Best Groovebox: Syntakt vs Digitakt

Elektron Gear Syntakt
#143

My 50cent:

I just got a syntakt and played around with it for a few days and decided to sent it back:

  • I am pretty sure I will be bored with the digital engines after the honeymoon. Compared to the M:C it’s really great to have the filter and envelopes and two LFOs and the snare engine sounds 1000x times better but I would have liked to see much more engines with deeper parameters
  • the analog engines sound very very good but I think four tracks is a bit lame. I know I will always end up using all four and missing to have at least 2 more tracks
  • sound wise it’s hard to tame at times because it really sounds fat and without using overbridge it’s nearly impossible to get an even mix. an additional 3 band para eq per track would help a lot but that’s wishful thinking. On the DT I can eq the source samples to get where I want but on the ST I just end up with a lot of low end mush.

I will really miss the analog engines and shed some tears about the cymbal track. It really sounds fantastic but I can’t justify the expense for the few things I like about it. Maybe I change my mind when it lands at the same price point of the DT

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#144

syntakt has bandwidth as well

#145

however, my YES to deeper parameters. i want setup/octave for detune as well. and for fm tune. and a SY BITS variant with ring mod instead of bit crush and sample rate reduce - so it‘d be like having 8 mono synths dayum.
SY BITS is really awwwweesssoommme. i‘d love to get more of that, its my to go machine for every sound (kicks. hihats, snares, bass, etc. …)

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#146

🫠

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#147

I think bored was the wrong word there.
But I noticed that when my Syntakt sounds we’re playing back in my head, I could hear them too perfectly. Almost as if the sound was too predictable. Maybe that’s a good thing? It definitely has a characteristic sound.
I agree that I would probably pick up another Syntakt once the price drops a bit, because it is pretty fun to use.

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#148

Unfortunately I have to keep the monetary difference to buy an Opsix in my country for twice the price of the “sell-off” … :unamused:

#149

And just like that, Elektron will announce new Machines for the ST.

#150

I’ve been thinking about this question for a while now…

I have to go with DT.

The ST is great, and a beast in its own right, but I still feel the DT is a bit better.
Samples give you so much diversity, and flexibility, esp in a mix.
Whether you want an 808 or a variety of claps, it’s very easy to find samples or make your own.
Then with the base width filter and a filter with an env and 2 lfos you can really dial in some goodness. The “X-factor” is single cycle waves, or looping very short samples. You can make some incredible noise with the DT, just take a kick in forward loop, and shorten the length and you get huge gnarley stuff to explore.

The other thing is that I use 7 of the 8 midi tracks for instruments (3 tracks of Omnisphere, Argon 8, DN, ST, Iridium + Pro3), plus the 8 audio tracks from the DT so it gives me a ton of variety integrated into a single sequencer. And note that one of the instruments I drive is the ST :slight_smile:

The Digis are all super cool IMO. I do feel you are missing out on something special if you have not pushed a DT to the edge. It’s still the best I’ve used from Elektron. With some updates the ST could challenge it, but it’s going to be a hard act to follow. That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it :slight_smile:

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#151

Quick update:

It became a keeper over the weekend. I‘ve just tried bandwith on the analog machines before and finally found them on the digital machines.

This thing really takes some time and effort but is very rewarding.

As to the DT vs. ST question:

Both got it‘s merits and complement each other perfectly

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#152

nice! also, with sy bits, you can have not 2 but 8 more analog machines, … they’re just digital then but do the stuff;)

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#153

forgive me : what is sy bits?

#154

One of the machines on the Syntakt (one of the exclusive ones which isn’t on the Model:Cycles). It’s a two oscillator synth with control over the waveform, detune, noise/osc balance and sample rate reduction/bit crusher IIRC.

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#155

SY BITS is like a mono synth (dual vco + noise) in the box, so it can do almost any sound.

100% of the sounds of those four songs are made with sy bits:

i just wish it had ring mod instead of sample rate reducer and bit crusher, that would be a dream … but of course one of the two lfos can be used kinda like a ring modulator.

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#156

What would be your thoughts on DT+AnalogFourMk1 vs Syntakt?

#157

Interesting. It could be a more powerful alternative at roughly the same price buying used.

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#158

I’m already owning DT and DN(keeping DN!). Also have MM2 but feel that need more exploration in analogue synthesis. Another thing is my preference would be to have less boxes as possible. My current ‘analog’ set up is DT + MM2. Sometimes I like to mess/explore with individual boxes on their own but that’s not possible with MM2. I know, size wise the MM2 vs AFMK1 are incomparable…
So was thinking about various options:

  • sell MM2 and get AFMK1, which pair with DT
  • sell MM2, sell DT and get ST - roughly speaking it would be DT+analog synth in one box. But my fear is that, as all you know, most of the time ‘all in one’ is not that convenient from technical point of view. Maybe it is too much in one box with less capabilities and also from control point of view it can be a lot of menu diving etc… Buuuut, once you are a bit familiar with Elektron flow then I believe menu diving shouldn’t be a big issue.
    That’s my dilemma :blush: Any thoughts, comments from your experiencies - please shoot! Cheers
#159

TL;DR: Syntakt.

#160

If you can manage to buy an A4mk1 without selling the MM2, I think that would be ideal. You don’t have to use them all at once (though you can). The A4mk1 is quite versatile but its voice count is limited. The MM2 is, as you know, an inexpensive and compact way of providing varied polyphony. I think that if you sell everything in favour of ST, you may come to regret it.

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#161

Or Sell DT and get A4 MKI if you want real analog synthesis. Well maybe you’d miss drum tracks, even if you could have great drums with A4 and DN. Both have multimap, so you can program midi tracks of DN (or A4 fx and cv tracks) to play drums from Soundpool.

The 3 ST analog tracks are not as good as A4’s.

You can get much richer pads from MM2 imho (super saw, unison). As @plragde said, 12 or 2x6 voices vs 4 voices for A4. I’d keep it…

I have OT, A4, MM2, ST (don’t regret DT, don’t really need DN).

I may sell my A4 for an Hydrasynth Explorer…

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#162

This question is very subjective, but my opinion is ST > DT.

You can create practically any sound on an ST. Everything from a sharp piano chord to strings to bongos. These sounds can be created without utilizing LFOs or using the LFOs to shape them in a performance instead of shaping their base sound.

DT often requires using the LFOs to get the same base sound from a sample that you get without them on a ST and at some point you’ll want your LFOs back for say a tremolo effect, etc. and you have to resample to keep the sound you built and then lose the LFO sound shaping capabilities.

It’s a trade off in either device, because sampling can definitely bring some grain to a sound that you will have a hard time simulating in a synthesizer. Though the utility synths do bring some options for that grit. The ST also has 12 tracks with 4 being analog that will bring in that grit and warmth naturally through the circuits, and that amazing FX track.

Overall a combo of the two would be my vote. But that all depends on what you can afford. If I had to choose one I’d choose the ST. I am hoping Elektron will release an MK2 of the DT with 12 sample tracks, SD card support and streaming, and FX track.

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