Need Advice On Analog 4 MK2, DSI rev2 or Other option?

I have to disagree with the characterization of the rev2 as a 20th century old-school synth. I’m currently death-matching it against an OB-6 right now (only one can stay). The OB-6 sounds “better” to my ears but very much fits that 20th century description of yours (for me). I mean synths in general are 20th century tech, right? but the Rev2 has this hi-fi sheen though that makes it sound almost like a digital synth that I can’t get from the OB-6 (or the AK & presumably A4). With the noise & audio mod + seemingly endless modulation possibilities, it can get gritty/dirty though as well whereas the AK, you have to live with that dark sound, which for me isn’t all that exciting until wrung through the Elektron sequencer, where it becomes really special.

The price of this versality though is the Rev2 lacks character.

If I was only allowed one hardware piece & had to choose between Rev2 or the AK, I would go with AK though. I do dislike programming it though … too much menu diving right now for me.

If your aim is soundtrack music, you’d be better off getting something else entirely. Forget the Digitone, Rev2, etc & just get a Yamaha Montage … subtractive synth + the most advanced hardware FM synth currently on market (there’s your rev2 & Digitone taken care of). Unless you’re scoring Stranger Things, not having real analog probably isn’t that important or even noticeable. Montage isn’t a full traditional workstation but your MPC Live can take care of those aspects like sampling, etc.

too late rev2 has been gotten

and i love it personally

just looking for a number two synth to pair with it the same way i pair soft synths togtehr

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…if ur into scoring…check omnisphere…this plug in sounds so “expensive” and is a must have standard tool for everybody doing sound on pictures…and i’m not saying, with this one u sound like all the pros do…it’s an unbelieveable versatile plug in with highend fx, high end modultion options and works also in basic concept with pairs of sound, as u mentioned, that compliment each other in blending with each other to become together one beauty of a sound…really great and endless basic soundsource…
and whatever u do with it…it will sound expensive right away…promise…

but to ur question what goes with what…well, asalso mentioned here already…there is no such thing…
but if u got the rev2 already, adding another analog timbre to it, would not be my first choice…

and i also use lots of doubling ups, where different sources make one sound in the final arrangement…
even drums are most of the time blended here…

so, i can’t tell u what would suit the rev2 best…but i can assure u, any digital synth will do pretty fine with ur analog polyphonic monster…

my a4 and my dtone work pretty well together…no matter what i do with them…
and since elektron was such a big game changer for me, years ago…of course i recommend their tone full on…dtone is fm synthesis at it’s best and can be tamed anytime with some classic subtractive games like nice filtering…and as u might know…fm once was invented to reproduce any kind of sound out there…and was always a pain in the ass to program…

but what elektron did with this little box, was to get it just right with all these different constantly manipulating each other sinus harmony ratios, that programming became soooo much way beyond any dx7 thinking…no comparison possible…
and i really hated all these glassy plastic e piano belly bling sounds with that little string tail from the dx back in the days…uargh…they drove me nuts…really…and end of the 80ies they where literally EVERYWHERE around u and all over the place…

so, if u ask me…spend ur reason daw an omnisphere license…and get urself some hardware digital synth from sweden…
don’t think digital hardware would not also make a huge difference to plug ins…
so same here…the dtone is not only a great soundsource to lay ur hands on…it’s also hosted by the same sequencer as the a4…

oh and by the way…in omnisphere u’ll find ALL classic synth of history…all super duper multi layer sample mappings ready to go and to. edit in detail further on…
and in many cases, even better than the real thing…

If you want a monosynth you could go with…

…Moog Subsequent 37
…Moog Grandmother (less bells and whistles than the subsequent but sounds amazing to my ears)
…Moog Mother 32 (most limited Moog from this list, nice Oscilator though)
…MFB Dominion 1 (a BEAST of a monosynth)
…Dreadbox Erebus (for Bass and Leads)
…Dreadbox Nyx (for Leads and Blade Runner type pads/atmospheric soundscapes)

If you want another polysynth you could go with…

…Novation Peak
…Elektron Digitone
…Korg Prologue
…Behringer DeepMind (not really my cup of tea but some people love it)
…Dreadbox Abyss (4-voice poly only but Dreadbox makes awesome synths)

If you have money to burn…:

…Waldorf Quantum
…Sequential Prophet X
…Moog One (lol)

If you want four monosynths or a great 4-voice polysynth for pads, lead work and atmospheric madness…

…Elektron Analog 4 (I can’t get good bass out of it, but for everything else it sounds great to me)

On to some general advice:

Your Rev2 has a particular sound (that aggressive, fuzzy DSI/Sequential sound) that in a way is the polar opposite (relatively speaking in synth terms) to anything Moog (“rounder”, deeper…). So if you want to go for diversity, maybe don’t get a Pro2 (which is awesome also!). Of the Moogs, the Subsequent is somewhat more aggressive sounding (or capable of it), while the Moog Grandmother is semi-modular (hence: you can patch its parts into each other in almost any order you like, allowing for very interesting and unusual sounds) and has a lush sounding spring reverb integrated…the MFB Dominion 1 has its own sound entirely, and is really a great monosynth all around! Check out Nick Bates’ review on SonicState (YouTube) to get an idea of its sound (or watch Nick review any of these other synths also).

The Dreadboxes are both fairly cheap (especially the Erebus - and even more so if you buy used) and sound fantastic, with their own sound also. The Erebus is creamy, very “analog” in sound, with a notched filter that can go mad if you want it to. The Nyx has a splash mono reverb integrated which just does something to the sound that pushes any patch into Blade Runner territory!

With the polys I listed…well you can’t go wrong with either of them, but you already own a Rev2 so not sure if you need another…if I had to choose a SECOND POLY for you, I’d get you a Digitone, as that’s FM synthesis and thus is capable of different sounds (and sounds different) than your Rev2.

If you have money to burn and want a Rompler (read: NI Kontakt in hardware form) that can do lots of different high quality sounds (strings, piano, outthere…) the Prophet X is a beast…but so is its price.

Lastly the Elektron Analog 4 IS amazing and it is exactly that combination of sequencer and 4 voices that can all be sequenced independently(!) that makes it so powerful. As a synth the A4 is very deep. And the Elektron sequencer is obviously the bomb, even for chord/harmonic sequencing (4 note max per step, which is limited but works out perfect with A4’s capabilities). In a harmonic scenario, the p-locks really can spring chord progressions to life by bringing movement and diversity to the chords’ sound (you can also do this stuff with an LFO, but p-locking allows for more/different control).

Have you listened / played with any of these synths in person? If not you should really do so. It’s usually the combination of sound, features, user interface / user experience design, and the personal “Oh damn I feel this” factor that make a synth great for you. The greatest synth is no good if its layout doesn’t inspire you to program and play it.

Also you should really think about what the purpose of each piece of gear you want to acquire is! Otherwise you can quickly get paralysed by all the options out there (or buy three boxes that excel at the same thing but offer no variety).

It’s hard to give you a specific recommendation when you only ask “which one is better?” because it all depends on context and purpose for the most part. Eg “which is better for bass?” or “which is better for orchestral scoring?” will still not produce absolute truths but maybe a little more specfic & hopefully useful answers :slight_smile:

Hope this helps.

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Don’t forget a Drum Machine as its foundation of any track if you want that low-end, tuned elements and Layering YOUR Drums

I would say for anyone that’s the first thing to get.
If you want to stick with sample - that’s your choice… it’s another option.

:elan: ANALOG RYTM

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Funny, I love my A4mkii for drums and synth, but struggle to get the right bass sounds

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usually it’s relative to what is a BASS for someone… How is the Bass is designed through ? Headphones, Monitors… and what’s we’ve been addicted through the years to listening sounds with so many more transients shaping, compression, eq etc…

The analog Four don’t have that on board. But, there’s few things to get the bass right. Using the right OSC configuration, using Filter(s) properly, using Bend or Pitch modulation half the amount of a kick or less just a bit, choosing the right Envelope shape, using resonance to get more frequency response exactly where you needed to… Using feedback OSC1, NEI on OSC2 to get extra gain… or Distortion. Using LFO in FM mode can help for some type of Bass…

More ? Layering your Bass with a triangle filtered (close to a sine) but by layering you will have more options to mix your parts (use track sounds to check in A4 polyphony configuration and check track 1 and 2, 1 for the SUB sine and 2 for the upper part of your bass design) you can use also Filter self resonating feature to get a more clean sine wave as a Sub)

Unison is also a big part when it comes to Bass and it have to be save in Kits to get back those A4 special configuration and effects when you want to recall a sound where the config and FX tracks are part of the design on one sound.

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What good bass is…totally a matter of opinion, agreed. I mostly use my own bass guitars into OT anyway and I haven’t had my A4 very long, so…

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February the 18th I will upload a booklet on Low-end specifics where I get everything I find for that matter. You have my Low-end 101 in file section also you can stick on every bass patches I made and understand some “basic concepts” applicable on any synth.

Check file section, filter on Analog Four/Keys and check Lowend 101 for mk1 and mk2

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Whoa, sweet!

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@hausland @Snipecatcher

i will give more informations on this thread - and there’s articles on some “basic concepts” alongside the post

But I perfectly understand your struggle as I feel the same when I had my MK1, bought few years later an MK2 and decided to make a pack and a booklet to explain simply but progressively what we can reach within the analog four design and signal patch in the low-end territory

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:heartpulse::heartpulse::heartpulse::heartpulse: :slight_smile:

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Hausland thanknyou so very much for taking the time out to give your opinion

This is very very valued and rare but if information

Thank you again

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I’d love a Rev2 16 voices desktop !

I think there’s no interest in sequencing A4 with Mpc Live only. Trig conditions, plocks / soundlocks make all the difference.

I had these + Mc 505, 02, Sp555. No regrets at all. Crap sounds, maybe the Mc909 is the best but huge / heavy and the arp was not interesting.
Sp808 was interesting, but with a bad sound quality (32khz). Sp555 : I can’t call its sequencer a sequencer, maybe an event recorder…and no CC control of fx, useless.

I bought an MC307 3 years ago again mainly for the really good synced arp, sold one month after.

Maybe a little nostalgia for the first one, the Mc303, but it’s maybe the worse, with the Mc02.

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If they did a boutique sp808 I’d grab it in a heartbeat. Small, Lofi samples, with the effects to match.

For sure ! Even in sound design the sequencer is all about on this Analog Four GEM that’s why I really think a project for a Soundpacks, 128 kits for 128 Patches… is the best way to design sounds (Sound Design outside the song context)

some important Sound Design tricks on the sequencer put the Analog Four in another territory of Power. Judging A4 on a simple Soundpacks without getting further with the sequencer is missing where the A4 shine. And it’s the same for all other Elektron Devices.

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I think Ive made my mind up

Sub 37 WITH a Analog 4

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You could buy three used AS-1’s for the price of a Sub 37… just sayin’.

The AS1 is Not great to Program. Sub37 has a one knob per function Interface.