I’ve really ignored the possibility. Actually I never new you could apply it to any parameters. Really got me thinking now… The MnM keeps on giving
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It is to my shame that it wasn’t until watching a video for some obscure 80’s digital synth (with some clever synthesis techniques, but I forget what it is) that I never considered assigning panning to key tracking. Lower tones to the left, high tones to the right, middle tones in the, um, middle. Not sure if that would work well on general Monomachine sounds - may work better for something really keyboard oriented. But still: I can’t believe I never thought of that.
I sometimes like to use the “Future Retro Zillion” generative sequencer. One thing about it is that it basically only sends note and velocity, so I’ve started looking at tricks with velocity mapping and key tracking assignments on synths to get extra sonic variety when using simple sequencers.
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how do you add the +drive? i cant find anything online about it
This is by far where most of the complaints from new users regarding thin and not so good sounding sounds come from.
What do you mean by adding? If you have a MK2 unit it does have the +Drive. It cant be added.
I have the mkii but it doesnt have a +drive sadly.
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User “Ryan” mentioned not liking ‘the engine method’ for sound design in the “what don’t you like” thread. I started writing this response in there, but I think it belongs more here. And I’m sure we’ve all talked about it before. It ties in a bit with whether one likes the A4 and Digitone ‘sound banks and pools’ and presets, or prefers the collection of kits and engines and machines of the silver beauties. My ode to 
synth machines, which for me, at least, provides the following benefits:
First, the engines / machines provide a great starting point for a sound. Want to make chord type sounds? Ensemble. Metallic percussive stuff? One of the FMs. Etc. It’s not like A4 or NF-1 or other VA style synths I’ve had in the past where there is usually only one “INIT” sound (if you’re lucky - Evolver has no ‘init’ patch) and it’s usually just a plain single triangle wave.
Second, I prefer this to ‘presets’ as some synths have such a wide gulf between that plain ‘init’ sound and what some of the presets are. So it’s hard to shape the presets down into the sound you want, but it also feels like you may never be smart enough to make such a cool sound on your own. The Monomachine gives you a number of different useful starting points that get you halfway to a sound already, without having too many as to be overwhelming.
Third, the machines all have well designed controls for their lone Synth editing page. They had to make everything work with 8 or fewer knobs and seemed to have made really good decisions for most of the machines. Part of me wouldn’t mind deeper sound editing. But part of me appreciates the work they did. And for some reason, I never feel like they’ve dumbed any of the machines down to guide me towards making “good” sounds. I pulled some great harsh noise stuff out of .
There’s a lot of overlap here between the Monomachine and OP-1 which is similar: OP-1 has a lot of different synth engines, with nicely customized controls for each. However, with only 4 knobs and simpler envelopes, LFOs, and effects, I find it harder to get as many good sounds of the of the OP-1 as I do with the Monomachine. But I appreciate them both for this concept. I find it makes the machine fun.
Finally, I’m still mixed sometimes at needing to sacrifice a track for some of the track effects on Monomachine; and I’d love the ‘supervoid’ reverb of A4 and Digitone. But after playing with those machines recently, I’m reminded of just how powerful and useful that Monomachine per-track delay is with all of its controls and p-lockability and ability to be a per-track tuned delay synthesis method that affects no others.
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When the +Drive was introduced, it either came standard or could be added for a price. -fairly expensive- anyway I needed a repair done to my pre +Drive MnM mk2 and asked if getting the+Drive upgrade was still an option and they (Elekton Japan) said yes. They also said they’d do the repair for free if I do the upgrade.
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That’s not correct. The MK 2 predates the +Drive. An upgrade was offered to both the MD and MnM mk2s by elektron, either directly or through their distribution network when the +Drive was introduced.
Not sure but I feel like it was around 2011.
All you’re saying is correct in my book 
Using some good reverb on some of the separate outs really bring MM to another level. It’s been said countless times only because it’s so true.
MM requires to be careful with gain staging, and experiment a lot to understand where to find the sweet spots.
I love it for experimental music, you can get some amazing contrasts between lush and glitches, it’s really self-sufficient 
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Good insights @jshell and @LyingDalai! I’m pretty set on getting the Digitone, and was worried that it might make me want to sell the Monomachine, but remembering features like what was mentioned has reminded me that I should probably keep it
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Some day, I will understand ‘gain staging’, as that phrase seems to come up a lot in reference to Monomachine. But good call on using the separate outs for reverbs. I still haven’t put the separate outs to too much use yet. But now with Octatrack, A4, and Digitone, and an Alesis Wedge sitting around somewhere, I forget that I have a few more options now than I used to.
My live set starts with just the Monomachine playing a thick ensemble string sound that is just beautiful and lush, with an FM machine adding a layer of strange percussive-but-melodic metallic notes underneath it. I love the juxtaposition.
Monomachine has different stages where you can add gain, specially if u are using the internal effects: track level, amp page, effect input, amp page for the effect, track level for the effect,and main volume.
If wanting more amplitud, you happen to add gain in some of the ¨ early ¨stages instead of leveling up the ¨later¨ stages, some unwanted distortion may happen.
This is specially relevant if you are looking for clean hifi sounds, wich is where at least for me , the monomachine shines.
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I have to say I really love the effects!
I also have an A4, wich has a ¨better¨reverb, and i get it, it sounds more realistic and that can be great for many people.
But there is something I love about the monomachine reverb, it is clunky but key to sound design, specially for generating metallic sounds, I also love the chorus
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The thing I like about A4’s reverb is probably not realistic, it just sounds good with the high pass filter cranked up and put into a near-infinite mode. Just adds some light airiness for things to drift off into.
I often use a similar technique with the Monomachine’s delays - high pass filter, let things kindof go twinkling up to the stars.
But after initially not really liking the ‘gate box reverb’ of Monomachine and Machinedrum, I have really grown to love it in recent months as a design tool once I stopped wanting it to be an infinite reverb. I learned on Machinedrum how much more effective it is to selectively send to the reverb effect via p-locks than to use it all the time.
I also suddenly embraced the Monomachine’s compressor effect in recent months. Was initially using it after a SID-based drum track but then I thought “why not run all the tracks through this?” and it added some nice color to the sound and I found I could get some neat effects by using envelope locks to add stutters and breaks to everything.
Another win over Digitone - Digitone’s got the nice A4 effects, but you can’t sequence them at all (you can sequence sends and the per-track overdrive, but that appears to be it).
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But you can sequence FX parameters, with some careful midi track assignments / midi config settings, and a midi cable looping the DN back into itself (with a thru or merge box if you need to also midi up with other gear). Pg 81 in the manual for FX parameter CC#s.
Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right.
had a lovely 3 hours yesterday sitting in my pitch dark studio with the monomachine, on a nice DDRW poly patch with max release time, fiddling with as many different LFO configs as i could imagine. felt like making contact with some sort of extra terrestrial, who at times was very friendly and at times extremely hostile. didn’t think about Overbridge once.
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It’s the two year anniversary of Monomachine coming into my life! I was hunting and hunting for a decent price on a used when suddenly The Great Silver Box Price Drop was announced. I was lucky and managed to get one of the ones that had been sitting on back shelves. They were sold out everywhere pretty quickly!
The Monomachine is one of very few pieces of gear that I’ve named (Sylvia!). She was my second Elektron box after having gotten a Machinedrum about a month or so previous and being immediately smitten. I’m up to five Elektron boxes over that two year span, and Monomachine is still my favorite.
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You should take Syvlia out for a nice dinner to celebrate…
Dress her up nice, table for two at a fancy restaurant, get her some wine, talk sweet nothings into the inputs and don’t worry about the people staring at you funny… 
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Buy her a dick malibu dress
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