I would really like to buy an analog RYTM MK2, but the small screen really puts me off. especially for such a complex synthesizer.
Is there a way to attach the Analoy Rytm Mk2 to a small external screen?
I thought about overbridge, but I don’t know anything about it, I don’t have an electron device yet… theoretically I can display on my monitor what I set on the synth, but I can’t find that either the best solution. although I want to force the software editor on my screen.
could you also run overbridge on two PCs? So that, for example, I can use a small 14" netbook as a screen?
What is your experience with the small screen? Somehow the whole workflow of the analog rytm really puts me off, with the few buttons etc… even though I’ve never had one before.
It’s always strange to me when I see this subject brought up. If elektron made the screens any bigger you’d just have the same exact information only in larger pixelated text and graphics. The way the Analog rytm (and pretty much all elektron gear) works is a page by page basis, the smaller screen on the Analog Rytm mk1 was perfectly fine for the information you need to program it. each page has a number of parameters (6 generally I think) and you edit those parameters and then move on to the next page. For example if you wanted to change the Filter cutoff you would simply press the filter button and it takes you to the filter page and turn the knob. The six knobs on the Analog rytm correspond to the six parameters per page, It’s really easy. Sometimes there are shift functions where shift + button will do something else (a shortcut or bring you to a different page) but regardless those six editing knobs will be changing functions based of off the page you are on. If Elektron installed a 72in screen on the analog rytm the parameters that need to be displayed per page would be exactly the same just really really large.
If you look at Overbridge for example, the GUI just shows you more stuff at a time but you can only turn one knob at a time with your mouse (unless your doing automation via a DAW). So it’s not really much of an improvement from an editing point of view.
OK, thanks for your opinion. Sounds like the workflow on the device is good after all. Although I wish it had more controls and a larger display. But that’s a compromise I’ll have to make.
The “pixelated” resolution thing doesn’t make sense, a larger display shows the parameters in a higher resolution, unless it is incredibly poorly programmed. As already mentioned, the presence of more controls also leads to better readability and operation. But if it’s solved reasonably well without it, then I’m willing to compromise.
What I’ve also thought about is a fourth small screen that stands directly behind the analog rytm, and the software editor always runs on it. this way, i see always the parameters
This member did something interesting to use an external screen with octatrack mk2.
As you’ll see, he’s done what you’re after and it may be something you can adapt to analog rytm. In reality though, unless the issue is the screen being too small because of a vision impairment, there will be no change in the user interface at any size big or small. You’ll be seeing the same thing and interacting with it in the same way.
OB is the only way you can expand the rytm, it’s pretty good layout although some things are on separate screens, the good thing is that is automatically switches screens when you change tracks.
you can take a look at the screenshot and see that most parameters are laid out pretty conveniently.
not that I’m aware of, you can only use single usb to single host, on mac though you could use an ipad in sidecar mode so you could have it on a separate screen. not sure if such thing exists on PC.
I like the screen on my mk2, after spending time with the rytm I know without looking which menu I need, the only thing I take a look at is parameters positions, for that the screen is perfect, at least on mk2.
the MK1 display leads to muscle memory, only slightly viewing the parameter value while operating the knobs but in that early learning curve it’ll give some neck pain and headaches…the MK2 basically solved that with higher contrast, bigger display and actually “graphics” which do help a lot by displaying all the necessary info in a split second and therefore I wish for more graphical representation of parameters and things like information about trigs…OS 1.70 introduced a bit of that (retrigs light up the arrows) for instance.
soon you’ll copy all pages into your memory and you’ll notice any changes by simply thinking about its sound path and this feels like hardware.
I wish Overbridge would automatically change from one page to another because it doesn’t when you switch from audio tracks to fx for instance…
it switches on my mk2, the only time it doesn’t switch from fx track to audio track is when you hit the pads, you’d need to either exit fx track or select the track with the TRK button
Some people have less good eye sight though, and the pixels might be blurry blobs However,
Personally I think Elektron displays are some of the best and I have absolutely no complaints.
Even the Waldorf Iridium with that huge a__ screen is much worse readable because of the weird font choices etc.
And also I agree, after a while one won’t look at anything and just hear
My eyesight is very bad. I don’t wear glasses because no-one makes glasses to fix the three or four interacting problems with my vision. I’ve sold several pieces of gear because (in large part) I found the screens too hard to work with (Model:Cycles, Prophet Rev2, MicroFreak, Polyend Medusa). I’ve not used Overbridge once in three years of Electron ownership.
Overall, I love the Rytm (and the Four). I find the workflow extremely fast, fluid and fun. For sound design and most sequencing tasks, they’re very, very fast to use. Almost as fast as a knob-per-function synth.
I lean in close to the screens on my Elektrons. I learn the knob layouts and key combinations I use regularly. The tricky tasks are configuration that you don’t do “in real time”: picking LFO targets, setting up macros, and navigating the sample browsers, because I actually need to read the screen whilst pressing or turning controls. Most of the time I don’t need to read the screen… just glance at it for a reminder.
Electrons are the minimum screen size / UI design I’m willing to use. Electron GUI design is pretty good: they balance clarity, readability and functionality very well, in my opinion. I wish they’d update the Octatrack UI to use the more recent “page based” graphic style, rather than the older “window style”. Most of the layouts and key combinations make sense, and translate from one Electron to another.
What decimal precision do you need visible between 0 and 1, between 0 and 127?
We are all limited cognitively when performing in how many things we can keep track at once.
There is no musical or necessarily programming benefit to visualizing these parameters in “higher resolution” since you will not be stopping the encoder at hyper-specific marks.
Hopefully that didn’t come off as negative! I get the desire and I do like larger screens, but there is a benefit in reduction sometimes in a well designed UI (I still can’t use 90s rack gear with just numbers and up/down buttons ) that lets you focus on playing the instrument over unnecessary degrees of precision.
I think it will make more sense with a small amount of adaptation. I have gear with larger display screens, but this gives me what I want, what I need, and it’s a good balance between menus, knobs, and visualization.
Newer Elektron form factors do have a slightly larger screen i believe, but the not-that-old Rytm mk2s are still entirely useable (even if I have no need to upgrade from my mki.)
No, it’s all good, but we either have a fundamentally different opinion about clarity, or we’re talking past each other. I would never in my life exchange my sub37 for a version that only has half as many controls because I would not consider that to be clearer or faster. But I would immediately buy an analog RYTM that has the same size and usability as my Sub37, even for a significant surcharge.
Maybe an analog rytm will come out with 2 buttons and 4 controls and a one-line display, that would be perfect for you - joke
Totally, coming from a Minimoog I’ve had for decades I did not gel with the Analog Four and its menus, but I’ll come around to using it as a drum machine eventually.
I’m also stepping back and picked up a SH-101 for that similar sort of ease of performability.
BUT the Rytm mki1 is still something I appreciate greatly for how, once I get going, I can intuitively control. The overhead is worth it in this case (for me.)
Definitely the Model Cycles, which is at least mostly 1 knob per function.
However,
) that lets you focus on playing the instrument over unnecessary degrees of precision.