I have OT, DT, DN and an A4, if I had to choose just 2 right now it would be the OT and the DN in terms of Elektrons. The DN sounds great and is polyphonic, it’s versatile and has lots of good sound/p-locking potential. In terms of partnering the OT with a synth, I’d choose the virus TI, it’s insanely flexible, powerful and multi-timbral. At the end of the day though it’s a very personal thing and can change over time.
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This is sound logic. I kinda prefer the OT/A4 combo because I just love the sounds of the A4. Added on a MicroMonsta for pads. Could see the OT/A4/DN being an amazing setup, but all my dough is going into eurorack modules at this time 
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well… what kind of music do you make? do you mainly work with samples or synths? what do you currently have?
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I have mine paired with a Virus TI Snow and it is absolutely divine. If not for the Virus, I’d probably be running a Mutable Instruments Ambika, maybe with some sort of multi-fx pedal… Still kinda think I’d love to try that anyway.
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OT/DN/A4 here.
more power than I could possibly handle
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Any examples of you using it with an OT?
What would you get first. I can get an analog 4 for $550 and a digitone for $600 maybe $550 if I shop around enough.
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Boom bad golden era hip hop and stuff like dimlite, flying lotus, prefuse 73, the thing is is all these artists use heavy samples and heavy synths. I know making on OT then putting in ableton would make my workflow better because I can make the song in OT world then garnish it in ableton land. I have an iPhone with a bunch of apps I’m gonna get a camera adapter to use that as a synth for now until I can get an analog 4 digitone or digitakt maybe a push or ops Sorry for the ramble lol
For live playing I’m using my octatrack as drumcomputer, sequencer, fx unit and mixer. I barely use sampling/resampling in live settings.
my small set:
digitone -> octatrack a/b
my medium set:
digitone -> octatrack a/b
octatrack cue -> EHX Talking Machine -> octatrack c/d
(here i’m feeding the ehx with a single cycle fake-synth)
my large set (not that mobile, because I don’t want to carry those all):
micromonsta -> digitone -> octatrack a/b
octatrack cue -> EHX Talking Machine -> octatrack c
monostation -> octatrack d (mostly goes to cue for ehx - instead of the fake-synth)
In the end: it depends how you use your octatrack, and what synths do you like!
the digitone has the advantage that it’s small, sounds good, is 4 timbre, 8 poly and is easy to grasp. That’s something to consider i guess.
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I’ve been eyeing a virus for a long time. They are beautiful, like freshly squeezed baby. Would you say that it’d be smarter just to save for a virus and skip the digitone. Having a machine as deep as a virus and a Octatrack I feel maybe would be a lot to choose from and limit creativity? I was thinking s digitone and really get good at the elektron universe and then get a virus maybe. Idk
have you played around with Analog or Operator within Ableton or similar VA and FM apps on your iPhone? do they seem to fit the sound you’re after? that should help steer your A4 versus DN decision, if that’s where you’re currently headed.
Both are bargains.
Difficult, it’s up to your taste.
I love them almost equally, for different reasons.
They both excel in versatility. Pads, leads, basses, fx, drums - everything can be done perfectly on both.
A4 probably more powerful. More modulation options, you can sequence your fx, songmode etc.
But DN has some unique features, like the randomization feature that came in one of the latest updates, I love that.
I seem to slightly prefer fm in general. I get more unique sounds with fm. And the DN also can do subtractive sounds very well.
Edit: Its 8 voices make the DN also better suited for pads and ambient sounds…
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Beg your pardon?
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Microfreak?
Hard choice, the Virus is very powerful and versatile. Major selling points for me is the excellent FX section which is per channel, and you can use a Chanel as an FX unit via the inputs. The interface is really good to work with. It’s 16 part multi-timbral but does depend on how complex presets are. Not an issue for me.
On the other hand DN uses complex FM synthesis in an easy to use package and being able to parameter lock everything to Sequences is a massive plus. The DN is a much brighter/cleaner sound than the Virus. It’s not really an easy comparison and I think it depends on what you want to do with them.
To me the Virus is like having something like Dune 2/3 or Spire in hardware form with a great interface, although it’s actually deeper than both of those Synths in some ways especially regarding Oscillator Modes and FX. Whilst the TI does have FM always available and it’s good, it isn’t to the same standard as DN which is the real deal compared to some bolted on FM.
Another plus for the DN is it’s like all other Elektrons, no saving required when shutting down etc… which I love about the Elektrons, plus it really is very very easy to use especially when compared to the OT. Personally I really like the new Elektron’s simplicity/focus/form factor and displays too.
I also have a Peak which is incredible, but just been Mono Timbral I find that a bit frustrating in deciding what to use it for, and that’s the main reason that the Virus beats it (just) along with it’s versatility. I’m at the end of decades of owning various synths and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been, the Virus definitely stops me lusting after more synths (for now at least).
As I said, it’s a tough choice to me both the DN and Virus have distinct roles without much crossover really. I love them both.
I’d say go for the OP-z as companion. Such a nice drum machine, and it seems to use the same time signatures and tempo tricks. With OpLab attached, it gains full midi support, I think.
And now, it’s a sampler, too!
i take field recordings and dont know how to resample internally yet
woah wow i had just poured some oj and was typing… that’s ridiculous
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I pulled the trigger on an ambika today, I hope to find deep satisfaction in pairing it with the OT.
Elektron sequencer / midi arp controlling the ambika, feeding it back in, flexible voice routing to have a 4 voices pad coming back on a Thru-machine and being filtered and drowned in dark reverb and live record a bass line to a flex buffer for further mangling is what I have in mind.
Drums are being outsourced, only coming in on a Thru-track for transition high pass filtering.
Well, I am visualizing this as some cool setup, let’s see how this turns out.
Worst thing that can happen is that one of you guys will be able to buy a hardly used, freshly assembled ambika off my hands 
Cheers