I own the Octatrack, use it everyday and feel like I have a good handle on it. Copped a MS last week and absolutely love it! It’s so much fun either by itself or slaved to my OT. The update really gave alot. The sample locking is awesome and you can have different LFO set up PER STEP, nutty. Very enjoyable everytime.
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A relevant question might be: what kind of music do you want to make? There are examples of Elektron being used for most kinds of music, but the design is tailored more towards certain forms than others.
The Black Box sequencer might seem quite basic, but it’s not. It’s just wired in a different way.
You can launch clips, run sequenced samples and run these in parallell with songs (essentially longer loops of stringed sequences). Each sequence section can run on its own on in parallell with the others, and each also has its own step length and duty cycle, allowing for very interesting polyrythmic stuff.
So the list of features is bare. But the combination of what’s there, is anything but.
@tasker: Two kinds of music, really. On a rainy Sunday afternoon making some ambient stuff, with slow beats here and there and it all sounds nice and warm. The other one, kind of retro-EBM-electro industrial (yeah retro, I’m at that age you know 
) but trying to make it sound fresh. The music itself doesn’t have to be that complicated, straightforward beats mostly and stuff, adding vocals to it. Listen to early work of say, Front 242. and recent work of Suicide Commando. With enough material, maybe take it on stage as a support act when my friends are playing, I think I can talk them into it. 
@circuitghost: thank you for explaining, the Black Box sounds more and more interesting!
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It’s da shit.
But I’m a talker. I can sell ice to an eskimoe for the price of diamonds and they’ll feel it was a good deal.
So don’t pay too much attention to what I’m saying
LOL 
In my opinion the thing making me angry with elektron is that every device has its own dedicated features. So if you buy one you missed the techniques of the other one. And so on. At the end of the day you want to own them all to have all the best features set, but than its getting hard to handle them all to do some fu…in music. For me the elektron way is full of both, love and hate.
But a little bit more love
Really? Interesting. A mk1 Rytm would be nice, but I will most likely never get one. A machine drum ditto. I have zero interest in any of the MK2 units, (unless my octatrack mk1 ever dies) zero interest in the Heat, monomachine or A4. Zero interest in Digitakt, and absolutley no interest in the model:samples.
I really dont care that all the elektrons have different features. I dont feel like I am missing anything. As for the Model Samples, honestly, if I wanted a sample player/ drum machine I’d get a second hand electribe.
Yes, a second hand Electribe, perhaps. But what I read about, in comparison with the M:S, clunky menu diving with the Electribe. The M:S seems to be box that’s just easy to work with.
One more question about this. 
Right now I’m thinking about: 1. buying the M:S or: 2. spend a bit more and buy the 1010Music Blackbox. However, there is also this option: 3. buy something cheap second hand. Because I’m just starting again, I’m not sure yet if I want to spend a lot. Suggestions are welcome what to look for on the second hand market, perhaps a cheap drum machine plus synth , with a hardware sequencer? Or there is an older “all-in-one-box” out there that would be suitable? Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated.
That’s right! I remember that being the thing that completely turned me off it
The Black Box just released an update that added granular stuff, as well as substantial midi improvenents.
There’s no way I’d pick the M:S over the Black Box now. A cheap second hand option like a first or second generation Electribe is not a bad idea. But if the Black Box is on your radar now, look closely before you decide.
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You could look into the Sonic Potions LXR which is a digi drum synth that iirc can deal with samples and also has an ‘Elektron-lite’ sequencer.
@tasker: Thank you, I’ll look into the Sonic Potions LXR, I don’t know anything about it.
@circuitghost: Yes, the Blackbox looks even better now, I’ve seen the demo showing the granular stuff. On my radar for sure, but if I get one, I have to take a very, very deep breath just before I hit the “order now” button. And before I do, I want to make sure I’ve explored other options, including what’s available and suitable on the second hand market. But yeah, the Blackbox is really cool. Someone else here said it too about the Blackbox, Christmas may be early this year.
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Ho. Ho. Ho. 
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It’s sold as a DIY kit primarily, but there are people who’ll sell it prebuilt, and I’ve seen it second hand for under £300 https://www.sonic-potions.com/lxr
Red Means Recording’s video overview is pretty cute https://youtu.be/O_7-V6C-lCw
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Go with the m:s lol pretty dope white box & I don’t want any of the other elektron boxes because of the pads
If you are looking for an inexpensive synth/drum machine combo, I always recommend the Minilogue for synth duty, which is analog, and has a very fun sequencer. They can be found for $200 used, $300 new. For a drum machine, I am a fan of the TR-8. Those can be found for $300-$350 used. Also, check out the drumbrute impact, that can be found for around $250. But I think the best combo would be the M:S with the Monologue. They both have very fun, immdiate, and jamworthy sequencers. The Monologue is also battery powered, so very portable.
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Having used the LXR extensively I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for something sample-based. Drum synthesis is really the star of the show. You can layer up a sample on top for some texture or transients but even calling the sample manipulation basic is an overstatement.
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Thank you all for your suggestions. The LXR looks nice, especially with the 60 knobs controller. DIY is not a problem, I’m comfortable with electronics, wayback I made stompboxes and had jobs (not music related) in the electronics industry. Later I changed career and worked in the IT-business. Maybe that’s the reason I don’t like to work with computers that much anymore. For this music project, I have some ideas for DIY I’m working on. It will take some time, though. I don’t want to DIY all the stuff I want to use, and now just get started with something I can buy. Later on the DIY-stuff is a nice addition hopefully but I’m not in a rush with it.
The Minilogue I see quite often second hand. But it seems when I buy two machine that are fairly recent second hand, it’s not really a lot less money than one new Blackbox. Perhaps buying older machines on the second hand market saves money , but those probably have less features.
@Jimmo: Thank you for your reply. That’s good to know.
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