Firmware + overlay = new machine?!

Elektron Gear Model:Samples
#1

I was just looking at overlays for M:S (make it prettier) and it occurred to me that if Elektron made a new firmware (e.g. drum synth) and a new physical overlay for the front panel then you basically have a whole new groovebox.

Is this madness? Is there a reason that this isn’t practical? If they’re already manufacturing the boxes then wouldn’t this offer a new lease of life, get more customers and give existing users a cheap upgrade to a “new” piece of gear? If Elektron released the “drum synth” firmware for M:S for $99 or $149 then I reckon they’d get a few buyers.

I await ridicule and obvious plot holes in my plan.

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#2

This idea didn’t work too well for Roland but it would be interesting to see other companies do it. I think recent the deluge was upgraded and they offer a overlay to denote new functions and stuff.

#3

Been wondering when a new model: is going to hit the circuit… When the M:S came, I thought there would be new ones coming quite rapidly. But i’d be surprised if Elektron offered to sell firmware options. They have been quite hardcore on the whole “no one box offers everything that another box offers” routine to not make gear redundant.

I would love the option to buy different firmwares/overlays for my elektrons tho! My Digitakt could become a hm… drum computer? Synthesis and whatnot. Maybe they could come up with a new, but as beautiful and deep as the old one, firmware for the OT… I got the Sonic Potions LXR which has a bunch of user built firmwares that take that thing into the next level. Would be ubercool to have a community building alternative firmwares for elektrons as well. Personally I have no idea wether this would be feasible…

#4

As I understand it Korg have made it possible to develop custom digital oscillators and FX for their recent hybrid synths like Minilogue XD and Prologue. It’s a similar concept on a much smaller scale I suppose. I appreciate that Korg are a much bigger company with many more resources to throw at R+D but they’re really doing some very interesting stuff and the community is responding well. All the reviewers are raving about the idea of open-source development as a way to expand the features of these synths.

As an aside - IMO the recently-reduced price for the M:S has hit a sweet spot for casual hobbyists like me. £250 is a much more realistic proposition than £500-600 for Digi boxes or £1000+ for premium boxes. If they released a new synth at the same price point I’d be the first in line and I’ve already emailed them to tell them so!

#5

I think it has really chip CPU and can’t do any thing except sample playback.
For example DT work on maximum CPU usage and DN has up to 2x of DT CPU performance.

#6

Of course that may be the case but Korg managed to pack a lot of DSP inside the Volca drum for a low price. Anyway it was just an idea that popped into my head. There’s probably more commercial reasons why it wouldn’t work rather than practical.

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#7

Well, every manufacturer of digital boxes could do that. So we might think about why it doesn’t happen regularly…

It might be because the hardware design, the buttons, display, and all, in such a box is made to fit exactly the designed purpose.

I dont know much about a digital synth’s internals - it might be that everything really just works in software, so these things are just computers with a firmware and some controller knobs. But digital doesnt necessarily mean “all software” - it might also be that there are some functionality-specific digital chips inside. Special kind of digital Signal processors, where one is needed for a sampler, but a completely different one for a digital drum synth. At least a sampler needs more memory chips, whereas a drum synth probably needs more processing power. Take a screwdriver and get a digitakt and digitone and see what’s inside :wink:

These are already nearly the same cases. But are they the same inside, too?

If it’s feasible, elektron would have done that with these devices - developing hardware is expensive and brings a lot of risk for failure, and if they could sell the same hardware twice with just different software, they would likely do it. And than they could also offer this “firmware crossgrade” especially for these two.
Maybe a bunch of people willing to just spend 200€ to sometimes be able to convert their digitakt to a digitone or vice versa.

Then I wonder, how far this idea is from “some kind of small computer plus a good multi-purpose controller or two”.
Wouldn’t this be nearly the same as having a iPad or Mod Duo X or an organelle plus a controller with some knobs and faders - eg AKA MPD232 or something similar?
I’d actually prefer one of the latter then - Open Source, so I can change whatever I want to my needs, while I pay for the polished package that works well immediately without setup and configuration fiddling.

But I also like to have specific-ability hardware boxes for immediate access to the sounds and workflow i like most, without any firmware exchange process, or touching a computer. I think that’s what I have hardware synths/samplers for. (not a purist, for other purposes/moods/parts of the process I have and love Bitwig)

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A4 teardown (and infrared pics)
#8

Here some links to the internals of elektron devices:

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#9

Considering Elektron has trademarks filed for other things in the Model:______ category, I think the existing 16 encoder interface with so many buttons, and digital control will probably be adapted for other products.
Perhaps more so than Volcas or Boutiques, which are a bit more customized on top (and some have to adhere to historic layouts of rehashed instruments).

So yea, I see it as doable, but not probable.
I see Elektron as a company with investors that would rather sell you an additional box instead of sell you the tools to turn your current box into something else. This isn’t a criticism, just a reality. And at these prices, I’m more than fine with that.
In fact, the economies of scale with these enclosures and buttons and knobs being used for more than one product almost guarantees it to be true.

Caveats with overlays : they don’t last as long as screen printed faceplates.
My old UC-33 overlays lasted one tour.
I put an Oversynth overlay on my M:S and used a fair bit more double sided tape than it came with just to get it to sit more nicely for my preferences. I had to reseat it after a couple days as it was holding my 16th step key down. We’ll see how long it lasts.

I’m real curious about what the next box will be. I hope it brings a new flavor of Elektron’s Virtual Analog engine. The newer filters and overdrive are noticeably different than the MM/MD days.
I could almost imagine a 3 or 4 track box in an old roland style where the parts are more defined. Track 1 bass synth, Track 2 lead synth, Track 3 pads and atmospheres, Track 4 special fx.
With only 14 encoders per synth track, having those “machines” predefined would help push the capabilities, and certainly appeal to those at this lower price point.

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#10

Thanks for all the input. It’s clear that most of you know more about electronics than I do but then that’s a very low bar! I guess the inner workings of these boxes is more complex than I thought which is probably obvious in hindsight.

I think 2020 might bring more groovebox-like machines. They seem to be having a resurgence and companies like Korg have proved what they can do in a small and cheap package. Perhaps we’ll finally get a worthy Electribe EMX (the old one) successor or something like an upgraded Novation Circuit.

Anyway fingers crossed for that new model:something, whatever it is. I’m sure Elektron will do something fun and interesting.