I’m relatively new to DAWless gear in general and Elektron gear in particular. I’ve been experimenting with the Model:Cycles for a couple months now and I’m looking to upgrade.
I’m playing hardtek, tribecore, some DnB. 160BPM and up.
I did a few “live shows” (mostly house/free parties) with just the Cycles and I have been having a lot of fun but I’m starting to feel limited, not really by the sound capabilities but by the live performance capabilities of the M:C.
I feel like I’m limited because all I’m doing is switching patterns and transitioning, improvising with knobs and buildups and occasionally finger drumming. I’m looking to build some sequences and melodies live. Chaining different patterns together, combining different tracks from different patterns etc… More expressive and less structured live sets.
My first question would be: Syntakt or Digitakt? I love the Cycles’ immediacy and creativity but maybe with samples I could step into more genres (Jungle, Reaggetek). Also maybe the Syntakt is better for live improvisation? BTW I’m looking at Digitakt MK1 as It’s a steal on the used market.
Second question is: I’ve been looking at a few videos on live improvisation and pattern building using Elektron gear + Midi Controllers and Sequencers. My dream setup would be Elektron Syntakt/Digitakt + Novation Launch Control MK2 and Torso T1. Is it a good setup or is there better alternatives in a similar price range?
For most modern bass music styles, you will eventually want a sampler. So digitakt could very well be a worthy consideration. The first gen digitakts are mad cheap on the 2nd hand market these days
It is. I would definitely go for this.
Despite its limitations compared to the newest version, it’s still very powerful, especially for its price now.
Totally agree with your guts and @jm2c above
But how is it as a standalone device? Like do I just need to download a bunch of tekno/tribe samples and I’m good for months? I really don’t wanna touch my computer that much as I already do visuals on it. Also how is it for improvisational sequence building?
You use it to sample stuff. IMHO the better way to use a sampler (so that the result sounds more like “you”) is to curate a personal collection of sounds and make music with those, instead of filling the machine with random samples from the internet. Obviously, you might want some tight curated drum library in there to complement your custom stuff, but keep it tight and compact so you wont be endlessly scrolling through kicks like your back in a DAW
If you are keen on making jungle/DNB, of course you will load some classic breaks into it. some sine tones will make subbases easy. Then you can create 6 voice layered reeses/digibass sounds with your model:cycles, and sample those into the digitakt for new bass sounds. etc etc
Digitakt is quite a capable sample player, not only can you play loops and oneshot sounds, you can also use it for synth sounds by creating sincle cycle waveform sounds. I think it also has pattern chain and song mode, so you can get as complex as you want with it.
Also, what a digitakt will do, it will introduce you to the “classic” Elektron UI paradigm, which will be a good thing to learn. After you master one Elektron box with the “classic” UI, you will feel at home with almost any one of them.
Okay I’m pretty convinced on the Digitakt now. How is it for live? Do i need to pair it with a midi controller if I want the same knob per function as the Cycles? Is it better to save up and get an Analog Rytm MK1?
The price gap between a Rytm and a digitakt 1 is nuts rn. Dont spend the extra dough unless you also want the other features a Rytm can give ya
Ppl use a MIDI controller for more handson with digitakt, could work well for you too but you need to feel it out for yourself to be sure. For others its just extra gear to worry about for little gain, as usual YMMV
Unless you really want the analog synthesis, go for the DT1.
Its small footprint and 8 tracks only hide a real punch and ease of use, you’ll be having fun really quickly.
Oh wow thanks, it’s kind of similar to the Model:Cycles but even better. That’s cool. I don’t understand if i can load didfferent sequences from other pattern without loading in the entire pattern.
No, a Pattern consists of a set of 1 sequence per track, and the associated sounds.
But you can copy-paste a track sequence from a pattern to another.
I advise to read the manual, it’s not very complicated but you should find answers to your questions, or how to ask things in the Elektron vocabulary ^^
Yeah itìs almost double. I was thinking of getting Digitakt 1 + Torso T1 for the same price as a Rytm MK1. Seems like a more capable setup and more expandable honestly. Maybe with a Syntakt or Digitone in the future.
Like If I can just have a basic groove of Kick, Bass and Hats. Is it possible to just stay on that pattern and load in different sequences for other tracks? For improvisation. Like combining premade sequences that all live in different patterns in a new pattern to make a new combination on the fly? Or for transitions.
No, you cannot import track sequences from one pattern to another.
What you can do is copy-paste your current pattern to the following, switch to it, and modify it.
But you cannot, on-the-fly, do things like copy a track sequence from another pattern, or change the trigs of the track sequence from another pattern.
Hello,
IMO a Digitakt won’t happen anything new to your workflow experience with M:C for live improvisation. It could even be worse because all the parameters are spread across different pages. On M:C you can tweak synth parameters, reverb send and lfo speed in the same time because everything is right under your hands without the need to switching to the right parameter page.
A Syntakt has the same workflow except it has the fx block and its track that can be used to tweak many sounds at a time (all the tracks routed to the fx block). It also has the euclidean generator that can allow alternative sequence per track (by switching on or off euclidean mode) and then modify it on the fly (but it’s euclidean, so not very predictable).
Rytm brings you the performance and mode scene that let you program macros of different parameters and then play them live. For live improvisation, organic tweaking, it’s a beast and Digitakt and Syntakt can’t get even close on this side. Rytm also has euclidean.
For combining live different tracks from different patterns, I would recommand a Polyend Tracker +. The performance mode allows you to do this (and modify some sound parameters on the fly). And you have eight sample/midi/synth tracks and 8 more tracks which can only handle synths and midi (but you only have three synth engines per project which share 8 voices of polyphony). Obviously not the same workflow than Elektron but quite close in spirit.
I feel like this guy is doing pretty well with a Elektron box + a Torso T1. I feel like this is the setup I’m looking for. The sound is pretty different to what I’m looking for but the way he plays is what I’m looking for. What do you think?
Yes for sure, this is also a nice setup. I owned a Torso T1 and it’s great sequencer to improvise, to make gentle evolving sequence or create maximum chaos by just tweaking some knobs, it has its very own workflow and philosophy. But it’s not a step sequencer in its initial design and even if it can step sequences, it’s a very different feeling from Elektron. I was also lost because of no visual feedback and with T1, you can quickly get into very complex territories and it can be hard to remember what’s happening a few days later when you go back into it. But it’s also a sequencer that could allow to improvise a whole set with starting with just 2 or 3 pre made patterns. I think I didn’t spend enough time with this machine and I choosed to stay on Elektron devices (now Digitone II and Digitakt II) because of the all in one machine aspect, I think those 2 are very good compromises even if I miss the ability to introduce randomness into various aspects of an arpeggio for example.
From my experience, it’s best refraining from getting several instruments at the same time.
What is key is to have an instrument for a year or so, learn it from A to Z, until you reach limits that might be overcome by other box (or circumvented by taking advantage of the features that are already available to you).
So yeah, check the DT, if it’s not for you resell it and try another box, but if you’re into Elektron workflow, learning curve will be very thin ^^
