What's next for Elektron? (Part 1)

Snipecatcher · 2025-05-10T13:27:09.506Z

HanHuman:

To me the sequencing is the least interesting thing about the current OT, old and unnecessarily complicated (parts etc), MIDI poly limited to 4 voices (that alone makes any sequencer impossible to use as a main, so basically every Elektron sequencer besides DN).

I don’t really like the Parts thing either, but the OT sequencer has a few things going for it that none of the digits have (yet). LFO pitch to scale is a huge one

HanHuman · 2025-05-10T13:48:43.339Z

No doubt it’s great, but on other aspects it seems a little too purposefully crippled. As often with Elektron devices. I understand the audio voices limitations, but limiting the MIDI polyphony to 4 is just… You gotta hate your customers or something.

Anigbrowl · 2025-05-10T19:37:39.034Z

I also found the parts thing hard to deal with, because It hought I could only have 4 parts per project. Once I realized that each bank was independent of the others and could have its own track setups etc. I stopped worrying about it, realizing that parts gave me 4 ‘orchestration’ options in each bank, but that I could have 16 completely different songs in the 16 banks within a single project.

I understand the audio voices limitations, but limiting the MIDI polyphony to 4 is just… You gotta hate your customers or something.

Do you mean polyphony of 4 per track? Cause I have recorded whole tracks where all the sequencing came fromt he OT and I used an MPC with some plugins for the sounds, I didn’t notice any voice stealing. 4 notes on one track is enough for a reasonably thick chord, you could always send 2 tracks to the same MIDI channel if you wanted more poly. Obviously it is not the right sort of device if you want to want to sequence piano/harpsichord études or complex guitar performances.

HanHuman · 2025-05-10T20:04:32.840Z

Anigbrowl:

Do you mean polyphony of 4 per track?

Yes. It’s enough for many things, but if you want to record a bit on the keyboard it’s just annoying to have to watch out for voice stealing. It kind of ruins what could have been a perfectly fine main sequencer for me.

But I still love Elektro devices for their sonic capabilities, so instead of having multiple complementary sequencers to find a way around their shortcomings I’m now leaning towards finding one sequencer that will do the job well on its own. Pre ordered the Oxi One Mk2 for now, but the Cirklon does look very sexy as well for that role.

mp · 2025-05-11T07:25:58.317Z

JoyrexJ9:

I’ve never had any interest in overbridge, or any need to use it, and I don’t see that changing.

Same here, on the other hand I do believe they will try hard to get something going on with subscription and this would be perfect example of it. Hardware controlling itself was done few years back by Omnisphere - yours synths as VST, this is nothing new so I am not as thrilled as others. Was expecting a bit more from Elektron, if this is the direction then it’s not the future I’ll be part of. It’s just not fitting my workflow. Easy.

Riuozami · 2025-05-11T07:36:31.049Z

I do not think this is the direction of Elektron - surely porting Overbridge to iPad is nothing new and probably it should have been implemented from the beginning

They are surely working on some new products and some other things that will see the light this year.

The fact that they are still manufacturing and selling the Octatrack MK2 like candys is amazing in 2025

mp · 2025-05-11T07:58:19.536Z

… one of the directions, not the only one for sure.

Fin25 · 2025-05-11T09:47:37.129Z

mp:

Was expecting a bit more from Elektron

But those expectations are nothing to do with Elektron really, are they.

This is the rock you lot have Elektron stuck on. If they don’t release something new every three months you all start accusing them of abandoning us and start chatting shit about subscription models that only exist in your minds, jumping on every little leak and rumour like a bunch of gossips. But then if they release something with a couple of bugs or without immediate overbridge support you’re all up in arms about that.

Last time I checked there were about 50 people working at Elektron and in the last 12 months or so they’ve put out two new bits of gear on a new firmware platform and are continuing to sell and support six other bits of gear, as well as R&D on whatever comes next.

I couldn’t give a shit about the iPad thing, but it’s clear that a lot of users have asked for it, so I’m not surprised to see them having a go at it. To be honest, it’s more than I was expecting to see at superbooth, for all the reasons outlined above.

dr_laemmerbein · 2025-05-11T10:05:37.209Z

Riuozami:

surely porting Overbridge to iPad is nothing new

Have you ever ported a piece of software to another platform? If the software is in development for a few years this act of engineering can range from almost impossible to sure, we can do that, but it will take a fuckload of work. And sometimes it’s a bit easier than that but that’s rare. Anyway, porting Overbridge to the iPad will help in possibly porting Overbridge to other OS in the future: Android, Linux and possibly a hardware device as well.

cgb · 2025-05-18T17:34:52.977Z

moved to correct thread

Sip · 2025-05-18T20:01:02.287Z

This thread is so close to rolling over 9999…

Anyway, what’s everyone thinking as far as timing for the next update from Elektron? I’m curious about the “what” but that’s already been discussed quite a bit, so I’m more curious about the “when”.

stevebk · 2025-05-18T21:51:31.382Z

This thread is so close to rolling over 9999…

Yes I believe either the 9,999th or 10,000th poster gets a free Tonverk or OTmk3, whichever comes last.

Sjozef · 2025-05-18T22:53:58.304Z

Crazy

delikinesis · 2025-05-19T02:04:03.696Z

I can imagine any updates that have been in the pipeline will be released to increase the perceived value of the boxes, in line with recent price increases. Maybe the opposite though, and they just start cranking out devices on the new platform regularly. Anything can happen . Digitakt is a major seller apparently so maybe that one, or maybe the opposite

aether · 2025-05-19T05:36:01.586Z

I disagree here.
With it’s capability to have multiple audio devices (windows struggling with that) it adds a lot of value if this works reliably. You can have your boxes, something like an aira compact, 1 or 2 mono synth s through the ins, and have the iPad be a mixer, midi router and multi FX box.

It’s far from the complexity of a daw… But reduced the footprint of the utilities for a multi device setup (mixer), and with over bridge it circumvents the problem of no individual outs. In regards to no battery…true ( I think the boxes should at least have a native option for usb c PD) but there are workarounds.

And a iPad that’s not new can be found for 200€, cheaper than a mixer and multi effects unit and midi router. Add to that a copy of loops pro (35€) and you have a really capable setup with a looot less cables than all hardware, but the performance/playing part still mostly happens on the hardware.

(And no, not a fanboy, iPads the only apple product I have, but for music it just works better than android, after trying for a while… As a Generale use device I would never move over to iOS, but after struggling with just connecting audio hardware to my pixel phone for to long I gave up on android and audio)

provoda · 2025-05-19T18:52:52.998Z

Big Syntakt update with a bunch of new digital machines is next (hopefully)

Sip · 2025-05-19T19:36:43.641Z

Would certainly be nice!

When does Elektron normally “break for summer”?

ex · 2025-05-19T20:18:52.749Z

Probably mid July–mid August, seeing as they are based in Sweden.

baris · 2025-05-19T20:29:44.274Z

I don’t know what’s next for Elektron, but it’s time for a part 2 for this thread

Sip · 2025-05-19T20:37:18.617Z

Oh good, then there’s still time for a couple of updates
I feel like expecting a Syntakt update is too hopeful for me, so I’m going to guess a DT2/DN2 update is coming next.