I love the RYTM mk2, but I use it with samples 85% of the time because frankly I already have synths (snappy vintage monosynths and vintage and modern modular) that make way better analog drum sounds and do them faster. A model:samples came up as a local deal and I grabbed it and I’m shocked at just how much better than the flagship AR it is considering you could buy what, 5 model:samples for the price or an AR mk2?
It’s just so much FASTER than the AR to do everything - the dedicated knobs are so helpful and fast for tweaking, and they just feel better than the AR knobs too, more like pots than encoders. Control all is AMAZING for jamming - you can just totally twist your pattern and then instantly reload it on the downbeat. Being able to do massive turntable style pitch freaks while controlling the cutoff on every sound at the same time and radically shortening the sample length into choppy staccato bursts only to snap back to your groove is GREAT. You can’t do anything like this on the AR without spending a ton of time setting up performance macros and then running out of locks halfway through. It shouldn’t be so much easier, funner, and funkier on a $299 box (that I got for $250 in the box with screen protector still on) but here we are.
Having the 1-16 steps function as chromatic pitch while the pads act as triggers is brilliant - why can’t you do this on the AR instead of having them just be redundant triggers?
Having a dedicated reverse button instead of having to take the time to set the start and end points to reverse is such a quality of life improvement and again - makes work just faster. Fast fast fast at every step.
Gain and subtle overdrive dialed in by track volume sounds better than the AR’s gross, barky overdrive and feels more natural, like working on a mixer and driving channels harder.
Fill works better and is more useful like classic fill on old drum machines.
There are PLENTY of things I wish it did that the AR does - direct pattern jump occupying the exact top of that list, parameter slide a close second, more than six samples at a time (though you can do sound locks to alternate), mute/choke groups, proper ADSR, etc.
I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of my AR, but I sure wish this thing wasn’t SO much better than it at so much when it comes to actually making music and then jamming on the music you make! It really makes me wish that they’d head more in this direction for Mk3 flagship devices - many dedicated knobs, less reliance on screen, fast fast fast fun funky workflow.