That’s kind of a definition of “hard” itself hahah but I get your point. 
I just try to explain why I think there’re people complaining or just giving up with A4.
Anyway, enjoy it! I’ll too!
...Ok but what about the Analog Four? Is it still competitive with the newer generation of elektron?
2 Likes
then keep walking! 
1 Like
For about the first year I struggle with liking the sound of the A4.
Was trying to replace my SlimPhatty.
I was talking about it on here and someone challenged me to find it’s sweet spots and let the A4 be itself.
That was some of the best advice I’ve gotten.
4 Likes
My journey to appreciating the A4:
- Got an A4mk1, liked it but felt intimidated/confused by everything going on. Sold it.
- Focused on modular, learned a lot more about synthesis, how to make better use of envelopes, LFOs, audio rate modulation, filter pings, feedback, etc. etc.
- Wished I could have all that functionality in a more compact box, with the ability to save my patterns and patches (rather than losing everything when I rip out patch cables).
- Realized the A4 was the answer all along. Found a good deal on a mk2 and never looked back.
So yeah, I’m echoing the main themes of this thread, but it helps to have a solid grasp of synthesis techniques before diving into the A4. That seems to be the difference between “wow what an amazing set of sonic tools laid out so clearly” vs. “how do I pull a decent sound out of this hellscape of menu pages.”
17 Likes
Totally!
Unlike the Syntakt or RYTM the A4 is more of a traditional mono with a lot of things/parameters available per voice.
1 Like
A4 is indispensable due to its unique CV out capabilities
1 Like
Yeah, modular really progressed my knowledge about Synthesis way faster then anything could… I had a similar journey but with MNM… still don’t understand the MNM though 
6 Likes
In my area the analog four mk1, for me the one to get, sells as low as 500 Euro sometimes, crazy for a synth like this.
1 Like
Yea the a4 is awesome but I do find the sound can get very weird sort of un pleasant screechy sound with the mk 1 more then the mk2 . It has its own sound which makes me think of a old toaster from the 40s ha ha .
The a4 can do so many sounds and it will take time to get sounds one may want out of it . The synth is definitely a time suck I find my self always fiddling with getting the right sound l.
If you don’t know the a4 well or synths well you can just use all the presets and change em . You can do a preset per step too so it can be easy to get cool sounds out of it since their so many preset patches out their .
Here’s about the first thing I made with the a4. I worked on a train ride from Chicago to Detroit getting the ideas down the. Preformed live few days after. I was fairly new to synths then and used presets to help this was on the mk1 . It’s synth ambient stuff
8 Likes
Do virtual friends count? 
1 Like
Are we talking about the Digitone Keys?
1 Like
my personal opinion - actually about all elektron devices - is that none of the devices directly sounds great. it only sounds acceptable after screwing and tinkering. as cheap as the a4 is sold on ebay, it might be worth it.
i don’t think the rev2 itself is perfect, but it was a whole new experience compared to the a4. meanwhile I have learned that one should understand where a synthesizer has its strengths. and if he e.g. doesn’t sound good in the low range, then you should try another device.
what makes the elektron devices so invincible is the sequencer and the possibilities it offers. but that’s just my opinion.
but honestly people, if you e.g. with which rytm would only take the raw drums and build a beat without much tinkering, that sounds really bad. since my face hung straight down the first time. on the other hand, an old 909 or 808… well, you hardly have to screw it up. and that’s how it is with all electrons somehow. even the digitone sounds totally harsh and shrill on the ears - ouch. something only comes out after a long screwing process.
in my opinion the rytm is elektron’s best so far because it’s really malleable by sound design and it can sound good. a4 is not bad, but not a must have.
like I said, just for me. I’ve had the devices several times and sold them again - you know it…
I don’t know about the models at all, because I haven’t had any of the devices yet.
1 Like
That’s a perfect way to describe it
1 Like
Is it though? The default sound of the digitone is a sine wave.
Even if you have a highly modulated sound there are two lowpass filters you can use. They aren’t hidden or anything.
7 Likes
Wow, did not know that. So the raw oscillators, behavior under modulation and filters - all different from the A4/AR series? Interesting
The A4 is completely different than the AR/Syntakt.
The AR/Sytakt have a psudo VCO vibe but cleaner sounding and more controlled for VCO.
I’m not saying they are VCO’s but they call them that, I’m not sure exactly.
In a way they seems closer to a Moog but not like a Moog. They seem louder up front and more tuned for bass, and have a more aggressive bite. The rest of the architecture is extremely simplified.
The A4 sounds like a smokey DCO. They seem very tame and plain just the raw oscillators. The rest of the architecture is much more complex, more than a lot of popular monos. With the dual filter you can adjust it to make it very loud and bass heavy.
PWM on all waveforms plus a feedback circuit that is really wild.
The A4 is massively different than the AR/Syntakt
The A4 has roughly 12 or so pages of control for each voice, the AR has 5, not sure about the Syntakt
2 Likes
Nope
Stage name is Dr Gabber. And I agree at least as collaborator at mínimum, total keeper ja
Ok so a lot of material to read! This is a very informative community i always value that. Now let me read it all.