I thought it might make sense to start a new thread to not further clutter up the “…shipping thread”. As more people receive their orders it’ll be interesting to see what people think.
I received my order from justmusic.de last Friday. I was a little surprised to see they just shrink wrapped the original box instead of putting it in an additional box. Fortunately, everything is where it’s supposed to be and there are no imperfections like mixed up buttons or such. The factory content, samples, sounds, patterns seem to be the same as on the MK1. Maybe they’ll give MK2 users some additional content like they did with OT MK2. A lot has been said about the new form factor. I really like it. AR MK2 benefits a lot from the increased size as the pads are approximately 1.5 times as big as the old ones. They are responsive and have a nice feel to them. I like them better than the old ones but I wouldn’t call the difference night and day. The additional buttons come in handy. Sample transfer with Elektron Transfer works more quickly than C6, but the sound cuts out during transfer. The display is nice and bright. It would be great to see UI improvements in the future, e.g. graphic display of the ADSR envelope curves like on the DT. I have yet to check out the sampling functionality. From what I’ve seen it’s pretty much the same as on the DT. Sound wise I didn’t notice a difference. Overall this feels a lot more like an evolution than a revolution. I’d say the difference between AR MK1 and MK2 is not as big as between A4 MK1 and MK2. That’s not saying I regret getting the MK2. It does all the things I used to like about MK1 and then some. Of course the price difference is hefty, so I expect fewer people will see a reason to move to the new machine. At this point, a real bummer is the lack of a proper transport solution, like we had for the MK1.
Tell us about internal resampling, i assume it resamples post filter, the FX could not be resampled because they are still send FX? I know you didnt have time yet, but i think you will dig into this soon 
I sure will, maybe as soon as tonight. My interpretation of what the manual says about this is that you can either sample the main out (post fx) or one of the individual outs (pre fx). This assumption is based on the routing schematics on p. 13.
Surprised by this! Purely thanks to the sampling engine I see quite a step from the AR Mk1 to Mk2.
I do like the form factor though. Probably to the extent that I’d love to see some sort of hybrid controller/synth from Elektron one day. Though I’m returning my A4mk2 it sure did sit pretty on the desk.
Also interested in how you find the sampling and what not. Was a big fan of the DT’s sampling simplicity. Having this linked to pads and things sounds great.
That’s a very valid point I should’ve excluded from my generic statement. I’ll comment on the sampling capabilities once I’ve test driven them.
Out of curiosity - what makes you return the A4MK2?
I should write something up myself on my A4Mk2 experiences.
A few factors that kind of congealed into one big reason:
I’ve got an OT to fully learn (and really enjoying)
Recently bought Komplete Ultimate 11 so heaps going on
Im criminally lazy with the A4’s sequencer
More productive with Maschine
etc
As much as I liked the sound (it is a step in the right direction from the Mk1 to my ears) I think the final nail in the coffin came when I though “lets try it with the OT” and had a minor OCD meltdown due to all of the cables on the go haha! I’ve very much become a clean desk guy which, come to think of it, would enrage my other half with how little she thinks of my house cleaning ability…!!!
Sampling the master out would allow to re sample several layers at once, that is a really great option, and allows great sound design possibility’s, that was one thing where i think the rytm was lacking, i think that’s a major step if its fully exploited.
I want to hear more about the pads, especially how they compare to other things with pads. My guess is that trying one in a shop will be all but impossible for some time.
If anyone could compare it to other machines with pads that would be awesome.
This statement is a bit strange. You will probably edit after testing sampling heavily or not… But to me, it’s big not revolution as you said, but a big evolution with so many new add-ons… + we don’t seen all for now … they can in Firmware updates continu to impress with some new features and that can be amazing …
But for now, i really do think it’s a big evolution to me for both A4, AR… and OT (if we considering the new workflow buttons, oled screen and trig conditions)
i guess resampling will be an essential tool :
resampling from individual source :
BD, SD, RS/CP, BT, LT, MT/HT, CH/OH, CY/CB sets the input source to the internal audio from the separate drum tracks.
resampling from main :
MAIN sets the input source to the internal MAIN L+R channels. The audio is summed together to
mono.
Now layering make sense more than ever, i can’t wait to mix and match my layers with resampling
You‘re probably right. I‘ll update as I go.
wait what? Transfer App works for the Mk2? So why the hell don’t they release this update for Mk1 if its ready??
Did some of you guys noticed misbehavior when using the push encoders to delete P-locks? Sometimes i have to push the encoders several times to get the command in and this seems not to depend on the amount of pressure. What makes it even stranger is that I couldn’t notice problems when using them to move in bigger increments. Any experience in that?
Yes I noticed this too. I assumed that I must be twisting as I pushed, so it registered as a fast twist instead of a push. I’ve noticed all the buttons are more sensitive than my A4 mkii. I often find I’m getting the held response when I just wanted to click. Might take a bit of getting used to.
Oh okay i wasn’t thinking about that. That might be a reason. Maybe this can be fixed with a software update. A adjustable resolution for the encoders would be helpful anyway. If I’m trying to adjust the rate of the retrig page for example it can be really tricky to hit the desired spot. I didn’t had the feeling on the MK1 if I remember right. Can you confirm it?
I cannot compare with mk1 but I do find using the encoder to adjust retrig rate is very very sensitive. Instead I have been using the < and > keys.
Please make sure to report such issues using Elektron’s ticket system. Elektron are very responsive in their support area and by logging a ticket you will get the problem into their backlog.
Is the OS the same as analog mki? And does it have the new machine engine?
No, AR MK2 runs firmware 1.40. The new machine is not yet part of that OS.
Thanks for the quick reply what is the main difference as far as the os between the mki and mkii?
I’ve had very limited time with MK2 so far. Pre-christmas period is crazy busy in my world. MK2 has some different UIs to make use of the slightly bigger screen. Apart from that, I cannot tell yet.