Hey guys,
I just got my Rytm delivered at work, but have to wait until I get home before I can set it up. What features do you suggest I try out first? What was the first ‘wow’ moment with yours? What tips and tricks do you wish you’d known at the start?
My first wow moment was connecting the RYTM to a good set of monitors / headphones, switching to the Bass Tom, triggering it and turning down the pitch. How low can you goooooo!! 
I think that if I were to start over I would exhaust the internal synthesis; really get to know the machines before starting with the samples (however seductive it may be… which is exactly why I didn’t). Because with samples it’s just endless. Starting with the synth will provide you a good B-A-S-S to go further down the sample hole.
Yeah but as this is my first elektron box, the real wow has been the plocks. Mother of God.
This is not only my first Elektron hardware but my first bit of dedicated hardware ever! I’ve been using my iPad and its music apps up until now, so thought I’d dip my toes into the next level. Although, given how much the Rytm costs, I suppose it’s more like diving into the deep end! 
Oh then youll want to keep the manual handy. You will need it. Don’t get frustrated, though. Itll come.
Edit: and watch cuckoos videos. Great stuff.
Yep, I’ve been boning up on Cuckoo’s vids and the manual ever since I decided to buy the machine. A good thing, too - I’d be totally stuck without them!
Just got mine yesterday and completely new to synth/drum machines. It looks so intimidating, so I have been watching Cuckoo’s tutorials. So glad he can translate how to use it in a more understandable way. Still fearful of hitting something wrong and not knowing how to go back! Tonight will be my first opportunity to play.
I didn’t load in samples in mine for the first 2 months.
Thing about hardware is limitations provoke creativity.
As suggested above, maybe stay away from samples for a while, just noodle around on the thing, learn it well.
Save lots of kits, and projects, record everything you do.
After a few months in you will be approaching it in a totally different way, so dont waste time trying to lock in some “workflow” you think is good for you.
First thing I would get on top of once you know how to make basic sounds and patterns, is just messing with distortion and compression.
They play a big part in the sound and I’ve found you can mess with the dynamics in a very bad way if you don’t understand their parameter limits and the effect they have on each other.
It is quite easy to lose the edge of the drums env and end up with very flat sounding patterns if you don’t.
No point dialling in great transients and then pooping all over it by hitting the comp too hard, although I like dialling in some nasty almost distorting comp at about 20 to on the mix parameter.