I’m surprised with all this dissent. LOVE the ryttm. My favorite. Love the a4 too but the rytm more. I have no problek with mono samples, i tend to shy away from too much stereo. Rytm’s internal sounds are exactly what i like. And the guitar or synth or glitchy drum loops i bring in to the rytm sound awesome. And the individual outs and performance etc. A more complete frum machine/groovebox does not exist imo.
I want the rytm with DSI tempest sound engines, pads, and sequencer resolution and 12 voices. Then I would probably never part with it.
OP here. I actually preordered an AR2 a few months ago. I bought a Digitakt, but the unit bricked itself and was unusable, so it was returned. I thought the DT sounded great though when it was working.
Love the Rytm! Was my first Elektron box and got me started into their world. I’d honestly never been into hardware based sequencers prior. I brushed them off, never really understood it and would always sequence in the DAW. I had planned for more or less the same, but Rytm completely changed me and opened my eyes. I love sequencing with Elektron boxes! I’ll come up with something, then record the output and move on. I don’t play live and likely never will, so the performance aspect hasn’t really influenced or rubbed off on me.
I now have 4 Elektron units: Rytm, Digitakt, MachineDrum UW+ and just aquired a Heat this weekend. I can’t see parting with any of them in the foreseeable future. They each have a flavor and purpose in my world, but I think I work on tracks differently than a lot of people.
I’ll be adding an Analog Four MKII in 2018 for sure.
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What I really like about the rytm is that it has what I describe as a more “mature” sound. While it can certainly get dark, glitchy, and weird; it also excels at more subtle, deep, refined sounds. I’ve also got a MD and MNM that I love, and it’s been my experience that they lead me to more glitchy sounds.
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I’m starting to doubt mine
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I doubt I’ll ever doubt mine… 
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Care to share? What other options are you considering?
Maby i’ve been a bit harsh just spend the last hour with it again and it delivers but it doesn’t get that underground mental tekno perc going but now that i think of it is prob my fault not the machine
But i love it let there be no mistake
Turn up the master dist, and utilize the band pass filter mode more on your sounds. Combined, it will go straight to the basement 
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It’s the one piece of kit I would grab on my way out of a burning building.
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I’m getting to a point where I might grab my OT MKII first, and the Rytm second.
Kinda weird, this new reality.
I have been using Rytm samples that I recorded, a lot, out of the OT MKII. I might like these sounds just as much in OT as I do when they’re coming right out of Rytm.
Maybe it’s just having more FX and LFO options for them.
But, I digress, as this isn’t “how happy are you with your OT”.
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Funny enough I’m about to pull the trigger on an OT MKII as well. I’ve been using just the Rytm to construct full tracks but there’s some things I’m missing. The OT is also replacing my KP3 as a master effects unit and looper.
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When using Rytm for an entire track, it becomes a certain kind of track.
It’s a bit more stripped down. Nothing wrong with that, and if you are aware of this boundary, it is easier to exploit it to creative advantage.
But yea, it is also nice to have an option with less boundaries.
Together they are unbeatable.
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Definitely the best “New Blood” preset
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Do you think the workflow issues would be as bad on the A4? I’m considering an A4 mkii to pair with my DT.
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love everything about the rytm except for getting samples into it or auditioning new samples. My brain keeps finding excuses to not do it since its such a shitty workflow. Once I do have great soudns loaded into it or programmed with the analog engines its the best machine ever. Really need this fucking transfer app asap
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@DimensionsTomorrow The Rytm and A4 are pretty different machines and of course everyone has a different definition of what a “good workflow” means to them. For me, a good workflow is one that is fast and fun. Some people consider the A4 to be fast and fun, but I am not one of those people. The trade-off is that the A4 can do things that are impossible on most analog synths that have more direct controls.
That’s my opinion of the A4 by itself. But since you already have a Digitakt, that will significantly improve the workflow of an A4 if you sequence the A4 via the Digitakt. You can get polyphony from the digitakt with a Retrokits RK002 cable so the A4+Digitakt team becomes quite strong in that scenario.
For me, hands-on controls like knobs and sliders are far better than encoders when it comes to a synthesizer. For a sampler, I like encoders just fine so I enjoy the Digitakt with its encoder-based interface whereas I find it unappealing to have encoders on the A4 because it’s a synth. Keep in mind that I’ve been producing electronic music for over 20 years now so I’m very clear on what I like because I’ve tried every way of doing things over the years. But I learned more from buying gear that wasn’t right for me than I ever would have learned by just getting everything right the first time, so I believe it’s good to make some mistakes.
When in doubt, just trust your gut. If you feel excited by the A4, go buy one and find out. If you feel significant doubt, then consider another option. Either the A4 will be a great fit for you or you can learn some things from it and move on until you find the right piece of gear. I’ve had a lot of fun over the years buying the wrong gear. It’s a big part of discovering your own personal style/workflow imo. It can be easy to get caught up in doing research on what to buy, but the fun comes from twisting knobs, jamming out, and creating something. Once you do that, all will become clear.
Anything that gets in the way of the fun goes out the window if I have anything to say about it. But my way is not the way for everyone, just what I’ve found to work for me. You’ll have to find what works for you, and that’s part of the artist’s journey which we all must travel as best we can.
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