Curious - after getting into these Volcas, I’m hyped on fun little things. But I always had it in my mind I’d get a Rytm. I currently have an OT and A4. Recently sold my MD-UW.
I’m just curious - if you had to choose, which one would you recommend.
I’m looking for some extra drums to supplement what I get out of the OT and A4. I also use a Volca Beat and TR-8. But not only drums, but I want to have some fun…
I’ve owned both the Rytm & OP-1.
I would say the OP-1 is far more fun than the Rytm, particularly if you have other Elektron machines. It’s so unique it really forces a whole new way of working.
It would be fun to load up your tape with bits and pieces, then export them to .wav and load them into the OT to mangle.
I can honestly say that ignoring money, I’d take the OP-1 over the Rytm 100% of the time. It’s not that the Rytm isn’t a great drum machine, but I don’t think you’re going to break huge ground or do anything you already can’t do between the A4/TR-8/OT/Volcas.
The OP-1 on the other hand will give you a good creative surge just owing to how it changes your workflow.
Oh and programming drums with the endless sequencer yields some pretty killer results.
Two vids I really like (same guy):
i haven’t had an op-1 so i can’t speak to that…
i do have a dark trinity and think its capable of almost anything
and honestly…i don’t even need the OT
rytm and a4 is perfect for me
i kinda want to switch out the OT for an op-1 though but not the AR. they gonna have to take that one from my cold dead hands
I have a Rytm and A4 and have not personally used a OP-1 but like most of us I’ve been curious about it and have watched a few videos of it.
The Rytm, for me, is an amazing sounding drum machine. The sounds it creates are just ridiculously awesome. It out of the gate is the best sounding drum machine I have ever heard and the difference between it’s analog engines and digital machines can be noticed. There is a 3d depth to the sound that I’ve never heard in the digital domain and certain things like Overdrive make the Rytm sound HUGE and yet very natural.
It’s very easy to get a drum mix going that sounds ready to record without a ton of processing, EQ and effects. It just sounds good from the get go.
The only downside is the general Elektron way of Projects, banks, patterns, kits can be a bit of a workflow slower and the lack of tempo per pattern is annoying. Easily solved though by having another device, or your DAW provide tempo. Not sure how sequencing works on the OP-1, but p-locks on the Elektron devices are great for sound variation and very easy to do.
Like I said earlier, I haven’t heard the OP-1 in person, but after having watched some youtube videos , I don’t think it sounds great. It sounds just alright. It does however, look like a bunch of fun, and I love handheld music making pieces but I personally wouldn’t buy one because other things (like the Rytm) to me, sound much better.
Well for my mind its a toss up between the OP-1 and the Octatrack for the best instrument ever - the Op-1 just sounds incredible - its quirky yes but its non traditional way of doing things forces experimentation. And its the perfect tonic for the mindbending octatrack OS (someone somewhere is laughing).
The Rytm I will own no doubt - it seems to me the pinacle of Elektrons machines. Samples with the analog synth engines is brilliant. I wish oh wish I could snare me one.
Owned an Op-1 and sold it due to the lack of a file system. Currently loving the RYTM. Very different machines.
The OP-1 is great for sketching ideas and highly portable. Not for everyone though.
You won’t be disappointed the AR as this s a modern masterpiece and still has room for implementing new machines/features.
I would suggest maybe get an OP-1 second hand first, try it for a few weeks/months and then sell it if you don’t gel with it and then get the AR.
I had an OP1 but sold it after a couple of months. It’s a lot of fun but I just couldn’t get past the whole “it’s like a slicker ipad with audiobus” thing. Since selling I’ve picked up a Rytm and I don’t see myself parting with it.
A Rytm isn’t as fun as an op1 but it sounds great and is a complete blast with an OT and A4. I think if the OP1had had more keys I might’ve got on with it better but I understand form factor was important in its design and that I didn’t want to add my own controller (defeats the purpose a bit),
i have both and i don’t think they actually come close to each other, making an entire track on the op-1 is a real challenge in itself due to the “tape” based system, it’s very easy to stuff things all up and there’s no undo so you can fuck up things up really easily (especially when drunk!!) so you have to try and stay a few steps ahead of yourself so you can go back to a “known good” section of tape and also you can only work on one project at a time so you have to commit…apart from those two things being a little frustrating it’s still one of the coolest devices ever made and i’m on my second one (i always regretted selling the first one a few years ago…)
the rhythm on the other hand, once you get into the workflow, is such an amazing piece of kit and i don’t know why it took me so long to get into it…i have no regrets
the file/sample management on it leaves you scratching your head a little but i guess that’s the price you pay for having a superduper lil box like that…
i haven’t really used them together due to the midi host limitations of both but as two stand alone “systems” they blow a lot of other stuff out of the water
I also have both, and I wouldn’t compare them. Both are super amazing, but they are very different.
I used to have an OP-1, it’s a very cool instrument, lovely design, but after purchasing an OctaTrack, A4, SubPhatty, and getting into modular, I found the OP-1 was just sitting on my sofa most of the time, untouched, gathering dust, so I sold it to fund more Eurorack. Now I kind of miss it, not having it there, so I have started considering the possibility of buying another one, during Black Friday or Christmas, but not sure. The big advantage of the OP-1 is like a music sketchpad, though it doesn’t save MIDI. If you travel or commute to work a lot, it’s great. If not… you probably are better with a more powerful machine, like the Rytm.
The Rytm seems like an amazing machine, but I don’t really need one, I think, my bank account hopes, and I’m afraid of finger drumming… Could never gel with Maschine.
I own an A4 and Rytm with an OP-1 due for delivery today.
The A4 and Rytm work well as a pair, and being a bit of an essentialist I’m not looking to add the OP-1 to them (or anything else for that matter), but rather have something to twiddle around as a standalone.
Reports to come…
Playing the A4 with the OP-1 is a real treat. The sequencers on the OP-1 are far different than the Elektrons’ so you get some new sonic possibilities.
Turn on polyphony on the A4 and send the OP-1 audio to the A4 inputs and it’s quite unique what you can do blending analog and digital synthesis.
When I want to save whatever I’m sequencing I just turn on live record on either my OT or A4.
I connect the OP-1 to the OT midi in via a kenton usb midi host. Assign the auto channel on the OP-1 to the same as the OT/A4 and you are rocking.
I usually send start/stop from the OP-1 as well to make it easier to sync up the OP-1 sequencer with the OT/A4
Awesome comments - thanks!!!
Does the OP-1 receive midi? Is it possible to play a drum kit or synth from an external sequencer?
Most of what I see and read discuss the OP-1 sending midi out; but no one seems to be sequencing the OP-1 from a external device.
On the other hand - god I want an AR!
And finally - although I’ve “poo-pooed” on having two OTs, there’s one on Craigslist Seattle and that’s tempting…
yes it receives note and pitch/bend on 1 channel over usb 
I just sold my OP-1. I liked it, for sure. In the end, it just didn’t do what I wanted, the way I wanted it to. For example, I’m trying my best to learn certain standard rules of synthesis, which don’t quite apply to the OP-1 at all times. Also, I really wanted non-linear tape tracks. Although the tape tracks are ingenious, they are also limiting in certain ways.
For me what it came down to was what I used most. I LOVE using my AR and feel I’m getting better and producing tracks I like often. I just wasn’t doing that with the OP-1.
On the flip side the sound tweaking was so fun on the OP-1 (which is also a detractor as well since you can lose precious time this way). The effects were quite unique and the tape can be a most powerful tool if used correctly.
Really though, they are probably so different that it’s almost a lost comparison.
OP-1 is it’s own beast. It’s like having reason in a super fun tiny little keyboard. Everything you need in a cute intuitive package, but has its limits.
RYTM is a drum beats. Analog richness unparalleled with cool sample integration. Step outside of drums and it’s very fun, but is suited to be used with other instruments synths etc. I’m actually recording my RYTM freestyle into the OP-1 right now having some fun that way.
Hi, fist post. Have both, OP for a year and AR for 3 days… They are very diff but share the same “feeling” of “directness”/tweakablity. I did 3 complete songs on OP firtst day, the tape intreface is excellent! Since Cubase ver 1 I never “finished” so many songs in one day! The interface (and druminterface in perticualr) is “driving” u forward!
AR is so nice sounding (fat, big) and u can tweak and mangle in so many ways, I not to grips with the song-mode yet (I love the tape interface better…) But I’ll sort it out.
If possible invest in both, otherwise flip the coin, u wont be disappointed!
Happy musikmaking!
Thanks, fellas!
Really helpful comments. From what I’m reading it seems the OP-1 is a jack of all trades, master of none while the Rytm is THE master of one!
No doubt they are totally different but at this point I’m leaning towards the OP-1 for the near future and AR maybe next summer or something.
I kind of know what to expect from the AR - it should function like all the other Elektrons do.
I appreciate the idea that the OP-1 can stand alone or play with others. Any Elektron box can stake that claim, but they play better when used together.