From Elektron to Modular back to Elektron

I was fully invested into the Elektron ecosystem two years ago (ARMKII,AKMKII,AHMKII,DK,DT) and sold everything to get into modular. After much thought, I decided to get a DT and a regular DN again.

I love my modular, but some things are just a lot easier with a dedicated drum machine. And sequencers in the modular world are hit or miss. Sometimes they are really performative and fun to use but limited, or they’re overwhelming and complex.

The DT is just the perfect sweet spot for me in terms of sequencers, so I might try to combine the two worlds together at one point, probably get an Expert Sleepers FH-2 plus expanders.

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DT+euro is a great combo.

I preferably like Octa euro combo as you can send audio directly in and out of Octa to euro… add a small midi to cv module and you have a whole canvas of exploration…

Euro sure can be overwhelming and frustrating.I’m starting to trace to getting rid of complicated euro sequencers (Nerdseq) and using a myriad of modules to creates complex sequences instead. . I’m looking a lot at Befaco modules (rampage, muxlicer, burst, joystick, percall etc.) as they are cheapish and pack a lot of function…

Morphagene has really restored my joy one euro, as I’ve been close to selling it all for the last 4 months…

This is the perfect video to watch when you find yourself romanticizing the idea of getting into modular. It seems like a serious pain in the ass to perform with. Everything cool about this was coming out of the Digitakt to begin with, the Analog Heat would essentially add any additional character needed compared to all the Eurorack stuff.

Anyone craving the euro experience can use VCVRack for free.

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I too like the modular + Elektron combo: I write into the Elektron (OT) a skeleton of a composition and put together a patch and hit play. If it doesnt work out soundwise, repatch. It’s essentially an infitinite amount of remixes.

Has anyone used both an OT and DT with modular and prefer the DT? Why?

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I prefer OT just because my little modular output is stereo.
I use A4 (and Keystep) for sequencing and extra modulations, tough.

Half of my modular was sold because as fun as it was, I was having way more interesting, immediate and reproductible sound out of my Elektron gear.

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I can totally understand all that.

For me, the reproducibility is actually a disadvantage because I waste time on saved sounds and then get bored with them and can’t stand them anymore. Immediate…I’m not sure if it’s the size of my rig (102 HP) but I can get to where I (think) I want to go. But then again, sometimes on the way, I can find somewhere I hadn’t intended to go and it opens everything up again (and as I have the composition written I can press play then and there).

And interesting, maybe I haven’t explored my Elektron’s enough, but an entangled DPO and Beads and other modules is like nothing I’ve ever gotten close to getting with any other snyth.

But as that comes down to taste and how people work, so do all the other aspects, and whatever works best for you works best for you.

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Well, they were trying to make a track in ten minutes! Not their normal thing. I’ve seen them live and they were using Octatrack and a TR-909 along with their euro racks.

This !
I went recently in modular, bouhgt a lot to rapidely reach a critical size to have a relatively wide sound ability.
I kept my favorite combo OT/AR for efficient techno.
But surely, DPO and granular sampler (i have Clouds, i dream of Morphagene or Arbhar) permit things that i wouldn’t been easely able to obtain with Elektrons (my favorite gear, must say).
So, i won’t let the modular because i discover things and way of proceeding that suit my brain and way to produce music. But surely, the combo Elektron/modular is marvelous (OT/A4/AR)

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I wonder who here finishes their tracks with live modular still running. Personally, I always end up sampling back into my DT or black box and continue my compositions in a more focused/ controlled manner.

After a couple years I realize I’m just a drum machine kinda guy. Modular is fun but for me those moments are so fleeting and I’m always more satisfied with my groove box output.

Yes. Totally agree on all that.

The Analog (I have an AR too) and modular is also a wicked combo: trig probability and direct jump and pattern bpm is just… :exploding_head:

I’d loooove to add a Befaco CV Thing to bring the OT and/or AR into the dance.

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I was putting off getting a midi to cv module for a while because the nice ones are quite expensive. But last week I found out that some of the less popular / simpler midi modules go super cheap second hand. I got a Pittsburgh Midi3 for €70 - just for getting clock from the OTs already great, and then you get some free CV, pitch, gate, cc lanes extra! So maybe have a look at some older second hand modules that are fine enough for a one-voice modular + clock!

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I basically just made a new thread for this question! Curious about this too.

Curious to hear a bit more from how you incorporate the modular into your Elektrons boxes? Often just one good loop? Or multiple? Do you make recordings of multiple variations or track chapters, or do you change things up by mangling the one loop? Etc etc

Yeah I have an Erica MIDI-CV already. The CV Thing is essentially a MIDI out: cv inputs for which you can program what they send to a MIDI Out.

While a MIDI to CV is essential in the setups were discussing, they are still somewhat distinct from the modular…no entanglement. With a CV to MIDI you can bring them in to the mix too.

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Ah okay sorry, got it now!

And good point / there’s some some of the nice esoteric / fluid stuff that modular is so good at that would be great to get back into my Eektrons!

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Yeah like logic gates and complex modulation to ccs…yum.

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My small modular rig exists just to look amazing and interesting. It serves no other purpose. It’s like a nice vase.

Sometimes I move a patch cable.

For sure I agree, I’m not trying to denigrate their efforts, my comment probably came off that way. But for me it really sucks the magic out of the idea that some people may have about modular doing something for them. I know it does for me. Glad they’re doing what they’re doing though, it just looks very awkward to me from an inspiration observation.

Sorry to revive this but I had this same experience. I keep discovering more and more that nothing makes as much sense as elektron boxes in a dawless setup. You would need a shitload of eurorack to get even close to what most can do. The sequencing/external midi sequencing, usb audio interface, effects, analog effects, sampling control, multiple tracks per box, internal routing. Per step p locking seems more intuitive to me than even a daw. You can’t get more powerful than an internal sequencer in an analog simultaneous multi track synth with p locking abilities, and that’s not even getting into what the rytm mk2 can do with samples + analog compression, filters, & saturation. Especially when the new iterations have cv control.

It really is the best workflow you can get, daw or otherwise

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