Is it worth it to buy the heat?

Elektron Gear Analog Heat
#1

Contemplating the heat, but I’m wondering how others use it as far as what they run it to? Or what they run into it? Being it’s just a one at a time input / output I’m wondering how I would use this in my setup?

I have an OT MKII and and AR MKII on order. Currently I use an MPC Live or my Toraiz. My main unit is my Acid box, which I use distortion for. I’m wondering if this would be better suited for my Acid Box (Avalon Bassline) rather than hook it up to the OT or the AR. The reason I say that is because I use distortion with my Acid box(s), but $750 is a lot for a single use device, you think?

I’m wondering if it’s worth the $750 to integrate into my setup. It would be nice if it had multiple inputs and outputs.

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What’s the point of the Analog heat?
#2

For your acidbox, hmm, not sure if analog drive would be enough? Not sure if it has wet/dry though…

The heat is a great master rpocessor IMO, but can be used in so many ways… single sources through it into the OT can enhance any sampling

I bet you could find a heat second hand if tye price puts you off?

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#3

Well it’s not so much the price as much as it is using it as just a single device for that price. It’s sort of a one trick pony in a way isn’t it? I’ve watched a couple vids and it seems pretty cool. So the distortion output is not adequate enough? I’m wondering if the filter and LFO could add some character to the acid box as well?

#4

they sure could. The heat is much more than just distortion. But I just meant that the analog drive is mono, like your avalon, and has all the drive circuits… If you only looking for those. But personally I think the heat is good value for money considering all it can do. Not too many analog processors around with presets either.

The heat is by no means a one-trick pony. You can use it as an eq, expander, phaser, autowah… many ways to use it

#5

Cool, can you combine the effects in it? Like use the filter with the drive and lfo at the same time?

#6

but of course, you always have

distortion
multimode filter
eq

  • modulation LFO & mod env follover

So, by using or not using a certain element, and by strategic use of the modulation options (all parameters of the unit can be modulated), alot can be done.

so hitting a fuzz drive and bandpassing the result, while controlling the bandpass cutoff and eq low cut with the signal (env folllower modulation), and then LFOing the filter stereo spread, for example, all in a single preset.

Hmm! perhaps a stupid example, but hopefully you get what I mean. I recommend skimming through the manual, its a fast read.

#7

Cool, I’m pretty much sold on it. The acid boxes get kind of tiring as they are, so I’ll bet this would spice shit up good.

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#8

Look, the Heat is like an organic piece you attach to your music. Where once it was dead, it is now alive with movement and air. It’s so much more than just a flexible fx box. Even when it’s subtle, it brings so much to your piece.

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#9

I’ll voice the useful counter experience:

I had a Heat for a short while. I had played with it in a store, was blown away- bought it the first opppurtinity I had.

As soon as I plugged everything in I took it for a spin. The distortion was significant- but I wasn’t really blown away with the distortion alone, but with the addition of the other sound shaping capabilities with the Heat. Tried the filter, the LFO, it was cool but somewhere between playing it in the store and buying it- I fell out of it. Maybe I just don’t have the ear to appreciate the more subtler touches, maybe I’m not a huge fan of distortion, or maybe I love the out-of-the-box sound of the MDUW too much to change the sound of it in that direction. But I ended up returning it within a week.

Good luck in your decision!

#10

Its much more than the sum of its parts really.

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#11

Yes, it’s like a single flow that could be any combination of all the components (distortion, envelope, filter, eq, lfo).

I’m using it on the master bus as well as just running it as a filter/envelope follower at times when sound designing - toggling the modes. Fantastic unit, really.

#12

i’ll offer this: it’s rare that i ever read a bad review of the heat, or come across people who wish they hadn’t bought it. there are exceptions, but in my experience they are few and far between.

the nearly universal praise it earned from far more experienced gear users right from the outset convinced me to be an early adopter, something i’ve never been before or since. i’ve had mine at the end of my all-digital signal chain since it came out and have created dozens of presets to enhance all my live tracks. i wouldn’t gig or record without it.

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#13

Try FabFilter Saturn first. It put me off wanting an AH completely.

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#14

I have the Heat and was initially very skeptical. For me the most dramatic effect it has in a one time use situation, is on adding vibrancy to VST synths. It really does add some magic. On the drum buss it’s good, but can easily be overused and so for drums you need to use it as an effect on each track. You would have to record all your drum tracks seperately and then play with each track using Heat as an insert to get them how you want and record them again. Which is actually good fun. Then use Heat on the master.
For me the Heat is worth it. Try to pick up a second hand unit.

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#15

Worth it if you are working OTB
Debatable if you are working ITB with the myriad of plugins available
Need a small audio interface so am tempted a little by the Heat
Presuming it works well with OB?

#16

only one instance of plugin but it’s nice to have the gui of overbridge for sound editing. the soundcard is decent. you can use the sound card and the effects at the same time though.

more of a sound design/master bus thing than performance box but you could do that just would really program the crap out of it. have yet to see a example of being used in more of an automation type thing like a kp3. However it sounds really great and love it for for sound design.

itb I can see so many uses. I do alot stand alone but it shows it’s true form in more of a dedicated Daw environment. I run everything through it when I sample and when mixing down on the comp its on my master bus everytime.

otb for me is digitakt into kp3 into analog heat. I have other units in my effects chain but these three are the core for performance.

itb set up is usually some sort of dynamics into console 1 into analog heat into softtube tape plus whatever

hope this helps some. my setup is not usual but I would never sell my analog heat…

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#17

You can use digitakt to program automations in heat. It can get pretty wild too.

#18

Personally for me, no, the Heat is not worth it and a waste of money. With an Octatrack, Analog Rytm, Synthesizer and other FX gear, no point.

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#19

im pretty happy with it. I can get lost using it as a return effect.

expensive? yeah.

waste? not at all.

It’s not the end all final effect unit you’ll ever want (cause GAS), and I don’t think it’s as immediate as some people need things to be (see all the threads bitching about the A4 presets). As I spend time experimenting with it, I become more and more attached.

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#20

The heat would be the glue to stick that all together.indispenable tool for sound design imo, the filters can really hone in on the tone you want.
Not sure if I’d want it on a live rig thou, I mean you could have it set to one circuit and play to capture your sound but fwiw I’d rather master my samples a bit when preparing for gigging and leave it at home.