Absolutely nailed it! That’s pretty much exactly my experience haha.
I had it in the back of my head that I might return within 30days for a DN but once I forgot about that an took the kid gloves off it really helped me get into the live aspects. Lots of fun.
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There’s definitely something going on inside this box, not sure if it’s some subtle limiting or compression or just the way the tracks interact, but it’s remarkable how sorted it sounds by default. It’s making up for my hopeless mixing skills. 
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It was mentioned above and something I noticed in the Loopop video but I def think the EQ’ing of the machines plays an essential part in all of this. It’s almost like forced EQ that prevents a muddy mess. I’m all for it to be honest.
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In my head I’m approaching it as a drum machine in the same realm as the 808, good for laying down nice drums quick. the rest of the stuff is a tasty bonus.
I’m down to my last two rolls out here. not going to be happy if I have to wipe with leaves because of some paranoid preppers.
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I haven’t had heaps more game time with the unit thus far but so far I’m very happy with it as a sound generator, improvisation tool, sequencer and midi trigger, and very much appreciate the USB class compliance. iPhone with a USB dongle and videos record with the audio piped straight in - very handy.
U can really sense this Model way of working flowing up the chain - but it would be nice to see what more real estate would grant us. for instance it would be awesome to see attack as a knob, or at least as a sub control of env delay. I get the no attack thing tho, it really shoehorns it more as a groove box, and there’s work arounds obviously
there isn’t too much more I expect from it. whatever updates come in the form of extra features will be unexpected and appreciated. but I really like it as it is
and it’s weird that it does have some characteristics of a ‘module’, basically being able to just reach out and grab a control and move around, something about it. the comparisons to Plaits aren’t unwarranted
For me the device is really a euro addiction stopgap, a few hundred quid gets me something that will occupy me for months and keep the bank balance in check. for that reason alone I’m very content with it.
And also, I’m finding cheap gear very endearing from the point of view of, like, I spend a bit of cash, and get a lot of value for the dollar. To me, the other expensive Elektrons can often look like ways to sell something and make a quick couple grand back if desperate. But with a Model, whats a couple hundred bucks to sell it? In some ways the cheap gear is the easiest to keep, because u basically get very little back for it. Nothing a days work couldnt sort out.
I’m kinda into that at the moment. just a few cheap tools that can occupy me creatively and keep me exploring until another item gets added to the chain down the line
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Same here! It’s deliberately designed to evoke the same relationship as working with a TR-606, MC-202 etc… Simpler, direct instruments but with a depth that is larger than the sum of its parts. (Although the Cycles is a lot deeper than that stuff)
Like for example, some say that the MC-202 has “one sound”, but when you start finding little loop holes in that structure - for example the resonant filter keytracking, how intricate that is - it’s exciting and you also realize how each little exploit like that opens up a dimension of sound shaping possibilities that you didn’t notice at first.
Some tricks I love on the M:C is invoking noisy sounds by using the LFO at max rate with random on the pitch, that alone can break out of the very clean character of the unit. Pair that with the internal clipping used just right - it’s very interesting.
Also, the Chord for example has a very different world of sound, it’s inherently much softer due to the wavetables being made with additive synthesis - using that for stuff like Kicks, Hihats, percussion … It’s a lot of fun.
In simplicity I tend to find myself finding the most interesting solutions and that really aids my creativity, I personally like that sense of reward, paired with the immediacy of the instrument. It’s a good symbiosis I believe.
Anyway… I’m rambling. Glad you guys enjoy it, looking forward to what the Model:Cycles music will sound like a year down the road - I promise you that it will be completely different in sound. 
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Off-topic, but someone near me is selling one of these for an almost reasonable price, and I’m somewhat tempted…
It’s the chiptune mindset 
push everything until it seems like it can’t be pushed any further, then keep going.
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@Ess this is very apparent and a testament to your success in taking this approach, I find it very refreshing and look forward to your future ideas for machines.
I think it was Richard James who once said something along the lines of working with dedicated task/timbre specific instruments where those are carefully curated VS working with an all-in-wonder box is analogous to building a hi-fi from separate components VS buying a off the shelf all in one system.
BTW that BD machine in particular puts you in the hall of fame in my book.
@J3RK said he’d like to see model:acid and I agreed that it would be great, the perfect antidote to all these unimaginative clones, maybe worth a thought, I reckon it would be popular and your take on it would be very interesting 
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yea, the kick is sick 
and yes, model:acid please 
Chosen Lords.
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It seems to become trend here, but I‘m also after simplifying things. less features
both models are great contender.
The roland boutiques are still tempting to me too. The sh01a and tb03. I know these sounds are old and overused but I realize that I‘m often after these actual sounds when I‘m creating a bass or lead on much deeper synths
the samples looks like a even more simplified version of what I liked about the DT.
I probably would still sell it again, due to too much overlap with the OT 
Great synths though, and even go beyond the originals.
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This is kind of what I did. For the amount of time I have for music right now, the Digitone is a bit too complex. I have a ton of depth in my other gear, nice to have a jammable drum box to go with it.
I’m finding that the one thing I absolutely do not want with the Cycles, is the Model:Samples. They’re both great, but to my ears, they share the same compressed and somewhat tight sonic characteristics, which is great - you get a great platform to build on, but it remains somewhat small in terms of audio space.
But samples add tremendous texture, so I’m pairing it with my Blackbox now instead. A fantastic stereo sampler, one shot player and clip / loop player device with a stereo input and great midi sync. It brings a wider field to the mix, a layer of functionality that makes a lot of sense for samples, and also a compact recording environment for final mixes once a track is done. The Blackbox got three stereo outs (or six mono), so once it’s all in there, I hook it up to my SiX for final touch and primitive mastering, and then record the result.
The SiX can really open up a track when you use all the channels for summing, so I’m looking forward to seeing how the Cycles will grow as it travels through the SiX.
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compressed sound characteristic? on the m:c? We must be hearing very different things… To my ears the m:c has enough headroom to sound open if you want it. There is nonlinearity baked into the sound engine so you need to keep levels low, IIRC ess said that values over 70 on the VOL+DIST introduce nonlinearity (?)
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My naughty impulse DK purchase just arrived (christ, the DK weighs a tonne for its size ) and I really can’t wait to pair it with MC.
I’ve spent a good few years with Elektron gear and kind of always felt I needed 3 boxes to scratch my OTB itch and produce stuff I wanted to make. Got a feeling DK/MC should do the job nicely with plenty of flexibility.
To be honest, I’ll probably go all GAS crazy and will add a DT/MS at some point too but let me have this zen moment for at least a couple of hours…
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Compressed, as in a compressor getting to work, in a good way😊sounds a bit like the Digitakt compressor on subtle but neat settings.
Absolutely agree with your numbered list I was so uncertain it would be a keeper the first day or two but now I really love it… limitations and all.
I’d still quite like to be able to do just a couple of other things with it that it can’t do like plocking panning and vel pressure retrig for example… or did I just miss it having read the manual 3 times already?
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Interesting. I am not hearing it