Machine drum mk1 any fun?

I’m being offered a machinedrum mk1 for exchange. I’m just wondering. I currently have AR, A4 and getting OT soon. Would this machine be of any value in my current setup?

Depends on the price/what you’re exchanging for it, but otherwise yea! the MK1s are still quite good drum synths.

You’re limited to 32 steps per pattern on the MK1 but chaining is easy if you need more steps.

16 freely assignable LFOs, the ability to sequence MIDI CC#s of other gear, and all those digital synth types to choose from, plus ctrl-all makes it just as fun today as it was in 2001.

a great old resource: http://elektron-users.com/index.php?option=com_openwiki&Itemid=43&id=mki_classic_vs._mkii

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The guy is asking for around $500. It’s a SPS-1 (not UW, and just MK1). I’ve been watching some videos and it seems like a fun machine.

I’m mostly concerned whether my AR can cover the same territory as this machine? :slight_smile:

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that’s a super good deal just saying

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Do you need more drum tracks in your set up? Do you like what you’ve heard of the MD’s sounds? Is the OT’s sequencing not sufficient for you?

If not, the AR’s feature set is far superior to that of the MD.

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I got an mkII (non ya) a little while ago and it has plenty of range.

I think sequencing it externally, through the OT for me, has opened it up a lot. Wanna get another drum machine with more acoustic kind of sounds to pair it with but I love it and couldn’t really see myself parting with it. I can tell the uw versions are well worth it tho.

But yeah that sounds like a nice price I say run it especially if u have a newer elektron unit for sequencing.

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MD and Rytm are like a match made in drum machine heaven. MD has a much broader range of sounds than the Rytm and is just immensely fun to play. I can sit all day with the MD and when I turn it off I get the shakes… Must program more MD… Just 5 more mins… :crazy_face:

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Your totally selling this to me! :smiley:

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As much as I love the MD, your AR is going to cover a lot of the same territory. Maybe not 100% sound-wise but sequencing wise and such. Not the same of course but still. Perhaps for the first time in my life I may be suggesting that someone doesn’t need a md? Hrmm… naw. Get it!

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for 500 grab it! apart from being a freaky and out there synth, the md has one of the best kicks i’ve ever heard. Also there’s FM ! and it looks like you are missing a bit of FM in your elektron set up.
I have an mk1 and they are solid.

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At $500 get it and try it. If you don’t like it you can definitely get that money back and then some.

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Actually, it turns out one of the encoders need replacement. It works but is starting to act funny.

Anyone know how hard it is to replace those?

It depends on how much you’re confident with a welder/hot air station and if you’ve experience with electronic components/PCB.

There’s videos of that online. Basically you have to desolder 7 pins at the same time to be able to remove the encoder body, you can desolder one leg at a time but you have to cut up the body while still attached to the board to do that…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdtynIQGHfo

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Doesn’t look to hard. Thanks for the link.

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