Analog filter per voice… moreover, I like the synth engines - they might need some work to reveal the sweet spots, but as a whole I find them very versatile.
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And I know you’re not asking but is be remiss not to mention that the Analog sequencer is imo one of the very best sequencers out there.
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The most I am interested on AR. I feel its versatile. But as we know it s not cheap. That is the reason I am trying to find out if its worth.
So, because I have OT, I thought the cheap version for me would be to pair ot with Analog Heat , especially for what everyone said that the samples on AR is the cream of it.
If that is not like that, then I would like to know if the kick is better than MC and the perc better then Nord Drum.
Otherwise, as I own MC, I could just get Nord Drum2 as is not that expensive and couple it with OT sequencer.
If all these fails, than I will join the AR circle.
So, I am waiting for ur opinions. Thanks a lot!!
Well if you’re interested in perc primarily I would say the ND absolutely beats it there; if you have an MC and happy with the kick no need to change Imo.
What I question is that the ND is not that expensive: last I checked it was approaching rare gear prices; def more expensive than an AR mki.
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That whole track is all AR? Insane.
As far as I know. They posted some bangers back when the AR was released that were all AR only and sporadically added to the thread through the years which came off to me as they were still AR only.
Incredible. Inspiring and also somewhat like being hit on the nose with a newspaper when I feel happy with some simple pattern I plocked out after fiddling for 1hr
EDIT: to the wider discussion, to my ears the AR sounds amazing, there is a lot of versatility in the engines. Get the “New Blood” sound pack for example. The kicks are super powerful, add some compression and they’re punchy. Prefer by far to M:C kicks
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I feel you. Based on their work, I know my tracks ain’t the ARs fault 
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AR and ND2 are very very different gear.
I think you can’t get similar sound.
ND is all in the digital world and it’s great for percussive and abstract sound.
Crazy synthesis IMO, more similar to MD (but not the same).
AR is fat, analog, with more limitations in synthesis.
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No experience with the AR, but the Nord Drum 2/3 can do killer kicks and sub bass - I mean foundation shaking. The downside of the 2 and 3 - only two outs. IMO for live, the ND 3 is preferable as it has 2 send FX, reverb and delay. ND3 has the most flexible synthesis engine of all the drum machines / drum synths currently in production. ND paired with an OT is an amazing combo IMO.
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Shameless self promotion, but this is all AR mkI using both the synth and sample engines layered. The marriage of the two is really where the AR excels.
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Love it!
No. The drum engines are very good and sometimes leave a bit to be desired, in which case you can always easily supplement with samples.
I used the Octatrack as a drum machine for a but and it was fine. Having two dedicated FX per track is very, very nice. But when I got the AR it improved my workflow a lot, gave me more options, and it just sounds beefier and better.
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no. the analog drums are excellent. but not everyone likes all of them. or they don’t always fit with your track. that’s where supplementing them with samples comes in.
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What’s wrong with the Machines? Learn to tweak, distort and compress them. Stop cheating with Samples.
What
Lol 
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Rytm is very flexible and powerful, but it needs some digging, as all Elektron’s machines. Don’t expect to have a vast sound like Tanzbar 1 or Vermona so easy. Pros Rytm offers a very handy sound for mixing.
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Yea I have an ARmk2 coming tomorrow thanks to your post in deals - thanks a lot (no seriously actually, thanks!) and screen was one of the big things than convinced me it was worth it at that price vs a used mk1.
I have the A4mk1 and I really don’t enjoy the screen. It feels so tiny compared to all the other big Elektrons - not that it will stop you making good music but I don’t find it feels that enjoyable to use.
I think with the (re)sampling too, the ARmk2 is actually the most significant of the mk2 upgrades functionality wise and IMO the black mk2s look amazing (in photos, excited to see for real!)… but at twice the price of a mk1 it’d definitely be a harder call
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Hey Shinobi - have you got any examples of the kind of kick you’re after? I’m headed home from the busy tonight and have a hankering to break out the AR. I’ll record some things into a demo for you.
In general, AR kick synth can the thunderous but can be tamed using a liberal sprinkling of the LFO. I often wish we had EQ per pad for the AR, but that’s about my only gripe these days.
There’s a few of us who have AR only tracks posted here if you have a search. I’ll post some links when I have a moment.
Edit: some here - RYTM ambient machine - #20 by safetyofobjects
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Thanks my friend!
I am looking for longer boomie kicks like the ones on Volca Kick and Jomox MBass and characterfull percussion like in Nord Drum.
So tell me a little bit more about how you layer samples with the engine. For example, if you’re making some hats, do you use samples of hats layered with hat engines? Maybe a silly question, but I’ve always wondered how people primarily are using this feature. Like layering two like sounds to get an improved sound to taste, or layering two very unlike sounds to get something interesting. I’m sure people do both, but i guess i’ve never read any specific use.
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