Damn… i bet Cenk is busy cooking up a sick video too…
1 Like
When I saw the digitakt I immediately assumed the other devices would be getting similar updates next so it was no shock at all seemed very obvious it was coming
People have asked for better screens and complained about fixing buttons!
Seems to me they’re just filling the demand they’re not some huge corporation trying to build disposable products the new buttons are rated for 50k clicks lol
1 Like
Has anyone seen a video on Youtube or somewhere else of the Elektron stand at Summer NAMM 2017?
I haven’t, it’s seems awfully quiet?
1 Like
I’ve not seen much at all about summer NAMM, it’s nowhere in the league of the winter one though so I expect we’ll see news roll in on Monday.
Just a bit of guitar stuff videos on Youtube, not a single synth…
cant actually agree on that. Elektron had just “two” products for years and they cared a hell of a lot for them. And they could still live from that, simply because Machinedrum and Monomachine were the best you could get and they as a company werent that big.
The Problem today is: They dont invent anything “real”, anything NEW anymore! Thats why the Products get used very fast and thats why people not buy everything they “throw” out. Except for the OT - every subsequent Product was based off their efforts they spent on Monomachine and Machinedrum. They just extended stuff, but they did not invented something new. And even Overbridge is basically not new - Access invented this technology with the Virus TI AGES ago!
So - yeah. The Problem is that they are at a point there they HAVE to release something new every Year to cover their expenses. If i were Elektron, i would restructure the company from the ground up, throw at least half of the employees out and start with something REALLY new again. Something that can last for years. This can work. But if a company grows too much, primary goal is obviously SALES as they have to feed so much mouths 
Calling for people to be fired? Wow.
No, I just wish they would try to become a premium synth company instead of a mass market synth company. Right now they are some weird in between thing that doesn’t really satisfy either crowd.
I’d happily pay 2000 or 2500 for their stuff if I knew the machines will be supported for a long time and are upgradable and made to the highest quality standards with no compromise.
I wish they were more like API and less like Mackie if you know what I mean.
Not trying to bash Mackie here. I love and use their stuff, but it’s more of a utility to me whereas Elektrons are musical instruments.
5 Likes
I won’t buy any mkII Elektron products because I think they might come out with mkIII’s in a few years…
The analog heat seems like a new design, not really an update on previous boxes. Not much on the market to compare it with.
You might then wait a long time for these things and get no benefit today. Always waiting never buying.
1 Like
I guess you wont be buying anything from anywhere forever then… maybe in another life
sure. But the point is: Who thinks about an analog Distortion Effect in the first place? The Heat is more, for sure. But its not something that stands out like a Drummachine does For example. It wasnt a thing people have seen and instantly thought: I need this! At least not the masses were thinking like that. This scratches on Sales as well.
havent seen your answer in the first place 
Yeah, this Premium Thing is what i basically meant. Im soooo horrible at describing what i mean; always using too much words, trying to express something that leads to a different meaning then … 
They were like this, back in MD / MnM Times and i complained sooo much about the missing love for the MD after a while … but you know? Elektron wont move back. And thats why it is so important that the stuff they do just has to be really good now! The Digitakt is awesome and i can remember Cenk speaking at NAMM, basically implying that there are good chances for more Effects on the Digi later … if Elektron would have said that back at MD Times i would’ve believed their words without a question. Now its just empty words for me because i can tell from their doing in the past, that this will probably never happen. So i take the Digitakt the way it is but dont expect anything else than that. And if we are true to ourselve: This is NOT a good sign. We accepted the move into mass market already.
And so i still think that throwing people out and revamping the whole company would be the only way to get back to where they came from. They just grown too big too fast. Thats their problem
there is no problem …
there is no direction change. simply a flourishing of a new crop, this is as natural as the seasons.
doing a mkII version is tradition for Elektron
new gear rocks
old gear rocks
focus on resonance, single sounds, explore parameters and make a song groove. think about transitions in music, why make a change, why accomplish a musical transition in a particular way or other … what feels native to the soul?
these questions shall help overcome the mental overstimulation of gear announcements.
6 Likes
Firing people? Nah…
Google “Jimmy Myhrman”: used to be software developer for Elekton, now is their Head of Software Development. Observe his personal Youtube videos, both at home and on stage: his techno rumbles, awesome stuff. He loves both the tech and the techno.
Jimmy Myhrman, you rarely to never speak to him on this forum, but be sure he’s a big force behind Elektron’s R&D over the last 7 years. I’m sure he’s pretty capable to push things forward for years to come.
2 Likes
I was being sarcastic in my post.
2 Likes
My post was a joke. Sarcasm people.
2 Likes
Yes humour detection on the internet can be hard some times 
1 Like
You can use smileys to set your tone more explicitly
The way A4 is done is very inventive IMO, it’s far more usable than MM in many aspects.
First box the design of which has been thought from A to Z to achieve its purpose.
On the old trinity, I miss Sounds, Kits and such, for instance.
And above all the sound was IMHO future oriented, although “Analog”.
AH was a total surprise, no one could have expect this.
As for DT, I believe one has to try it to feel how focused it is, and how good it sounds.
In the end, I’m not sure the problem lies in Elektron roadmap.
1 Like
I think the biggest factor in all this is that the perception for many customers/users is that this initiative is indicating a loss of customer focus from Elektron’s part - this isn’t a customer need being met, it’s done to meet needs that Elektron got.
There are many times when such activities need to be taken, and it’s always a balance to handle here. In this situation, I myself really think they should have thought about the timing aspect and marcom approach.
The longer it takes to restore customer trust from broken promises at point of sale for the hero products in the catalog, the further the entire initiative moves to customer retention instead of gross/upsell - I’d never expect the OB have a pricing level/option after this.
For the marcom, this is working in conjuction with the parts update but the entire MKII message really is unfortunate since it clearly indicates a marketing initiative - taking the opportunity to plan and package it to the market. Again, this is just giving the existing customers a feel of real delta of their needs vs Elektron’s - however true or false it may be.
No, this isn’t affecting the OB development at all but I’m convinced it will affect the opportunity for Elektron to directly monetize from it.
And I don’t think it’s going to help with operating income, they won’t suddenly shift 25-45% more units (currently the MKII is 47% more expensive than the MKI according to the Swedish pricerunner site, prisjakt.nu) and we also need to think about increased cost in terms of the new parts, etc. Just to find a level to keep existing margin is probably a challenge.
Having said all this, I really don’t understand why some people cannot discuss and vent this situation with a bit more respect. Disappointments and things not moving 100% according to our own agendas is part of our everyday life.
Just MY thoughts.