Analog Rytm MK2 initial impressions

Elektron Gear Analog Rytm
#178

Regarding ‘there are not so many sound machines’ - that was my main reason for selling my AR Mk I. I was really disappointed by the basic-ness and inflexibility of the analog sound creation on it. I already have an actual 808 and 909, and a good bit of what it can do is taken up with trying to be a stand-in for those boxes.

The ancillary stuff it can do with scenes, perfs, the way it does solo/mute (including being queued) - all that is so much better than the Digitakt. And being able to layer with samples is great. But as an analog drum machine i think it’s a failure.

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#179

Did you owned it after or before the new machines were added?

#180

-there‘s space for a ton of your own samples which sound great through the AR‘s filters
-not being able to filter sample and synth voice separately can be worked around with resampling
-remember that the LFO is parameter lockable, even just one LFO will go a long way if properly used

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#181

After

#182

Are there any videos on how to properly use LFO’s? I’ve never messed with LFO’s. Well I have but it didn’t sound too good.

#183

Well, there’s not much to get. Any time you want to have a waveform modulate another parameter, you’d use an LFO.

The most basic example would be using a sine wave to modulate amplitude/volume. Imagine you have the parameter at 50% volume. With an sine wave LFO with maximum depth, you could make the volume oscillate smoothly between 0 and 100 at the frequency of the waveform. Extrapolate that idea across all waveforms and parameters…

Another common one is using a fairly high frequency (say 5-10hz) LFO to modulate pitch, which is a vibrato effect.

On the Elektron boxes, the LFOs can be mapped to almost everything. Pitch, filter cutoff, etc. - and even the less obviously useful things can be a destination.

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#184

A good one is to use a HLD random LFO to modulate a parameter, either sublty to modulate a filter or synth parameter or go crazy with a sample slot. The latter though you can also use to go through a small selection of similar but different samples to get a nice variation of timbre.

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#185

I agree completely. As a sampler with analog filters and FX, with a great sequencer and handy analog drum layering, it is amazing.

With the new mono synth engine it’ll take on a new dimension too.

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#186

When is this synth engine going to be available.

#187

You can think of the lfo’s like extra hands turning knobs, with the ability to make the changes rhythmically fitting the tempo of the groove with the right settings…

I think filter frequency would be a good target to hear the speed, depth, and shape of the lfo…

To explore I’d assign an lfo to filter frequency, lower the frequency to like 80 or something so there’s room for the lfo to both increase and decrease the value, and then mess with all the lfo settings and you’ll be able to easily hear the effect…

By listening to how the settings affect the filter, it will help you visualize how the lfo shapes behave, and get you in tune with the speed settings…

After getting the hang of how they work, you just come up with ideas and try them out… Filter is a common target, put one on balance and you’ll get your sound swirling in stereo… Slight one on pitch is vibrato…

-Note for the future that they also have strange tricky advanced uses that sometimes come in handy sort of allowing the machines to do more than you’d think, but don’t worry about that yet…

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#188

Do you mean mono synth?

#189

Just imagine a world where there was lookahead on the sequencer and you could shift micro-timing with the LFO… :diddly:

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#190

At some point processing speed will get fast enough that that could happen…
We’re living in the future, but there’s a lot more future left to go!

#191

Well, there would always be a loads of gotchas (what happens if user does X before Y) but there is plenty of processing speed to do it, it’s more cost for either hardware or time to implement that is the issue… I think. Either way, I think that’s the kind of feature that could take, otherwise linear, sequencing to the next level.

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#192

Yeah, I didn’t really… Just decided we must not be far enough into the future yet… :smile:

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#193

Pre-conditional trigs… :cb::cb::cb:

(no not that kind)

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#194

Yeah, I’d give a kidney for more LFO’s per track. And agreed on the springy sound of the buttons. My Machinedrum mk1 has a more high-end feel to it, though the buttons have some sound to them as well, but not this much.

Too little factory samples? Yawn.

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#196

Yeah I messed that up, hehe. When is this going to be available?

#197

February.

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#198

Messing around with a 16 step loop to try out all the features and go deep on all functionality - sampling/cond-trigs etc.

I never owned a Mk1 but liking Mk2 so far. Have to agree - I’m already thinking of all the possible destinations I would like to send more LFO’s to !!! I know I can get two additional ones from external sources via the CV Jacks but zoning ‘into’ the box is a key part of getting lost in programming this thing.