I thought it would be a nice little replacement for my Rytm, because the pads on the Rytm suck anyway.
But to my surprise I found that the workflow doesn’t make sense to me without Kits.
Not because I‘m using preset packs, to the contrary.
But I need those kits to manage variations of sounds.
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Wow , I didn’t thought it would reach the 100 replies! Lov this community BUT long sold the ST and just recently got triggered again by it…then Roland released the SH 4D… boys I love the sound of it especially the Ring OSC ( so Syntakty ) and Cross FM… not to mention the sound palette… I will be back on ST but definitely second hand… AFAIK is too pricey for me now
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Th 4d was something I thought about getting to replace my syntakt but is there a similar amount of control with machines? They do seem similar in a way
The Syntakt was my first Elektron box and is the box I start almost all my music on.
I use the Syntakt primarily as the rhythm section and pair it with Ableton Live through Overbridge. I have a dedicated template for fast working. For the melodic parts, I sequence them with Syntakt midi tracks or use Ableton Live clips (a Push2 makes this tactile). Melodic parts may come from the Syntakt or other software and hardware synths.
I think people who own other Elektron products - particularly the Digitakt - are less likely to stick with the Syntakt. Digitakt users are used to working with post-processed, highly polished samples. Syntakt produces sounds that generally need post-processing to shine. That can make it feel unsatisfying if you don’t adjust your workflow for it.
I know this is an old thread, but I vote Syntakt. 
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I don’t necessarily agree on DT users working with highly polished samples. A DT gives the user way better sound shaping capabilities out-of-the box whereas I feel the ST constrains its users too much within a certain spectrum. I strongly agree on the post-processing part of your post, but that is something I personally wouldn’t want to get a ST for. I could do with a softsynth, a DAW and a Midi controller. Or use NI Machine’s drum synth etc etc…
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I only just got it really so i’m digging throught it but so far Iìm pleased about the amount of control of the machines not necessarely a complex do and the Matrix is indeed useful, overall having a good sculpting time with it
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Going to necro this thread as it will serve as well as any I can find for this question:
I was considering something to pair with Model:Cycles to be controlled by Torso T-1 for bleep/bloop/pluck based ambient music, and to try to fill out the 16 midi channels I was originally thinking a Digitone could be nice. Now I’m thinking Syntakt could work better as it has more voices to use - but I am looking for more melodic sounds as opposed to just percussion.
I have a vague understanding of what the Syntakt can do, it seems like a “jack of all trades” groovebox with more emphasis on drums.
Was just wondering if anyone could chime in and theorize if it might be a good fit alongside the Cycles. Thanks
all of the model cycles machines are in the syntakt so owning both of them simultaneously would probably be pretty redundant
if you were to pair the cycles with either i would definitely go with the digitone
however if you wanted to condense your setup, the syntakt would basically be the model cycles paired with some additional synth voices
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If the question is ever to Syntakt or not…
Syntakt is the answer.
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I totally agree ! Syntakt and M:C together is a poor association imo. Digitone will add polyphony, arpeggiator (very different from what T1 can bring you) and deep, complex sound design.
The T1 is able to generate very complex arpeggios and imo it really shines with polyphonic synths
Digitone is a very special machine. The sound design is a bit hard to understand if you are not used to FM. You eventually make crap thing win DN but you know it has an huge potential, and when you will unlock the DN skill this box will shine. In other hand syntakt is the best rewarding box I have ever meet. You can’t sound wrong with it. You make really fast good sounding beat with it.
I got both DN and ST in the same time and I feel ST is the ultimate standalone box, it’s best rewarding at first but I can’t stop to also go on the DN to try new things.
So, I will say ST if you want quick result, DN if you want lot of work. And don’t forget DT, the ultimate everything. (sample your cycle into the DT and you will go deep)
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Fx block is the best, I feel that’s what makes it stand out from its siblings
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I sold my Cycles once I got the Syntakt as it had nothing to offer that the ST couldn’t.
That could make the price of ST a tiny bit lower, could be nice for you. Although we are probably talking about a couple hundred bucks.
ST has the same chord machine as the Cycles. Apart from this, you’ll need to layer several voices to get a chord, if you ever need it. That said, some sounds are so rich (swarm, analog voices, and even FM) that chords are not often missing.
If you miss the arp, a Keystep is cheap enough and useful anyway.
Other than this, Syntakt can sound from subtle to huge, both in drums and monophonic lines (including acid-like bass lines, glide is plockable).
DN is not that hard to understand. First, there are two filters, so even if you have a very weird sound to start with it’s easy to tame. And there are some nice patches here and there (I recommend @Eaves’) to go forensics and get some intuition and inspiration. It’s not that it takes more time to dial a sound, in reality. It’s more that there are so many parameters you can tweak that you can loose yourself in sound exploration. Which, IMO, is a good thing
Anyway, for anyone liking the Cycles, I would advise to upgrade to Syntakt, most definitely.
It’s the kind of self-sufficient machine that does it all and sounds reeeeal good right from the start, with sufficient tricks to feed you for ages.
And having a lower number of grooveboxes is an advantage, it helps keeping the focus.
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Thanks for all the information.
I still want both a Syntakt and a Digitone…from browsing threads here it sounds like a lot of people have all the boxes so I guess I’m not alone.
Even if the Syntakt is objectively a straight upgrade from the Cycles, I love my Cycles so much I’d hate to part with it. I love how small and light it is and it makes me feel like I can move it around and not have to be too delicate or precious about it.
I may well end up getting the Syntakt as more of an “expansion” to the Cycles because my main goal is to go from using 6 of the Torso’s MIDI channels to 16, so that would help me do that.
Or if I have enough money and space I might end up with an ST/DN pairing.
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I used to have a M:C and sometimes wish I hadn’t traded it, even though I have a Syntakt which I regard as a “more powerful M:C”. The M:C is everything you said: light, feels like you can move it around, not worry about being delicate about it, and it’s an incredible machine. On the other hand, even though I have a protective carrying case for it, I hesitate to bring the Syntakt places b/c of its weight/size and fear of damaging a much more expensive (and presumably more fragile) device.
If you like it, keep the cycles, even if you do end up getting another device.
As others said, Syntakt and Digitone is a killer combo, and one could consider to feed the DN back into the ST and be free to choose on Pattern basis wether or not to send it through the ST’s FX block or not 
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You are not forced to use all your gear at the same time. You can have a syntakt and a cycle and use one or other depending of the feeling.
You certainly own many screwdrivers but you wont use everything when you want to build something.
There are tool you will use everytime and other just as needed. I see my gear like that.
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Exactly this. I have three main hardware boxes (DT/DN/ST) and a couple of secondary ones (MicroMonsta 2, Circuit Mono Station) sitting on my desktop right now, but typically I will use between one to three at most for any particular session, depending on what musical direction I’m going.
That said, Bartizanier’s mention of the ST/DN pairing can be a sublime combo for pure synth horsepower and complementary capabilities. It’s certainly a go-to pairing for me.
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As I understand it the ST does not possess the Compressor that the DT has, with that in mind is it really able to compete as a “mixer” when paired with another device, or is the DT head and shoulders above for running other gear through?
On the plus side ST has midi controllable analog filters and drive (which does technically compress a little) for inputs. On the minus side it can’t do 2 independent levels, pan, or sends for the 2 inputs, just mono/stereo option. When I’m working with one input I prefer Syntakt as mixer, with 2 inputs, DT.
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