Hi everyone,
I have other gear that I want to connect to my elektrons for using the Fx.
But I don’t directly know to choose which one, the monomachine,analog four or octatrack.
I don’t think the rytm will be my first choice as it has only 1 input.
Which unit do you prefere to use as a standalone FX processor?
Like to hear some thoughts
Best regards Olivier
I’d have thought the 
Octatrack would give you the most options, unless you wanted to do some P-locking & LFO tricks with FX machines on the 
MM.
Hi,
If you need a FX processor, you should by a real FX processor instead of an elektron Box.
I own only the A4 and the OT. If you absolutely want to buy an elektron maxhine, I would say that :
-The OT is not a great “traditionnal” FX processor : do not expect great chorus, phaser, comb filter, reverb,… out of the box. Plus in term of workflow you cannot save your FX setting outside project. On the other hand, the OT can be a non-conventionnal/alien FX processor : you can create various kind of FX by continuously resampling the output and feeding it back to output. You can use it as filter bank too …
-The A4 : the chorus/delay/reverb sound great, much more warm and lush than the OT. It can be used as a filter bank.
You can do P-locking and LFO tricks with OT as well.
Hey guys, thank you for the answers.
@finalform, Can’t the octatrack do the same like on the monomachine?
On the Ot you also have P-locks & lfo right?
@Zite909 yes an external proccesor would be cool but I don’t want to start with several pedal units or an expensive eventide…
Maybe a will use them all (Mnm, A4 & OT) but the OT has more fx presets than the others.
Saving only the settings will not work then also on the other units, except when you save the complete project.
Is it that what you mean? If I can save them by saving the project I don’t see an issue.
What do you mean with a filterbank?
thank you in advance
Olivier
Yes true, and a lot more the MM can’t… maybe it’s only ring mod that the OT doesn’t have?
@Zite909 yes an external proccesor would be cool but I don’t want to start with several pedal units or an expensive >eventide… :
Of course. Some people in the forum have pointed out that the zoom MS-70 CDR is a nice FX processor (with 6 FX at the same time) for less 120 euros. I do own one myself, so I cannot compare to the OT FX, but I consider buying one later.
Saving only the settings will not work then also on the other units, except when you save the complete project.
Is it that what you mean? If I can save them by saving the project I don’t see an issue.
Yes indeed It is possible to use a 1 project = 1 FX setting (But it is not comfortable if you already working within a project and need to import FX setting from another project).
What do you mean with a filterbank?
For instance on the OT/A4, it is possible to use several bandpass filters in parallel. This can be used to create formant filters, comb filters, … By using knotch filters in series (A4 only) or EQ with negative gain (OT only) it is possible to create phaser like effect too.
Eventide H9 Max? They’re about $550 used but come with all of the Eventide algorithms. They’re stereo, and you can control them via MIDI so they pair well with an Elektron box. Biggest drawback is a single algorithm at a time.
OT has an effect called LoFi Collection, which combines ring mod, tremolo, distortion, bit rate reduction, and sample-rate reduction.
Saving FX settings on an OT is not the same as in “normal” FX boxes like the Eventide H9 (which I also have, btw). For example, I have Preset 1 set to a big, monstrous, long-sustaining reverb, Preset 2 is a spooky delay w/ pitch shift, Preset 3 is another type of reverb, etc. The OT is different because you have to organize everything by Project - if you spent an hour, for example, dialing in just the right filter and delay settings, you have to remember which Project you put the settings in. If you forgot, too bad! 
However, on the OT, you are not stuck with one set of FX settings for an entire Project. Each Project can have up to 16 Banks, and each Bank can have up to 4 Parts. I personally kept it simple and just used 4 Parts, 1 Bank for a Project, switching from one Part to another to get different FX settings. I did mess with Scenes a little bit - you can have up to 16 of those for each Part. I just used Scenes for the fader.
The OT does have an effect called Comb Filter. It can turn just about any unpitched noise into pitched notes in standard (12-tone) equal temperament. For that reason it doesn’t work so well with pitched sound (guitar, keyboard, etc.). You have to “tune” the effect to the audio that you’re using (eg. your prepared audio file or the loop you just sampled).
MM is my pick, as you can chain 6 FX processors with neighbor routing, use trigless trigs/locks for all 6 tracks, and have 6 independent EQs, filters, delays, and distortions chained together. With 18 LFOs modulating it all, it’s one of the most unique sequenced FX offerings ever.
Versatile too. You could also set up the MM as 3 independent stereo FX processors, each of the 3 stereo processors with 2 different fx/delay/eq/filters/dist.
MM has 6 output jacks that can be configured a few different ways.
I’d just try them all myself and see which clicked for me.
Hi everyone,
Thank you all for the nice info.
As the octatrack is the only box that I personally don’t like, I wanted to use the unit as un FX processor but have to say that I found the effects quite disappointing as well. Think I gonna sell it & try with my mono or maybe an eventide space & delay time factor. But those are already 2 units then.
The H9 seems ok but you do not have much of knobs to control directly if you are not on computer.
So I’m looking for a nice FX unit with reverb & pitch delay.
I saw the pioneer RMX1000 but this looks more like a dj tool.
any suggestion is welcome!
thanks again.
H9 has Expert Mode, which will let you access all 10 parameters for the current algorithm on the H9 itself, without need for a computer or IOS device. See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG4d4KsnBbk
If you are intimidated by Expert Mode, I understand, though I find it a breeze to use after learning how to use my Octatrack (there is more I can learn on the OT, but that is another topic - so many tricks people have found and documented over the years). I learned Expert Mode because I wanted to be able to fix my sound in case anything went wrong onstage, because I knew I wouldn’t have time to fire up the H9 Control app on my iPhone/iPad - especially when we played at Psycho Las Vegas last year. Very valuable to know for playing live.
I got the H9 Max because I was able to get a decent discount on it, which made it cost almost the same as an Eventide Space by itself, except of course it also has a virtual TimeFactor, PitchFactor, etc. inside.
Of the options from OP, I’d also go MM.
That being said, the QuPac mixer looks like it has a good amount to offer: http://www.allen-heath.com/qu-fx-processing/
I’ve been thinking about effects a lot lately. I was thinking I’d just add the Strymon stuff as sends from my mixer and be done. Then I realized I only have two sends on my mixer. Then I got into a dark place about ITB vs hardware. Then I thought about how much mixer I could reasonable lug around for a show. Still no real headway. But I do use the MM as an effects destination often.
Funny i never really thought of the MnM as superior for FX than the OT, particularly if you are using them both as multi track FX applicators. That said I must give MNM another look. If I was going for an elektron reverb or delay it would be A4’s I’d always use
I also have mobius, timeline and big sky. There is a lot to be said for a dedicated reverb box, and timeline is also excellent. Mobius I use moreso for guitar (the 3 strymons were all for guitar rather than synths, but I now use them equally for both).
If you are considering ITB however, I’d recommend the UVI reverb, chorus and delay vsts. To me they sound excellent.
In addition the Unfiltered Audio vsts are superb and very manglesome/modulateable.
Despite having software to do the job (hardware really is software anyway) there is something much more visceral about using machines, particularly regarding plocks.
sound wise it would be the A4 for me. cascading analogue filters chains and a decent reverb (and a heap of envelopes) plus neat delay are right up my alley. you wouldn’t be able to switch the order of things though.
for most flexibility it would ought to be the OT. nice filters too…don’t really like the reverb(s) though
Monomachine only has a single stereo in for FX processing though, whereas the OT has two.
However the MM has 3x stereo outs, whereas the OT only has 2.
The OT has 8 tracks x2 effects, whereas the MM has 5x1 (Input track + 5 effect tracks) (+delay+distortion+eq+filter per track though)
OT has a much larger range of effects to choose from. Plus the live sampling can offer more on top of that if you are inventive enough.
OT also has the slider and scenes for more effects performance.
Both MM and OT have 3 LFOs but the OT has the ability to create custom LFO shapes.
OT also has more options regarding it’s sequencer, one shot/detached tracks plus different time signatures and step length per track. (which are amazing for effects, as you can create evolving patterns)
The MM has 3 send busses though, so you can have parallel effects processing, whereas the OT is always linear via neighbours and master.
I’d say sound quality wise, they are about the same, neither is amazing in the way a strymon is, or even as lush as the effects on my virus ti, but they all have their sweet spots.
No effects processing on the RYTM btw. You can send it through it’s compressor, and that’s it, i believe.
I don’t have an A4, so i can’t comment, but i hear the reverb is pretty lush. It’s shared across the device though.
OT has 3 LFOs
Oh yeah, you’re right. My bad memory. I’ll correct my post.