DT+DN the Ultimate?

sloki · 2022-10-13T16:21:02.870Z

I’ll try to approach both individually and leave out the OT as that’s a completely different beast and I mainly use it end of chain anyway as a mixer/master effects thing.

For me the comparison is between the DT + DN and AR + A4. I’ll say at first that I think they’re all awesome machines, and there’s enough difference between them, especially the DN and A4, to warrant having all 4 if you were so inclined. But there’s also a lot more similarities for me that made no sense to have them all. Plus I’m not made of money.

For the AR, one of the biggest selling points was the fact that I could make my own drums from scratch, but also layer samples on top. I love dialling in a sound, tweaking it, blending in a sample and tweaking that and just basically coming up with whatever I can or can’t imagine. I get a lot more enjoyment out of making sounds than flicking through samples and messing with them (though you can do a lot of what the DT can do in that regard on the A4, and whatever it can’t the OT can more than cover). The compressor is also amazing as is the distortion. It’s probably my favourite machine that I’ve ever owned. Also the VCO they introduced on it makes a really mean bass. The DT covers the sampling part better obviously, but there’s 0 drum synthesis and all the other bells and whistles that I wanted.

With the A4 it wasn’t as cut and dry as it’s a completely different sound. The DN is in many ways, depending on what kind of music you make, more flexible due to having four more voices. But in most other ways, the A4’s modulation and sound shaping options far exceed it imo. Per voice you get 2 LFOs and envelopes with 2 destinations each (on top of an LFO for vibrato and 2 for pulse width modulation), 2 oscillators and subs (easy way to hack in some chords if you want to get around the 4 voice limitation), 2 filters, awesome overdrive, and a whole load of other stuff that let you shape all kinds of crazy things. I think the DN is better for pads and airy type stuff and the A4 is a lot more aggressive, which suits me perfectly, but is also capable of some nice pads and also getting into really experimental territories.

The biggest factor for me though was the performance capabilities of the analog machines. Being able to have a set of fully customised performance macros has been the most fun part of all of it for me as one of my biggest qualms with the digi boxes was the control all thing (partly due to my own constantly forgetting to save before I did anything). I mainly use the machines to jam and the performance knobs and pads are what really make it shine. The sound design on them has also led to me using them in a lot of songs that I’ve done as I find it easier to come up with what I want, on the AR mainly, than on whatever drum synth VST.

I don’t care too much about analog vs digital, so that wasn’t a factor into my decision. If Elektron ever made a wavetable synth in the analog machines’ form factor I‘d buy it in a heartbeat.

tl;dr it’s sound design and superior performance flexibility that led me to get the analogs.

Also, Dark Trinity sounds a lot cooler than Digi Trinity.

malus_mons · 2022-10-13T17:13:01.658Z

Ultimate, all time, never need anything else (except a microcosm) setup. Never be bored or uninspired again.

Jeanne · 2022-10-13T17:16:55.102Z

In my experience, the A4 does sound huge, and the Digitone out of control brutal, though

However, I’m glad I have both. I didn’t really consider the Digitone and was blown away when I created patches from scratch and also used Overdrive and Master Overdrive.

I wish the A4 had Master Overdrive

Edit: And I just don’t like the analog drumsounds the AR does. That’s why I’d never consider the AR. With the A4 and the Digitone, however, I can make drumsounds that are amazing to my ear.

… Just giving my perspective

Tchu · 2022-10-13T17:20:08.395Z

Jeanne:

I wish the A4 had Master Overdrive

Pass it through DN? I don’t remember if the Ext inputs pass through the OD?

Jeanne · 2022-10-13T17:22:22.982Z

Tchu:

Pass it through DN?

Usually I’d have much more overdrive on the DN as I’d use for the A4 and I don’t want to suck the A4 away*. I’m actually looking into some analog distortion which is able to change (distortion) patches via Midi CC from the A4. But the Boum is too expensive for me, unfortunately.

*One of the greatest features of the Syntakt - again, for me - is that I can decide which tracks will be distorted together and which won’t.

sloki · 2022-10-13T17:28:03.615Z

Oh don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the digitone! I was sad selling it. But the A4 just works and sounds so much better for me and the huge sound complements its brutality really nicely. I get the distortion covered on the OT so that helps too. Also 4 Elektron boxes at the same time is just impossible for me. I struggle enough with 3

I did however just buy this awesome new module today that does FM called the Ryk Modular Vector Wave and that sounds absolutely evil. It’s also polyphonic so that’s really cool.

Edit: just seen your part about the AR. It’s all a matter of what you like at the end of the day! Like I had the model cycles for a very very short period of time and got rid of it immediately.

Riuozami · 2022-10-13T17:38:23.472Z

The analog osc of the rytm are not great and outdated but when you use samples in the Rytm the filter add a full dimension and body to the samples

I don’ t have an A4 yet but I am not convinced about its sound yet at least for what i have heard so far

Jeanne · 2022-10-13T17:42:54.824Z

Well, the A4 does the drum sounds I want and doesn’t need samples And if I want samples, I have a Digitakt. But like I said, it’s a matter of taste. I merely want to point that out: Tastes are different, and approaches are different … what’s the (potential) ultimate combo is different for everyone.

Habit_Reform · 2022-10-13T21:33:34.622Z

DT/SY is killing it as a combo.

I’ve pretty much decided that the DT is too much of a ballache for doing anything involving ‘chopping’ breaks, at least for now, and stopped thinking of it as a Hip Hop combo and just making it one massively expanded House and Techno groove box.

Had my first few hours in a week or so where I was feeling like I had enough energy and time to sit down with them, and just had loads of fun getting some patterns flowing.

Matoshi · 2022-10-13T22:01:42.527Z

95% of my tunes are DN and DT they are the ultimate combo. For ‘Ultimate Max’ combo add an A4

hilgerson · 2022-10-14T06:47:42.143Z

Have played complete live sets on just the Digitakt. By adding the Digitone, I’ve even got more possibilities and tweaks. I’m a sampling-person, so sampling the Digitone is a must for me. I love the combination of these two monsters😍

So stop the GAS!

sezare56 · 2022-10-14T08:02:25.959Z

I didn’t gel with DT+DN. I much prefer OT+ST.

I prefer OT compared to DT for its MUCH better recording, playback (except pitch), control abilities (except pitch).

I prefer ST compared to DN for its versatility and immediacy. More parameters for DN, but I found it frustrating because of the lack of modulations. Limited synthesis parameters compared to A4. For more advanced matrix modulations I prefer Micromonsta 2, and I planned to buy an Hydrasynth, which is far superior to DN for synthesis (apart from different fm algorithms with more operators).

I can also use ST as 8 voices polysynth, works with with RK002 cable, I can control all parameters from my midi keyboard, like a regular synth. I can eventually stack 2 different machines per voice, or make unison (poly 4).

GS · 2022-10-14T15:16:29.561Z

I’ve been playing with a DT + Nord Drum 3P setup for a while and I can’t think of a better pair for the moment. By using midi channel 10 for global and midi channels 11-16 (w. a 8 CC parameters template), I can dial custom percusive patches whithin minutes (6 voices of multitimbrality).

That leaves midi channel 9 for an extra synth. Ideally, I’d love to have a Minikorg 700FS, but for the moment, I use a Microfreak (and it brings midi to cv/gate/sync options).

Though I’d be curious to know more someday about the specific synergy that exists between a DT and a DN/ST.

Tchu · 2022-10-14T19:15:23.557Z

GS:

Minikorg 700FS

redstevo · 2022-10-14T22:21:09.845Z

Just got a ST to go with DN - very happy. Got a micromonsta2 controlled by DN for Virtual analogue and a BB yet to be connected for samples. I play guitar into a Aeros looper and am having a lot of fun figuring this all out. But ST + DN is such a good start.

DJSpaceP · 2022-10-15T00:35:14.284Z

I’m a huge fan of the DT/DN pairing, having those two as my core setup for the past few years. I started not enjoying other devices as much because the DT/DN hit my magic sweet spot of how I like to work and the sounds that they’re capable of producing.

I recently added the Syntakt to my setup because I had been wanting some analog in a “digi” format box, never expecting Elektron to actually go and RELEASE such a thing.

So, 3 boxes with different fantastic sound capabilities, but with almost identical layouts and sequencing. Great for my brain, muscle memory and unified workflows, but with HUGE sonic flexibility.

I’m quite happy.

aMunchkinElfGraduate · 2022-10-15T02:37:52.258Z

A year ago I drank the DN+DT KoolAid and bought the Digitakt to accompany my Digitone. I spent some time with the Digitakt sequencing an external piece of gear. Having 8 midi tracks was nice. But, when it came to sounds, I really got hooked on the DN’s FM synthesis.

I made some simple drum backgrounds on both the Digitone and Digitakt, both used as accompaniments for student rhythm reading exercises. When I listed to the drum sounds of the Digitakt after several months, I found the sound muddy and indistinct, compared to the drum sounds of the Digitone. I was not expecting such a difference. When I first made the drum tracks on the DT, I liked the sound. Strange how it sounds “blah” after all the months I’ve spent on the DN.

So, the DT is sitting in the corner. Anyhow, that’s my story. I’m not telling anyone not to get a DT. But for me, I got hooked on the DN and wanted to stick with that. I’m happy I focused my efforts on the DN, because I’ve learned how to control it much better as a result of all the time spent on it.

I can get the sound I want from the Digitakt by sampling the Digitone into it. But, why bother? For me, the Digitone is a stand-alone box.

hilgerson · 2022-10-16T01:08:52.579Z

The DT doesn’t sound muddy at all! I find the sound crisp and very clear. The base filter is pretty amazing getting the right frequency range for your sound though!

aMunchkinElfGraduate · 2022-10-16T04:20:49.547Z

Maybe “muddy” is the wrong word. The Digitakt drum preset sounds, compared to the Digitone’s drum presets, are, to my ears, indistinct.

DaveMech · 2022-10-16T04:50:52.806Z

The Digitakt factory samples are indeed not the best. But it’s a sampler better samples and processing them better in Dt = problem solved