Model:Cycles

News
#1575

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.

1 Like
#1576

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 (?)

1 Like
#1577

My naughty impulse DK purchase just arrived (christ, the DK weighs a tonne for its size :joy:) 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…

4 Likes
#1578

Compressed, as in a compressor getting to work, in a good way😊sounds a bit like the Digitakt compressor on subtle but neat settings.

#1579

Absolutely agree with your numbered list :slight_smile: 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?

1 Like
#1580

Interesting. I am not hearing it

#1581

No direct way to p-lock pan.

You can p-lock LFO dest, depth, and speed though, to get around it. Of course that reassigns you’re LFO for that one step, but it works.

1 Like
#1582

And I might be imagining it :blush:

#1583

no but I mean, do you still hear this compression effect if you dial all tracks VOL+DIST below 70? And PUNCH off on all tracks obvs

#1584

Mine finally showed up, in a wet box on the porch. Lucky it didn’t soak through. I’m gonna open mine up and running tonight to have some jam time. P-locking panning is something I do on the reg. So I hear you can use LFO as panning workaround but that seems not as precise as placing at a fixed place in the stereo field. I guess since I plan on tracking in each channel and can always do panning automation in box.

1 Like
#1585

Ah, haven’t tried. I’ll keep this in mind when I return to it for the evening jam.

2 Likes
#1586

yep thanks! I’ve already used the LFO for panning but it’s not the type of control I want to sacrifice on particular sounds that already use the LFO of course. I must admit though I didn’t bother to set it so specifically - reset and timing wise - I’ll try it later and see if I can keep the trigs locked to the same L R positions … I think that’s gonna be a bit of trial and error guess work - fun though!

I’ve picked up things from your tips / feedback regarding the M:S which I’m sure many of us really appreciate :slight_smile: I think I might even want an M:S now too … the immediacy regarding functionality is such a massive plus… I think my brain is rewiring itself.

2 Likes
#1587

Hah, that’s my jam as well. Time is precious. Gotta really make the most of the little time I get now. Cycles is perfect in that sense.

1 Like
#1588

Yeah, it’s an almost philosophical statement as much as it is Elektron’s latest😊

2 Likes
#1589

Naahhhh less isn’t more.
:wink:

Damn right it is!

1 Like
#1590

One thing that is starting to bug me a bit with the model sequencer is that plocking effectively renders the ctrl-all function ineffective. It would be super awesome if an update came at some point which allowed the ctrl-all to also work relatively for plocked parameters.

I have found face melting ctrl-all moments within some of my patterns… but for patterns with lots of plocking, ctrl-all has almost no effect. So then it comes down to having to make the choice - do I try to maximize my programming of the pattern and lose a great deal of jammability, or do I try to keep things as simple as possible in order to be able to maximize jammability? This forces one to make certain compromises.

8 Likes
#1591

Like, being able to layer on top of the p-locks setting.

#1592

yeah… doesnt the rytm performance macros work like that? IIRC you can plock as much as you want with the rytm, and hitting a perf macro still affects those plocks…

Actually, the m:c ctrl-all madness has given me a lot of fun ideas for rytm perf macros that I’m gonna have fun with at some point when I get back to my rytm

1 Like
#1593

Keep in mind…M:C is about 1/5 the price

1 Like
#1594

I wouldnt mind a paid update for relative ctrl-all :wink:

3 Likes