Heat knobs

Elektron Gear Analog Heat
#1

I’m lurking around youtube and other fora, interested in the Heat but holding back as it is a big chunk of money, though I love the idea of having a blackbox to add warmth, harmonics and ‘organicness’ to the very wide variety of thinner digital signals I have at my disposal. Plus using a vst distortion plugin doesn’t bring your signal into the same circuitry to give it body - even if that might just be a psychological argument rather than a scientific one about the actual superior harmonic integrity of a hardware analog distorted tone.

One thing that is bugging me and seems a bit of an odd design choice is that there is a giant dial knob for basically selecting which one of the eight circuit models you want to use. Surely that should be a small one of these:

The BIG knobs should instead be mix, filters and EQ? i know we are used to the standard elektron size knobs on other machines that can control anything with massive change for tiny twists, but if you are going to put a big knob on something make it matter!

heat2.jpg1024×845 294 KB

Any actual Heat owners feeling the big knob is the wrong knob to get the bigness? Low/High/Freq/Res should be the big ones surely.

(the whole point of this post is to neutralise my GAS for Heat for a few more days)

1 Like
#2

Personally, I like the big dial. It requires a more ‘neutral grip’. It’s hard to explain - you don’t have to grab it, so to speak.

#3

good to hear that - i can see it looks like a selector rather than a musical twiddler.

I’m used to using the standard size knobs on mnm (rubberized), A4, OT and RYTM so don’t have a big issue.
But, based solely on videos I’ve seen, the low/high/freq/res seem very sensitive & tiny twists make a big difference - a bit more diameter would have been very nice to be able to add more controlled modulation.

#4

I have never questioned the size of this or any knob. Perhaps I’m not questioning the right things in life! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

A knob is a knob. Which circuit you are using is arguably the most important aspect of what the heat is doing at any given moment… Thus it is the biggest, baddest knob.

No complaints from here!

3 Likes
#5

I guess this is answering my question - people are setting their Heat up and then not doing much adjustment after they find the sweetspot for their material.

I was trying to understand if actual usage encourages twiddling, or it is ‘set it as you like and then leave it alone’ i.e. low amounts of twiddling…

#6

No, I twiddle it continuously. I just happen to like it the way it is!

#7

Does the audio break as you move from circuit to circuit?

#8

Possibly but not enough to notice

#9

I have changed Freq and Res-Knobs for Allen&Heath-Style knobs from my Critter Pocket-Piano.
The Filter feels - and sounds - better instantly!
:wink:

1 Like
#10

There is a noticeable something between big knob settings, but I counter this with filter sweeps between adjustments and have already gotten away with it live.

I also am not just setting it and forgetting it. There’s plenty of twiddle-ability within one circuit to make some crazy changes.

#11

Maybe obvious to all who have used the Heat, but not so much for others - The circuit selector is a detent encoder with very distinct modes; it does requires the bigger knob to gain enough torque.

#12

I’ll agree that the knobs are oddly sized and spaced for my fingers. The big knob is appropriately sized for the amount of force required to move it. It would’ve been cool (but probably difficult and/or too sensitive) to make it continuously variable -kinda like a Moog wave knob. You could really dial in the mode.

As far as “set it and forget it”- hell no. I’m constantly twiddling and fiddling. I have it CC’ed and CV’ed to the OT and AK sequencers respectively. It’s a powerful little box that is soooooo much more than an FX unit.

#13

haha ha :joy:
mokomo i love your custom heat!

#14

It’s my inner French Disco House DJ trying to get out :grin:

#15

fwiw I find the pots on the heat to have more resistance than the standard elektron endless encoder. This makes it easier to make fine adjustments. It’s not always about circumference, the knob resistance is also important.