Which would be better to purchase as I’m seeking a workhorse drum machine able to be my only drum machine. I’m leaning at buying both. I’m new to threads.
Analog RYTM mk2 can do 95% of everything the Digitakt can do with samples. It’s a different workflow though and it comes down to which one you prefer.
I <3 the rytm personally, I love the analog engines, the dual VCO basslines, compressor, effects, audio in, individual outs, Song mode, etc.
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I have both and find the AR MK II so much more fun and so much easier to use. It feels just so obvious - I totally love it !
Digitakt has no song mode, so if you want a drum machine that you can just use to play pre set drum patterns on the backround, look elsewhere.
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Depends mostly on your workflow I think. If you’re someone who likes to synthesize drum sounds on the fly and doesn’t like to commit to a recorded sample for everything, the granularity of the AR would be a worthy investment. If, however, you’re more sampling oriented and like to load a bunch of recorded sounds into a machine to play with and don’t feel the need to tweak them extensively, DT might be the better move.
And, of course, as has been mentioned, lack of song mode on the DT can disqualify it as a workhorse drum machine for a lot of people.
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Ive only had the DT a short while. The stock samples contain a folder called tools. Lots of really useful raw material in there. You can quasi synthesise pretty much any sound you like via sound shaping resampling etc. Very capable unit.
I like that you get front panel access to all 8 audio mutes and all 8 midi mutes at once.
Its small (this is good for my small space)
Both machines are a legit choice.
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Right now I have DT and AR MKII, both machines sounds very nice and I really like both, but when I use AR I miss the inmediacy of Digitakt, probably it has relation that I used DT for two years now and I know it pretty well, but the form factor, the bigger resolution on the controls, and the controll-all are things that I didn’t know that would be so important for me.
Don’t get my wrong, i really like the AR too, and I enjoy the individual outs, the bigger variety of filters… but in the moment of truth i’m too lazy to program the scenes or the performance macros.
Probably I would be happier with the AR if I hadn’t had the DT before, I think that I still need more time with AR, and probably I will sell the DT, but i doubt it’s a good decision
In relation with the engines, I have a love/hate relationship with the AR sound, I think that I need more time with it. In relation with sample playback I think that AR sounds grittier and in the high frequencies the sound is dull, on the other hand Digitakt sound clean as fuck, and you can make it sound gritty too.
Both machines make a good job, my advice is:
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If you want to use only overbridge, buy the Digitakt, you can process each track on the Daw
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If you want to use it as a tool to your creativity or sketchbook, Digitakt is a good choice too. I use it this way for 2 years
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If you want a very capable drum machine to use with other hardware and use it with the computer too, Analog Rytm is a good choice but remember Digitakt have 8 midi tracks. Anyway AR excels Digitakt on performance, individual outs, kits, song mode etc.
I bought the AR because I didn’t enjoy Digitakt sound/pattern system on a live context, and I wanted individual outs and kits, but I really love the Digitakt so will be hard to say it good bye.
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Perhaps the opposite conclusion from @Kernad here (though for broadly the same reasons!)
I bought an AR MkII and enjoyed it but as soon as I also got a DT I found myself never taking the AR out at all. Compared to the DT it felt slow, clunky, non-immediate. Sampling and sample management annoying and fiddly.
Not wanting to leave £££ on the shelf, I sold the AR on, but before I posted it to the new owner took it out one more time to check everything was good with it and was astonished by the quality of the sounds, the pad control, how cool layering samples and analog sounds was. The stuff I’d sketched out on it in the short time I’d owned it all sounded so much more…finished…than the DT. It almost made me want to keep it.
But then again since then have dived into the DT’s midi control stuff which is so cool as well, making it a brilliant Swiss Army knife device for pretty much everything…
So…I guess it depends what you want. Immediacy and flexibility and accessibility or those amazing AR sounds? The AR is an outstandingly brilliant drum machine with a capability stretching beyond the norm. The DT is an amazing lots of things machine which has taken the place of my OP1 as a fiddling around making cool stuff tool.
If you can afford it buy both perhaps…
I own both, The Rytm is integrated in my DAWless setup but I also use it with Overbridge to record an idea into Ableton and arrange it, works really nice. And I do like the analog sounds and filters. Just got the Digitakt and I want to use it in the living room and sequence an Access Virus as it has 8 MIDI tracks which the Rytm hasn’t. Unfortunately I cannot use the Inputs as they are merged to mono unlike most other Elektron boxes which is a shame. Have not figured out yet if I will run the DT into the Virus inputs or use a little Behringer interface…
The thing I miss the most on DT is that you have no KITs, that is one of the best features of the Rytm.
Maybe you can start of with the DT because it can do what you are asking for and then change or add RYTM later.
Yeah, I was going to say, kits is a big deal for me. Both machines are great though.
Edit: not seen mention of using the AR’s analogue overdrive on samples - it’s really good for giving samples some saturated vibe/energy.
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I own booth and im keeping booth, DT is a gateway to the bigger and better ARMkii…
4 me It really comes down to…
A. Do you want the analogue engines and filter?
OR
B. Do you want to control over kit via MIDI…?
But why make a choice…they are each EXCELLENT in their authentic selves…
Setting up template projects on your Rytm will help with this. Set up a generic project with exactly the scenes and performance macros you’d use, and you can re-save the template as a new project each time without having to go through the whole hassle again.
I love my Rytm and Octatrack, but if I had to set them up from scratch each time I felt like being creative, I’d be exhausted by the time I actually got to the music-making part.
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Yeees it’s a good way to be faster with AR. I started to make some templates, one without synth engines as if it were a Digitakt, some other with a 808 template etc.
It’s the best way to be faster and work better
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Rytm all the way. The filter makes me smile every time and while the analog engines take some work, they can really shine if you put in the effort. Should you ever have to do any demolition work, the kick drum is your friend.
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Analog four is an excellent drum synth as well.
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I’ve had both for a few years and I wound up selling my Digitakt.
I love sound design and I get tired of selecting samples. I prefer making my sounds from scratch instead of sifting through folders hoping to find a sound close to what I’m feeling. The kick drum on the AR is the most versatile and incredible sounding analog kick you’ll ever hear. No other drum machine even comes close. It also has a great sounding clap and snare, but like all analog drum machines, the snare is pretty weak and goofy (but still the best analog snare out there. I mean, let’s face it, all analog snares are pretty bad). I normally layer my snare with a sample to get it sounding right. Sometimes I just use a sample and turn the analog snare off.
The Digitakt is great for sequencing other pieces of gear that are not Elektron brand. I do miss that, but I’ve actually played entire live sets with nothing but the Analog Rytm and a couple of effects (taking advantage of the individual outputs). Just load up all the samples you want and it becomes a groovebox with some incredible analog filters. It also has more filter types than the Digitakt. You get bandpass, notch, and peak filters on top of the lowpass and highpass.
If you want a brain for a live set and you’re using other random gear, the sequencer on the Digitakt is a great choice. If you want to design your own sounds and use the best analog drum machine ever made and have a groovebox with song mode, the AR is the best choice.
You could flip a coin and be OK. They are both great machines.
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Before we continue this, @Samplehead I’m still curious to your response in this other thread LOL
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Does the analog four have kits and patterns? I might purchase the four
I’m just a gearhead lol. That spends thousands on gear
You may find the manuals of the machines you‘re interested in very helpful. They can be downloaded from the support section at elektron.se
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