I’m about to buy an Elektron machine but the more reviews and forums I read and videos I watch, the more doubts I get on what would be the best Elektron for me. (not sure if this is good or bad!)
I already own a Microbrute, a Roland Gaia and an Arturia Spark, which is the one I must immediately discard.
I mostly hear and compose electro-industrial tribal ambient tunes with a breakbeat and glitchy touch and I sometimes use drum/glitch loops to fill blanks.
What I need is a machine that gives me whether fat deep or punchy and distorted kicks and snares that I can tweak at will and synth and sequencing capabilities. Also, a machine where I can load a drum loop sample and grind it infinitely. CV outs would be a must.
Is Machinedrum the best option, in spite of being digital? Would the AR give me such tweaking options and glitchy sounds? Does the A4 stand for it?
If CV outs are a must, then the only practical Elektron options for you are the Analog Four or the Analog Keys. Neither of these two instruments is capable of sample playback or MIDI sequencing. No single Elektron machine will meet your needs.
If you want to “grind it infinitely” or get “glitchy sounds” from Elektron then you want an Octatrack. It takes mangling beyond anything else they have. Watch the new video they just posted.
I don’t understand your need for CV, but if you did need it, there are other CV options out there.
OT sounds right, but no CV for your 'brute, but at least you’ll get midi into that, just Note/gate and mod wheel, no velocity, you can use the OT cue tracks as low Voltage cv too, by sending a ~1v signal into the patch points, or use an iPhone lfo for that, OT is the most useful and flexible box imho, but also the hardest to tame, it’s exciting as it’s always a bit beyond you, the others are simples
Ah, the constant conundrum: Which one first/next?
From your description it sounds like a RYTM we be a good first investment. You won’t get CV. But it’s a good way to introduce yourself to the Elektron style sequencer and is a fairly easy machine to get doing cool shit. With a little creativity you can get it doing some crazy glitchy goodness in unexpectedly intuitive ways (try locking the sample Start and End to the pads in performance mode). and the combination of analog Overdrive, Master Distortion and Master Comp into the genre aesthetic you described.
The MDUW, while not being a bad choice, most likely won’t be quite the sonic fit as the RYTM.
The Octatrack would be a good second device. It’s a bit more of an Advanced Elektron User machine. But sounds like it would find a loving home in your rig. It takes a month or two to learn and develop your workflow. A little longer if its your first Elektron Machine. But the time put in learning it pays back three fold. It is the king of glitch. It is the king of live sampling. And to my knowledge it is the only machine built around doing both together on the fly.
Even though you won’t get the CV out, I’m pretty sure once you get a get the AR/OT combo you’ll be happier than a 10 year old girl who just got a dump truck full of kittens dump on her… Maybe less dead.
they are right about the OT being hard as well. i bought a few boxes at once, and sold my OT (not going to sit on unused synths any more)
ive just bought another one back after getting used to the Elektron workflow… for some reason sampling adds another layer on top of the process which throws people…
Sounds like an OT and a midi to cv may be what you need.
I have 2 octatracks and don’t find it difficult to use at all… although my needs are fairly basic compared to some more advanced users.
Obviously it is not a synth, but you can sample synths or use single cycle wavs… I also use single cycle wavs in my emu and sequence it from the octa…I use it as a sample based poly synth. You can also modulate anything you want on the EMU straight from the octa
Thanks people, it’s nice to have such instant feedback.
I was pretty convinced the ideal Elektron to start with would be the MDUW. Sorry if I didn’t make myself totally clear, but what I need first of all is a drum machine which is deeply tweakable, versatile and both punchy and noisy, no need for a top notch sound, but something that can be unique.
Secondly, a machine where I can load samples and loops and mangle them at will, together with a smooth sequencer for live performance. Also, let’s forget about CVs and think more of individual track outputs…
I understand the ideal setup would be OT+AR, but my budget is limited to 1800 euros. Maybe I should start with AR, but I’ve heard so much about the MD’s sonic possibilities that I really could use your advices.
Sorry if I annoy you with this crapy noob talk, I’m sure you’re tired of it!
Thanks again for your welcome.
If this is a list of what you’re looking for then you should be happy with an MDUW. It’s not “noisy” the way an analog device can be, but can create plenty of noise If you’re willing to spend time digging into it, you’ll find it virtually bottomless. More than four years with mine and I’m still finding new ways to create and be creative with it.
Since you mentioned loops, keep in mind that you’ll only have access to 2.5 MB of memory at a given moment. Its working memory can hold a few loops of up to 2-bar length, and they will play back at 12-bit resolution. These factors haven’t held me back but not everyone finds the MD’s sound to their taste.
Since you mentioned loops, keep in mind that you’ll only have access to 2.5 MB of memory at a given moment. Its working memory can hold a few loops of up to 2-bar length, and they will play back at 12-bit resolution.
Thanks dubathonic. Doesn’t the User Wave work this around?
Since you mentioned loops, keep in mind that you’ll only have access to 2.5 MB of memory at a given moment. Its working memory can hold a few loops of up to 2-bar length, and they will play back at 12-bit resolution.
Thanks dubathonic. Doesn’t the User Wave work this around?
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The sampling capability of the MDUW is really a lot more effective for one shots than loops, because you have such limited memory to work with. You’ll quickly max out your memory if you load longer samples.
Still, I think the MDUW would be an ideal first choice given your needs (it was mine, and it made it much easier to start speaking Elektron than if I’d started with one of the other units). You may eventually want to look at the Octatrack as a second device after you master the MD, because like potato chips, you can’t just have one. It might be worth getting an iPad in addition to deal with your needs for longer samples and loops.
If you’re willing to spend time digging into it, you’ll find it virtually bottomless. More than four years with mine and I’m still finding new ways to create and be creative with it.