NI am amazed by this discussion. Just love the rytm, no problems with the pads (i come from NI Maschine) i love the size of the rytm, the sound is the best i have ever heart, the perf/scène functionality is amazing. No problem with the compressor, dont understand when and how to use the distortion, but i think it s nOt because of the machine, but because of me.
Dont forget that elektron creates equipment you have to learn to play. Ic hou want instant (but power qualifier) run, go Native Instruments
Pick a pad, any pad. Try recording 8th notes with relatively consistent velocity. Repeat on all 12 pads and I guarantee you won’t get the same result on all 12.
Even worse, try recording an entire beat with acceptable velocity. (i.e. kick, snare, hi-hat.)
It’s nearly impossible in one go, you always have to go back and edit velocity.
Not so with Maschine, Tempest, MPC, or anything else with “good” pads. Heck even the pads on my Push aren’t that inconsistent. Of course on Push I can adjust velocity sensitivity to my liking.
Mine seem to be breaking in a bit, but the kick drum pad is still quite hard to trigger, I may exchange it just due to that.
The sounds that I can achieve (with a combination of analog, samples, filters, distortion and compressor) would take me hours to figure out in ableton. That alone is worth the price tag to me.
To be able to dial in a monstrous techno bass drum in minutes is something i’ve been trying to do for years, and the rytm has enabled me to do that. Huge snares, massive toms…
I do wish the high hats/cymbals had more options… but as of now i layer them with 909 samples and get the best of both worlds. and i sometimes find it difficult to get the groove that i want, but i put that to my own lack of knowledge about the machine. Wouldn’t sell my Rytm at all.
It has become a centrepiece of inspiration in my studio (along with my analog four, modular and minitaur).
The compressor sounds really good, but you need to work with it…it can totally destroy your signal or really add some nice grit and pump…These are the current settings I’m working with:
Reduction: ~1/4 of the screen height
Attack: 1-10ms
Release: .4
Makeup: 60
Ratio: 1:2
Mix: 42
Volume: 100
When doing more experimental things, I’ll increase the reduction a little bit, and increase both the Mix and Makeup at the same time…
It would have been a mistake to give every voice the same generalized “subtractive analog voice” architecture as was done on the Tempest.
How so?
I owned a Tempest and for me that was the strongest part about it. I could create any sound I wanted one any pad! THere was a modulation matrix!! Not just one LFO! The way Elektron has limited the MACHINES is kinda whack. Like an old Tama TechStar or old Simmons kit. Very limited. My brain can imagine much more than what they’ve limited me to. One LFO? Really?! That’s so basic. You could get better or similar sounds out of a Vermona. I might should just grab another Octatrack and just sample my modular. Cut my losses with the AR as I don’t foresee it getting a real upgrade. . . . . I will be shocked if Overbridge ever materializes!
Because that’s simply not the architecture most classic analogue drum machines use in any way.
You can of course create great drum sounds with a subtractive analog voice, but depending on the sound you’re after, a lot of things simply aren’t possible with that architecture.
The RYTM’s FAQ has a decent, if somewhat sparse explanation of its voice types as well:
All voices have identical digital sample playback engine, overdrive circuit and multimode filter. The difference lies in the specialized percussion sound generators, each designed to generate a specific class of analog drum sounds: The BD, SD, and RS/CP voices all have a drum sound generator that is basically a small but very flexible dual-oscillator synthesizer capable of a wide array of percussive and electronic sounds. In addition to this, the RS/CP voice has a special circuitry for rimshot synthesis. The BT voice has a resonant single-oscillator percussion sound generator capable of deep toms and classic boomy bass drum sounds. The LT and MT/HT voices also have resonant single-oscillator percussion sound generators, but of a more general percussion nature. The CH/OH voice has a six-oscillator metallic sound generator with several different synthesis methods for creating hihat sounds. The CY/CB voice also has a six-oscillator metallic sound generator, but with several methods of synthesizing cymbals and cowbells.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying the Tempest is a bad machine, or that you can’t create cool drum sounds with it. I’m just saying its architecture isn’t exactly well-suited for creating classic analogue-style drum sounds in the way the RYTM or for example the MBF Tanzbär is.
Hmm, I don’t find that the RYTM is very good at even approximating 808/909 sounds which is probably why they released the sample sets. I feel that there could be way better percussion MACHINES in this box and that they are holding out for some reason. Maybe it wasn’t ready but they needed to ship something to keep sales up and Elektron solvent? I can get some pretty OK kicks. Nothing really usable in the SNARE dept without using samples. CB is whack. Ride/Crash is OK. Hats are meh, Toms and Claps are cool. It’s definitely closer to the Tech Star/Simmons type sounds than the 909/808 type. My opinion of course. I feel that Nord was on the right track with their drum modules. I only played with the first one but could sculpt some fairly usable stuff out it. I’d imagine the new one to be better with it’s expanded feature set.
My main reason for hanging on to the RYTM is the sequencer. That’s it really. . . and the hope that they’ll get it the synth engines sorted out. The A4 can make way better drum sounds. I think I’ve mentioned before that I tend to make drum sounds on the A4 or the modular and just load sample into the RYTM. If I were Elektron I’d at least ask myself why my other synth is better at drums than the synth I built for drums.
Well, obviously. I meant the general control for the drums. We can do far more with drum synthesis than the amount of Noise and Decay. Given that there’s been 30+ years of drum machines, I’d expect they’d have come a little further than the fairly limited feature set.
Limited feature set - like changing all available parameters per step, with glide or without? 128 sample pseudo-round-robin? Granted, the controls are quite limited if you think the sounds as static, but you must admit there are some features on the AR that the other drumboxes cannot touch. There are not too many drumboxes out there with almost tracker-like abilities AND analog overdrive + multimode filters…
Guess you’re a lot into sound design? The featureset on the ARs sound engines might seem a bit “dumbed down” if so… I guess this is at least partly done on purpose (so that even beginners can get decent results with the engines). But lots of fun still to be had with a bit of work IMO.
Yeah the machines are dumbed down…you can still get nice sounds out of it, but I would like a bit more control over the basic synthesis. When I’m richer I’ll probably have to get a Tempest for that.
I have not returned my AR yet, but i must admit that im not using it at all anymore. And this is because of those reasons:
a)
The Compressor is just crap! This thing is in no way balanced towards a proper contemporary electronic music production! It produces clicks and noises where there shouldn’t be some! In comparison: The simple ART Pro VLA II sounds better and is way more stable in that respect - and its also analog! So the fact that the compressor is analog is no excuse to the unproper reaction of the AR’s built in one !!
b)
The Pads are useless. Hell - even the Pads on a Machine Micro feel better than those !! ^^ You can use them to switch scenes and if you get comfortable with them you can also use them for the performances. But triggering sounds and fingerdrumming some parts into the sequencer is a mess. If you do this a while your fingers are red and they hurt! You have to press them so hard to reach full velocity - no! Never again !!!
c)
Scene Switchting is a crap! If you are not micro perfect tight when you switch a scene you hear clicks and noises - artifacts that can ruin your performance. I can absolutely not understand why that is - especially when you consider the fact that Elektron praised the instant sound change capabilities thanks to their uber super digital control … in reality this doesnt apply to the scenes! I tested this with several sounds; minimalistic stuff as well as some frequency heavy content - analog machines or samples or both - its always the same! You switch scene you have artifacts - USELESS !!!
And the most prominent reason for me:
d)
There - is - no - new - content !!! The promised new machines are not there! I payed a shitload of money for this machine and i dont get what Elektron promised to release! In fact there even are NO REAL UPDATES AT ALL for the AR since its release. The OS with the FM machines actually was the release OS ^^ Great yeah?! I can understand that they are busy with the Overbridge but if a company throws out one machine after the other they just have to care for the machines in spite of that! Because im not interested in their problems - if they cant handle that amount of machines they just dont have to release so much !! I bought this machine for the reason that Elektron was known for regular software Updates on their old Silverboxes. Until now im only disappointed with how they threat their machines today!
Those are just my 2 Cents. I expected a machine worth the price i paid for it. But until now it just feels like an expensive toy - nothing more. The great sound doesnt wipe out the problems that persist and dont get addressed. I hate this, really!
a) I’ve had a really good time with the compressor so far. Would you care to upload an example where it’s making things sound bad? I or others would be happy to help troubleshoot. I believe that it’s giving you clicks, I’ve just used it extensively and never had that issue, so I’m curious to know what’s up.
b) with you there. Bizarre that they made this mistake on such an expensive machine.
c) I see how this could be a problem, but it hasn’t really annoyed me yet. I would like if you could automate it in the arranger (song mode).
d) I’m confident this will come with time, but I did expect something new earlier too.
a) I’ve had a really good time with the compressor so far. Would you care to upload an example where it’s making things sound bad? I or others would be happy to help troubleshoot. I believe that it’s giving you clicks, I’ve just used it extensively and never had that issue, so I’m curious to know what’s up.
b) with you there. Bizarre that they made this mistake on such an expensive machine.
c) I see how this could be a problem, but it hasn’t really annoyed me yet. I would like if you could automate it in the arranger (song mode).
d) I’m confident this will come with time, but I did expect something new earlier too.
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Check his music player in his signature. That’s actually a pretty vibey track and yes, the clicks are really noticeable. Lame. Every time I want a Rytm, things like this pop up.
I’ve always maintained that I like the sequencer. That’s the main reason I’ve kept the machine. I feel that they intentionally limited the sound design features as not to compete with the Analog Four. Understandable as it would be an Analog Eight! In doing so, they’ve compromised what can be done in the sound design dept.
That’s just speculation on my part.
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There - is - no - new - content !!!
[/quote]
And I hope there isn’t for a while, because I really want to see ihatederekreed eat his Analog RYTM.
But then again, I don’t own a RYTM, so I’m not missing out by the lack of updates.
Secret music for moderator!! Be ruthless, we can all benefit. Seriously it’s a shame he keeps leaving threads because of certain users with nothing constructive to add… I’m always interested to hear what he says particularly his in depth objections. We may even get some nice videos that benefit the community again if he sticks around. Hope so.
I guess It’s also the reason some of the most experienced Elektron users don’t post here at all but the only person I’ve ever seen moderate on any level is void.
Ruthless moderation and deleating of duplicate (FAQ) type or whinging threads where it’s all been said before that slow searching the forum down should do the trick.
I bought an RYTM today, despite the comments in this thread, i also think the synthesis could be more broad in terms of more parameters and modulation , but i have to admit that it is very effective for drums. I already had a good vibe after 1 hour on a fresh pattern. I own an analog 4 since two weeks, and couldnt resist - and i am not dissapointed, its just perfect for techno
Im currently diggin into scene mode, and also the aftertouch and velocity modulation seems to compensate for missing lfos, actually this seems to enable us to a more expressive playing of this beast, again i think its well thought out, but i wished of course for a USB disk access etc as anybody else already complained here. The world is not perfect, and there is always something to brag about, so far i can live with its restrictions.
Seriously it’s a shame he keeps leaving threads because of certain users with nothing constructive to add… I’m always interested to hear what he says particularly his in depth objections. We may even get some nice videos that benefit the community again if he sticks around. Hope so. 
but the only person I’ve ever seen moderate on any level is void.