Having picked up a Digitakt last year & then added a Digitone more recently, I am now considering an Octatrack.
Having used, reluctantly, Ableton for gigs over the last few years, I set myself a challenge of doing a live performance with just the Takt & Tone. I achieved this earlier this month & it was SO refreshing just to have those two bits of kit to take with me.
It also made me realise how much I enjoy sample mangling & the many happy accidents that occur which can be quite magical at times. But I find myself craving the timestretching & extra lfos & other options that the Octatrack would give me.
So my dilemma is - do I pick up a 2nd hand Mk1 or bite the bullet for the Mk2? It seems that people are having more “issues” of reliability with the Mk2 (not sure if this is a myth or reality?). I did see a Mk1 locally for a good price but there were lines missing in the screen - is this an issue that gets worse over time?
Any feedback from those of you in the know would be much appreciated.
Oh, & to be clear, I’m not expecting the Octatrack to be a direct replacement for Ableton, just a different way of performing.
As the mk2 is still very much within its warranty period, I would suggest that is the model to get. If there are lots of complaints about build quality etc. then elektron will sort them out. If you go for a mk1, the most recent ones are well into their warranty period and the others likely past it.
I got mine for $650 used. That much power for so cheap- how can one decline?
That being said, the mk2 has those fun encoders and buttons akin to the DT- if you’ve got the cash to spend the additional buttons will present a more convenient workflow and the knobs/encoders will make the feel of using the device more like a smooth luxury car
I went into my local shop last summer to take a look at the Digitone and potentially purchase one. (I later did, but not this particular day).
I looked over all the Elektrons and had a bit of a play.
The one my eyes and hands kept returning to was the Octatrack MkII. I just could not get over how great it looked and how great the build quality was. It was really just a cut above anything else. There’s just something about it… I figured this was my subconscious telling me something.
