Is the MKI still a good buy in 2022?

Rusty · 2022-10-06T20:45:22.105Z

I’d buy one today if I could fine one local for the right price.

sabana · 2022-10-06T21:16:31.364Z

Why did they make the mk2s bigger? Bigger isnt always better in small box world😡

re5et · 2022-10-06T22:27:45.863Z

Yes
If it works … yes
Same as buying any other old gear … Juno 106 / kawai k1 / 808
Doesn’t matter if there’s a mk2 .unless you like the case / other upgrades.

And if you use it via overbridge it’s identical in terms of audio stream isn’t it ??perhaps bass is different ???

It’s unlikely anyone will refuse to buy your track / listen to it in a club if they see mark 1.

sabana · 2022-10-06T22:49:05.861Z

My concern with mk1s is just screen related. How long do they last before fading?

Gerry_Dorsey · 2022-10-07T00:59:36.590Z

Absolutely IMO. Especially for the price you can get it for now.

Raskal.X · 2022-10-07T01:04:19.134Z

Classic

undiagnosed · 2022-10-07T06:43:05.883Z

Indeed is always my big concern, so Videos of good functioning are a must, but just like for older machines ( machinedrum and monomachine ) I’m not sure Elektron can still service them?

phibmo · 2022-10-07T06:48:13.354Z

Quick answer yes! I’ve got the A4, the AK, and might pick up another AK, since they go for so little second hand. I’m smitten to be honest…

Enthalpi · 2022-10-07T07:03:44.355Z

You must use them often if you want them to last

And in case of fading, the repair/change is not costly.

cixelsyd · 2022-10-07T08:20:33.904Z

I purposely bought the mki even though the mkii was out. I like that you can rack mount them.

Unifono · 2022-10-07T08:25:52.495Z

sabana:

My concern with mk1s is just screen related. How long do they last before fading?

yeah many post with screen issues on the web

TransGirlHappyHardcore · 2022-10-07T08:53:57.418Z

Check out the mk1 screens thread. The fading can usually be fixed easily by leaving the machine on for a while.

On the other hand, the mk2 screens are prone to burn-in - and that can’t be solved (except by changing the screen - but eventually the new screen will get burn-in again)

CCMP · 2022-10-07T09:20:01.207Z

Most gear bottoms out in price around 10-15 years after release.
Then, the good gear that still has musical/production value (and an Analog synth will always have that), starts to creep back up in price after 15-20 years and will continue to rise.

We have a bit of an oddball in the A4 mk1 because everything it does sound-wise is still available and current in the A4mk2, so really it’s just its design/aesthetics that are looking dated (…10 years old, about to enter it’s ‘trough’ price).

If I had to bet money, I’d say the A4mk1 will start rising in price in the next 3-5 years… lets say 2026, and, all being well, I’m going to come back to this thread and update it.

Personally, I have the A4 mk2, but I’ve just bought an Analog Keys this week, and I predict the AK is the one that will see the big price rise in the future.
I bought it because I love the A4mk2 and wanted a full standalone option (with the keys) to use live, but I got it for £650, which I think is a bargain for what it is.

TLDR - It’s not just ‘still a good buy in 2022’, IMO it’s a fantastic buy in 2022.

59min · 2022-10-07T09:23:10.095Z

YES, I have both A4 MKII and AK (two of’em!), AK for the price is a bargain, if u have the space buy it. The keyboard and all the xtra that comes with that! Its my brain in my setup. Id rather go for a second hand AK and Rytm I and u still have money left compared to new A4 MKII.

AK is sooo good, easy and complex and everything inbetween.

sabana · 2022-10-07T11:11:30.932Z

I think the price hike on new equipment has cut the throat on the industry. People will be buying mk1s more and more.

PeterHanes · 2022-10-07T12:58:00.532Z

cixelsyd:

I purposely bought the mki even though the mkii was out. I like that you can rack mount them

The AF MkII and AR MkII are also rackmountable using Elektron’s RMK-3:
https://www.elektron.se/ca/rack-mount-kit-3-black

undiagnosed · 2022-10-07T14:15:08.851Z

I don’t think Elektron is selling spare boxes of their products… ok ok I just put it there

AdamJay · 2022-10-07T20:42:25.814Z

I was pretty firmly on “Team MK1/AK”, but after a few hours with my new (to me) black MK2 today, I can see both arguments.

What you get for another $300-$400 on the used market can really be worth it. The sound out of the MK2 is noticeably big. Quick Perf and ladder filter / overdrive improvements add up. This thing sounds almost as big as my Pro 2 now.

Truth is all three (four if you count the black and grey MK2s separately) are worth it. Buy what is right for your budget, creative needs, and physical space.

Comparisons against new prices are a bit moot at the moment, with the used market so flooded thanks to impending recession and pressures of inflation. Many are having a hard time selling their used gear and that is driving prices down. It’s a buyer’s market for used right now.

obscurerobot · 2022-10-07T20:48:54.263Z

All of the A4 variants are good. Price and studio space are the main reasons to prefer one over another.

Love my AK, but wouldn’t mind a Mk1 again or a Mk2.

iguai · 2022-10-07T21:43:51.146Z

I was ambivalent about the sound of my Mk1 after buying it 5 years ago ( first “nice” thing I ever bought after 20 years of messing around with old cheap gear like DW8000s and CZ1s).
Anyway, I put it away for a year or so because I was busy with my business and then brought it out with a Neutron, ready to go big again (with a tiny setup), but I dropped it and its nun-functioning now, for the last 7 months. But for that week I had it going I was definitely turned back onto its charms.

The point of this ramble is that the Mk1 is great, but one reason for a Mk2 (or Keys?), would be individual outs. The dang A4 is amazing at percussion actually, and in my current need/use case, if mine were not broken, I would be using it as primary percussion with individual effects chains on the four outs, or using a mixer. To me, that is the only bummer about the Mk1 vs the Mk2. In fact, if the Mk2 had only stereo outs like the Mk1, I’m sure that I would in all cases prefer the Mk1, because I also like the smaller form factor. I have a feeling that the audio difference would be, in most (not all) cases, negligible.