Hi there Elektron Gear Experts
I’m a newcomer to the Elektron Gear, and recently decided i need to get out of the computer and into some hands on equipment to facilitate my beat and songwriting process.
Had a change to play with a friends MFB-Tanzbar and decided I wanted to start with something that had a nice step sequencer built in… and would allow me to spin up basic grooves/beats fairly quickly
Initial research has led me here… where I would like to ask.
what should I start with?
I’d prefer to get a hands on demo, but not sure if I can make that happen here in LA, so in lieu of that, perhaps I can tap into your expertise to guide my hand…
I am considering as my very first Elektron piece… either
a) Oktatrack
or b) Analogue (either Four, or Keys)
re: the Analogue(s): i like the idea of the analogue signal path… which I hope should really sound great… and the sequencer, which I hope will make getting started with new projects a more intuitive and less mouse-clicky experience.
one question i have is… does the Analogue do drums … or is it primarily geared towards making melodic patches?
Oktatrack: I understand that this is a more flexible machine, but I do not do well with super complex interfaces, and I know the OT hides alot of functionality that I worry I’d have a hard time getting to… or even understanding…
If you guys have any feedback on the differences, strengths and weaknesses of these two, i’d love to get your feedback.
thoughts?
thanks!
you can do Analog Drums and High Hats as well with the A4. But it`s not a replacement of … or …
Every Elektron Machine can do drums somehow. Each of them has a special charakter or “Soul”.
And if u started with equipment - once - it will not stop.
So the first recommendation is - to get a proper soundcard - before at the end of the money - so much days will remain 
I remember, that I started with a Synth. It had so much pressure, that even the hardest Kick Drum sounded like a fluffy cloud … So I was forced to buy a drum machine also. And this was a Machinedrum.
The a4 is a very well balanced machine. It can accomplish some very tasty drums as well as all sorts of sonic insanity. That said, you are limited to 4 tracks and while you can accomplish a lot within 4 tracks, you have to have a fair amount of restraint. Also, you don’t have midi sequencing which will be valuable as you accumulate more gear. It has CV but if you are new to hardware, it is unlikely you will utilize it at first. The differences in the a4 to a4keys is obvious and little differs aside from the control serface and I/o. If you are a keys player, get the keys, if you want a smaller footprint get the module. You can always control it from any other midi controller if you want.
The OT is a beast of a machine. Capable of literally anything you can imagine and only limited by your samples and more so your imagination. This obviously means that the interface and depth of he machine is other worldy to most, especially being new to hardware in general. If you have a good background in daw work and plugins, you will be able to get some quality samples from the digital realm, and then work them into the OT. You also get 8 tracks to work with in a variety of unique machines ranging from basic samplers to loopers and who knows what they will add in the future. All of this coupled with an additional 8 tracks of midi sequencing and you have a very solid foundation for a hardware centered workflow.
Typically I recommend the OT first as it covers a much more vast spectrum of possibility, but it does require the most time and effort to grasp out of all of the elektrons. This leads to a lot of people getting it and selling it because it’s too deep or confusing, especially if you are new to elektron and even more especially if you are new to hardware.
Tis a slippery slope you are about to get into, but highly recommended. Most people buy 1 and acquire 2-3 more within the first year. I myself ended up with a MDUW, a4, and OT within a 3 month period because they are truly that inspiring. Being in LA, you should be able to find some people here that are willing to demo for you, which is highly recommended, but once you touch one… It’s game over.
