I bought a model cycles a month ago and love it, would like to extend the amount of voices and so thought of picking up a second one used?
Does anyone else here own two of them, or am I just being silly?
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Given the ridiculously cheap price of these things I don t see any reason for not getting those extra 6 voices if you have a need for them. Love my M:C too.
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How about pairing it with a model:samples?
You could load it full of classic drum samples/one-shots/single cycle waveforms and away you go?
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The idea of two sounds pretty rad actually, though maybe better to compliment it with something a little different so you get an even broader palette?
But if you do get two I want to hear how it goes!
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Buy instruments, not guns.
Do it
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I’d get a Digitone to add different flavors and a better way to play melodies and chords…
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I understand the impulse to want another one but I think you’d regret it. I would consider pairing it with a different device.
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Bad. Get a sampler instead and sample sounds from cycles into it.
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I say go for it!! If you like the sounds and process why not??!! Brian Eno owns a ton of DX7s and those don’t even have onboard sequencers!!
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Depends on how you use your Cycles and what sounds you would like to get from additional voices.
If you like percussive sounds and want better control over every sound than it’s a no brainer.
If you want to explore more musical part of Cycles than things become complicated really fast.
Do you want to play live melodies? Do you want to control multiple parameters on the fly during live performance? Do you want to automate several tracks at the same time? Would you like to layer multiple tracks to create one complex sound? Would you like to play Cycles as a poly synth? Is one LFO per track is enough for you? Can you carry on without attack envelope? Is there the place for your sound in the mix? Etc.
Answering these questions could lead you to different options:
- second Cycles on its own satisfies your needs fully;
- you would need midi-keyboard with at least 3 octaves (Keystep);
- you would need midi-controller with knobs assignable to custom CC (Midi Fighter Twister, Faderfox, Launch Control);
- you would need Retrokits cable for polyphony;
- you are ok with the idea of sampling percussive sounds and using your Cycles for melodic stuff (any sampler);
- you would need to find the way of bringing additional LFOs over midi (Digitakt, Octatrack, DAW);
and so on.
I have both Cycles and Digitakt and will try to use the latter for additional LFOs. However, I can see the point at which I would rather buy a dedicated synth with vast modulation capabilities.
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I have 2 now and plan on getting a Samples at some point. Definitely not silly. ESPECIALLY if you start sequencing other synths or other external gear with one of the Cycles, then it’s an even better idea.
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I, for one, like this idea. The M:C has a great variety of sounds and just having more layers could definitely be fun.
One thing to keep in mind when getting your second piece of gear is how you’re going to mix the audio together. If literally all you had were two M:C, it would kind of suck, because there wouldn’t be a convenient way to hear them at the same time.
With two M:C, you will likely need either a mixer, or some other gear with external inputs, or perhaps an audio interface with enough inputs to mix in the box.
Just something to keep in mind. Looking forward to entries with multiple M:C in my favorite thread:
https://www.elektronauts.com/t/model-cycles-only-music/122494/929
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Thanks guys/girls for all the responses. Very helpful. I decided to go for it. I’m currently using a minilogue xd to input notes into the first cycles, was going to pick up a cheap used controller for the second one. M-Audio would this work with the Cycles ok? It’s USB powered, would it be better to pick up one with a power supply. My budget is pretty tight. I would like at least 32 keys though. Thanks
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not ideal, unless you’ve already got a computer in the mix. it only has USB output. so you’ll have to capture the midi from that and send it to the M:C somehow. and with this setup, you might need to merge midi data as well…
but you don’t need a dedicated keyboard controller for both. just put each on a different midi channel, run the midi through from one into the midi in of the other. then use the minilogue as the master clock and master controller for both. the only gotcha here is that you’ll have to change midi channels on the minilogue when you want to change which M:C you’re sending midi data to.
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According to some people I know that make electronic music, the only bad ideas out there are keytars and d-beams.
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Cool, I’ll try that tonight. Thanks for the advice.
How do you put each one on a different midi channel?
What’s better than a model:cycles ? Two model:cycles! 
or maybe not? Instead better to buy an m:s. but an upgrade of m:c I think is digitone or better the digitone keys.
I made a cheap digitone keys 
using a reface dx along side to model:cycles and they perfectly fit together 
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