If you want to go all hardware: Replace Push+Maschine with a hardware sequencer, be it a MPC, the OT, maybe an old Electribe. Which one of those you get depends on your taste.
You got instruments aplenty. You don’t need more of those.
Throw out the Maschine, get the Octatrack and find a workflow that will make it the heart of your rig. I sample my gear and then build something from my samples within the Octatrack and the Analog Rytm. My rig shifts but the Octa has been with me for awhile and the Rytm will most likely stay for the same reason. So everything’s in orbit around those two, really.
But if I had only one, it’d be the Octa for its ability to sample and then become anything. The Rytm sounds better to me, but the Octa sounds great, too. Just different great.
Octatrack is really very cool thing to have when you create your music in DAW. In this case you can load OT with your own samples and play live without any other gear! It sounds great on stage. Even in case you have 100+ hardware synths in your studio, you can just sample them all directly to the OT (or to a DAW and load samples to OT’s CF card) and play live using your hardware synth sounds! Super-great thing that you don’t need to transport all your hardware to the club and not afraid about commutation, midi sync, latency, hardware crashes and so on – the only one thing you have to do – put Octatrack to your backpack (don’t forget PSU!).
AnalogFour is very fun and easy to use synth. Both devices have famous elektron sequencer which allows you to lock parameters on each step and use different samples / synth patches on every step. What does it mean? It’s simple – i.e. on AnalogFour you can have kick, snairs, hats, basses, fxs, melodies sounds, etc. on only one track! But on A4 you have 4 tracks! Effects are very nice, especially reverb… Ambient/drones – not a problem at all!
I have both units at home and like them. They are good friends! No, they are brothers. My suggestion is to buy AnalogFour / Rytm and try to dive into one unit and then after a month-two – buy another one (or not to buy). Heh, to buy or not to buy? Less is more!
OT seems an obvious choice, as it allows for sequencing and mangling what you already have, and therefore elevating those existing pieces.
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Other gaps I see that would also work well with OT…
Nord Drum 2 for a wicked drum synth
Blofeld for odd digital textures, wavetables…
DSI Evolver. MEKs are going for $800ish these days.
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Also, A4 is more than “just another synth”, even with regard to your current pieces. You should be less worried about it overlapping and more worried about it outclassing and replacing the Ultranova and BS2, especially if you went the AKeys route.
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Good luck!
So many great suggestions. Some of you have hit upon something especially in regard to an elektron device surpassing all the other synths I have and this has been the case with the sub 37 but I do regard them all as different and they have their place.
I think the sub has changed my workflow ie experiment with the drum machine tr8 and play or make sequences on the fly with the sub and when I have something then move over to a daw and save those patterns, master etc.
I think the Octatrak seems to be offering me the ability of having superior sequencer options along with portability too in as much that i can take my favourate sounds from the others and use them in the Octatrak. This appeals a lot.
I havnt decided yet about the a4 or the analog keys but I think in value terms hardware will be cheaper in the long run than keep paying 200 euros a year just for upgrades of soft synths.
Certainly for creativity the elektron products just sound great.
I assume there are no hidden issues like for example my BS2 cannot play a sequence without pressing a note, something i discovered post purchase.
One thing to consider, though - since you’ve got some great analog gear going on there, you’re probably used to the organic and shifting quality in those instruments. Sometimes, that’s subtle, sometimes, it’s very obvious.
What does happen when you sample sequences or whatnot into any sampler, the Octatrack is no exception, is that you become very aware of exactly how dynamic an analog oscillator is, and how quickly a sampled sequence can sound repetitive compared to the same sequence just playing on repeat from the Sub37’s own sequencer, for example.
This is where the Octa’s LFOs and effects come in play, the PLocks, the sequencer and so on. But you’ll get a different something from your samples, you’re not exactly multiplying your Sub (for example), you’re shifting it to another platform where it can do other things.
I use a Tempest quite a lot, one of the most organic and moving instruments I’ve ever owned, even more so than the Sub37. It translates well into the Octatrack, but it becomes extremely obvious how much is going on within an analog instrument when you repeat a recorded sequence without the dynamics of the analog instrument there anymore.
So you’ll find new ways to elevate your sampled stuff from your organic instruments, and that’s a good thing. But be prepared for it.
I dont think i would be disappointed, I just love the hybrid type instruments and flexibity afforded to us. Nothing like the equipment of the early 80’s. I am pretty sure Elektron gear would be a compliment to the equipment I have already.
now its a waiting game to wait for euro depreciation
About that… You guys think we’ll actually see a price drop if/when eventually USD value drops? Been wondering about just that today while looking up AR prices.
I think that the elektron price will stay the same in euros otherwise a large part of the market wont buy the products from within europe, we can only hope that they “europe” mis manage the greece element and that sends the euro dollar euro pound rates down in our favour.
How old is the octatrak and analog 4 now? I was wondering about that today if a mk2 or new design were due out always something to consider pre-purchase just like exchange rates.
My monitors were only $400US. I’m not big on recording, I mostly just play for myself at home so having high end monitors is not really much of a consideration for me. I would guess this applies to quite a few others, as well. And heck, my monitors are nowhere near the best, but I know them well and have been using them for years. In my situation there isn’t much to be gained by upgrading.
I would normally agree with you for mainstream gear
that isn’t desirably vintage, but not in this case…
My first Octatrack was $1300au (slight discount) new in 2011.
6-9 months later I bought another one brand new for $1099au.
Now in 2015 they are selling for almost $2000au.
Not that it should really matter.
Based on useage, I’d pay whatever it costs to replace my OT.
Would suggest as previously advised - OT seems the 'elektro’n’logical place to start with your current hardware list.
