Thanks, the details on your set up are really helpful. I recon I could get a lot out of OT as a drum machine as my Digitone on a thru machine would be doing most, if not all of my bass, pads and leads (and some perc). Add an external fx box on a send/return and I’ve also freed up the need for a master fx channel too right? So that would be 11 tracks, more than enough. If I went this route I do think that eventually I would cave and get a Rytm as well as I just love the sound of it.
I guess part of my concern about the lack of colouring in OT’s sound is that fact that I already have a great platform for clean, digital sampling (Ableton) and I want the piece of gear I choose to offer me something more. But I’m aware that what OT brings to the table is incredible ways to control and perform my music, which is kinda my who reason for getting OTB in the first place. If OT also coloured sound in a pleasing way it would be a no brainer.
You might want to take a look at the Toraiz SP-16 then, check out the thread here.
yeah I mean finger drum in that scene/fx mode and record that into the sequence.
Thanks for the suggestion. The SP-16 looks like an interesting machine.
Been researching OT more intensely this week and I read that the mutes cut of fx tails and long samples - Any one know if this this still the case?
Yes still (and possibly always will be) the case, workaround is to turn track VOL (not level) down. You can also map VOL to an external midi controller which toggles between 0/64 like the Launchpad mini mk3 template I uploaded to the files area does.
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No you can’t record the scenes like that. Only actual trigs.
Scenes and perf is ment as a performance tool. I think you can trigger them via midi though.
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…u got digital charme covered…
…truu analog vibes are missed out yet…
so u can skip the takt for sure…all it’s secret of instant punchyness are normalized mono files…
only advantage for u here, would be, ur faster into it because of it’s simplicity and ur already used to digis workflow…
but once u know plocking, swedish lfo magic and stuff, all elektron gear becomes way more easy to handle anyways…
and if the rytm flashed u right away, why hesitating?
end of the day, u can’t compare truu analog with digital…it’s two different planets…
rytm gives u the option to melt both at once…
but only to make ur confusion complete, the a4 is cheaper, truu analog full on and also capable of any drum and percussive sounds u could ask for…with the option to always go beyond a rytm…
if ur in love with it’s pads…add any simple akai pad controler…
always keep in mind…they all share the same step sequencer grid concept…
so to get something going in any rhythmical repetative carrier fashion is always the same short cut distance to get there, anyways…
and synthesis corrosponding with this sequencer concept is even more effective than dealing with samples…
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in the end all roads lead to modular…
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My $0.02
I do love my Digitakt/Digitone duo. HOWEVER …
The AR MKII has been calling to me as a potential “upgrade” from the Digitakt. If money were no object and I didn’t already have the DT, I might very well pick the AR MKII instead.
But previous posters are correct, the DT puts out exactly what you put in, so if you sample or have samples of warm analog sounds, that’s what you get out. Also, the DT has surprisingly “warm” filter capabilities and the drive is not bad either. Will it sound AS warm as pure analog? No, but I haven’t felt the lack yet.
But that AR MKII is a MONSTER and could be considered the eventual end result of going up through the Elektron line of drum/samplers. Model:Samples to Digitakt to AR MKII (or OT) seems a natural progression.
One thing to note, while the DT does not sample in stereo or have stereo individual sounds, I have not found this to be a big limitation because it DOES do full stereo output with panning per channel and stereo effects.
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Its funny. My road started with modular and it led me to elektron gear. The combination is great.
yes, its nice to combine them. The elektron sequencer is superb and i really like how easy it is to program all elektrons, but my issue is the lack of live controll using a complete ready designed machine with pages, rytm, ot and a4 have performance macros wich is great but i dont like to scroll and pick to make it happen and when i want to change something i have to do it again, and still its not the same as knob per function.
I would need a midicontroller wich is yet more programming and makes me wonder why i dont just get a laptop with ableton+midicontroller. I dont feel connected when using midicontrollers. I find the digi series screen, stripped down functions and UI much more instrumental then mk1 analogs.
So this summer i started building a 2x84hp modular case and found what i was looking for all these years, chosing each module to suit my way of playing. Now i get way more songs recorded because i cant save the patch. I just started prototyping a sort of makenoise rené clone with only logic chips. No menus to dive, no memories to fill, only patches to build and knobs to twist.
PS. Sorry this is of topic
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What he said
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I agree with you about the performance control. I like using the modular for my main performance voices and using the digitakt for drums that can be a little less hands on. You get the knob per function for the most prominent parts and still get 8 tracks of slightly less interactive sample audio.
I have also been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the filters in the digitakt and digitone. One trick I use all the time in modular is taking the filter output and modulating the cutoff of the source filter. You can get some distortion as you turn up the cv level. This is really the only thing I wish I could do with the digitakt filters, but you can get other flavors of audio rate modulation with the lfos going fast.
Yes, samples work best as playback after all. I really like the sound of digis filters. About the audio rate modulation stuff in digitakt, i feel like everything sounds the same because its a steady lfo modulating. Maybe midiloopback could do wonders, but here we go again, in modular i can patch what i want how i want.
To my ears in digis at audio rate it sounds kind of like aliasing no matter the settings or what parameter the lfo is modulating.
But for a solid percussion/drum/rhythm foundation pretty much any sampler is good.
Just leaving an update for those who might be in a similar position in future…
I went for the Octatrack Mk1. I’m very happy with my purchase so far, the sound is excellent, not as warm as Rytm, but as many have said above, the samples translate perfectly. I’m in no way blown away by the overdrive, but it is fine for now… I suspect I will be getting an Analog Heat or something similar (suggestions?? 
) further down the line to add that character that I loved so much from the Rytm. BUT, the most important thing for me is I feel I have options with OT, the filter can pretty much be any type of filter you want, and the insert FX and Thru machines mean that, paired with my Digitone, this machine is all I need to make the kind of music I was previously making ITB with Ableton. I feel if I would have bought the Rytm, I would have ended up needing an OT anyway, because it is so versatile.
And a quick note on the “steep learning curve” - I’ve sure the more esoteric applications of this thing get very tricky and I’m sure my first big blunder is just around the corner, but I can tell you after just two hours of tinkering I’ve pretty much figured out the basics of file structure, making a beat with Flex Machines, routing external audio and the concept of Scenes, Parts and Patterns. I don’t think it is anything to fear provided you do a bit of research.
If anyone is interested I’ll post further thoughts in a few months. For now, thank you to everyone who added to this conversation.
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I was reading the thread and was going to recommend the rytm to you, but looks you already made your choice. The beauty of the Octatrack is even if you don’t like it’s onboard fx you can route out and back in through whatever fx your heart desires.
But it has to be said, the distortion on the Rytm is literally insane. combined with the reverb and delay, maxing everything out you can get into completely earth shattering territory
Yeah, Rytm sounds amazing. I would like that sound in my setup at some point, but I can wait. In the end flexibility won, I already had a failed attempt at getting out of the box with a MachineDrum years ago, because I wanted the flexibility of a DAW and it couldn’t quite get there. I feel OT gets close enough that I can close the laptop happily.
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I just did a comparison of some kicks and snares on the RYTM vs the Digitakt. Interesting…
Few things i noticed:
- Rytms filter is heavier; a LPF really brings out the depth and low end of a kick, while the Digitakt mainly removes frequencies
- The rytms analog overdrive changes a sound, while the Digitakt mainly boosts it.
- Overall the rytm makes things grittier for sure, the Digitakt has a more precise high end on samples.
Is there a comparison vid somewhere that does these things in detail?
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