Currently, an oversupply of MK2s can be observed as expected.
Normally, there are 3-6 devices on the market, but now there are 18. (Kleinanzeigen)
The price has already dropped, and further reductions are expected.
I hope Elektron will release a good update that increases the value again or at least keeps it.
After all, it is still a good product. It doesn’t become worse just because a successor is on the market.
Okay, the devices are meant to be used and not speculated on. But so far, the prices have always been stable and high.
It’s unfortunate for some, but it’s also an opportunity for beginners or people with less money to get their hands on good hardware.
Maybe a pure FX box would have been better. Without distortion. Instead, with sidechain, more inputs, an easy-to-use limiter, and possibly a sequencer.
Although a sequencer isn’t really necessary. All parameters are controllable via MIDI, and we have plenty of unused MIDI sequencer tracks in the other devices.
Well, Elektron must know why they consider an AH-FX more sensible.
Otherwise, the business practice has always been “supplement instead of replace.”
Hopefully, Elektron won’t become like Akai or Roland, releasing slightly modified hardware annually instead of maintaining the old products.
AH-FX is definitely great!
It offers many more options for customization and significantly enhances the enjoyment of playing.
My old AH had a fixed setting (Clear boost).
I only occasionally adjusted the filter controls.
Now I find myself using different distortion settings and letting the LFOs interact with the effects.
Wonderful!
I think this is the best attitude.
Any time someone asks if a piece of gear from the last two decades is “still relevant” or suggests that “it’s dated” I want to grab them and gently but firmly shake them.
I’m not annoyed that my Mk1 Syntrx has lost half its value - I’ve already had at least $3k of fun with it, and I’m pretty sure it will come back in value in a decade or so, as will the Mk1 & Mk2 AHs.
If you want a deal, be patient and buy the old & busted stuff while everyone else is chasing the new shiny.
I saw an AH mkII recently in a local sale for $500USD. If it continues to go down in price, there will be a lot more demand for them - thus they will grow scarce at lower prices - there will be a period of time where the pump is primed, so to say. After that, the value will probably go up a bit as more people can afford and want them.
What will happen to prices of AH mkI? that, I cannot say.
The mkI secondhand prices seem very low these days. I’ve found one near mint for more or less 400€. Seems like a pretty good deal especially if the difference between mkI and mkII is only the screen size. I think I’m gonna dive in…
Since AH+FX introduction, I’ve seen some mkII’s priced similarly (400-450USD) from time to time, but I keep a pretty vigilant watch on new offerings hoping to find a deal on something else I’ve been watching out for.
Conversely, there’s been a mkI in the local classified ads for months sitting at 450USD (411 euro). You might snag a deal on a mkII if you keep a look out for a bit.
Yeah that’s a quite interesting price for a mkII. Where I live the mkII are more around 550-650€. A little bit expensive for me. Don’t really care about the screen size since I’m gonna use it with overbridge most of the time.
It was on reverb specifically that I saw the 400 AHmkII, 500 has become pretty regular pricing. Hopefully someone else can give an opinion of the difference between the mkI and mkII, I’m not aware if it’s only the screen or not but if that’s all, it’s not a big deal either way.
Another difference between MK1 and MK2 IIRC is that the left channel will be normalised to the right so it’s easier to work with mono sources. Nothing a simple split cable won’t fix but might come in handy. And a little more headroom. I’m fine with my MK1.
I could see that being useful, not a dealbreaker but if the difference were $20 between the 2 units I’d probably pick the mkII. I noticed specifically they changed the mkII to cosmetically align with digitakt and digitone but AH+FX is now aligned with the newer syntakt.
As syntakt and AH+FX are in line with the “digi” sizing, it seems that this is a form factor they intend to continue with, so one can venture a tacit guess that the white oled of the syntakt is the direction the company has (behind the scenes) decided to head towards with future iterations of the similar shaped boxes.
I always wondered though, that since it’s designed to fit in with those similar shaped boxes, and the screen is on the opposite side to digi type units, which side did elektron design team intend for the Analog Heat to be kept on, the left or the right?
(you could guess arbitrarily they are bringing the 2 screens closer together for easier monitoring, but one could also say that it would be distracting to put them closer together and that it is moving it further away to help distinguish between the 2 when used with more than one additional digi type product AND an AH).
if i recall correctly (sorry for being too lazy now to search for it) MKII release was also due to EOL or difficult to source components, not only cosmetical and technical improvements.
I’d go for an MKII (if not FX) if I were to buy one now and enough budget.
My well looked after MKI is still perfect for me and surely for many others, it still gives that wonderful touch to everything passes thru it so, if money is thight, a good deal on an MKI is the way to go.
The differences are:
- duplicating L to L+R if you plug in only L (hardly a deal breaker but very handy to have)
- a bit more headroom
- the bigger screen, but also the firmware for mkII makes use of bigger screen with nicer metering - so you get two big level meters for in and out, and visualisation of LFO and envelope follower
If the difference is $20, I’d say mkII is worth it, if it is $100, probably not.