Rats. Still better than nothing tho
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Maybe I do need another digital synth… argh!
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Join me, brother! Join us in the ELZ Borg!
I’m really wanting to see what I can do with just this and a Digitakt(I’ve got a Digitone, but trying to sample and multitrack a groovebox seems a bit pedantic)
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They are developing a new firmware for the ELZ after the Warps comes out as well, the main man told me himself! I’ve also seen it stated by the team on Facebook, they have ideas for what they’ll be including this time! Very exciting to be an ELZ owner, super juicy. The ELZ also already has USB host, I don’t know if everyone knows that! Some of the engines can sample as well!! Don’t know if everyone knows that either.
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I was just thinking that, given this new price drop that they were probably going to be releasing a new firmware for the thing(or that it had reached the end of its development lifecycle).
Very cool! I’ve seen Sonicware trying to get this thing released to the public for many NAMMs, I’m glad(mostly as a buyer) that they’ve been able to get this thing out and make it as financially accessible as possible.
I’m really lookin forward for this thing to come in! I think it was probably your comment a month ago that gave me the green light to go in on this! 
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USB host… does that mean I could plug a USB MIDI (no 5-pin) keyboard directly into it?
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As long as it’s a class compliant usb device (=does not need drivers), that’s what it means, yep.
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Can the ELZ 1 not yet receive incoming midi?
I’m having issues trying to sequence it/send midi to it in AUM
Edit:
Nvm. Needs to be configured in the Menu
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Glad you got it working, and in the upcoming firmware update it’s going to gain the ability to send note data as well from the internal keyboard. Super slick. If you’ve got any ideas for the upcoming firmware, you should send Evan Sirchuck or the anyone on the team a message on FB or through email, they are so responsive.
I think I’m just going to sell it, actually.
I was trying to run the power supply and run it through a mixer and I was getting heavy noise pollution.
Firmware is nice- but the hardware itself feels very poorly done.
Interesting, it’s built like a tank with nice encoders etc so I’m not quite sure what you mean. Were you powering it from usb from a computer or something? That cable is meant to be used with an external battery, so that would explain the noise pollution. I use it with a usb battery with zero noise pollution.
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That would explain it
I hadn’t really thought about that… so, if I’m reading the Sonicware website correct, you could buy one of those OTG adapter cables for a few quid and then you could sequence it directly from the DT’s midi tracks via a USB cable?
Were there any hints as to what that might involve? I backed the Warps Kickstarter and I’ve been following the update videos with growing excitement - so equally keen to find out what they’ve got next on the horizon.
Was this thing good for making percussion with the engines?
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It can be done like on any synth. I don’t think it’s purpose is for that though, due to:
- it being monotombral
- it being purposely a portable synth.
I absolutely need to state this here just because it was a surprise to me.
The power cable this thing came with: it’s a DC port with a USB end. It only works with a USB battery. Plugging it into a USB power adapter runs the risk of noise pollution in the output.
That being said, while it’s intended to be a primarily musical instrument > Percussive, it can do really weird stuff:
Every page has its own modulation option(envelope/LFO) there are a buttload of FX available- when combined with the various modulation options you can get wild really quick.
The internal sampling for waveforms also leads to really inspirational moments.
I’m not the most skilled at programming percussions, but I can’t find any reason why you wouldn’t be able to.
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Always really liked the chippy digital sound of these. Any owners here that can answer some of my questions?
- how long is the battery life?
- how do the keys/buttons feel? They look rubbery but they could also be hard plastic. Are they clicky or spongey or…?
- How quick is editing on this thing? I know some sections have multiple pages of parameters to cycle through but not sure how cumbersome it would be.
- Can you modulate the FX section in any way?
I’m thinking this thing + a sampler like an OT or rytm could be a great combo. Kind of like having an OP-1 but with way more editing options.
Hey all,
I’m new here and also have a question:
In an early review I read that it doesn’t send or receive midi-cc of any type. Is that still the case?
Found out. No midi-cc implementation but it’s due for a firmware update in march.
Got mine a few days ago. Overall very satisfied. Very specific sound character that took me a while to get used to. But extremely fun to edit. It can create sounds I don’t think I’ve heard before in my life, making it the most unique synth I know.
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- Battery is 2.5 to 6 hours depending if you use the speaker and what kind of batteries. A slightly stronger powerbank can run it too.
- They’re clicky, from hard plastic. But definitely a good feel to them. On a long run an external keyboard would be preferrable I think.
- Editing is very quick IMO. Compared to Elektron stuff only 4 vocoders, but no shift button needed for the different menu’s. And the screen helps a lot with providing information, specifically in the extensive filter-section.
Only engine where it gets menu-divy and editing is more complicated is the FM-engine. But that may be more the nature of FM than the machine itself. - Not 100% on effects modulation, but I think no. Ring modulator has some as you’d expect, but that’s in the name.
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Still interested in this thing in 2021. Any good demos yet?
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