Sfx-6 vs sfx-60

Is it worth getting a SFX-6 over a SFX-60. Are there any notable differences between the two?

Plugging a midi keyboard in to an SFX-60 does everything the SFX-6 keyboard does. You’ll miss the joystick control but you can map that to other midi controls (eg mod wheel).

The other thing is that IIRC all the SFX-6 are mk1 types, so no plus drive or user waves.

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Only 500 SFX-6s made too…

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I found one and was wondering if its worth it.

Well my brother had one way back, it was great fun as we could both play together, side by side, it was definitely one of a kind.
Also the lights above the keys showing which notes are playing was useful for building tracks. The joystick too could totally transform a pattern and was something different.
I’d say if it’s in good condition and a fair price it would be hard to resist.
I’ve kept an eye on the market to get an SFX-6 again myself but things never line up.
If you can forgo the user wave functions as pointed out by @finalform and you have the space then it’s worth serious consideration.

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Oh yeah. Practical/feature considerations aside, it is probably the coolest product Elektron have ever made and I’d love to own one. :okej:

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This. The monomachine was designed to be a keyboard instrument initially and the keys and joystick were integrated into the design from the start, it was only when people started asking for a keyboardless version that Elektron launched the SFX-60.

I had the sfx-6 first then when the mkII sfx-60 came out got one of those too, I ended up keeping the sfx-6 longer because it was much more fun and enjoyable despite not having all the new features of the mkII. In my opinion it was a mistake for Elektron to bow down to requests for a keyboardless version, although I can understand why they did.

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Yeah man the key version looks fun. I seriously doubt there will be another 2 man synth again you can tell it’s from a different time. With 500 made and elektron expanding the direction that they seem to be eventually I reckon these will be highly collectible. I’d say go for the keys if you plan to hold on to it

I’ve heard some of the sounds you could get out of it and was interested. The thought of combining it with the Octatrack is what really gets me tho.

Plugging a full size midi keyboard into a Monomachine is essential IMO. It opens up a very different way of working with it.

Poly mode can really surprise you. A default sine machine unexpectedly sounds lovely.

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Defo a classic design, the Medusa is the only thing I’ve seen that reminds me of the Sfx-6 although nowhere near as powerful, but very different also.
Along with my middle aged spread I doubt my brother and I could play the Medusa together as comfortably :joy:

they’re incredible. sad I sold mine, and I’d love to find another; but usually people are asking stupid prices for them due to the limited to 500 thing. the differences versus the mki 60 have been mentioned (keyboard and joystick). the mkii version of the 60 (a mkii 6 was never made) had improved D/A converters, slimmer case, and the userwave option, with the + drive version offering more storage for userwave waveforms. if you want the userwaves, get the 60 mkii version (+ drive or not). but I think there’s enough awesomeness going on inside the MnM that the 6 is plenty.

I love that elektron carried the keys with led’s above them idea over to the analog keys. it’s very very nice to work with. but one thing about the 6 that the analog keys doesn’t do is sequence external midi. six whole tracks of it, complete with lfo’s and arpeggiators. with that keyboard/led combo, it’s incredible to sequence external gear with. very nice to look at individual tracks while you’re working, press a trig button and see which led lights up, so you can get a “big picture” of your note arrangement/progression. it could easily be your master keyboard and the centerpiece of your sequencing needs. if you predominantly want to sequence mono synths that is; it does polyphony, but it’s very basic.

in short: “It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.”

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may I ask for how much you can buy the Keyversion of MnM? I saw one a month ago and bid for 650max here in Belgium, but someone else bought it eventually for 700. Think it’s still a lot of money considering I bought my Machinedrum mk1 for 350 euros almost 7 years ago!

I’m in Japan and I’ve seen the SFX-6 for around $1400 and the SFX-60 Mk.II for around $1000.

wow sicko prices, that’s thanx to the currency overseas …, I know US people pay lots more for new machines coming from Sweden. But it’s ridiculous what they ask for on the secondhand market. Also thanks to Autechre sysex MnM more and more people are searching for a MnM nowadays so prices continue to go up again.

Especially here in Japan, the second hand market for anything foreign made is crazy.

Something I haven’t seen mentioned, the sfx-6 will be significantly harder to repair if something breaks. Generally, elektron doesn’t offer much cause of its age and they don’t have parts for it. But the sfx-60, is still servicible and some of the final units sold are still under warranty.

Another point to bear in mind is that the sfx-6 has an internal power supply that can eventually start to make a hum noise (purely mechanical not in the audio path) which can get quite loud/annoying, I contacted support to find out the specs and removed the internal transformer and retrofitted it to use an external wall wart the same as the sfx60 mk1, this solves the problem.

The screen, encoders and most other parts are the same as the other machines so most of them should be servicable as long as spares are available.

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I think the consensus is just to grab the SFX-6, you can always move it along…

To me yeah :wink:

Yeah is good to know, I have an old Sunn power amp with the same problem.