Electribe 2

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

Picked up the new Electribe on Saturday. It’s really good! I would compare it to the DSI Tempest, but obviously digital instead of analog. Similar workflow, similar layout. In some ways not as flexible but in other ways more so.

Huge fun though! Should be on anyone’s list if you dig machines with sequencers. It has some pretty amazing possibilities.

Here’s a quick track I did with it just using synthesis waves, wanted to really exploit the automation and do some percussion using the chip-noise wave which reminds me a lot of the SID noise on the Monomachine but a tad more Atari than Commodore. I did run it through a Strymon Deco for some saturation and pitch instability.

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So what's up with Electribe 2.0 after the shaky release?
Electribe Blue or Electribe Red?
Elektron at NAMM 2018
Korg electribe sampler!
#2

Enjoyed all of this.

#3

Hi Natrix,

Could you answer a question for me? That would be really helpful.

I’m using the Electribe Ea-1 and I don’t like how it stores the knob data per pattern because it causes jumps when playing them back and tweaking at the same time. The Analog four doesn’t do this when you use the same kit (because it doesn’t reload the kit unless you set it up like that).

So does the new Electribe store the knob data the same way; per patterns, like the EA-1 ?

Thanks for sharing that demo.

#4

BurnCycle -

Not sure exactly what you are referring to. If you mean the patch settings, yes they are stored per pattern. So if you have a pattern with a sound where the oscillator uses a sawtooth and you change to a pattern where the sound uses a square, it will abruptly change. There are no “kits” like on Elektron machines.

#5

I believe @Burn Cycle’s question is more about knobs being relative or absolute.

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#6

The knobs can work in jump, pass-thru or relative modes.

#7

Hoping they release a new Monotribe in the same form factor. That plus the sampling one are pretty high on my GAS list. Hearing lots of nice reviews!

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#8

Is it a joke ???
The sound of the new Elektribe is very “weak”.
I fell the material like a lambda plugin…

#9

Whoa - sounds pretty good. All out of one box ah? Sick.

#10

Do you have anymore demos of the Strymon Deco with synths?

#11

I liked it also, it has an interesting cold character…

#12

Hearing a lot of positivity on this one from folks who have got their hands on one. GAS is rising!

Interesting that it’s been compared to a Tempest. Seems like it could be a good partner for a Rytm? Love the form factor and the fact I could jam on this on my commute to and from work.

#13

Thanks guys,

I guess my question was indeed about knob modes. Looking good on that front then…

#14

Sort of. I used it in this video but I was making sample chains for my Octatrack immediately beforehand and forgot to switch out of mono. So it exported in mono and I deleted the original! So mind the audio quality.

I bring in some wobble to add pitch instability in the beginning. There is Deco tweakage near the end.

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#15

Very nice sounds for the price :slight_smile:
Cool track as well.
Cheers,
Mike

#16

I actually think it’s better than the Tempest. I have had one for two years and the Electribe pretty much cures all my Tempest gripes at 1/5 the price.

It has free running LFO, legato mode, polyphonic sequencing (4 notes max), useful insert / master FX, and the waves are more tweakable. The only thing the Tempest has on it that I care about is better pads.

The more flexible synthesizer voice on the Tempest is a toss up because while you don’t get as much control with the Electribe you do get more usable waves.

Probably gonna put the Tempest up for sale soon.

#17

When you say it’s better than the Tempest, how do you think the sound and the live tweaking measures up? I’ve got a Tempest, am on the waiting list for the Electribe, and from the demos they sound quite different. I plan to keep my Tempest for the raw dirty sounds it produces, and use the Electribe for thicker things and more effect-oriented things.

Or would you say that despite their differences, the Electribe is just a better version of the Tempest?

#18

Yeah I like mine, has a few bugs but overall pretty great!

#19

The Tempest advantages:

  • Better pads w/pressure
  • More flexible modulation routing
  • 8 bars / 32 beats vs 4/16 or 2/32
  • Individual outputs per voice
  • Technically more advanced synthesis
  • An actual arpeggiator rather than “gate arp”

The Electribe Advantages:

  • Legato / glide that works properly
  • Free running LFOs
  • Easier to synthesize a usable kick drum sound
  • 13 filter models including resonant hpf / bpf
  • 16 Insert & 1 master FX
  • Up to 24 voices (depending on oscillator type)
  • Polyphonic sequencing (up to 4 notes)
  • Proper MIDI implementation
  • Can play ALL sounds via MIDI not just one
  • All parts send MIDI not just one
  • Fast & easy import/export to SD card including Ableton sets
  • PCM sounds are more tweakable
  • External audio input
  • 1/5 the price
  • Smaller, more portable
  • Runs on batteries

Honestly aside from pattern length, the Electribe pretty much shits all over the Tempest. From a practical perspective even though it’s synthesis is far simpler, you can actually get much more variety and create sounds much more easily. In fact from strictly a synthesis POV I even like it better than my Analog Rytm. The Rytm edges it in the sequencer department however because obviously p’locks > motion sequence. (not that motion sequence isn’t awesome and totally better than the 4 FX sliders that record steppy automation on the Tempest.

I have been a huge Tempest supporter and got a lot of use out of mine, but after the holidays it’s going up for sale. I mean the Electribe is only a couple days in the wild and already it’s a much more complete and satisfying instrument.

#20

Here:

I was trying to do Tempest-y sounding percussion here.

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