How close is Syntakt to Cycles?

I’m just going by the manual and what I’ve seen in demos. You’ve actually had both of them in the same physical space. I’m sure they sound different, because there are plenty of other differences in the devices, but I haven’t seen any indication that the machines ported from the M:C were altered substantially.

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I take a very rough guess that Syntakt has three times the functionality for about three times the price. I imagine that idea flashed up on Elektron’s whiteboard when they conceived the ST.

Have no idea how elektron decided the price… But guessing if digitakt has only digital part technology and syntakt has hybrid, make sense it cost a bit more than digitakt to cover the analogic part.

It’s funny how people doesn’t read the messages posted before to understand the aim of the thread for just dropping the complaints about the price of the unit.

That upgrade path should come with a warning label, imo. The workflows are so different. Model is better imo. A flagship based on the Model OS/UX would be a dream to me.

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Is reading the content of threads before posting still relevant in 2022?

On a serious note though, I’m finding that the common machines on the ST and M:C do sound very different on everyday use.

Like, yeah, if you were to sit down and scientifically work through all the machines and their parameters, they’d probably sound the same. But in use within their respective boxes, they end up sounding very different.

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Sitting here with an M:C but without a Syntakt, listening to much posted music, the thing that stands out for me is the Chord machine. Would you say it is also very different, or less different than the others?

Not much use to you there, see I’m not really a great chord machine user.

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It’s funny, not relevant :wink:

As I’ve wrote at the beginning of thread, they’d not probably, they sound “timbrally” same, but “sonicly” different.

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I do not understand that. Timbre is sonic, isn’t it?

Ugh please no… i love the m:c for what it does for the price but on a €1200+ device I want kits, a mute mode that doesn’t require fn to be held, proper auto-save behavior and I could go on.

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I don’t know how is exactly the correct term in english. But I’ve found some definitions out there:

Sonics is all sound waves, energy, and resonance.

Timbre is the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from its pitch and intensity

So, I guess I’m wrong about sonics. But I’ve meant correct way about timbre. Actually I mean about sonics, while M:C sounds more metallic and harsher than Syntakt, Syntakt sounds more clear and clean.

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Oh, that’s what I meant, like Model with function-per-knob and easier sound locking but with added depth and power. So like, more menus and knobs. :wink:

I owned a Cycles for a hot minute and really liked it so I’m having fun with the Syntakt and playing with those machines again, though I wonder if the added benefits are worth 600 plus dollars. The analog machines are also pretty cool, even if I don’t personally find them THAT great.

I have a really controversial opinion, though. The chord machine on the Cycles sounded better. I don’t know what they changed, if much at all, but I got a lot more use of it on the Cycles despite less control.

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Do you think Syntakt was a kind of closing some subtopic (baby trinity) and experimenting with other (digital and analog voices in one machine)? If so, then we shall expect in 2 or 3 years a new big box from the Elektron.

What kind of the beast? I have no idea. But maybe some analog voices, along with digital. Extended FM from DN plus some other types as granular or inspired by MnM?

Most probably not total allrounder as clearly Elektron has distinction between melodic synths, drum machines, and the rest.

What do you think?

I’d agree that the Syntakt feels like an ending of a chapter in Elektron’s history - a sort of “Now That’s What I Call Parameter Lox Vol. 3”.

Here’s a handy reference for those few Gen Zeders trawling this forum: Now That's What I Call Music! discography - Wikipedia

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i have both, MC and ST.
i´ve not donne too much with the MC tough.
used it mostly to suply some kicks, and donne some funny experiments with it.

personally i feel, the ST gives me a “different” access to the sounds/models.
i have a better access with the ST !

also: locking the envelope on the filter page is an indispensible tool for me !
IIRC can the MC not do such. correct me if wrong.
MC lacks totally anyway in the envcelope department.
MCs are here to have for 250.- 2nd hand, now even less. i mean, thats completly something different anyway.

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In use, the Syntakt feels like a “Pro” version of the Cycles. Having amp envelopes for the machines and Overbridge outputs for every track is huge. These are just 2 examples. There are more.

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Mine are right beside each other. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Not joking though.
I’ve been trying some dumb things with them playing along side of each other; MC audio going into the ST, clock from ST. Not doing anything serious per se, but someone suggested trying all chord machines on both so I’m seeing what I can make out of the pair that isn’t a cacophony or ambient.
Might just settle on something ambient.

In the end I may be selling the MC as much as I’ve loved using it. The ST is covering almost everything I love about MC and more sans all the “knob per function.”

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Yeah the sum of its parts is great deal.

Totally agree with you. I’m starting to transcribe some of my Cycles tracks over to Syntakt. I can get the chord machines sounding close by matching the Syntakt’s parameters to those of the Cycles (where applicable) but it’s not quite the same. Syntakt sounds a little more ‘abrasive’. Cycles sounds more ‘liquified’. lol

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