Hits
Syntakt
I still have some minor qualms with this box (direct jump between patterns would for example be really nice), but most importantly I’ve never had as much fun with a groovebox as I’ve had with the Syntakt (which in turn makes me more productive). It’s just so direct, and the balance between simple and complex is just perfect for me. So far, I haven’t used a single preset, and I never spend more than five minutes on sound design before moving on to actually creating music.
Misses
Nord Drum 3P
I bought this both to delve into drumming and to sequence it externally. I realized that live drumming wasn’t for me and sequencing it from outside just felt like a big hassle. Also, I didn’t like the onboard controls. It could sound really good at times though, but it still felt like a no-brainer to let it go. I very seldom had any fun with it.
OP-Z
This is the first device that I’ve ever bought again after having owned it before. I bought it before I got the Syntakt, and I wanted to use it to sequence the Nord Drum 3P, which as described above wasn’t a hit. Also, even though the sequencer itself on the OP-Z is really good, the flimsy build of it just bothers me immensely. If Teenage Engineering ever release an OP-Z Field, built like a tank, I might be tempted to buy it a third time (and probably sell it again after rediscovering that I don’t like working with samples).
2 Likes