OctaTrack or Analog Rytm? Which is better?

I am eager to get an analog drum machine and step outside the DAW world.
Between the Analog Rythm and Octatrack, which is more impressive for Drum Programming
for House, and Hip Hop?

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The OT is digital, so if you want an analog machine, go with the rytm. Both machines are more than capable of giving you house and hiphop beats.

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Thank you. That is an great point. I guess I am interested in the benefit of the OT vs. the Rytm. I have not used either. Hard to demo in the NYC area. Any input would be awesome.

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what @tsutek said and also: the OT is a sampler, the AR has sample playback capability only (and a different way of uploading samples compared to how you would do it on the OT)
beats-wise…well, if you want to design your own drum-kits from scratch with that analog feeling, i would go for the AR, otherwise the OT would do the job as well… :relaxed:

edit: maaan…got to be faster in typing replies… :laughing:

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Well they are both very different devices, and complement each other well.

To put it briefly, rytm is a great analog synth / drumsynth + sample player, while the octatrack blurs the line between delay, looping and using samples (it can rearrange and resample itself in many ways, all realtime). In addition to OT’s internal capabilities, it can also sequence external gear via MIDI.

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If you’re a drum-machine lovers, if you want a recent machine with recent possibilities… (like overbridge) good builtin compressor… want Stack / Layering… and use often one shots… need a lot of separate outs… I would go to the AR

If you want something will colored your sound, with plenty routing possibilities, resample possibilities, don’t want so much to design your sounds but use sample instead or prepared/design materials on the computer, don’t need Overbridge, need to stream small or gigantic loop, ok with 4 mono outs or 2 stereo outs, want to make crazy things with an optical cross-fader, maybe make some hypnotic and weird beats’n’stuff I would go to the OT

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Honestly, you need both machine. One is the best at one-shots and layering sound drums design, the other is the best at loops from any kind, any size…

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The OT is infinitely more flexible as many things, but the AR is a focussed drum machine and it sounds utterly glorious, both by synthesis and by the magic it gives to samples … if you have any need to do some of the many other things the OT does, then it may be worth the compromises involved in getting it to play regular drum machine, but the AR is in the special instrument category, the OT is in the beast category, powerful but a bit ugly, good for mangling

The AR also has many advancements in its UX / workflow and special sequencer toys, but OT is immensely capable, sequences MIDI devices, just not as easy to crack

AR for a drum machine, every time … OT for a tool for many other uses including a usable drum mode

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I do believe that I will get both. Thank you for the input.

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:laughing: :grin:

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If you’re new to Elektron gear, go with the Rytm.

Then you may want to get the OT.

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If you want to leave the DAW world Octatrack is the right device to start with. Much more versatile and extensible than Rytm.
Rytm is a good DAW buddy. (…and also Octatrack buddy)
Purchasing both is a good decision, but step by step … learning Octatrack first is a funny challenge. :wink:

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Hard to demo in the NYC area? That’s unbelievable. You live in (or near) one of the largest cities in the world…

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Any machine will do, but to become famous and make it big in the scene, I would choose the MD-UW! Load some classic old break into it, chop (with the AHR), retrig and f$ÂŁ# the police! :sunglasses:

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mm…i wish this could be used already :expressionless: but i’m afraid it’ll take a bit more time before it can be properly used, nonetheless, if anyone is interested in giving it a try…please do let me know so we can arrange things :relaxed:

edit: we could actually have a try if you fancy @orangehexagon :relaxed:

Good point. OT was a complete mystery to me in terms of UI until I had learned how to use the rytm first. AR has a lot more mellow learning curve, and learning it makes learning how to use OT a lot easier.

Excellent decision!

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I wholeheartedly agree with the logic of getting your toes wet with an AR ahead of OT, but, it also may set some expectations a bit high … the lack of many of the workflow perks of the analog series are always something I miss (a lot) on the OT … the OT does other tricks, but for the basic stuff the A4/K/R works better … take e.g. locking / copying with multiple trigs simultaneously, quite hard to go back from that

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…and trig conditions… :expressionless:

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IMO Rytm is the best machine to discover Elektron paradigm.
Overall I love MD synthesis better, but in term of UX AR is very well thought !
Mutes/Scenes/Perf are really nice to use.
You can go very basics, and dig deeper and deeper…
When you start to feel a limitation then it’s interesting to consider what’s missing and which box brings it.
But if you’re new to Elektron, don’t spoil the experience, learn one machine and hive it the time it needs to go the deepest you can !

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