Hello everyone, I need to clarify the following question.
I recently purchased a Digitone II and am amazed by its sound and capabilities. The thing is that I have the opportunity to buy jna Analog Rytm MKII at a good price (it’s not a bargain, but I’ve been looking for one for a while and it’s not a bad opportunity to make the effort).
My question is whether both machines are similar and overlap or if they are two instruments that can complement each other.
Thank you very much
Very little overlap (analog + samples V digital synthesis) I would say.
except for the sequencer (which has more features on DN2) there’s zero overlap between them, they sure can compliment each other because rytm can do samples as well as it has analog machines for drums and mono synth.
The Rytm as a couple of Machines dedicated to FM drums (FM kick and FM Snare). Those and the Elektron sequencer are the main areas of overlap.
The Rytm has:
Digitone II has
I’m avoiding learning any more about the DNII because I don’t want to get GAS for it at the moment. I assume the new FM Drum Machine is much more flexible than the Ryan’s FM Kick & FM Snare)
Digitone II has proper kits, and also performance kits, which when activated let one carry a kit over a pattern change, overriding the possibly different kit in the new pattern. (Edit: sorry if that is TMI for you!)
How cool. Glad I was wrong about that part.
la lala la laaaa la not listening.
that means it’s a 1000 times better 
I mean… it’s clear that I’ll get one eventually,
I wouldn’t say it has ‘proper’ kits like the analog rytm does. You can’t have your changes in a sound carry over to all patterns in a kit automatically (unless im mistaken, I don’t own a DN II).
I don’t own an AR, but you are right, if you change a kit, it does not automatically change the sound for all patterns that use the kit. Kits are handled like sounds were on DN1, that is, when you load a sound to a track, any changes you subsequently make are not reflected in the saved version, unless you save back on top of it. I don’t know which is “proper” or whether both types could be considered that, but it certainly is different. Thank you for pointing that out.
They complement each other very nicely in my opinion, even more using the DN2 as sample fodder for sounds in the AR that can be layered with the engines or just to run through the analog filter/overdrive.
Been using my DN2 to add a 2nd layer of hats as counterpoint to the hats engine in the AR, modulated ambiances, lead sounds, weird FM perc, and a lot more. It’s been really fun to do improv jams with both of them, last week brought them for a studio gathering with some friends DJing, me and a couple of others doing live improv, and my setup got quite a few people interested in the machines.
I think that would be the most greatest combo today !
With AR : Possibility to have 3 Analog bassline/lead, lots of analogish Drum and sample.
With DN2: Possibility to do proper FM drum by track, and a nice FM synth.
It’s a bit limited in terms of note range though, but yes, doable.
@codeineh: If you can spare the money and have some time and interest for leaning the Rytm, it’s probably best to just buy it and find out for yourself.
On the other hand, you just bought a DN II, which can do so so much on its own, so maybe you focus on that one first? Especially if it’s your first Elektron. I bought a DT a month after I bought my DN because OG DN only had four tracks. I think nowadays I‘d just stick with DN II for a while, as it can now be your drum machine and melodic synth.
Thank you so much.
Many times an external and more expert vision is necessary to make decisions.
I have already closed the purchase of the AR.
Thanks again for answering
hey there, the AR has the sid clone machine and other synth machines plus the sampling option. It is an amazing machine. The sampler, soundwise, is up with the classics such as the emax, eps, mpc, prophet 2000. The ONLY let-down to be aware of is that the AR can only have synth and drum machines on certain tracks. Unlike the digitone 2…which allows any machine across 16 tracks. I sold my AR back in the day due to this utterly stupid limitation, but I still rock the MD.
The stupid limitation is a physical one though, there is one circuit for each voice, and each circuit has a few options. If you wanted every voice to be able to do every sound you’d need 8x of each circuit, increasing the price/complexity quite a bit.
Remember it’s a digitally-controlled analog machine, not a digital one where there’s a processor doing all the sounds, it’s electronics components creating the sounds.
Cool. That’s transparent and very well written, thanks. Great copy for elektron who could state this all clearly in their advertising material.
maybe not a part of the marketing material but it is stated in the manual in several places, for example:
5.3.1 THE DRUM TRACKS
There are 12 drum tracks. To select a track for editing, press and hold [TRK] key and then press one of the [PADS]. Each drum track uses a specific drum voice controlled by one of the MACHINES available for the voice. All drum tracks can layer analog percussion sounds and sampled sounds, to distort and filter them, and apply a dedicated LFO each.
and if you love the sampling then imo it’s well worth to sample stuff and move around to free the bottom circuits for other things.
I mean, I would love to see mono synths machines on the middle row (the toms) which I barely use but it’s very useful for samples, ut impulse/noise which I use a lot, but yeah I wouldn’t mind having a stripped down version of DVCO to a single oscillator synth engine…
congrats! 
if I’d give one advice it would be: patience 
This.
And very well, actually.
Thanks for clarifying. From a composing perspective (as opposed to performance) I find the way the new kits work to be near useless.