In depth user power tutorial

Rabbitfrog · 2015-04-06T21:25:42.000Z

Actually the complete manual is free download on the Elektron site.

Analog Rytm MKII

Analog Rytm MKII is an analog/digital beat making dream machine. Everything – from the state of the art aluminium enclosure, via the large pads, to the new quick performance controls – is a direct result of the quest for rhythmical excellence. And...

That’s what I read before buying. And I think it’s the best thing.

Sorry, but what’s wrong with the pads?

Chief · 2015-04-06T21:36:18.000Z

TBH just general internet noise but it could have come from die hard mpc folk. I really like the unit and want to just stick with elektron now. Il download the manual and read through it thanks allot for the advice.

Rabbitfrog · 2015-04-06T21:40:40.000Z

Sure.

Let me know about the pads. I am curious. I usually avoid reviews and stuff as it seems everyone is a reviewer and an expert these days. I never heard about the pads. But interested to hear why others don’t like them. You can always use the triggers on the sequencer instead, like Machinedrum does. Tha pads are pressure sensetive and you can assign paramater control like LFO depth and such, I doubt MPC even has that, maybe just velocity.

Chief · 2015-04-06T21:49:22.000Z

I will report back, I cant see the problem as long as they have some soft feel. If they are very stiff I may have to pass. which sucks

finding this useful, gonna read the manual tomorrow.

djadonis206 · 2015-04-06T21:54:01.000Z

other than day one, pads are butter. Like the kind of butter left on the stove versus in the fridge

Chief · 2015-04-06T21:59:06.000Z

Is it 12 sounds vs 16 on mduw?

And that butter comment is GOLDEN NEWS !!!

Cant wait to ditch powerfull macbooks just had so many headaches I just want to make music yanno.

stutech · 2015-04-07T08:00:53.000Z

The pads are more on the stiffer side, a bit like in Ableton Push maybe? However the general whining about the pads has quieted down somewhat, no doubt the pads get looser in use over time. I find the pads on my Trigger Finger Pro to be much nicer, not to mention the pads on the AR are tiny (hard to pull off flams on em IMO)

If the pads are a huge concern you need to use an external pad controller, like the korg padkontrol or the TFP. Or you can consider going for the tempest instead, I hear nothing but praise about its pads, but of course its a whole another piece of drum synthesis (and no custom samples either)

Rabbitfrog · 2015-04-07T16:26:51.000Z

""tsutek"":

The pads are more on the stiffer side, a bit like in Ableton Push maybe? However the general whining about the pads has quieted down somewhat, no doubt the pads get looser in use over time. I find the pads on my Trigger Finger Pro to be much nicer, not to mention the pads on the AR are tiny (hard to pull off flams on em IMO)

If the pads are a huge concern you need to use an external pad controller, like the korg padkontrol or the TFP. Or you can consider going for the tempest instead, I hear nothing but praise about its pads, but of course its a whole another piece of drum synthesis (and no custom samples either)

Stiff? They are exactly the same rubber as they are on Maschine. And nobody ever said anything about those. AR pads are velocity AND pressure sensitive, I think people are just not using them right. It’s rubber, it has natural reisistance it compresses, the more you compress the more rubber will become stiff. What are people doing with them?Yesterday (out of curiosity) I ran a line recording hits in a pattern, the hardest I had to hit a pad was as hard as I hit a regular PC keyboard keys when I type (not laptop but regular USB) I think that’s even too soft, because it doesn’t give you enough room for gentle strokes when you want to record live velocity inputs, so you barely have to touch if you want slight velocity. But I never even bother with those because there is a velocity knob on the first page (it’s the C knob on Trig) !!!

I really don’t understand where this consensus of stiffness came from. I mean they are rubber, packed with 2 sensors each. What are people comparing them to? These are man’s pads! They are designed to be hit with a strong man’s hand after a man comes home from chucking rocks and impregnating sheep for 12 hours a day! No sissy hands allowed!

guga · 2015-04-07T18:03:55.000Z

^
the pads need to be used a bit before they get to a softer feeling. they become somewhat more responsive, although they need to be hit differently than say an MPC or a Beatstep, but nonetheless, the more you use them, the more you’ll get used to them

stutech · 2015-04-07T20:42:24.000Z

Well I’m calling them stiff. MPC pads, now those you need to hit hard, ARs pads are more for the sissies IMO

MPC pads are rubbery, they bounce back alot more, and compared to that, stiff is what I’m calling em. I have every right to my opinion

De_wouzer · 2015-04-07T20:54:50.000Z

i love my Rytm, but not for finger drumming. My old NI Maschine was better for that… but that was the only thing MAschine is better in.

Rabbitfrog · 2015-04-07T22:32:49.000Z

Oh great more people think they are stiff Ok fine, I guess I am just weird for not thinking so. Excuse me but I have to go chop some wood…

AdamJay · 2015-04-07T22:42:52.000Z

""Rabbitfrog"":

Oh great more people think they are stiff Ok fine, I guess I am just weird for not thinking so. Excuse me but I have to go chop some wood…

I’m weird too!
No pad complaints here. Just want the step jump bug sorted.

AdamJay · 2015-04-07T22:54:15.000Z

""Chief"":

Is it 12 sounds vs 16 on mduw?

And that butter comment is GOLDEN NEWS !!!

Cant wait to ditch powerfull macbooks just had so many headaches I just want to make music yanno.

12 tracks, 8 voices… because there are some choke groups. You’re not going to be able to trigger Closed hat synth and Open Hat synth at the same time, they share a choke group. But there are workarounds.

For instance, you’ve got a sample layer and a synth layer on each track. So, you could have a closed hat SAMPLE play at the same time on your open hat SYNTH track. And really the sample/synth layer configuration opens things up tremendously, not just because you can use samples, but in how it is implemented across the tracks.

It’s set up in a very different way than MDUW but not in a more or less way.
You may think that 8 voices is “less”, but the sample layer expands that, the choke groups expand that, and best of all - Sound Locks heavily expand that.
Even without using sound locks, I could have 16 sounds all playing at the same time, like MDUW (8 synth, 8 sample). There aren’t too many people complaining about Rytm’s voice limitation.

The limitations when compared to MDUW come in more on the synthesis side, as it is analog. You can’t have every single track as a kick drum on Rytm, like you can MD. There are only so many oscillators inside, and there are physical limitations. There is less flexibility when it comes to assigning a synthesis type on the tracks. For most people (myself included), it’s not a big deal. For some, it really is. If you use mostly samples, it is even less of an issue (and samples sound really good in the Rytm!). So it’s all going to come down to what works for you and your music.

Your best bet is to watch Cuckoo’s Rytm tutorials, and seriously… read the manual. All of the information is in that free .pdf Between a couple youtube tutorials and an afternoon reading the manual, you’ll have a pretty solid understanding of the machine and if it is right for you.

Good luck.

poonti · 2015-04-07T23:02:14.000Z

[quote=““De wouzer””]

i love my Rytm, but not for finger drumming. My old NI Maschine was better for that… but that was the only thing MAschine is better in.
[/quote]

Yeah, Maschine pads for me are perfect for finger drumming. AR pads are perfect for pressure/performance mode. They’re good quality pads, it’s just that they’re around 60% the size of Maschine pads, so they feel more stiff as a result. It’s just a matter of physics.

De_wouzer · 2015-04-07T23:32:22.000Z

""AdamJay"":

Your best bet is to watch Cuckoo’s Rytm tutorials, and seriously… read the manual. All of the information is in that free .pdf Between a couple youtube tutorials and an afternoon reading the manual, you’ll have a pretty solid understanding of the machine and if it is right for you.

Good luck.

I did this, i throught i did understand the instrument after the tutorials,
But understanding the machine is not the same as understanding what you Can do with iT.
Slowly i do more and more. At the end, i sold everything i have and only use ÀR and A4.

zfigz · 2015-04-08T00:17:07.000Z

""AdamJay"":

Between a couple youtube tutorials and an afternoon reading the manual, you’ll have a pretty solid understanding of the machine and if it is right for you.

Good luck.

i came from using a monomachine for over 7 years…and i’m getting the hang of it pretty quickly.

i had an OT for a few months, and that was a helluva a lot more difficult to reign in and control the way you wanted to, especially compared to the AR.

i’m quite a fan of having limitations as it forces me to be more creative.i while 've had to get used to some of the AR’s idiosyncrasies, overall, it’s all pretty intuitive. the main thing i’ve been having issue with is getting used to using the [track] button for so many things instead of the [func] button.

AdamJay · 2015-04-08T01:12:00.000Z

Sure, hands on experience is always the most valuable.

The point is was seeking to make is that the combination of watching someone explain the physical hardware on a youtube video and taking the time to read the PDF manual will work together to give one a far more solid understanding than asking even 1,000 questions on a forum.

zfigz · 2015-04-08T12:42:37.000Z

""AdamJay"":

…taking the time to read the PDF manual will work together to give one a far more solid understanding than asking even 1,000 questions on a forum.

amen to that.
so few people put the time into reading the manual, and yes, it’s boring, but it has the answers to most, if not, all of your questions.

teomi · 2015-04-08T21:30:24.000Z

The Pads are indeed stiff but I found a cool trick to overcome that with using 2 fingers as a I play a pad. I find that I have better velocity control.

I have no issues with that after a little practice.

Eitan