yea, but it was not only the trackpads, also the other ones… coming from the clicky buttons I really really missed them. They make it so quick to move arround. On the m:c I had the feeling of being really really slow. Encodes were also just meh…
But what will I expect for 300 bucks… for what it does its a great machine…
They’re not perfect but you can get used to them. While the encoders are not as good as Machinedrum (which are in turn not even as good as practically any average synth) I prefer them to the Digi series which feel quite laggy.
oddly, I’ve had this feeling that they’re soon to be discontinued. they’ve been pushing it hard in their social media for weeks now. which is weird since the Syntakt is still pretty damn new and nothing about the M:C has changed…
I hated…HATED the concept of the Model Cycles when it was unveiled. A year or two of swearing not to get ANY models, I was a little inebriated one night and figured it might be cool to experiment with- maybe some MaxMsp projects.
To my surprise, the machine is super fun. I do prefer deeper sound control. But its so easy to get right to exploring the environment.
I want to like the Syntakt, because I love the digi form factor, but there’s just not enough to entice me to for such a steep upgrade from the MC.
If a snobby curmudgeon like me can dig it, you’ll probably be well satisfied with it
The thought that you can just buy any Elektron box by pressing the buy button on a Model Cycles was definitely more amusing. 
Dieter says delete.
Its not good. But it was just a speed bump for me personally, not a deal breaker
Sequencer buttons are totally fine. The track pads are a real pickle though
Just so nobody reads this and is misinformed: you can program trigless locks (or „lock trigs“) on the M:C. It works exactly like it does on the Digis by pressing function + step button 
The M:C is good, but I prefer the M:S.
There is some limitation on the M:S and things which are really well thinked on it.
I have all other Elektron box, but the M:S it’s not just a cut down digitakt, it’s a bit more !
SonI understand people liking the M:C, but si don’t feel the same using it.
Build quality feels great to me. Everything is pretty solid (considering the plastic enclosure) and the shorter, non-push encoders actually feel a lot more sturdy than the higher tier machines. So much so that I transport mine in a laptop bag without one of the official plastic lids—I wouldn’t dare do that with any of my other Elektrons.
Sure, the rubber buttons are a pretty big step down from the usual mechanical keys, and the pads are almost unusably stiff, but they’re not bad if you fix the velocity to 127. I also feel like the buttons, much like the encoders, are built more with portability in mind, and can withstand being thrown in a bag without any further protection.
It’s not the build quality it’s just not that ergonomic. EXCEPT for the data knob. I LOVE that thing.
It is definitely not going to break. It’s just that the track pads aren’t usable for live drumming (I fixed velocity to 127 early on) and the encoders are a little stiff also. The screen is really small, and there are all the limitations like one LFO per track, no control over attack, and no filter.
I bought mine early in my synth ramp-up, was a bit disappointed at the feel and restricted sound palette, bought a DIgitakt and a whole bunch more after that, and set the M:C aside. Now I am going to try to use it on a commute (out of Toronto!), in a situation where I am away from a lot of that stuff. I dug it out, played with it for a bit. With what I know now, it was fine for what it attempts, and better through Heat (which won’t be on the commute, but will be at home). I did get a Decksaver for it, though (used, at a good price).
Your challenge will be to not miss the things that Syntakt has that M:C doesn’t. There are a bunch of people here that went M:C->Syntakt, not so many in the other direction. Please report back, I think it will be helpful to others.
Can you fix the pad velocity for all projects by default? I’ve been doing it in every project.
The delete button is super interesing.
AFAIK, no, but as a workaround, you could make an empty pattern with the fixed pad velocity and then copy it every time you need a new pattern
EDIT: I am wrong, see Roger’s reply
Pretty sure it’s a global setting within the project. So every time I start a project I just go to the Pad menu to set things up.
I like the syntakt but the model cycles Is the best form factor ever. It just FEELS good. Feels great to hold, to program, to twist those rubbery little knobs, to tap out beats on those extremely nice soft tactile pads (which feel much better than a Launchpad/norns/rytm’s pads. More like the nice gel-like old electribe buttons), & the step buttons are the same material. I prefer that to the clicky buttons and they’re obviously much quieter
It also kind of feels like the clicky thudding sound coming out of it is part of the whole physical design. It has a weirdly tactile element that makes the sound feel more organic or something, at least my brain makes that connection.
It’s also the only knob-per-function Elektron. Which, for a machine that powerful, in a box that portable and easy to use, is something to be valued and admired. People started to recognize the utility in them a lot more recently and they’ve become more ubiquitous in the last year or so, but I still feel like they are underrated
When you realize the pads are just track select and mute buttons, the cycles is easy to love.
It’s hilarious because I have it right next to my tempest, which has the best pads of any instrument I’ve ever used, better than MPC, better than rytm, etc.
Dieter says delete.
I’m a big fan of knob per function. The stuff I like from Moog and Eventide (mostly) takes that philosophy.