I agree and I think that I will never use the chord machine, while my digitone and the take 5 are directly beside the syntakt. I am wondering why they chose to use additive synthesis for a wavetable. Is this just a performance thing or a more fancy way of integrating it? Why not use a real wavetable synthesis for this?
Can you run the digital machines through analog fx?
Yes
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This sounds cool but I’m unfamiliar with the MnM - what’s it do?
World’s most expensive monosynth
Nice. I think great box.
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Oh yeah, I was referring to the SCWFs. MnM sounds great but I’ll never own one haha
I will be publicly shamed for saying this but this is the first Elektron box I’ve used where something feels missing, the box as an idea seems incomplete in execution. I don’t know how to describe it, like it’s all there, but it’s not. This feeling is not something I am positive updates can fix. I’ve used them all except legacy, MNM, MD, Sid.
I just can’t understand why portamento is not here from the get go, MNM has it, surely it should’ve been a unanimous decision to be standard.
And yes, this machine is another main gripe, I find the chord to be somewhat nonsensical for my purposes, it seems to have no high end. I do not mean noise, I mean high frequency.
Everyone loves to filter sweep a LP filtered chord for a big crescendo and when you do it on this one a great big!!!..
… Meh.
I completely understand how creativity can unlock different sounds but I feel it should be useful as it is, in its simple form, without need for obfuscation. Finicky… I’m sure I just suck, but I also don’t want to try swimming up a tree if it’s not my cup of tea.
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I love poly mode on the MNM - use it all the time 
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Updates can fix any feelings 
lol. But to be realistic, digitone didn’t have portamento in the beginning either and then it came etc…
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I thought it was not for me too. Felt like something was lacking. But I think this can be whatever you want it to be. 3x dual vco synth, drones, some of the digital stuff ran through fx block will add color and vibe. I think you can now record automation into seq? Like fiddling some knobs on the fly and it will write in… that’s a huge step up. For poly I’d go Digitone if I wanted an Elektron box. Happy accident synth full of otherwordly sounds.
Couple updates and we got portamento, arp etc…
More machines…. they can do new algo in a fashion of Ensemble OSC…. the possibilities are endless here. Many digital engines they can add to it.
Just hope they won’t be adding useless drum machine models or some legacy product engines… to please a certain crowd. It would be waste of resources and r&d. They can but people want more synth engines so maybe both and everyone will be happy. Even with legacy engines from MD, MnM.
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I basically agree that the basic chord waveforms sound a bit muted and I’m not using that machine much, although I’m going to try some drone/ambient at some point and it may fit better for that. If it was originally designed to make a certain sort of sound then I guess it works but it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra wavetable sets that have waveforms with a harder sound. I have little doubt that it’s possible to use other wavetable but implementing that in a nice way might be the problem.
I think the evidence of previous Digi boxes would strongly suggest that there will be further updates and hopefully that will include new and/or updated machines. I think it’s a good box as it stands but there would certainly be considerable added value if they can develop new machines. If they have an internal oscillator/machine SDK of some kind then hopefully that isn’t too much work for the DSP brains at Elektron. I know it’s unusual but even a public SDK might be possible, although it never seems to really take off when other companies have done this e.g. Korg and the “logue“ SDK.
Thankfully Elektron seems to be a company that stands by their products and, unlike some others, don’t release and then abandon them only to release a minor iteration in a new machine.
Yeah public SDK for new machines and boom. Syntakt has enough storage for new stuff right?
There are a few tricks to make the SY Chord more interesting.
- modulation, obviously. Most likely on the waveform and osc/chord balance. Try to find a sweet spot and dance around it. You can also modulate the envelopes, it makes the chords more alive
- overdrive. I found that I prefer to break the clean sound of the chords, even if it’s to tame it afterwards with the filters
- btw: filters, don’t forget the band pass
- retrig.
And of course trying different chord shapes and root notes gives different tonalities.
It’s not very convenient so far to play this musically. My own choice is to put chords for a single root note on a 4/4, then select one and work on bending it to another root note/chord balance/chord type.
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Lets not forget analog four! That thing is a beast!
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Yes or that one! It can do cool stuff.
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Yea I’ll be playing with it for a while to see how it evolves in my usages. Honestly, from the presets, Ruu-Batoo is my favorite, I actually think it’s remarkable. But it’s 8 tracks of Tone and Dual VCO/Noise for the rest.
Thus, I guess my question is, are the possibilities of how I would use it worth the things I feel are redundant or somewhat useless to me?
We shall see.
I have a Digitone Keys and OT. The Digitone was the first Elektron product I had ever purchased.
I am sure over time I can work every machine to my liking, it would be unbelievable to open a few machine slots up to users, like how Novation Peak/Summit ended up opening wavetable options to users.
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Yeah, I am actually just deciding if I should get ST or not. What’s better. It depends on what you are looking for. I am looking for something fresh to get my hands on. Nothing “so” fresh came out lately at least from my point of view. ST can produce really good sound when you will automate the drive, analog fx… very lively and breathing. For drums instant winner. For synths, I don’t know. Easy drones with mixed waveforms, I believe it has square too so that’s pleasant. They can add to it… in terms of functions and machines so that’s a huge positive in my book.
Redundant, or somewhat useless… I don’t know. Depends on pov I think. I guess I have it all kind of. Sometimes in various iterations. They all have their own quirks which make them stand out. Possibilities are endless but this form factor at least for me leads to nice presets and sounds which I get by accident. It kind of inspires me to mess around and come up with cool sounds.
Digitone is a great box. My first Elektron and I came up with very great presets. I was not able to do that with Juno or other synths in a couple of minutes. Just so good what you can produce. Meanwhile, DX is crying.
I guess. ST can be what you need it to be or something in between a drum machine and a synth. In the end, what feels good feels good. If it produces good sounds on top that’s a winner fellow gentlemen. 
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Yea, it’s definitely more of a drum machine than a synth. If anything it has made me want an A4 even more again… I think that would be a pretty solid combo. For some reason, Rytm was not my thing.
same I do this (on the Cycles) all the time