Nice video, its true that the RYTM might be a bit more performative indeed!
does the rytm also have parameter slide? do you ever use it?
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It has Slide trig indeed! Iāve used it in the above jam to slide the delay time value on the FX track when I hold the Fill button. It was such a weird effect! from 24 to 128 or 24 to 1ā¦ sliding over 8 steps. Would be really hard to do by hands in such a timely manner.
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Interesting! How do you set this up?
2 trig conditions on the FX track with the 1st one having the default delay time p-locked and the 2d one with the modified delay time p-locked. 2 trig conditions so that these trigs only play when I hold the Fill button (page button). As is it will just play the 2 trigs with no interpolation so go in Slide trig mode and put 2 trigs at the same place as the p-locked one. The delay time will then be interpolated from trig 1 to trig 2.
I assume the interpolation is linear but it would be nice to be able to switch between different premade interpolation curves (quad bezier or stuffs like that).
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Brilliant track, I think this is the first time Iāve seen someone play an elektron and sing so well with it. Inspiring! How are you treating/mixing your vocals with the elektron?
Iāve a mk1 RYTM and have always found it to be an extremely creative machine. The tiny flawed screen and its lack of sampling being its only shortcomings.
For me having the Syntakt and the RYTM is a bit like having and Digitakt and an Octactrack. Sure, lots of overlap but the simplicity and directness of the smaller boxes is its own thing and pound for pound, typically you get to create quicker just because the interface is more immediate. Syntakt is far from simple once you spend time with it. 12 track drum/rhythm/percussion/bass/lead is a lot to handle.
Elektron have held firm on not enhancing the loop slicing/editing on the Digitakt, presumably to maintain the Octatrackās head above the Digitakt feature-wise.
I wonāt be surprised to see a compressor and some new machines on the Syntakt, but a UW/simple sample option on the Syntakt might bring it too close to the RYTM. That said the extra features on the RYTM already seem to put it so far ahead of the Syntakt (pads, arranger, individual outs, sampling on the MkII) who knows what distinctions electron might or might not want to maintain ā¦
Syntakt is already very very good and as it relieves other machines people may have of drum duties it opens up the Digitakt for more available sample tracks, or the already tight Digitone for bass, comp and melody rather than sacrificing a track or two for them.
If you already have a larger elektron with arranger/song mode capabilities, it makes the Syntakt more appealling as an add on - who needs 2 arrangers?
Idle thoughts, but RYTM and Syntakt are interesting to compare.
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thanks and man didnt realise that track you posted was yours. Brilliant work, and you are a talented singer. obviously influenced by thom yorke, but thats a good thing!
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Thank you!
I record my vocals with the Apollo Twin (and the Rytm with OB standalone, stereo in the DAW) so I have compressors/reverb/delay when Iām tracking. I add delay throws and other goodies afterward. my vocal and the stereo file of the Elektron box, thatās all.
Yeah, could totally see myself having both, the Rytm and the ST now. I thought ST+AR would be too
much overlaps but they each have their own strengths and use cases. Making room for both would be my main problem haha
The Rytm has 2 CV inputs doesnāt it? You could send 2 LFOs from the Analog Fourās CV track
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This has been a really interesting thread to read through but I think a chat around Syntakt + any of the Digi+ Elektrons makes for an interesting comparison!
I do think a Rytm and ST would make a cracking combo though. Iād like to add an OB enabled sampling machine one day and think both DT and/or Rytm would partner the ST brilliantly. I think Iām right in saying that the sample playback options in Rytm are not as fine as on the DT though which is a big shame.
Anyway, actually a really tough call on whether Iād sell a Rytm for a ST. Iām gelling with the ST a hell of a lot more than I did with the AR Mk1. Ended up selling it fairly quickly actually. But you only have to take a look at videos like @blakewaltās above to see that it is an incredible machine in the right hands.
I have both and thinking to return Syntakt
Rytm is so quick, the pads so creative and the performance macros so useful
Plus the 16 steps are a big advantage
I feel that there is too much been put into Syntakt that do not sound necessarily good together
I might be wrong this is based on a 4 days of using Syntakt so it might be too early
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Iāve only got the ST in hand to go with but itās growing on me. Drums can sound fantastic with it. Same is true with an AR of course - especially with samples involved.
I donāt think Electron has ever introduced a device that really shakes up what each of us would prefer in terms of pairing and use cases. A true āhorses for coursesā device that has some similarities to a number of other boxes but is entirely itās own thing too.
Itās also been dreadful for fuelling my Gotta Catch Em All GASā¦
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I did sell mine the first time I got it haha.
The second timeās the charm. I did sell it before they added the DVCO and new machines so the updated version is a real plus for me.
Still, itās not exactly an easy ride and I def see how the ST can bring a lot. Iām pretty much sure Iāll buy it butā¦
this!
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Why can you do that only on the AR but not on DT? Because of the performance controls?
I know youāre asking Riuozami but I will chime in as I think I share their viewpoint (though we may have different reasoning).
Having dedicated pads for sound selection (and dialing in velocity variation) makes a surprisingly big workflow difference.
The 8 by 2 grid of buttons in the ātaktā form have many different functions (chromatic keyboard, track select, steps in a sequence) and you start having to use that function key quite a bit. It makes the creation of sequences a little bit more tedious and those little bits add up. For me, It was pretty quick to get to the point of familiarity with AR that I could lay down sequences in almost realtime.
Then you add in the ability to jump to sequence positions during playback and the layers of scene and performance controls and it just becomes a very fun and fluid experience. The AR feels to me like playing an instrument where the 'takt format has always felt much more like āprogramming.ā itās pretty small UI differences but in the context of making creative work it ends up being a very different feeling.
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What do you mean jump to sequence positions in playback?
Great write up! I have the syntakt and love had. Iāve had the ar and sold it but youāre right on with your observations.
Sorry, kinda went word salad there. I just mean the ādirect jumpā feature that lets you change patterns mid-pattern. It lets you make a lot of variation while performing or recording. (Basically Iāll make a series of related sequences and treat them as different kinds of fills).
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Ah got it! Thank you!
Yes and the pads allow for a more natural feel IMO
When using DT and ST it is more down to programming like you do with a laptop keyboard, pushing buttons and writing the sequence down rather than really playing it
Yes the pads of the Ryrm are not the best, there are better pads around
@taiman @plragde @Riuozami @tendingtropic @NoiseLab @Karl_Joseph
Thanks guys, you were right, Iām freaking loving it. I had some days off and isolated myself in my room for 5 days and in 3 days I understood the whole thing almost. It is for me now the most intuitive device I have in my gear.
Al tough I certainly agree that an additional LFO wouldnāt be an bad idea, but I get that they already went on edge with the system RAM and you can certainly use the trigger locks to your advantage.
I have a serious question tho; I bought the thing from Thomann, but after playing it for a while I realized that when drumming on the pads I hear a certain sound, which is quite annoying when playing on a lower volume, it really takes over the sound youāre drumming, so with the sound programming process this is quite a bother. It sounds like some metal plates or the circuits are bouncing inside. Is this a normal thing in the AR MII, otherwise I will contact Thomann and send it back for a check.
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Mind blown, what a great performance! And thanks for the tooltips 
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