Elektron's New Drum/Sampler/Sequencer

Yeah its pretty stiff on my Galaxy pad but managed to get a beat going. Its definitely for raw beats with not much glamour and thats what appeals to me. This brings me back to my MS-1 days, already got myself on the list for the first batch in May along with the MPC Live. If I'm addicted to the Digitakt, I will sell the Live ...but will fund records galore

A lot of people have misconceptions about step sequencers too. If there is one thing the Berlin style of sequencing did for music was add crazy variety to step sequencers. Resolution, direction, randomization, parameter step sequences, etc all can make for some extremely interesting variations and even having trigger steps to trigger another sequence, can automate variety into your sequences.

I kove step sequencing myself. I'm sure Elektron added some killer features to those step sequencers too.

I have a few machines with good step sequencers. Even the 64mb limitation shouldn't be much hindrance using one shot drum samples. You can get some insane beats with that much memory and good step sequencers.

From the interviews, its coming to be a nice beat machine with a kind of non-destructive chop method. It has oneshots, loops and gate. Seems freaky too because Elektron was saying you can have a loop playing, extract some sounds out of it, set them as oneshots and play over the loop and resample the result. But don't quote me on that as we know I could be misinterpreting their english.

My first step sequencer was monotribe, I made a lot happen with those 16 steps and with the little drum kit. I love it but without chaining, you were stuck with the same 4 bar beat, even though you can morph it into a million other things, but just saying. Now my ES2 can chain patterns and makes the difference, plus it saves effect settings. I appreciated step sequencing more, at first, it was icky alien shit to me and starbucks-like.

First batch of DTs sold out already and mysteriously its a best seller catching up with the Live and X in preorders at many music retailers and it doesn't even have a demo vid

Based on confirmed features, I preordered mine, just wonder what else is in there. Its very limited but I think its a homerun with flexibility.

This will be my first Elektron, so I will give a brutal and honest review, just from a boom bap cat perspective

just go in with an open mind and throw any mpc-concept notions out the window. some of the fundamentals are completely different from an mpc, and it will drive you crazy at first, but then you come to appreciate having a totally new workflow that works with itself vs what you are used to.

^ THIS!

tapedeck wrote:just go in with an open mind and throw any mpc-concept notions out the window. some of the fundamentals are completely different from an mpc, and it will drive you crazy at first, but then you come to appreciate having a totally new workflow that works with itself vs what you are used to.

Thanks tapedeck! So you messed with Elektron machines before? I like messing with samplers by different brands because they are all different in workflow. And I learned one machine's workflow can open new doors for other machines in my set, like all the ninja tips I written for the MPC500 were actually features of the Korg ESX that I applied to it.

But I approach every device with the Roland MS-1 concept, it was my first

i use an elektron machinedrum about as frequently as i do my xl.

completely different mindset but so damn powerful. i definitely need to think more when i use the elektron, but also it lends itself pretty well to accidents that i end up using.

Damn, I can't wait, I know to expect a learning curve, sometimes I get the feeling the Digitakt will be perfect for my workflow.

If you get one, put up a comparison between the MD and the DT, lots of people would like to know.

The first demo will be at Superbooth 2017 at Berlin in 7 days and info will be dropping like crazy. Elektron said there will be a few DTs at their booth for people to try too.

i'm not personally planning on getting one. if i were to get anything new (which is super rare for me), i would probably save up a little more for an analog rytm. sounds like a lot of the same sequencing + sample playback (not actual sampling though) of the dt but with the analog flavor.

tapedeck wrote:i'm not personally planning on getting one. if i were to get anything new (which is super rare for me), i would probably save up a little more for an analog rytm. sounds like a lot of the same sequencing + sample playback (not actual sampling though) of the dt but with the analog flavor.

I had no idea about the RYTM until the Digitakt was announced and I was checking their site. It looks damn cool especially with those 12 mpc-esique pads. Though I heard the pads need a breaking in period to really enjoy different levels of velocity. Only thing, you would have to upload the samples into it instead of actually sampling into it.

Ill-Green wrote:Only thing, you would have to upload the samples into it instead of actually sampling into it.

i know but i dont see how that is a bad thing. seems more useful to me to edit the samples on a computer then send them how i want them. i understand this can completely change the workflow and yea sometimes i like sampling into the mpc, but truth is, when usb transfer to a device is easy, i use it a lot more.
the only time i really like 'sampling live' is when i can play it back immediately, like a looper or the machinedrum. but then when i work that way, i usually dont care to even keep the samples necessarily, so yea, just a different workflow and i'd be all over the rytm with the way it works.

edit: and i really don't need a new sampler!!!!

Oh shit, I'm like Goku going SS4 yelling "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH YEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" This thing can sample through the inputs and USB!

Looks great!

I'm just curious, how do you plan on using it with the Live though? They have a lot of similar features.

starmanwarz wrote:Looks great!

I'm just curious, how do you plan on using it with the Live though? They have a lot of similar features.

Nah, I'm not that kind of producer. I believe in one sampler doing everything including DAW tasks. I actually hate seeing two samplers working together, though I used to do it religiously. Minimalistic on another level.

I do plan to use the Live for studio work and the Digitakt for inspirations around the house and even take to work since its so small. Crazy I know, Live is battery powered and all that, but not even me can figure out me