'Tone/Takt range - anyone else praying for a wave table or VA model?

Elektron Gear
#1

I have two synths at the top of my all-time wishlist (caveat: I’m not someone with decades of synth use behind me, so this list is based on my usage of just the last few years since I got into all this stuff). They’re in no particular order:

  • New Waldorf Blofeld (better/more up to date IO; pots that don’t break; more controls; higher polyphony to deliver proper multi-mode)
  • New Elektron 'Tone/Takt product based on either wavetable (preferably) or VA synthesis - with some effects (why are Elektron so stingey when it comes to effects? I can’t think of any comparable groovebox-style boxes so lacking in effects)

Since this is an Elektron forum, I’m curious if anyone else is hoping for the second on this list. I can’t be the first to think it…

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#2

The Syntakt chord machine can do wavetable sweeps.

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#3

In the world of Elektron, the edge capability of the current box has traditionally been a preview of what the next box with do. I’m thinking wavetable could be next on the list. However, wavetable is getting a bit over saturated IMHO. Elektron wisely don’t follow trends, so they may move on to something else

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#4

:arrow_down:

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#5

What would machines do in the Digitone? Would they replace the whole FM synth? I don’t think that makes sense.
Maybe machines could replace the filter with other types?

#6

Related discussion about a dedicated granular hardware release:

I feel like a dedicated hardware release for wavetable doesn’t follow elektron’s current business/profit model very closely. It has the potential to be a great machine on an existing box but as a physical release it’s not a very sound investment for a company trying to compete with larger entities that can afford to throw money at high risk development /marketing / production without fear of economic collapse.

I mean, does elektron even have a new ceo yet? Feels like they’ve been playing it pretty close to the chest with physical releases since syntakt came out.

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#7

Digivåg? Somebody who knows what they’re doing, help me out here.

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#8

Digitone can already do VA and I’d be surprised if wavetables didn’t make an appearance on Syntakt (if it ever gets an update again, cmon already!)

#9

No, the wavetable model prays for me.

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#10

Digitakt would probably be the easiest box to add Wavetables to, since it already sort of does it.

VA on Digitone would be amazing if possible - the Syn1/2 sections would just become oscillators instead, then the rest can stay the same.

Keywords in all of it are “if possible”.

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#11

I dont pray to or for anything.

But if elektron could just return to making stuff with hard plastic buttons, round, with no LED hidden under the button, that would be nice.

Oh… and slide trigs.

#13

Someone did a VA style preset pack for Digitone. It’s not exactly the same as having a full VA engine, but, you can load up a VA wave shape, and use the filter, etc. and sort of treat it like a subtractive synth.

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#14

I salute you as a fellow atheist. I suppose I was using the term figuratively.

#15

I don’t buy packs myself, but I definitely spend a lot of time trying to create analog-style patches too.

Would be a lot easier with some dedicated waveforms, but then you would lose the gnarliness of blending that into some weird FM, so it would definitely be a tradeoff depending on how they did it.

Anything they add at this point is just pure bonus for me though. All the boxes I have work fully for me in their current states (apart from the Digitone Mute mode/track select issue, which I’ve just given up on hoping for a fix for at this point).

#16

Also, it’s perfectly fine to use the non-religious interpretation of ‘pray’.

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#17

Who knows what we will get next. But FWIW… the thing I struggle with most across the whole of the Elektron range is polyphony.

I like to play big complex chords (7-8 notes each). I can do that on Digitone but use up almost all of the voices doing so, at which point the 4 part multitimbrality of the DN (a big reason I bought it) is kind of null and void… I’ve used up all the voices in one track.

Plus while the DN is a wonderful FM box of tricks, it can only do a passing imitation of a subtractive VA synth IME… it’s OK but it’s not really the Digitone’s strength.

I use the Algo 7 with operator detuning to get 4-part chords per note which helps with polyphony but it’s quite a painstaking process and isn’t that flexible.

I also own a Syntakt and use the Chord Machine all the time. 2 x Chord Machines means 8-note chords are possible. But (like the DN Algo 7 detune approach) it all needs to be dialled in step by step… can’t just play with chords on a keyboard.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my magic Elektron Digi box trio. They’re the centrepiece of my setup. But I would love to have a Digi box that did what a Novation Supernova or Access Virus could do years ago (and what Roland boxes can still do today like the SH4D or a Korg Wavestate) and allow big fat polyphony AND multitimbrality.

I could buy one of those other boxes (SH4D is high up on the list right now) but I’d much prefer an Elektron take on a high polyphony + multitimbral box

While I’m in wish list mode…. stereo modulation FX. We have chorus on the DN and A4 and a small number of modulation FX options on the OT. That’s pretty narrow. If nothing else, adding Chorus to the Syntakt would be dope. Chord Machine + Chorus would be superb for pads.

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#18

Well, the Elektron take is to guarantee that everything is plockable and automatable to oblivion. I guess that means prioritizing this over higher polyphony. Maybe you could replace one of your digis with such a high poly instrument and sequence it with an Elektron? I don’t expect Elektron to give us huge polyphony anytime soon.

@tomfs: The mute mode problem partly became solved with the latest OS update, are you aware of this?

#19

Yep, I’m not holding my breath. It would be great if Elektron went down the high polyphony route… but if they don’t I’ll probably add a SH4D to my setup, sequenced from the Digitone (4 x 8-note poly for MIDI channels will do it).

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#20

Ahh, that fixes something but I was referring to being able to select a track while in Mute Mode.
Essentially hoping to be able to press FN+Track to select a track while in mute mode - the reverse of what happens in normal mode.

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#21

It’s already there. The chord machine does wavetables.