Sorry to start this thread, might be a bit of a naive question, but I was wondering if anyone knows whether the Feature Request threads actually get considered for future updates, or if it’s mostly just wishful thinking from the community. I’ve only been around the last few years, so I’m curious if any veterans have seen their requests actually make it into updates.
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Yes. As recently as with Digitone II. But it really depends on the feasibility of the feature request from a practical point of view, developer considerations, how much it is echoed by others as a good idea, and how well it is written and [cohesively] explained.
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Remember to email feature-request@elektron.se too.
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Thanks for the replies. Is there any official communication mechanism from Elektron? Like a list of feature voted that has been picked up and officially communicated as future implementation? (before the actual release)
If you mean something like community driven polling for future roadmaps, no. There isn’t really regular communication but sometimes a developer will chime in here or there. And there isn’t much official insight into the development process either but from what is loosely described in interviews they seem to work on one thing at a time, and when finishing that move on to the next. It has never been explained how/if the teams are sub-structured (if Overbridge has a different dedicated team, if each device has its own dedicated team). It seems everyone works on everything.
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I see. Thanks!
On very rare occasions this has happened with bug-fixes. I personally have never seen it with feature requests.
It’s hard to tell. There was a recent interview with an Elektron employee, where he commented that they started on Song Mode for the digi line because of requests, but I don’t remember him distinguishing between email requests, comments on the forum, or direct conversations with users/synthfluencers.
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As others have pointed out, it sometimes happens with bugfixes or very minor QoL fixes. Generally, I can totally see how this is a can of worms anyone involved with software development would want to avoid opening.
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Still waiting for Digitone Keys Midi Arp lol. Learnt my lesson on that one - read the manual before purchase! Dont assume because its also a MIDI Keyboard……
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Good question.
This is one of the things I truly DON’T understand about the synth industry.
Companies have their pretty much / fully official forums / discords / reddits, with clear organized structure / tagging. Usually, there is a prominent pretty much straight to the point feature request thread / category.
Yet, there are “promoters” of the idea, that the companies for whatever reason don’t pay attention to those topics and if we want to bring something to their attention, we should use some other obfuscated direct communication channel.
Sure, I understand how the direct communication channel makes sense in many ways. But why would product managers CHOOSE to ignore the publicly discussed feature requests while at the same time pay attention to the direct communication channel, that doesn’t make sense to me.
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Because there are frequent dumb requests, also rants against elektron mainly for the consumption of other elektronauts and not elektron themselves.
If I was an elektron employee given the choice of
- a stream of feature request emails that I can easily categorise or discard
- trying to follow a chain of thought in a forum and filter out the noise, summarise and extract the meat of the matter and actually turn it into a request.
I know which I’d prefer.
EDIT: Thinking about it, in ‘dumb’ I’m including
- things that will never get done because it requires a hardware update (e.g. cross-fader for DT2, or more input channels)
- things that are poorly explained (ambiguous or missing info)
- things that are SO tied in to a single users workflow that they would be the only person using it.
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Yes, although the fact that someone uses email doesn’t guarantee a sane person with good enough technical understanding to warrant a meaningful request.
Also keep in mind that there is going to be a lot of repeated requests (more than on the forum), multiple requests mixed in single email, single request clarified in follow up emails etc.
No matter if the suggestion is in email or on the forum, it will have to be somehow processed and transcribed into internal requirement documentation at some point anyway.
But hey, it comes down to the actual person / organization dealing with it. If the company agrees that “this is the way” then that’s how it’s done, that’s understandable.
I bet it’s more about some internal workflow / ticketing system then about anything else really. No one is getting assigned to transcribe the requests from forums into internal systems.
I personally would find it hard to resists checking out the public discussion once in a month to see what ideas are out there.
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In my reflection, I was thinking more of straightforward single features tho. Like for example now we all have seen neat little feature like the crossfade for infinite loops in the Tonverk. I also own a Torso S4 and it also has it. Besides the fact that it should have been there from the get go in the DTII so you can avoid going into the DAW for infinite loops for pads and whatnot, shouldn’t such a straightforward request, if requested by a lot of user, be taken into account and pushed in front of the pipeline in future update? Maybe is just the how the request is shared with Elektron that is flawed. Email and threads are a pretty messy way, maybe there is a need for a more controlled approach like them sharing a curated list and the people just voting, I don’t know… anyway as an alternative I’d gladly accept some transparency around whether new features that shows up in a new machine will find their way into older ones sooner or later.
I think the threads are good for sharing ideas and see how other people think about it, but if you really want to do a feature request, I guess sending an email or using the contact page on the Elektron website is the best option.
https://www.elektron.se/contact-us
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Let an AI collect every suggestion
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I think the fact that feature request threads also act as a sanity check and a place of idea sharing makes them worthwhile. A lot of more experienced users will offer advice on how to work around limitations or provide a method for accomplishing what we had set out to do and were making into a request.
Of course at the end of the day the reason we’re making a request is because we want a simple straightforward implementation of that request, so the actual feature part of feature requests is what I think is important. i.e. a dedicated way to do something rather than just a method of accomplishing it.
I believe that they do reference the feature request threads but maybe not in the way that is most effective or perhaps efficient is a better way to say it, and of course this is a whole separate issue from things like bugs, hardware faults or poor implementation.
It’s hard to imagine adding features on top of bugs and having it work out well and I think that at this point, the current generation devices still seem to be struggling a bit in that regard and so it may take time before adding features on top of the current level of these platforms is viable.
Just my thoughts on it though, not to say that that means anything.
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I guess I would just appreciate some transaprency on some more practical features that already exists on several machines.
For example when Syntakt got new machines, that was a nice surprise of course. I consider those “complex” features, as opposed to “less complex” features, that in my view and ignorance of how hard features implementation may be) are easier to implement. I personally I wasn’t expecting the Chip machine and the Cy Lab, at that point in time I had already loved the machines as it was. But when I see that DTII and DNII are able to switch pattern in 1 seconds by pressing just 2 fingers, instead of shuffling between 12 tracks copy-pasting the hell out of them, then I ask my self what’s going on. Is it a matter of a feature that is difficult to implement? There is a specific pipeline? There is a similar feature that is competing with to be released? I guess I would just appreciate a specific page of the Elektron site where you can vote practical features like that and having updates on them influencing their pipeline somehow. Of course I enjoy reading requests from other and posting them myself as any other Elektronaut around here, but I am also a visual designer and work with UX and digital services so I can’t help thinking there could be better way to address the features.
My guess is that it relates to this community often veering towards entitlement when it comes firmware updates (particularly in regard to features) and that’s typically without any promises being made by elektron. There was a recent interview with an elektron employee about how they felt the pressure to implement song mode.
If they were to allow people to vote on features, they’d be under still more pressure. Added to which they’d have to decide between
- allowing users to submit features
- Adding features themselves
Both of those would add to the workload for a small company, and the latter would also lead even more to thinking they’d been made a promise of some sort.
Tl;dr - putting myself in elektron’s shoes I can completely understand the status quo.
EDIT: Ooops just realised I pretty much repeated myself from a week ago
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I’ll tell ya if/when Digis ever get track solo.lol
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Even smaller companys like Oxi make more frequent and clear feature request /wip statements. I think it comes down to company culture, and maybe at a certain point the focus shifts. I belive a company thrives with good reputation.
I personally advocate to put the customer first. I know that communication is difficult and a mine field - i worked in an area where we had to explain outages that lasted seconds, or latency increases with penality payments, when the outage was too long. It is a constant battle with an industry that can afford lawyers or have lawyers in their companys anyway.
From my expierience - beeing honest and transparent, works often favourably for both sides. Yes - it can go wrong, and Native Instruments made in the past announcements, that never went in any direction - so its surly difficult to handle - if some person has to announce something, which isnt backed up from development. I still would like to see maybe a questionary form, send out to all of Toneverks buyers - and ask them with a list, what they rate important. Or with potential buyers, what would make them buy this product.
I dont see this in a negtive way, i overall a very good expierience with my Elektrons, they are reliable piece of kit. There is always room for improvent.
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