Tone sure
But melody? 
I mean the “machines” that are meant for other things than drums. Elektron describes the Syntakt as “drums and melody in full fusion” so I meant “melody” in that context.
I’ve wanted a groovebox in this form factor ever since I had the DT - which I sold because sampling is a mood killer for me. So this is the best thing I could buy: sounds great, the machines are powerful and straightforward, it has the Elektron sequencer which I already know inside out and Overbridge works well enough with it, so I can use it in the studio pretty easily.
Yes, I could ask a lot more from it but there’s no machine that does it all, so why bother doing that?
The only thing I wish it had is the song mode because I play other instruments and I can’t be bothered to change pattern while playing guitar or drums - but I knew that before buying it so I don’t think it would be logical to complain about that. I’ll work my way around that and that’s good enough for me.
Other than that, I think Elektron hit bull’s eye with this one and I hope to have this thing with me for a very long time.
4 Likes
What issue is that?
But the an instrument is just that. A brush. Not a painting.
3 Likes
I left an explanation in the bug thread here: Syntakt 1.00 : bug reports - #62 by ballener0 Basically it looks like the unit can’t send PC messages from a trig, unless you’re dialing up the PC while the pattern is playing each time. Kind of a bummer because I want to use that to sequence the Syntakt from itself as some kind of song mode, but I guess it’ll have to wait.
My 2c - Cenk is right with his lack of innovation comment, let’s not be Emperor’s New Clothes about this 
Syntakt is plainly not that innovative, nor was Digitakt. Digitone was - but they each are no less great in their own way and make people happy.
I don’t think he was having a dig at elektron or the Syntakt - he was just pointing out the obvious.
There are a few little innovations in the Syntakt, but it is ultimately another drum computer from elektron largely reutilising features of past machines.
I too would like to see the next machine from elektron with more fundamental new thinking and innovation. Or I’d be equally happy to see a less innovative but equally desirable next gen Octatrack
Just because it isn’t a technological marvel of radical freshness doesn’t mean it isn’t good
8 Likes
you missed the point. its the instruments creation that is enjoyed.
the instrument may be the brush, but the sound is the result. not need to touch it to hear it. music is heard to be appreciate it. I wouldn’t much enjoy a DJ playing his set…with no sound.
so in that respect, re: the painting…the brush may be the instrument, but if you cant see the art…doesnt really matter what the instrument made.
trying to twist what I written wont werk here
You’re correct. I’m not getting your original point.
I think @djst means:
- He (somewhat) likes the drum-purposed ‘machines’ (BD, SD, HH etc.)
- He doesn’t like the ‘machines’ so much which are predestined for tonal and/or melody parts of a track (i.e. synths, basses, chords)
and it seems that @djst wanted to partly correct (by making it more precise) a former post by writing this. I am pretty sure, @djst knows that the melody itself is programmed by the user (but in most cases [yes, one can make melodic stuff with BD and SD] using melody-purposed-sounds/machines).
1 Like
You got all of that 100% right. Thank you. 
Sort of agree. First hand experiences are certainly better (but need the ability to deposit 1k international money units). My ST tracks sound very different from the presets or videos from other people and I am happy with it. (Lots of work into creating pleasant round dub-techno-like sounds with filtering, EQ etc.)
But - on the other hand, reading the manual beforehand helped me a lot by understanding what to expect and what not to expect. (E.g. I gave the twisted minds blast beats a pass - because tracks in a pattern (BB, SD, HH, Synths) are forced to have equal lengths - that’s not how I work - and if I just wanted to sample 2OP or 4OP sounds I would use Adlibtracker). So here - reading the manual helped a lot.
2 Likes
If you route all tracks to the FX chain you achieve that result.
1 Like
You jinxed it. 
1 Like
That’s true. It’s basically a model cycles + AR voices in digi format, nothing too new except the FX block and the modifiers
To expect innovation like what Elektron did to the silver machines and octatrack is unrealistic given the direction Elektron has took with the digi and model machines
I mean look at the octatrack… it’s been out for more than 10 years now and there’s nothing like it out there. I have no clue who came out with the idea but he’s a fucking a genius
1 Like
Well, that’s a great (and, btw., finite) list! 
So let’s add to the wish-list for the upcoming 10 years of development of this future classic:
- glide
- additional FX (bit crusher as with the bit instrument)
- LFO on retrig time
- Kits (just exchange each tracks basic sound while leaving the sequence and preprogrammed trigs as they are)
- alternative sequencer reading (per pattern and/or track) - reverse, ping-pong, random (and active steps as with korg)
- jump mode
- Midi instruments (great idea!)
(Maybe the wish for sampling is a little over the top, even though a sample player-machine for short 8-bit samples would be nice) and voice sharing isn’t necessary IMO)
Cheers! 
2 Likes
Tks
I was confused by this explanation from the
Manual- dim Orange trig key???
In the ANALOG FX BLOCK ROUTING menu, you can select which tracks, send effects, and the external in, you want to route through the analog FX block (orange [TRIG] key) or directly to the main output (dim orange [TRIG] key).
Yes, if you select the shortcut (Func + FX IIRC) for routing tracks output ⟶ analog FX chain, selection is indicated by orange lit trigs corresponding to the number of the resp. track (just like with green for global track muting and purple for pattern track muting).
Kaizen
I like Kaizen.
- Little improvements over time.
- Carrying over what’s good and proven to work.
With Elektron I really like that they
- do implement those small improvements in older machines and
- even update their mark I machines
- sometimes spread new ideas to other machines in side-lines of the development tree
Revolutionary things
Those revolutionary things or new seeds happen from time to time but it is not desirable to have this happening every 2 years. Just think how long it took to develop all those special programming techniques for the C64 or Amiga - just because the hardware was locked for so many years, after being revolutionary at first (Amiga esp.).
digitakt not revolutionary - but revolutionary
The digitakt for example, IMO is revolutionary in no way.
It even lacks most of the developments in sampling technology since the late 80s
- keygroups
- layers
- polyphonic play
- dynamic voice-allocation
- complex envelopes
- auto-chop
- non-destructable chop
- looping functions
- stereo samples
- cut at zero-crossings for clickless loops
- proper zoom function
- kits
- auto load and assign samples
- load SMF etc.)
- warp
- auto bpm and pitch shift
but (!) it contained
- the Elektron sequencer (well, part of it) and
- all parameters were directly accessible, always, and
- programmable per step. And that
- step sequencer had the possibility for polymeter (essential for Detroit-style techno)
- later even triplets (essential for Dubstep)
- great sounding reverb
- good enough sounding delay with
- direct access to time-dependent parameters, feedback and filter
- just good enough precision to make it work by ear
- even midi tracks to sequence external gear with trigs, CC and stuff
- overall sound is just great in its own clean way
The built in ‘tonality’ however, was ‘just good enough’ to make it work and need no other box for the melodic lines. That doesn’t mean that the digitakt could not be a little better with transpose (for pitch - it has ‘transpose’ for moving trigs in the temporal dimension) or an easier way to edit samples in the box. Or a very simple songmode (just a list of patterns with number of bars/repeats).
However, given all that — the particular setup of the digitakt just works. Direct brain ⟶ DT ⟶ ear chain as with very few other machines. And that was revolutionary. You never know what will be a future classic despite or because of its particular features and limitations (think 303).
Other example of revolutionary idea that doesn’t need another one so far to replace it
Also think plain Midi - it just works well enough. Thank you Dave Smith and Ikutaru Kakehashi!
5 Likes