the trigger. You’ll be stoked on the sound and performance upgrade and layout

#34

Whats wrong with soundlocks?

#35

Very cool. Like those tracks. My preferred voice configuration is 2 mono tracks and one duo-poliphony track. So 4 added drum tracks would be great. Overkill in my a4-ar setup at the moment though. Plus the otmk2 WILL happen.

1 Like
#36

I mostly ran a bass track, a lead track, a random FX sound track (lots of p-locks), and an added percussion track. If I needed a chord/poly sound, I’d p-lock/sound lock it on any track that had free steps and tune the OSCs to suit (heavy use of the -5th SUB OSCs).

On the TM-2, I’d pan the KICK Left and everything else Right.
For playing Live, I’d run those into the A4 ext inputs and p-lock then pan/fx sends on the Right.
For recording, it meant I always had the kick on its own channel.
Overbridge for A4 MK2 will be great for this. 8 tracks (4 voice, 2 ext, 2 main fx returns).

Extra bonus; put the free Drum Enthusiast samples (convert to 44.1khz!) on the TM-2 SD card and you effectively have an 8 voice A4!
Would be wonderful if those samples get re-released, as synthesized by MK2.

#37

nice, i have used the p-locking chords on the a4 when i do stuff with it alone, but it has a certain sound due to the sub osc wave (might be user error since i move along with my tracks pretty quickly and have little patience for extended patch tweaking). so for bigger chords usually i prefer a pad sample in the rytm (usually from the ju-06 or the iPad) and use my a4 configuration from above. 2 notes on a4 soft paddy sounds (with proper chord voicing) is enough, for now.

1 Like
#38

I gotta say, aside from the noticeable improvements in the bass, filter, and overdrive, for me, the biggest thing is the flow. I absolutely FLY on the new mk II. The new layout is astonishingly spectacular!!

I find myself living in performance mode now, and I never did before.

Here’s a little clip from earlier.

5 Likes
#39

That’s bloomin’ lovely, man. Nice one. Really nice one. Love the atmospherics.

1 Like
#40

The audio syncing of this is like an old kung fu movie. A bunch of real serious pros over there on the Gearslutz forum.

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#41

Seeing A4 MKIs for cheap. I already have a RYTM and Octatrack MK1 so wondering if I should complete the dark trinity or save up and get a MK2. Is the sound and interface that much more improved?

#42

For me… yes
For you… I dont know
Many people love the mk1

1 Like