A4 vs the DT/DN experience

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
#1

I’m a late bloomer with Elektron. Just got my first A4 after years of the DT/DN experience.
My impressions shortly on the 1st day:

  • The performance macros are the biggest mind-blowing advantage of the A4 (I guess also on the Rytm?)
  • The modulation possibilities are insane.
  • Separate fully functioning FX track is amazing, and it’s raising a simple question: wth did they try to do with the not-properly-functioning FX track on the Syntakt?
  • Feedback, AM, modulation on fx tracks are a great ballpark for experimental sound design.
  • I would have preferred more oscillator possibilities.
  • I still have to find a way to work with the 2 filters. It’s a new idea for me.
  • FX sound great. Why is the OT so badly left behind with that?

Obviously I still have to try a million more things to have a proper opinion but that’s it for now.

2 Likes
#2

I think one of the biggest advantages of the A4 over the Digitone is the amount of modulation possibilities. Not only do both LFOs have two destinations, but having dedicated LFOs for vibrato and pulse width really helps.

I don’t know if they made it onto the Digis, but the key tracking mode of the LFOs is the shit.

What sort of things do you feel are missing here?

5 Likes
#3

I guess for an analogue instrument the oscillators are what they are. We can’t invent more.
But I miss the sine wave obviously. I don’t wanna use the filter for that.

Please explain? What is this?

#4

Yeah, a sine wave would be nice, But having two filters goes at least some way to easing the pain.

So if you keep turning the multiple knob on the LFO page until you get the numbers with the little tuning fork, you’re now using keytracked LFOs.

As usual, I’ll leave it to @cuckoomusic to show how it’s done…

4 Likes
#5

I think it matters what you want to make. The Digitone works better for me since I make house and techno and I just like the sounds I can make with it more. Plus chords with the DN are more flexible since you have 8 voices instead of 4. You can make single trigger chords by tuning oscillators but that is not as versatile.

With the DT/DN combo I can make full 8 note pads and sample into DT or make a bass patch and sample that in. Regardless with the inputs I can generate 12 tracks if I want. It is much more flexible.

But it really boils down to the music you want to make and personal preference.

1 Like
#6

Pitchfork LFOs! Who would have guessed. Another mind-blowing feature! Keyboard tracking LFOs. I mean of course I knew I could FM the oscillators with the LFOs but that the can keyboard track like the Filter does is insane.

@BassesAndPads
I make some kind of abstract experimental techno if I can call it that way. Very repetitive and weird. But it’s not what the DN or the A4 can or cannot do, it’s not about comparing features. It’s about performance and I do whole performances with a minimal set up. The fact that the A4 has a dedicated part to performance is a mind-blowing feat for me. It has 10 performance templates and each can control 5 settings unipolar or bipolar! I mean this is insane.

If I can name the biggest difference between the big and the small boxes is this one. I really hope the RYTM has this ability as well.

3 Likes
#7

If you’ve not played with them, start using slide trigs as well, a huge missing feature from the digi series which the old trinity have. They’re so much fun, no more hard jumps between plocks, every step is now like it’s being modulated by a very very accurate OT fader.

6 Likes
#8

That’s not my experience: do you have a link towards the post that discusses this?