Hi Guys!
I am not sure this is allowed here… but I believe my video may be valuable for people who are on the fence with buying Elektron Syntakt or choosing the right gear.
I had been looking for the perfect groovebox for over a year. My last choice was the right one. From the very beginning I was convinced that Elektron’s workflow was not for me. As I was new to this world, it came out I was wrong. It took me three other boxes to realise that.
I recorded my story and posted on YT. I hope you find it interesting.
Sure thing - Yamaha SEQTRAK, Roland MC-707 and Akai MPC+.
Here is a summary of my subjective Pros and Cons for each device from the video:
Yamaha SEQTRAK
Pros
Most affordable of the four
Compact & battery-powered
Yamaha sounds & FM pianos
Cons
No screen for visual feedback
Unintuitive companion app
Plasticky, noisy buttons
Inconsistent button response
Roland MC-707
Pros
Powerful clip-based workflow
Dedicated track faders & knobs
Separate performance pads & sequencer
Large library of iconic Roland sounds
Cons
Presets didn’t match my taste
Effects felt too subtle
Cumbersome sound design
Slow path from idea to groove
Akai MPC One+
Pros
Excellent finger-drumming pads
Hands-on controls & touchscreen
Inspiring factory sample library
Huge creative toolkit for the money
Cons
Too much screen navigation
Frequent Q-Link bank switching
Effects overload
Complexity interrupted my flow
Elektron Syntakt
Pros
Fast, immediate workflow
Tactile controls & smooth encoders
Creative parameter locks
Constraints helped me focus
Cons
Higher price
No piano roll
Shared keys for notes & sequencing
Most limited feature set of the four
Generally speaking, it comes all down to the fact that the Elektron’s workflow fits the way my brain works and how I like to create music. I needed to get through all of the other boxes to learn that.
After Syntakt I got Tonverk and I am considering Octatrack. Amazing machines.
You can easily add a MIDI keyboard for note input.
Given what you’ve said: The next box to try would be a second-hand Digitone I to complement it. It adds polyphony and an even more focused workflow.
I’ll never cease to be surprised by what people manage to get out of of the DN1 and the only explanation I have is the way it focuses your mind and and pulls you in.
Together with a Syntakt it could do great things.
(Yes, Digitone II is more powerful and has a wider sound palette, but there’s many places where it strays into the “too many choices” realm)
I’ll defend MPCs to the death but also yeah, I get it.
Syntakt is my second-favorite groovebox right behind MPC, and my favorite Elektron of the ones I’ve owned (Analog 4, Macinedrum, Digitakt). Kind of the best of all worlds. It really feels like a cohesive instrument with juuuust enough possibilities while not having so many I get overwhelmed with choices.
I get it when it comes to MPC. I would love to love it. Seriously. Especially with tons of amazing plugins, MPE pads in Live III, speakers, mic… you can build the whole song in it straight from your coach. It is a great value for money too.
I like the fact they added the ability to launch samples. The bank is small - only 32x32 but it is a great add-on. I thought about Analog 4 but it looks like a complicated machine.
