I’ve been toying with the idea of moving from the OT mk2 to the AR mk2. I currently mainly use my OT as a drum machine and to sequence my Virus TI. I utilize samples quite a bit and mangle them occasionally. I don’t do a whole lot of resampling within the device. Recently my Deluge has started to replace the OT as the brain of my set up. It’s the master clock and sequences my semi modular gear along with some VSTs. I’m wondering if having both the Deluge and OT is a little over kill as they share similar duties. And i’m realizing the Deluge is superior sequencing wise since it isn’t limited to 64 steps and 4 note midi polyphony. And it can do quite a bit with samples, even if it isn’t as extensive as the OT. I’ll probably end up sequencing my Virus with the Deluge if I get an AR.
My question is to people who have used both OT and AR. I make high bpm experimental music along the lines of hardcore/breakcore/psycore and i’m wondering if the AR can make more complex drum patterns and sequences than the OT? What else can the AR do that the OT can’t and vice versa? I’m not so crazy about synthesizing drum sounds and fine with using samples. Both seem awesome for live performance so I’m a little conflicted. Any insights would be appreciated!
It seems to me you’d be giving up a lot of sampling power, partially in exchange for synthesis power you might not want/enjoy/use.
Are some other features of the AR worth that sacrifice?
Given that both AR and OT have high end current Elektron sequencers, the level of complexity achievable seems broadly comparable (and kind of unlimited in both cases actually).
I’d consider a Digitakt instead of the AR, especially if samples are your main focus. Digitakt has a very quick workflow that you’ll definitely appreciate coming from the OT.
The AR will be really good on changing the tone of a sample with the overdrive and the filter which is lovely.
It won’t have this kind of lofi sound which can be achieved ( or not ) on the OT.
The fx of the OT is interesting but sound really digital.
If you want a sampler with character the AR is quite good. But it’s definitely more a one shot or small synth wav looped sampler.
And the 1G of memory is quite limited to this.
Those two box are so different that it’s complicated to compare.
They have the same sequencer, so the potential complexity there is exactly the same. I found the synthesis on the AR to be pretty ‘meh’ for my tastes but liked the compressor. Used it mainly with samples but then realised i was paying a lot of $$ to use what is essentially a very limited sampler (its much more simplistic than the functionality of the digitakt IIRC) while also letting a lot of powerful synthesis (albeit one that i didnt lilke) go completely to waste. As someone else has said, digitakt sopunds more like what you may be after. I have both OT and DT and they both have their place, OT for fine tuning and complexity, DT for immediacy, particularly when working with short sounds. For live performance tho, sticking with OT would be better, i dont really get much of a truly performative vibe from the DT personally
I just got the OT after years of doing samplebased beats on the AR. Here’s my 2 cents on using it as just a drummachine:
-The AR has more weight and warmth (very subjective terms, I know) to its sound, also using samples. The difference is not subtle. I love the AR sound, but it can also be hard to tame and sound clean and ‘acceptable’. The AR wants to be right in your face soundwise. The OT had a wider range, but can’t really reach the power of the sound on the AR.
-The sequencer is nearly identical, with the difference being that on the AR you need to do a lot of samplestart locking to get complicated drums out of a loop or complex sample, in the OT you have to chop it up first, which is both easier and more difficult. Just 2 different workflows.
-The OT can hold my entire sample library, the AR has 1gb for everything.
-Even though the AR is more simple in its workflow, the OT can make things like resampling and slicing (drum)loops easier. I’ve been making stuff faster on the OT as a result.
-The fader is just way more inviting to use than the quick performance knob on the AR for live performance.