Off topic…
What’s the point of super expensive 4 voice machine like that?
A4 can be like a drum machine…
100% true.
The moment you permit a user to open the machine, it makes offering a warranty much more costly for the simple reason that giving the ENTIRE customer base (of widely varying technical ability) carte blanche to open a $1300+ piece of electronics up statistically increases likelihood of accidental damage to the point where it would add hours and hours of expensive manpower, shipping charges, etc to each customer support case - because the company would have to manually determine if user messed something up internally. Most manufacturers state “opening case voids warranty” for this reason and honestly, it’s still absolutely reasonable and part of how to keep products affordable. Others have allowed it with simple things I’m sure (does Korg permit users to open monotrons without voiding warranty?)
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That’s a weird question. The Gotharman SpazeDrum is a totally different instrument. It sounds nothing like an Elektron A4, and has an insanely different design. FYI there’s 2 versions of the SpazeDrum; the first one has SSI2144 filters, and this new black one has SSI2044 filters. I’m super excited to modulate the hell out of those filters, and use them as oscillators.
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and confirmed officially as such, just restating so that other folk know
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I have to say, after sitting with this a few days, I prefer the gray units. Easier on the eyes. They feel more classic and unique. Bet they end up being sought after too years from now as the “classic” look. 
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Thank you for reply.
No offense - I just was checking their web site for some time, and the price always looked quite premium for what it does - but I never tried in person.
Thank you anyway)
It’s just one man who designs and builds the machines himself. It’s rather amazing how prolific he is. There are very limited amounts of built units for all of his creations.
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I wonder…its seems to be sold out everywhere. [all the places I’ve looked anyways]
Andertons (in the UK) says stock coming in on 1st October, another store says 1 to 2 months.
A few other stores have stock still though.
I generally dont check outside of North America 
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has anyone even realized that AR, A4 and OT haven´t really changed for years and years except for cosmetic updates? Is Everyone really going to jump the bandwagon because the color of the instrument is changing? 
damn music making and marketing has come a long way… it´s just the color
ill jump ON the bandwagon…when OT gets OB, is Class Compliant, and has MIDI RETRIG 
oh…and is black again [OR PURPLE!]
add customizable LED colors
and 48khz/24bit
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And a new OS release with added functionality and some new factory sounds.
Still not as much as a new product but hé, you’ll need continious marketing nowadays to keep your head up in the rat race of new shiny hardware. (we are flooded with then the last few years).
The Analog MK2 series will stay for long time
Launching a brand new product takes time, you need a good idea, a good return on investment, a demanding market, you need good numbers to make profit and stay in business
When you don’t have a new product the best weapon is marketing strategy, in this example the black colour will boost sales of the Analog series targeting
New users
Existing Elektron users
Elektron Fanboys
The other weapon is firmware updates that give you new functionalities that could have been implemented from the start but that are only revealed at a later stage to keep the users still interested in the product.
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I wouldn’t call USB Audio in, different distortion, different Filter, bigger Screen, several OS Updates with countless new features (e.g. Midi Out for the Analog series sequencer in their seventh year after release) Not nothing.
What is your Point? You want Elektron to jump on the every year a new product and forget the old one from last year cycle?
That is bad for us customers in so many ways…
Its also bad for the Environment, and so forth.
Think about it.
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My point is, that all that is still shiny bling bling. My hope would have been that they adress pad issues. Giv me threshold for my pads. Giv me looppoints for my samples. Or if you want to stretch the thing, giv em new machines…the snares still suck on the AR. Its a drum machine. I have an RME interface and I don‘t care if they are trying for years to make a soundcard out of it. Shure its nice to have for users. And I also like the black color, but all those marketing shit is so annoying…and still dont adress crucial things like the pads? Instead we now have step recording? Dudes you have one of the best sequencers in the world. I paid a shitload of money for that sequencer 
I don‘t need an old 303 or keystep style seqencer…why spend developer time on this? Yeah I know…marketing…looks great on firmware update. If this thing would be playable like a machine and constantly someone would release cool new machines AND it would be black…take 2000€ and watch it take wings
As a customer exactly like you… I honestly can’t agree with anything you have said…
I think they are doing an amazing job giving updates and they just gave their machines a refresh what’s wrong with that? What pad issues?
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Well you knew that its not in the machine when you bought it, dont you? If its necessary for you, i guess you should buy something else that have these features and replace the Rytm.
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I agree. Why waste valuable time with something that doesn’t work for you. This includes all relationships.
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To be honest. Didn‘t know that those pads are so crappy and was told sampling was exactly like on digitakt…which it isn‘t. Blame is on me of course…but don‘t get me wrong. I like my AR and I don‘t want to sell it.