Yeah there definitely is that character to the MD. Doesn’t suit everyone. A whole lot can be done to it with a good overdrive/distortion though.
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Yes this was very intriguing, but OT + midi processors were ok for me, but as I have already headaches I want to keep complicated stuff for OT only, and just not that happy sound wise.
I tried AR a few hours, know it a bit. Compared to MD I know I can have much more control with OT random hold lfos combined with AR perf, with tons off parameters I can control precisely, with min / max, machine targets, not ALL machines.
Yes, I think I made my mind. Tried it with AH.
Better, not great.
Btw my PO32 can sound good thru it too! So don’t worry for me, I have my Pocket MD, and it’s much easier to tune!
MD through AR is good.
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Can’t let a brother just leave the Church of MD like that!
Jut kidding. Only sharing experiences. I’ve had the MD for something like 15 years, now have an AR2 alongside. The AR is a worthy, state-of-the-art successor for sure.
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I see… I’m into electronic rock and industrial metal, thus digital lofi suits me! 
Just spend about an hour yesterday evening trying to understand how the MD gain staging works.
Since I rack mounted the MD and want to use it as a fully integrated external instrument in Cubase, I tried to find out the best input settings on my RME ADI-8 DS to match the MD without overloading the converters and still getting a healthy average input level.
While doing that, I found that there was some occasional clickyness on repeated kick hits and on the reverb, which sounded a bit like digital clipping. But the AD input level was not the problem. So I started looking at the different level settings (including the Master Level) in the MD and found the following:
- Master Level (Main Out): In genernal, the master level can be set to 100% without additional drive or clipping as long as the internal gain stages are kept in check. The master volume can be used to adapt the output to the input sensitivity of the AD converter.
- Master FX - EQ: The default EQ gain set to +63, which equals about +12dB of gain compared to its 0 (unity gain) setting.
- Master FX - Reverb: With the EQ gain on +63, it’s impossible to set the Reverb level above 100 without getting noticable distortion when sending loud low kicks to the reverb. Cutting the lows on the reverb, the distortion goes aways. Thus it seems that the mixbus runs out of headroom. By adjusting the EQ gain to 0, the Reverb level can be set up to 127 without any unwanted distortion.
- Machine Settings FX - Volume: A volume of 127 will send a loud kick into clipping if the Machine Level (level knob) is above about 80%. Also, the Volume will affect the sound character: High Volume with low Level will sound fatter, low Volume with high Level will sound cleaner.
You probably already knew and tried that, but in my experience you can get rid of all the unwanted clickyness with careful gain staging. I found the best option is to first set the EQ gain to 0. Then start with a Machine Setting Volume between 63 and 100. Start with the Level at about 90% of the range, so you still have room to get louder (without going into internal clipping).
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Thanks! I appreciate. 
I began Elektron with OT 4.5 years ago, so I have a different approach. I would have loved to have an MD 15 years ago!
Not until Autechre make an album with it 
Maybe, thanks for you input, but even with one sound at low level, I find kicks too clicky.
Really ? Even without FX ? Mind sending a sysex of a sound you find clicky ?
TRX BD, EFM BD suffice, especially with a reverb.
The right outboard filter also works:
I picked up a Jomox M-Resonator a few years ago. It was a bit of a one trick pony for me, that trick being it blew up a pre-amp. Then I patched my MD through it. A very subtle bit of filtering and overdrive (yes, it can be subtle, it just doesn’t enjoy it) really warmed up the MD and with some modulation almost made it sound organic.
I have to give credit for one of the folk at Perfect Circle Audio for this nugget: The AR is Elektron’s best sounding standalone drum machine, the MD is Elektron’s best drum machine to use with other equipment.
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When I had the first analog heat I’d run my MD through it with great results.
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Yeah i like running it through AH as well. Lately i ve been giving it the EHX LPB2ube treatment, much to my liking : Machinedrum + analog filter/overdrive - experience
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OTO Boum should work well too…
1 AH and 4 ADs?
Or…
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Except for the clicking aspect of kick that I recognise too, all the above problems mentionned in these last posts have been solve by my Pyramid. I must say that the two make a great drum machine combo (no bars limit, lot of LFOs’, arp, polymetry, polyrythms and other fx).
But I recognise that AR is a great machine drum, I really love it. The glitch for MD, the loud kick and analog sound for AR. How what pleasure to have all.
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Machine drum and analog heat one of the most well matched elektron pairs there is i think!
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MD sold in 3 hours.
Last record I just made before good bye…
1 bar pattern, mostly PI machines, lfos on CTR AL machine.
Edit : Sold, in good hands. 
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well done!
good job you sold it… its not a good track.
x
I love your guitar and Octatrack swirls… they blow my lid off!
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Maybe the best pattern I could record before packing. Less regrets is you say it wasn’t a good track. 
It was a pattern with several lfos on CTR AL, I think that kind of thing was the best I could do with MD, considering random stuff. Not my style anyway. Just experimenting things.
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