Yes! I did not have a keyboard, but wanted one to play the synth. I thought it was cool to have an integrated design that calls back to the Monomachine, and the pedal inputs are great too! I love it, but only wish I also had a standard DN to take with me if I need to travel.
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These have been bargains over the last couple of years but prices seem really low right now. There is one on NYC Craigslist for $550. So much synth per dollar…
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That’s my thought too. It’s ridiculous that you can get one for the price of a used Digitone. If I had the cash, it would have been an instant buy.
To be honest the A4 mk1 has a more appealing form factor as well. It’s just the right size.
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Thinking aloud in case anyone in interested: I think the best option I know as a super affordable, decently good sounding and versatile option is the Korg NTS-1. It does not feature polyphony but runs open source oscillators and effects.
And allow me to insist, it is dirt cheap, especially used.
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How do you feel about the mk1 vs mk2?
I got the Korg minilogue XD on the premise that I would use the user oscillator and found the experience to be kind of tedious. But I suppose that depends on your aptitude for mucking about with that sort of thing. Definitely can’t argue with the price.
@dolphin I haven’t played with a mk2 unit but the space it would take up on my desk just disqualifies it from consideration for me. Sounds great though, always enjoy @Eaves videos with the A4 mk2.
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It’s going to be tough on a small budget. Micromonsta 2 is great but you aren’t going to be able to get hold of one soon. Maybe, on this trip, keep making do by investigating VCVRack for a modular simulation, or if you have an iPad or iPhone, there are a number of fairly inexpensive possibilities.
The NTS-1 is one synth I would not buy used. It’s pretty flimsy, and cheap enough to begin with.
Another fun option is a pair of Monotron Delays, particularly when they are < $50.
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I would like to get rid of the computer manipulation, so VCVRack would not be better than the plugins I am currently using, from my perspective.
The iOS route is a cool idea, but I fear the MIDI connection makes for big dongles or boxes (like an audio interface), which in my case does not solve much 
I love the Animoog app though, I should try to connect it to the Ot at least once, it could be fun!
I liked the idea of the nts-1, but in practice, I disliked the user experience. Too small and fiddly and the fact that the dials didn’t have a catch option, meant that it was really jumpy. I sold it.
I have the mk1 and keep thinking about the mk2, but as mk2 prices drop, so do mk1 prices, and the increment isn’t yet worth it to me, considering the hassle of selling. But sooner or later it will happen, I suspect.
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Considering the point would be to control it externally basically all the time, I’m hoping this would not be a problem? I may be wrong though, I am not sure how much can be done by simply sending MIDI to it.
the screen is definitely an upgrade, but what else? the ‘improved’ distortion?
So great to hear you love the digitone keys. Seems like such a cool instrument.
Considering getting a syntakt plus arturia keystep so I can have some mobility… (vs digitone keys)
There’s a lot you can do just within iOS. I don’t have an OT and I don’t know which model you have, so I don’t know how far you can go with just a USB connection. But maybe forget about MIDI and just use the OT to sample/mangle sounds coming from iOS?
It’s a MkI. On the sampling side, I’m already well covered I think. I like to use single cycle waveforms to create fake monosynths for instance. The goal I would really like to achieve is basically to leverage the MIDI tracks on the OT to create some sort of « synthesis module » inside the Octatrack.
That’s low on my list, as is the improved bass response (though I wouldn’t sniff at either) and the separate outputs which I would probably never use. The button style, the increased number of buttons, the better CV handling. Larger size is probably a negative but not a big one for me.
The A4 is great. But it’s a deep machine, and it doesn’t need an OT to keep it company. I have both and I’d rather go A4 + Model:Samples, honestly.
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oh yeah, definitely worth considering a model:samples and one of those fancy midi cables that allows you to play it like a poly synth.
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