The Elektron machines you have owned - rank them!

Elektron Gear
#235

OT Mk2 (sold)
OT Mk1 (sold, repurchase, and sold again)
DT (sold and repurchased)
Heat Mk2
Heat Mk1 (sold)
DN Keys
Analog Keys (sold)

The OT is my favorite machine, but doesn’t really serve me at this time.

The DT is incredibly fast and fun to get rhythms going. Love the simple layout.

The Heat is a magic box, kinda like an Eventide H9. It just makes everything sound better, especially the OT and DT.

DN keys is still new to me, but sounding good, fun to use and works great as a master keyboard.

The Analog Keys was a great master keyboard, too. Love the CV outs. The sound of the board itself never really gelled with me that much.

Btw, all these machines are great and good music can be made with all.

#236
  • OT MK2 (I’ts my love/hate box, very good for experimental stuff what I like, but sometimes the setup of functionality is a bit hard to do).
  • MonoMachine (sold - because it was shelved a year. Altought I had fun with it, I’m not a synth keeper just for the sake of it. Yes it had something special, but better let go if not in use).
  • Digitone (sold - no kits and problems using it as module)
  • A4 Mk2 (sold - could not connect)
  • Digitakt (sold - I could not connect that much with it)

So yes, the Octatrack is my only Elektron left.

#237
  1. DT (I just don’t have any complaints about this thing and everything makes perfekt sense)
  2. MNM (It’s super fun to explore this metal mystery box)
  3. DN (Less explorative but awesome sounding in very few steps)
#238

AR :facepunch:
AK :metal:
A4 :+1:

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2 Likes
#239

What did you not like about the A4?

I’ve found myself using it loads over the past year on my stuff…

#240
  • :hearts: :1st_place_medal: :hearts: Digitone: I got one as soon as it was released to replace my Cirklon + Roland boutiques setup.
    I enjoy its workflow and sound desing capabilities. I was able to play a couple of livesets at work and Twitch with just that single box.
    The perfect Elektron box for me would be a Digitone with at least 2 more tracks, optional kit capabilities and quick access performance macros.
  • :2nd_place_medal: Digitakt: Just like with the Digitone, I enjoy the workflow and sound design. I sold it when I realized a Digitone was probably enough for me but I recently I got one again, I still struggle to use two Elektron boxes for live performing though.
  • :3rd_place_medal: Analog Four MKII: It was too complex for me when I got it a few years ago so I ended up swapping it for a Dominion 1 that I’ve already sold.
  • Analog Four MKI: Got a cheap used one. I didn’t like the small and dark screen so I soon replaced it with the MKII.
1 Like
#241
  1. Digitakt - just brilliant
  2. Monomachine - porbably shouldnt have sold. a classic
  3. Machinedrum - one of the best drum machines I’ve ever had
  4. Analog Rytm - struggled & struggled to get classic sounding analogue drums - failed. Sold. The Digitakt does the sample side now instead
  5. AnalogFour - terrible, woolly nonsense. Ended up just using it as a sequencer - sold.
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#242
  1. Monomachine, best all-over digital synth EVER, hands down!
  2. Digitone, best “pure” FM synth EVER
  3. Machinedrum, the best and most techno-gritty drum machine
  4. Rytm (mk1), the best all-round drum machine

Monomachine is just such an amazing instrument, the more you dig the better it gets… And machinedrum; just imagine it still gets OS releases and hardware built for it (thanks Justin!) :star_struck:

2 Likes
#243

Let me just preface this by saying that whenever I’ve sold an Elektron, I’ve ended up regretting it…

  1. Digitakt (owned two, sold two. Dummy)
  2. Digitone (have the keys but I used to have the original)
  3. Octatrack MKI (great thing, but I guess something made me think I didn’t need it anymore)
  4. Machinedrum UW MKII+ (had it, stupidly sold it to fund something…)

Digitakt though, I think it’s such a great device, I’m probably getting my third soon as I miss it a lot.
The sound is so crisp, and the versatility and craziness that thep-locks allow for…

Next up I’d love to try the Monomachine. :slight_smile:

#244

Octatrack mkii, amazing
Machinedrum mkii with megacommand, amazing
Digitone, would be number 1 if it had kits
digitakt, sold it

#245

Still having all of the Elektrons listed below. But since I don’t have enough space I’m exchanging a bit my setup from time to time:

  1. OT MK1: My all time favourite and central hub as an extension of my mixer and for sequencing other equipment
  2. DN: Loving the sound of it. Would have struggled with the OT for first place if it would have kits and a song mode. But so the winner was clear.
  3. A4 MK1: Allround weapon for all kind of sounds
  4. MM MK2: A kind of love/hate relationship. Often struggling to come up with good sounds but then magical accidents happen :wink:
  5. MD UW MK2: IDM in a box
  6. AR MK1: This is the machine I’m struggling with most and eventually it will have to leave
#246

Octatrack 9/10. Damn near perfect. 5 years in loving it.

Digitone.9/10 . Bloody superb!

Analog Rytm mk2. 3/10 unreliable, bugs ahoy, no cigar. Got rid of it.

Model:Cycles 2/10. Give me a full elektron any day of the week. I want metal case, black (or silver). With a screen I can read. Sound wise, myeah, not for me. Look and feel, no thank you.

#247

1 Digitakt: usable as drum computer, tracker, sampler, synth or As a complete groovebox

2 A4: brilliant multitool in a CV based environment.

3 MD mk1: haven’t heard any other device doing the same nice techno percussion

Only DT is still in my studio

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#248

:partying_face: Analog Rytm mkII
:star_struck: Analog Four mkII
:face_with_monocle: Octatrack mkII

If I just could keep a single machine, it would probably be the Analog Rytm. I’ve noticed that I easily can create stand-alone songs on this one, something that I have a harder time doing on the other machines. I really like the Analog Four as a complement to my Analog Rytm though.

However, I’m seriously considering selling my Octatrack. It feels a bit dated when it comes to functionality, and creating things on it feels more like a chore than something that I’m inspired by. I really like using it for applying master effects to my songs, but I guess this is something that, for example, a Zoia could do as well.

#249

Did you try to use the OT as a mixer/mangling machine ? It’s very fun !

You can also use the midi arp with LFOs with the A4 to make auto generative music !

2 Likes
#250

love them all but if I have to rank them for how much they make me smile while using them it’d be

  1. DN
  2. MM
  3. OT
  4. AH
  5. AR
#252

#1 AR mk1
#2 Monomachine mk2 (no +drive)
#3 Machinedrum mk2 UW (no +drive)
#4 A4 mk1
#? Perhaps adding an Octatrack (used mk1? new mk2?) soon to the list (to share the place with the AR mk1!)

AR is the one that I’ll never sell.
Completely in love with the output of this machine.
Scenes, performances, mutes, distortion and compressor, dual VCO, sample layers… a live performance horse.
Perfect for my needs.

Monomachine is my modular in a box, it leads me often to the unexpected results starting from 0.
The synthesis structure is so different than standard subtractive controls that I’m less biased when using it.
Each control have some “magic sweet spots” that lead to sound changes also with +/- 1
change.
Dunno what’s inside that DSP code, brilliant machine!

Machinedrum was the last that I added to the setup, I still need to spend more time with it, but it’s already coming into the same Monomachine territory.
If only the MD and MNM had the newer machines sequencer features… (Yep, currently building the Mega Command for the MD :slight_smile: )

A4 at last position because what I get from it, in terms of unexpected, is less than the Monomachine.
It is perfect when I want standard 303ish, basslines, dubby chords, and so on, but I don’t know, perhaps is the standard analog subtractive synthesis paradigm that doesn’t lead me not that far like with the Monomachine.
Probably I need to spend more time and experiment with it.

#253

I’ve recently bought Monomachine, which I put into quarantine for a while.

All the positive things I hear about them has got me really excited to try it out!

1 Like
#254

Realised I posted a list about 6 months ago but also how much has changed.

#1 A4 mk1
#2 MDUW+ mk2
#3 MD mk2 (sold)
#4 DN
#5 AR mk1
#6 MM mk2 (sold)
#7 DT (sold)

The A4 is so central to how I sequence and process my modular that it’s impossible to imagine being without it now. The MDUW is setup to live sample the A4 and modular as well as still being my go-to drum machine.

The DN and AR are really kinda tied for third. I haven’t had that much time to spend with the AR since getting it a month or so back, so it’s quite possible that will leapfrog the DN. Similar to the A4 and MD, I have the AR and DN paired together. I love that combination of digital and analog.

#255

#1 AK, i want to replace it with A4mk2 (for portability). Just cool synth, and with ARP can do very nice drums. And this is crazy cool
#2 OT mk2. Mixer, ARP, midi station
#3 DT cool sample based drum machine