Hi! I don’t have infinite money but want more Elektron besides my Digitakt and Digitone. Would you choose a Syntakt or an Octatrack? (Techno) more songwriting and little performance I’m doing. I have other gear but the Syntakt seems amazingly versatile and good sounding, while the Octa is its own category. (Have the model:cycles too)
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I had all four and found them all too much to work with together. I sold the Syntakt and I’m cool with that. So I now have the DT and DN working alongside an Mpc One, and I use the OT entirely on its own.
I think 3 Digi style boxes gets a little bit samey from an operational point of view, so I’d say stick with 2 Digi’s and get an OT.
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This.
OT can do so much, you’ll never get bored of it.
I mean, you’ll be a happy customer with any combination of Elektrons to be fair.
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The Octatrack is my favorite Elektron device, and it could be used for so many different things. I really like the Syntakt too, but if I had the other two Digis and had to choose, I would definitely go for the Octa over Syntakt. Your Digitone and Model:Cycles can do some of the things the Syntakt can. The Syntakt of course have analog synth and drum voices and analog FX, which the other ones haven’t.
Personally I prefer synth drums over samples, simply for workflow reasons. I get bored managing sample libraries with 35 slightly different 909 kick drums, 50 slightly different 808 snares, and so on. But they don’t have to be analog, FM is great too.
Some people find the Octa a bit intimidating because it’s so very deep, and although I’ve used Octas on and off for ten plus years I can’t say I know it really well. The Syntakt on the other hand should be a breeze if you’re familiar with the Digis.
But personally, I find the Octatrack really rewarding. Usually I load it with rather odd sounds and manipulate them to get completely new sounds. It also works really well to sample whole tracks, one bar, two bars, keep them running and program new stuff on the freed-up tracks and build improvisations that way.
Oh and it has a great midi arp – Syntakt hasn’t.
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The answer is always OT. Period.
But on a more serious note, the OT can really be the glue to the DT and DN. Especially If you prefer to perform your music (rather than arranging in a DAW) it is the obvious choice. The ST will just add more tracks/sounds.
Plus you can use the OT in many different ways. It does require commitment though.
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OT, all the way. There’s so many creative wags to use it, it’s a shame to go too long without one.
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OT plus digitone is the correct answer.
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I would say, get the OT first. It works great as a performance mixer for the digitakt and digitone. Getting an OT will add a new way to be creative and perform and structure your music. The syntakt will add new sounds, but the same workflow as the digitakt. If the digitakt is Ocarina of Time, the syntakt would be Majora’s Mask, whereas the OT would be Breath of the Wild.
Another way of looking at it however, is that if you have a digitakt and get the syntakt, there will be basically no learning curve, you will hit the ground running. The OT is noticable a generation older, and can be a bit arcane. But it is very satisfying once you figure it out. It turns into an actual instrument you have to play, as opposed to a drum machine you have to program.
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period.
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OT for live performances 100%.
Love the Zelda analogy, although some would say that the OT is Dark Souls 
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Octa octa octa octa
Three Octatracks, all cross mixing each other.
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What if you already had the three digi boxes and you had to sell one to get the OT. Would you still sell the ST and keep the DT and DN?
I would, because I love the DT and would never let that go even though the OT also covers sampling.
Theoretically, DN + ST + OT would probably make more sense for techno.
But I am one of the few people that doesn’t seem to love the ST, so don’t take my word for it.
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That’s what I was thinking. Might need to swap my DT out for an OT
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I wouldn’t underestimate the usefulness of the OT arranger. I know the Digi’s just got song mode, but being able to automate track mutes and scenes at a performance level is huge. You don’t think you need it until you try it, then you’ll wonder how you lived without it.
As for what two Digi’s, the Digitone is different enough that it’s a no-brainer. I prefer drum loops to individual hits, so I’d probably add the Takt and use it as an 8 voice mono with single cycle waveforms or granular insanity.
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Well I don’t know given the response so far if my 2 cents is of any value. As it seems plenty have given you reason to take the OT as the contender. In ways I’d agree. I had the DT and if you really have two things regarding the OT then it may be the best option.
As long as you can say you enjoy some of the features of the OT on paper, like live resampling, not merely composing tracks but remixing and mangling whole tracks, and if you can see yourself sitting with it and dedicating some time to it, then maybe you should consider it.
However right now re-selling is not so easy. So if you can get it at a decent price used just don’t expect your going to get what you paid back if you spend more than a grand.
I’ve used it exclusively for 2yrs and it has become an instrument I feel a bond with over constantly searching for ‘how to’s’ and reading the manual. With also owning the DT that will be a nice go to when your potentially needing a mental break from the OT.
I don’t have a very organized approach to music so the DT & especially the OT have really opened me up to a more structured approach to music. So that was an adjustment at least in my experience. So as long as you don’t overwhelm yourself trying to learn it it’s definitely worth it. But maybe you enjoy the DT and want to process audio via the ST and keep a more simplified approach?
The ST is a cool all in one, and you have the DT but with the DN as well it does seem like your not really getting some really new experience and the OT though being a sampler is really so much more. But decisions decisions. Hope this is of some use.
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Question is what would you need the OT for if not as a performance sampler? Just to crossfade from one scene to the other with some DJ efx I would not get the OT. I like the approach above to use an MPC… And having 3 Digi boxes means programming 3 sequences which I find too cumbersome. I do something similar with DT,DN, Rytm and AK and sometimes my mind just explodes.
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What do you mean re-selling is not easy? As I follow the market, Elektron items sell out pretty fast on decent prices used items with like new -20-25% retail.
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