My first experience was that they indeed sound somewhat different, overall.
I was like “hey, did I load the same patch? Did this resonate this well before?” on some patches. A friend of mine has borrowed my A4 long time, but will get it back later in the week. If I get the time I’ll explore it.
My feeling was that the Keys was “faster”. You know when sequencing stuff, and the filters can’t keep up, if you’re heavy on the filters? And that some parameter locks might differ a liiittle bit from time to time? I had the feeling that the Keys could keep up better than the Four. I feel like the Keys is running a faster CPU, or the filters are faster and more precise… or something.
So if I’m going to make a comparison I think fast and heavy use of parameter locks will be part of the testing, as well as overall sound quality.
there’s certainly more presence at the bottom than the comments from hq would lead you to believe - definitely an enhancement, but nothing that can’t be worked around
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however, i don’t think you can compare the two whilst the keys is sitting on top of that lovely bottom
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run both through a gentle high pass to neutralise that ‘platform’ and then pass comment, do the test blind as well
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i bet the ak just frames the picture better
A bigger bottom end will most likely make frequencies above appear attenuated but those examples demonstrate greater mid and high end presence and focus, for the AK.
This would require a few peeps with both to run the test and use the same warm-up time, the same cables and record into the same inputs before we could say for sure, I wish I had access to an AK…
I’d go for the A4 - keys feel like an afterthought in that the sequencer doesn’t record velocity, aftertouch or joystick movement, and the form factor of the 4 is just so much better. Trivial to add midi keys if you want to play some pads!
Hi,
Using both I never noticed any difference - but I didn’t pay attention to that… I never used exactly thesame sound on both to compare.
Anyhow - the way I hear a sound depands alot on the others surrounding it.
The funny thing is that it’s very subjective … because sometimes I’m tweaking a sound - and hearing a difference , only to suddenly notice
I’m tweaking another track that’s being muted. It’s funny how my brain thinks to hear something changing only because it exects it.
first i had one, then i sold it and bought the other, now i have both
I love both, strange enough… but also a very good reason to me… is that i have connected my rytm and my a4 in one small box. A picture can be found here
also, i love keys because of the keys, the lights above the keys, the joystick, the sound (although i don’t really know the difference, I can believe it is slightly different)
When the filter is open, you can hear the difference in low frequencies between the two. There have been improvements to the filter or how the filter responds, resulting in a better overall tone. When you say faster or more precise kind of makes sense in that way, because the filters generally sound improved and will come across this way when p-locked and sequenced, or when the cutoff is sweeped or moved.
Its hard to put a finger on what was done, but in terms of how the sounds feel, Ive been more satisfied with the sound of the AK than I was with the A4.
Hoping Elektron just quietly add these improvements to the A4 as a Rev 2 or something. Ultimately prefer the form factor of the A4.
This doesn’t square with what the manufacturer said though ! Let’s keep the debate objective, not subjective.
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If they’re in any way different above the more open bottom end then it would be evident if they were both passed through a hpf - one in the left channel and the other in the right channel or both played into a multichannel recorder - ie eliminate differences
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I set up a blind A/B/C test a while back and everyone had a different opinion on what was what re some OT recording - we can easily trick our minds by preconceived notions
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There ain’t no doubt that the AK has better presence at the bottom and this concurs with what was announced - if there are other changes, then it’ll be easy to verify blind (so the bottom end needs to be removed from the picture)
This doesn’t square with what the manufacturer said though ! Let’s keep the debate objective, not subjective.[/quote]
Someone from Elektron did confirm that improvements were made to the AK filter, in the sonic state presentation/interview with Nik Batt.
What the “manufacturer” said is intentionally rather vague. So one can only comment on experience AND opinions formed from those experiences.
When it comes to noticing the differences, that is subjective. Someone from Elektron actually said on this forum - Some will hear it more than others.
I used the A4 everyday (for work) before upgrading to the AK. So I was sensitive to the changes. And the only way I can measure those improvements is how satisfied I have been in comparison to using the A4. Which has been just enough to make the upgrade worthwhile. But maybe not enough to justify the upgrade for someone else.
… those changes were made to both machines !
if you can point out any info which says otherwise it’d be useful for future reference (will check out sonic state) - there’s no doubt they’ve improved something to deliver what our ears can hear, but i don’t buy that changes have been made to the filter in the manner discussed - which ties in with what they’ve said here iirc !
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anyway, it’ll be interesting to see/hear a listening test as above to see whether Elektron downplayed the enhancements even though i’ve no horse in this race - mildly tempted towards an upgrade for some of the workflow boosts at the expense of portability
This doesn’t square with what the manufacturer said though ! Let’s keep the debate objective, not subjective.[/quote]
Someone from Elektron did confirm that improvements were made to the AK filter, in the sonic state presentation/interview with Nik Batt.
…[/quote]
This one?
The ‘F1 RESONANCE BOOST’ filter resonance improvements described were introduced to both AF and AK with OS v1.1, and are detailed in the release notes. This was not a change that only applied to the AK.
I bought a near new AK after falling in love with a second hand A4.
In my ears there is a difference. The A4 sounds better through my headphones compared to the AK, both plugged through the headphone out. It’s hard to describe, sort of dirtier, grungier.
I love them both. The A4 mostly comes with me on weekends & as I sit on my bed noodling patterns.
The AK is hooked up to an Octatrack on my desk, where I have great fun playing with the pickup machines & using the polyphony with the keys.
This doesn’t square with what the manufacturer said though ! Let’s keep the debate objective, not subjective.[/quote]
Someone from Elektron did confirm that improvements were made to the AK filter, in the sonic state presentation/interview with Nik Batt.
…[/quote]
This one?
The ‘F1 RESONANCE BOOST’ filter resonance improvements described were introduced to both AF and AK with OS v1.1, and are detailed in the release notes. This was not a change that only applied to the AK.[/quote]
Yes, not from Elektron though just from NB. At 8:30…and he’s not referring to the Resonance Boost feature, rather that Filter 1 has been ‘slightly’ improved to prevent bass drop-out when resonance is used.
Well, not currently being allowed to try polygamy, for religious financial reasons: I’m tempted to exchange my recent A4 acquisition and huge Alesis Vi 49 for the Analog Keys. I’m sure they all sound good! But, I’m perturbed by the news that I wouldn’t get the built in effects on each individual track, stereo output? Is that true? And the news that aftertouch and joystick are not recorded in the sequencer seems unbelievable… Has this been fixed yet? Thanks in advance
Why would it be fixed ?
It’s a popular complaint, but it is classed as a Performance feature ! There’s gotta be something left to play - use the OT if you have one, but this is a design choice
Do you mean that it is a ‘design feature’ that does not allow me to record patterns played in realtime, with aftertouch data recorded? Nor to allow embellishments via the joystick to be recorded into patterns, unlike knob movements?
Personally I agree with SoundOnSound’s review of the Analog Keys. Excellent! Except: With luck, the ongoing maturity will address the failure to record joystick and aftertouch data and the binding of all tracks to a single time division. http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may14/articles/elektron-analog-keys.htm
