I’m recording music at my home studio. Playing for many years on electric guitar and bass, in recent years I listen more and more to electronic/ambient/sample based music. While recording today, I mostly use Ableton.
I came across many tutorials about the different Elektron products and I feel like I gotta start playing with those.
My question is, where should I start?
I wanted the Digitakt first, but then, coming across the OT, Im now thinking of buying one of those (MKI). what i need is a way to integrate samples and bits to my guitar oriented music.
Im open for any ideas. Thanks!
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If you’re getting your first sampler, I’d probably go for the digitakt. It’s a gateway drug. I have an Ocktatrack MK2 on the way (£700 on ebay, so luck!) because after more than a year I’ve finally hit some performance oriented things I want to do but can’t on digitakt (live looping, chopping etc). Digitakt is really quite accessible, and limited in sensible ways. It’s such a creative instrument, just pure fun. And it makes samples sound good.
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I would also recommend the digitakt first. It’s a joy to use.
Octatrack might be more suited for your needs but I would upgrade later if needed.
Digitakt is a much easier and thus probably more fun introduction
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How much experience do you have with electronic instruments? Understanding the functions of LFOs, filters, and envelopes is nearly a prerequisite when dipping into the Elektron world, I’d say. You can get a sampler or something but you might be kind of lost as to all the terminology or why you might need it.
I would recommend buying a simple subtractive synth to get your bearings–or even playing with the soft synths in Ableton, watching sound design tutorials, etc.
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My advice is, dont start with the octatrack if you are not elektron savvy. Fantastic as it is, it might be more of a headache than fun as your first hardware device.
The digitakt is your friend and can handle all your sampling needs. It seems to go for a good price second hand, so you can always gear up later down the road if you still want the might of the OT, without much of a loss 
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Takt
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+1 about the Digitakt. Great start. And can be a great longterm companion.
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DT all the way. Best machine as first Elektron, for sure.
And it sounds really great !
Take a portable battery and bring it to the park 
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I have a Minilogue, so getting familiar with synth concepts through it and watching a lot of tutorials.
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Thanks everyone! It seems we have a winner 
I’d say you’re probably ready for the next step then
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What about the length of the samples?
The OT allows us to stream audio directly from the flash drive. Can be as long as the flash drives has storage. Could be interesting for ambient stuff, if long evolving textures, or chord progressions are used.
Sometimes I use tracks of the OT just for audio play-back.
I would recommend the DT as a sample based rhythm machine and the OT, if more is needed.
And don’t forget that the OT can be at maximum a 8 track loop station 
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well, this is my main concern. i think i’ll want to sample my guitar and bass lines in it, alongside other rhythm parts and wondering if the digitakt could handle all of those together
for that use, the octatrack is much better suited, for sure
Depends if you just sample your instrument (for less than 30 sec), for further use of these samples (in case DT is OK), or if you need a looper and real-time mangling of your recordings (in case OT is better fitted).
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very true.
But “sample my basslines” sounds that there is a need for longer sample recordings and looping.
Just assuming here
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Take some time, get both manuals, watch some videos, compare the specs of both machines. Maybe this helps you to make a decision, what is best for you.
My first Elektron machine was the OT and I never did regret it. Worse, it made me want to have more of that stuff.
There is plenty complaining out there about the OT beeing a too difficult machine. IMO it only takes a step by step learning approach and the every now and then looking in the manual to make the learning curve acceptable.
Indeed it’s true that the OT is no machine, which will be un-boxed, switched on, and you’re ready to rock the club. That’s the domain of other gear.
If you want to record your performances with the OT, check out how the recorder buffers work, how to link them to the tracks, understand the pickup machines, which are loopers in fact, how to get the gain staging right, how to save out recordings to the flash disk and get them back to tracks later etc.
Working with the OT does not require to know everythng at the beginning … just what is really needed.
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same
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a twist in the plot… 
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Sorry for that 
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