WARNING: This may have been posted elsewhere so if it is just point me there and I’ll read those responses.
I’ve got an OT and an A4 and am considering pulling trigger on an AR.
I’ve seen a few people recommend just using the OT and sampling various percussive sounds from the A4 to get analog drums, but I’m sort of wondering if that would be as expressive and useful as the Rytm itself.
Bottom line: is it worth $1499 on top of the units I already have?
So owners of the Dark Trilogy or the OT & AR . . . could you live without it?
I bought the AR because I specifically wanted a quality dedicated drum machine. I’ve got it permanently wired up to my main setup, ready to go. Does everything I want with regards to drum programming in spades (except for those percussion heavy moments when I want 3 or 4 machines going at once). There’s the option to run your own samples through it. Also, its easy enough to use that I can focus on the drums themselves rather than focusing on how to use something that’s not a drum machine as a drum machine. ….
OT isn’t permanently wired up, much prefer to use it standalone. That thing is amazing - could use it my only HW box if it came down to it, but I like my toys. Suppose it could do individual drums, but I’d much prefer to use a dedicated drum machine.
Those two units combined are worth more than my car. The AR was a luxury buy, but I still think it was totally worth it.
This is very true and will be the reason I buy a Rytm.
I’m in the same position being an Octatrack and A4 owner.
Just sold my MD UW MK1 yesterday, but need to save more cash for Rytm.
Demoed the Rytm yesterday and would have to say I thought the interface was very logical and layering samples on the analog voices was good fun in the 10 minutes I spent in the shop.
I felt like I should elaborate just a little.
I got the A4 after the OT and AR.
I was really blown away with how good the A4 ended up sounding in person.
I was completely surprised what a wide range of snares and kicks were available. The A4 makes great drums, and in some ways I prefer them to the RYTM if going for pure analog drums.
I used to have a Tempest, and I’m still happy I made the move to the Trinity.
Thing is, I love having a dedicated drum box, and the AR is just so much fun to program, and play with.
The Scene mode and ability to load samples, and do all of that in creative ways is just out of sight.
So basically, if I like some drum sounds that much on the A4, I’ll just sample them and move it to the AR.
Also, I really like the minimal ease of putting the AR and A4 into the OT and using Thru Machines, and mashing it all up.
And I like how that simplifies the approach letting each box have a primary focus.
@ klerc In 2013 I bought all four available Elektron units and, although I loved them to pieces, the MnM and MD UW+ were sold as it was too much to juggle at once.
With Overbridge coming out, if I do buy a new unit I want the Rytm for OB so I can use it with Max/MSP and do some automation through the OT.
Strom looks pretty cool as well.
Thing is, I love having a dedicated drum box, and the AR is just so much fun to program, and play with.
The Scene mode and ability to load samples, and do all of that in creative ways is just out of sight.
So basically, if I like some drum sounds that much on the A4, I’ll just sample them and move it to the AR.
This is an excellent point.
Right now I use about two tracks on the OT to use slices as one hit percussive sounds, but it seems like the Rytm has a lot of cool functionality to affect the sounds realtime.
ARGH!
Thanks for the replies.
I’m still on the fence, but this is helping me.
It isn’t helping the balance of my checking account, though.
You’d have to pry my Rytm from my dead hands at this point. I’ve never much liked drum machines cause I don’t like standard repetitive patterns… too mechanical and predictable for me.
The Rytm oozes groove, and mood, sonic flexibility and organic feel. Between the micro-timing, individual track lengths, scene, mute and performance modes and of course P-locks and analog filters, distortion and compressor, the Rytm occupies a wide sonic landscape that nothing I’ve tried can match.
I also like Chromatic mode, which makes it easy to create percussive sounds that are also a bit melodic and of course some basses and leads. Have also been making lots of use of samples to create drones and fx sounds.
I find the Rytm easy to use and be creative with. I’ll start with say a kick and some hats to create a basic beat, then do some spontaneous stuff on top, then clear the kick and hats and go on from there. It’s a very fluid workflow with the Rytm.
Then 2 more things… wow can samples sound good through the analog signal path! and second, the low end through some good speakers will put a huge grin on your face.
This is more or less what I needed to hear.
My problem with the MD was that, although you could get variety out of it with P-Locks and various other types of parameter automation, it still had some of the trappings of a traditional drum machine and the patterns became loops and would get pretty stale after the dozenth or so go.
This sounds like I can make nuanced changes to the sound over time and give the patterns some evolution and that’s exactly what I need from a new machine; realtime feedback.
TO ME YES ! it worth it ! Then it’s probably a debate on Analog 4 depend of music style and what your are looking for… Sound Synthesis level etc…
I have all the machine and Keep OT + AR finally.
To me the A4 is very nice but she can’t beat the Low Spectrum of The AR for Drums purpose. (To me…)
You and I just made the same decision. Ordered the AR today.
I will say that in my long history of using various not-a-drum-machines as drum machines, using the Analog Keys that way is the best experience I’ve had. It can make a wide variety of good percussive sounds, and the ability to use sound locking enables you to get a lot of drum mileage out of just a single voice.
But still, there’s nothing like a rhythm machine that is meant to be a rhythm machine. Plus, since I have the Keys I wanted a more portable Elektron device I could take on trips.
And the biggest downside of using sound locking to do drums on the AK was that seeing which drum is sounding when becomes more difficult…which eventually made the Rytm’s backlit pads the compelling feature that sealed the deal for me.
Thanks again for the input everyone.
The AR is on its way; almost here!
I also very nearly bought a second OT as well and then another Monomachine.
I decided to just stick to the single OT, A4, and AR for now.
I love the MnM to death, but it wouldn’t get the attention it deserves.
After owning 5 Elektron boxes at one point or another you’d think I would’ve learned that 3 is enough.
I’ll just stick with the Dark Trinity.
I don’t always GAS out, but when I do my checking account weeps.
