A4 osc inputs vs Syntakt FX track inputs

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

Brainstorming… what are the practical differences between using IN L and IN R on the oscillators of an A4 track (or two), compared to the inputs with FX track on Syntakt? (when filtering/processing another instrument or two)

A few I can think of:

  1. On Syntakt you don’t have to sacrifice a voice track,
  2. On A4 you get the whole voice architecture & two filters (+ add’l neighbor tracks)
  3. A4 couldn’t pan osc1/2 to be L/R, I guess, so “dual mono” to pan L/R separately would require two voice tracks, I think?
  4. A4 has sequencer tricks like parameter slides etc., plus everything else that makes A4 different (kits, etc.)
  5. the available digital effects may be different?
  6. maybe voice routing and Overbridge behavior is different (especially on mk1/AK vs mk2)?
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#2

They are? Could you expand on this?

#3

Sorry, this is an assumption. I’ll edit and add a question mark.

#4

Okay, well, to my understanding, the digital effects (delay and reverb) are exactly the same on both devices. At least, they have the exact same user interface.

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#5

They are different, particularly the delay.

I don’t think the syntakt has the option of delay overdrive to add “a wall of filth” as the delays degrade over time, repeatedly being fed through the distortion on each delay loop the way that the A4 does.

The A4 also has a chorus available to it, which I don’t think is available on the syntakt.

The reverbs are the same as far as I am aware, although I read in a thread somewhere that the A4’s reverb is slightly different to the other boxes reverb. I think Simon mentioned it when talking about the algos being the same on the models/digi’s, but I might be totally misremembering so take it with a pinch of salt. Did I remember the term “more plate like” being used? Either way, they sound similar to my ears.

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#6

Yeah, the Syntakt doesnt have a chorus and the A4 delay has the overdrive which gives it a lot of character.

I think the reverbs are different too. Not so much in feature set but I think the newer delay model found on the Digis, Syntakt, and AH+FX sounds a little bit richer maybe. It’s still a huge step up from the Octatrack reverb though and not that much difference, if there even is one and I’m not just full of shit.

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#7

A4 will let you to do more sound processing, you also can apply feedback with osc1 and osc2 set on external input. It’s also possible to AM the external source. It’s also possible on Syntakt on the FX track by using an audio rate LFO modulating the amp volume but it’s less powerful.
Main con, if you want to keep the stereo of the signal, you’ll have to use 2 tracks but otherwise, you can also then send these two tracks into two other tracks allowing very complex processing with feedback, moving AM and complex filtering. You can also use macros to do subtle FX morphing, for example, go from the unprocessed signal with the use of the ext inputs of FX track to complex sound processings using audio tracks.

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