Analog keys the right choice?

Elektron Gear Analog Keys/Four
1

Coming full circle after a year long ‘which synth?’ thought cycle…

Started off planning to get an a4/a keys. Then nearly bought a dominion 1, then started thinking about minilogue. Now leaning toward a4/akeys again. LOVE the sound of the new OB-6 but out of my budget and also seems slightly limited for sound design.

Basic requirements are ability to get combinations of nice warm/thick/wonky/lo-fi analogue sounds (boards of Canada, John Maus, Animal Collective etc). 4 note chords an option. Lots of user preset storage. Sequencer transposable via keyboard (I mean for basic sequences, not actual patterns/songs sequences). Separate outs. Seems like a4/akeys ticks all this and tons more.

Couple of questions -
I have an octatrack and I know that you can sequence songs/patterns similarly on a4. But for traditional synth sequences that are transposable by keyboard is it quick to do this and add plocks etc? In comparison to minilogue sequencer for example. And are these kind of sequences stored in their own bank to be accessible in other projects/presets?

The sound - I’ve found SOME videos of sounds like I’d be making, but not a lot of them. Is that just a reflection of most users not leaning towards those kind of sounds? Or is the sweet spot for this kind of stuff small on the a4?

User interface - I really wanted a lot of knobs and minimal menu diving. This seems the big compromise on analog keys or a4. Do you guys find it slow/tedious/not fun to program?

Thanks!

2

Also, if anyone has links for some YouTube videos that show off the wonkier/more experimental/vintage sounding side of the a4/analog keys please share :wink: most things I can find sound kind of tame/polite/slightly boring… Though I have found a few better ones too, hence being close to buying one…

3

Novation BassStation2 + Dreadbox Erebus + Cassette tape recorder?
Doesn’t fit the 4 note chords but still lots of room to experiment with the sound you described.

4

Thanks but that would result in having to sample stuff for shows tho, I can (and do) go that route already… Looking for a synth than can get most of the way there by itself… + I already have ms20 mini so I’m pretty keen for next purchase to be Poly…

5

Have you tried the Korg R3? It’s, amongst other things, a digital emulation of an analog synth with lots of effects to put in chains. Maybe it’s not at all what you had in mind, a sin against analog synths, but I still love the R3. Lo-fi most possible, pluss so much more. And its cheap. And eight note polyphony. And super easy to store and recall presets.

I use OT and A4 and would never trade them for anything, but the same goes for my R3.

6

The thing about the A4/AK is its versatility.

It’s got a wide spectrum of capability, and more so now with the latest linear FM OS update.

The more you use it, the faster you can dial in the sweet spots you seek. Sweet spots are as big as you make them.
It’s a very rewarding synth in that regard.

I feel like this video from Dataline does a great job at demonstrating just a few of the different flavors it is capable of.

7

Another good one. Especially to refute claims of it sounding dull by folks not willing to put in the last 5% of effort.

8

Adam, are any of these patched uploaded anywhere? Some are really up my alley! I know they’re based off of the presets but I understand that they are further modulations of them?

9

I think all your basic requirements are matched very well if you were to get the AK. I would say that the analog key/four sounds can become quite distinct to the unit but at the same time equally as diverse and amazing. it’s a lot of the time completely up to the user and where they take the design of the sound

I’ve never really been one for user presets and the best way to explore the potential of the machine is to create your own sounds (IMO). I would ignore the less desirable sounds you’ve heard on youtube or wherever and take the dive to buy the AK.
I’ve never found the AK a bore to program, quite the opposite really. I find the workflow very fast and efficient. At first the workflow and programming can be a little tricky to pick up, but once you get going its very enjoyable. utilising shortcuts and performance macros will really cut down any menu diving if you have a problem with that.

The dominion and minilogue are both very nice options too. I would say though that the power of the sequencer on the AK/A4 would far exceed them. The AK/A4 sequencer is so amazing and really brings so much to the table.

10

Thanks but I have a feeling this would feel kind of like a sideways move as I have a mininova already and concerned they’re both in the same ballpark. Though I’ve never really checked out the r3 so will have a look. Obviously it would be nice to save potential £700 :wink:

11

[quote=““Loui Richie””]

[quote=“Callofthevoid”]Coming full circle after a year long ‘which synth?’ thought cycle…

Started off planning to get an a4/a keys. Then nearly bought a dominion 1, then started thinking about minilogue. Now leaning toward a4/akeys again. LOVE the sound of the new OB-6 but out of my budget and also seems slightly limited for sound design.

Basic requirements are ability to get combinations of nice warm/thick/wonky/lo-fi analogue sounds (boards of Canada, John Maus, Animal Collective etc). 4 note chords an option. Lots of user preset storage. Sequencer transposable via keyboard (I mean for basic sequences, not actual patterns/songs sequences). Separate outs. Seems like a4/akeys ticks all this and tons more.

The sound - I’ve found SOME videos of sounds like I’d be making, but not a lot of them. Is that just a reflection of most users not leaning towards those kind of sounds? Or is the sweet spot for this kind of stuff small on the a4?

User interface - I really wanted a lot of knobs and minimal menu diving. This seems the big compromise on analog keys or a4. Do you guys find it slow/tedious/not fun to program?

Thanks!
[/quote]

I think all your basic requirements are matched very well if you were to get the AK. I would say that the analog key/four sounds can become quite distinct to the unit but at the same time equally as diverse and amazing. it’s a lot of the time completely up to the user and where they take the design of the sound

I’ve never really been one for user presets and the best way to explore the potential of the machine is to create your own sounds (IMO). I would ignore the less desirable sounds you’ve heard on youtube or wherever and take the dive to buy the AK.
I’ve never found the AK a bore to program, quite the opposite really. I find the workflow very fast and efficient. At first the workflow and programming can be a little tricky to pick up, but once you get going its very enjoyable. utilising shortcuts and performance macros will really cut down any menu diving if you have a problem with that.

The dominion and minilogue are both very nice options too. I would say though that the power of the sequencer on the AK/A4 would far exceed them. The AK/A4 sequencer is so amazing and really brings so much to the table.
[/quote]
Coming from an OT and mininova I’m guessing I could pick up the menu diving etc pretty quick. Just concerns me it won’t feel ‘fun’ compared to dominion 1/minilogue where it’s all laid out… But the features seem to outweigh the UI most likely…one thing that does concern me in the data line video is the super fast lengthy turning of knobs. Seems like they have the same response as octatrack. Which is OK on octatrack as can always hold function to speed increments up. But if playing keys at the same time I wouldn’t have enough hands. Looks like it might feel slightly ‘detached’ when trying to do expressive parameter stuff?

Couple of additional questions -
Is there a sequence bank? Like on the dominion 1 (or even Sunrizer on ipad). I always find nice accidents trying sequences on sounds that weren’t used to compose them. And is the use of ‘transpose user sequences via keyboard’ a drag? I found this quote in another thread and concerns me a little that it isn’t very spontaneous - "

AHHHOK. I think i just figured out what i did.

Hit [Function+HOLD] to turn on KBD Transpose. Then hold the chord with an arp, and then hit the transpose button and hit a key simultaneously.

If you have KBD Transpose active (half lit blinking led) and hold an arpeggiated chord, then hit HOLD… it will hold the arp. Then hit [Function+Transpose] to lock the transpose and the arp will then be playable while in hold and while being transposed."

Also, can you use plocks/automation in those arp style user sequences? Just that with the song sequencer being so advanced I’m concerned that ‘playable’ sequences are possibly hindered? Thanks

12

Thanks for the insight and links. Some really nice bits in there and highlighted some of the additional features that set the a4/akeys apart from similarly priced hardware… Think I’m pretty set to get the Keys. Though might leave it a little while to see if korg update minilogue sequencer functions and add arp latch. But even still, the elektrons offer way more. Just thinking about ££. I know I’ll probably cave within the month tho :wink:

13

One other quick question re sequence transpose. I just watched cuckoos sequencer video and seems like the transpose button is quick enough to activate and no problems (I’ve read you can latch it too which would be a must for me in a lot of cases). One thing I can’t find is if you can control sequence transport via keyboard? ie. On each track can you start/stop sequence with note-on/note-off?

14

Just found this vid of A4 + Dom 1. Think I’m gonna swerve the Keys and go this route. Ugh, Dom 1 sound gets me every time! 2nd hand A4 can be had pretty cheap and then save/wait for Dom 1. Never dabbled in CV but seems like A4 and Dom 1 communicate pretty extensively? A4 + Dom 1 + OT should have me covered nicely with almost endless options for a long time and I like the relatively small footprint of that setup. Off to check eBay for used A4’s :wink:

15

I would have no way of knowing. There was no documentation with the video about patch availability.

16

As for transport… no. The sequencer transport runs for all tracks simultaneously, not individually

As for Transpose, that feature is explained in great detail in the PDF manual on print page 42 (digital page 50)

17

Hello,
I use the AK - A4 + DOM 1 and it’s a fanatstic combination. I use the A4 cv -out to the DOM and it works very good. I think the A4 is a good tool for the sounds you’re looking for as it can go from warm to cold - gritty to clean and the FX are perfect to my taste, they are very usefull to run the DOM 1 into. Sequences don’t have their own banks, but yo can copy them from 1 project to another with a little work-around. The Menu - diving is very easy and all parrameters are at the m0st 2 steps deep. If you train a little the moves are in your motoric memory in no time. I’ts only now and then I have to look to the screen. And it’s a joy to program - I would’n call it programming - it’s turning buttons wich is such a great relief coming from years of programming on my Kurzweil
The DOM 1 and A4 will give you a very grand and diverse palette of sounds and years of discovering - and they are perfect Tools to learn synthesis. It’s the best combination of synth’s I’ve ever worked with …

18

As for transport… no. The sequencer transport runs for all tracks simultaneously, not individually

As for Transpose, that feature is explained in great detail in the PDF manual on print page 42 (digital page 50)
[/quote]
Thanks, I’ll try to get through the manual asap.
That seems kinda weird about not being able to trigger/start/stop a sequence with the keyboard? Are you sure you can’t? I’m not talking about ‘patterns’, I mean more like sequences that are used in an arpeggio fashion?

19

Hello,
I use the AK - A4 + DOM 1 and it’s a fanatstic combination. I use the A4 cv -out to the DOM and it works very good. I think the A4 is a good tool for the sounds you’re looking for as it can go from warm to cold - gritty to clean and the FX are perfect to my taste, they are very usefull to run the DOM 1 into. Sequences don’t have their own banks, but yo can copy them from 1 project to another with a little work-around. The Menu - diving is very easy and all parrameters are at the m0st 2 steps deep. If you train a little the moves are in your motoric memory in no time. I’ts only now and then I have to look to the screen. And it’s a joy to program - I would’n call it programming - it’s turning buttons wich is such a great relief coming from years of programming on my Kurzweil
The DOM 1 and A4 will give you a very grand and diverse palette of sounds and years of discovering - and they are perfect Tools to learn synthesis. It’s the best combination of synth’s I’ve ever worked with …[/quote]
Cheers. Yeah seems like a perfect combination for my needs. Though so many of the a4/akeys videos out there seem to have a thin/VA quality to them… In many cases not sounding much of an audible improvement (if any) over my mininova. But I’m going to take everyone’s world for it and put that down to user programming/preference. If I can get a good deal on a used one then I should be able to sell it on if I don’t gel with the sound. Hoping that’s not the case though as the feature list is amazing… I think with the Dom 1 I’ll have no issues with the sound and hopefully none of the build quality/software issues that I’ve read of…

20

Hello,
I use the AK - A4 + DOM 1 and it’s a fanatstic combination. I use the A4 cv -out to the DOM and it works very good. I think the A4 is a good tool for the sounds you’re looking for as it can go from warm to cold - gritty to clean and the FX are perfect to my taste, they are very usefull to run the DOM 1 into. Sequences don’t have their own banks, but yo can copy them from 1 project to another with a little work-around. The Menu - diving is very easy and all parrameters are at the m0st 2 steps deep. If you train a little the moves are in your motoric memory in no time. I’ts only now and then I have to look to the screen. And it’s a joy to program - I would’n call it programming - it’s turning buttons wich is such a great relief coming from years of programming on my Kurzweil
The DOM 1 and A4 will give you a very grand and diverse palette of sounds and years of discovering - and they are perfect Tools to learn synthesis. It’s the best combination of synth’s I’ve ever worked with …[/quote]
Cheers. Yeah seems like a perfect combination for my needs. Though so many of the a4/akeys videos out there seem to have a thin/VA quality to them… In many cases not sounding much of an audible improvement (if any) over my mininova. But I’m going to take everyone’s world for it and put that down to user programming/preference. If I can get a good deal on a used one then I should be able to sell it on if I don’t gel with the sound. Hoping that’s not the case though as the feature list is amazing… I think with the Dom 1 I’ll have no issues with the sound and hopefully none of the build quality/software issues that I’ve read of… [/quote]

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[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]Hi C.O.T.V

[font=Arial","sans-serif]“Basic requirements are ability to get combinations of nice warm/thick/wonky/lo-fi analogue sounds (boards of Canada, John Maus, Animal Collective etc).”

[font=Arial","sans-serif]“User interface - I really wanted a lot of knobs and minimal menu diving.”

[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]Struggling to understand why you’d risk the cash on an AK if you aren’t keen on the sound and the interface! Sure, it’s a DCO so not a Dom 1 or whatever, so don’t expect that kind of rawness, but it certainly isn’t a mininova either.

[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]I’ve not fully worked it out, but I don’t think there’s many interesting demos of the A4/AK because it’s easy to get focused on the sequencer rather than the sound. Or they don’t have a lot of imagination when programming. Anyone who takes a two ocs, two filter, two lfo synth, by any half decent company, and says “there’s not enough sweet spots” either lacks imagination, skills, or the ability to make informed purchasing decisions.

[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]That said, there’s now some really great sound packs from some great designers which immediately demonstrate the versatility of the A4/AK.

[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]I’d like to get a good mono too, but I wouldn’t sell my AK to fund it, they’d share the same cage at my synth zoo (I don’t really have a synth zoo).

[color=black][font=Arial","sans-serif]Sounds like you need to just buy a cool vintage synth and be done with it. Seems like you need temperature sensitive vcos that detune easily and perhaps a bit of crackle on the faders/pots for that authentic vibe!