@UserFriendly this tutorial of yours eas really influential in me accepting the rytm for what it is, when I was questioning whether to sell it. Resampling patterns and then twisting them in a pretty exploratory way is a fun and easy process for coming up with unusual sounds.
Otherwise yeah, pinging filters and using delays and plocks heavily, and embracing the philosophy of what is possible on the machine
…end of the day, it’s a raw drum synth…while most people prefer to get started with drum samples…
rytm can blend both…so start with it’s sample option, then blend in the boomyness…and then realize how much more expressiveness starts to happen once u carve out that raw sonic flesh, only a synth voice has to offer…
What did you get instead if you don’t mind me asking?
TR8-S . Love it.
He wants to marry it
I use the Rytm much more as a synth and sampler/sample mangler than I do as a drum machine. I got it used for roughly the price of a Digitakt, so I don’t feel bad about using like a super Digitakt. There’s a good amount of mojo in the filters, compressor, and distortion. Before you return it, it’s worth it to try using the Rytm not as a drum machine. Also, the possibilities with performances and scenes is really wild
I agree with this really hard. A lot of times I think Rytm is more fun at mangling samples than even the octatrack. Also, even if it is largely being used as a sample based machine, there is something to be said about just adding just a whiff of analog kick tucked under the sampled kick, or some analog sizzle to sampled at, or tuning a tom to fit under a chord stab. It add just a bit more heart to the sample.
Rytm is still my most favorite machine I have. But I agree that you should not try to make it sound like another machine.
It can do 808 kicks pretty good, but 909 it can’t. And the hihat (with noise machine) is nice, but it’s not 909. That’s why I bought a tr6s used. When I really want 909 kick and hat I use that for it. Rest still comes from the rytm though.
It has its sound and you have to let it be what it is… a groovy as f$ck rhythm machine
I usually give 2 years time to an instrument and to myself to learn to use it properly and decide if it’s something inspiring or not.
2 weeks???
Oh if something really doesn’t feel or sound right, why punish yourself.
I love my Rytm mk2 but that’s in large part due to its user interface. To me it’s the fastest most enjoyable to handle Elektron, with the big pads. It needs some consideration from me too to keep it from getting muddy (which it still can do if I do too much on it). I currently have it to the side in favour of ST because it’s smaller (for transporting my setup). ST is way cleaner to mix for multiple reasons. But it’s more finicky to play / mute / sequence on its interface.
If I would’ve disliked the sound ànd hadn’t fallen in love with its user interface, I would also consider to sell it like you.
My irk with Rytm was the cap they put on scene data, you could only have a set amount of parameters per scene.
I was very often left feeling like I had half of a sound whenever I was sound designing on it, I wanted to dig deeper but I had no more avenues to explore, this is why I enjoy using A4 or Monomachine as drum machines more then Rytm and MD.
Now the really cool thing is direct pattern jumps which is really rad imo. I wish my other elektrons had this.
Honestly I‘m still not sure about it after owning one for two years haha.
I love the UI and the way the samples sounds, so I can‘t let it go. And there is also still hope, that a big update comes, which hopefully will provide us with a second filter to solve the boominess and mud quickly.
One advice I can give about the machines is definitely layering, resampling and try to make different sounds with it. The kick machines for example can do very nice synth sounds.
Always love it when i see a thread like this.
Been there, still there, go back there often.
I was asked about the Rytm Mk2 (assume you mean that?) and “how is it?” a few days ago, and my answer is always the same, a long drawn out struggle.
It’s great, it can sound great, but also it kinda sounds shit in many ways too.
It does so much, and does it so well, almost too well, which i think is a big issue with finding a way into it for some people.
I booted up my partners Akai S20 on the sofa, and although very simple by comparison, it just sounds great without really needing to do anything. The Rytm is like “so here is that sound you wanted” like a perfect version of it, no frills, no added character, all nicely separated out, with what aways seems like a boomy bottom end on everything.
I think ultimately it’s very clean sounding, even when it’s dirty. I still don’t think that’s the right adjective though.
The best way i found to break it, was to hammer the main distortion circuit, even though it just seems like it’s not distorting, it adds something to the circuit that brings the machine alive more. Things start to interact better. That and feeding the delay distorted as well, but more as a structural element.
The other thing that was a big help is using the machines for what they sound like, and not what they are labelled as. Normally that goes without saying in any gear but i think given the layout and general design inspiration being very Roland drum machine-esque, it sorta tricks the mind into working one way. Focusing in on one thing, and keeping it simple, helps dial it in better.
It’s a great machine. I personally don’t find it very inspiring, but it’s easy to use, and sometimes when listening back it sounds pretty dope. It’s a sofa f**k about for me, or YouTube as trying to work this thing out before it gets put in the recycling 
this is one of the things that has struck me most on exploring this community - not just the propensity to acquire gear, but that to ditch it at the drop of a hat.
Agile is the newest hype. Not only in work life 
You know, I didn’t even look at this properly because of the lights and so totally missed this does samples and has individual outputs! 🤦
I’m popping to the Roland store to try out the TR8s and if happy might consider selling my Rytm Mk2 as broke. Had my Rytm since Feb 2019, still in a love/hate relationship.
Any tips on the compressor settings and how you work with it?
I also was given a tip to keep the compressor settings the same throughout all kits so that there isnt huge volume dips when playing a live set and switching through “songs”. Would you agree?
I used to always try longest attack, quickest release with Hpf on all my kits to make transients pop, but found it’s best to just experiment. Sometimes auto release works great, sometimes fast attack, sometimes parallel mix with more gain reduction, sometimes light…
I have a few settings I try first and then fine tune, but I think it depends on the material and can vary.
I don’t do that, but I level match my kits so that I can change to new patterns with different kits without level change.
My Rytm gets processed in my Octatrack with some light compression (Rytm compressor to shape the sound, OT comp to smooth things out a bit).
Lower the AMP volume considerably (maybe start with a value of around 20, barely audible, you can increase later to taste)
add Exponential one shot LFO to AMP volume, high value of around 80/100
This has been said but I will repeat it because its so great. I use it almost on every track and wish I could have it on as default. (Equivalent to exponential amp env on the A4)
909 and many other drum machines have an exponential volume envelope. It should be default on rytm IMHO
Best way to learn/improve on the compressor for me is:
Create a new, simple pattern, basic sounds, few tracks, one of them a constant drone sound.
Add distortion and experiment with heavy extreme settings - have fun, enjoy.
The constant drone will be a very good meter for the compression, because it won’t be constant volume anymore and every drum hit will modulate it.
So In other words, you have different compressor settings in your different kits but you adjust the individual levels so they are roughly the same volume when you switch through them?