Absolutely. Not trying to knock the models line. Comparatively, now they seem like a massive steal with lots of creativity. Syntakt seems great if it’s your first elektron box (because it doesn’t add much to other products imo) but I’d easily recommend someone to get the models used and pay half the price or less for about the same functionality as an alternative.
The issue I was raising is mostly that my preference would have been for a flagship product they are overdue for, OR something more complimentary to the Digi-line- If you have a DT and DN, as many do, I don’t see this adding much at all. That’s why to me it seems to essentially be a toy. Half of those “machines” are clearly right out of the Digitone.
I thought a company’s focus generally revolves around sustainable profitability in the face of their competition and against the backdrop of cultural and economic shifts.
I think this synth definitely does that for elektron - a synth at quite a high price point with broad appeal. It introduces new customers to a new take on familiar concepts; and old customers to new functionality in a familiar format.
I won’t be buying one instantly, but it seems a strong product; probably even stronger than the digitone, and that has been a great seller for them (and also pleased a lot of customers).
Honestly the Model:Cycles rocks. I don’t know what it is but the sound engines kind of start distorting in this amazing way when you push the volume. I just went and listened to the M:C presets again and I highly prefer them over anything I’ve heard out of the Syntakt so far. That little grey box has soul. The preset pattern phasing is so darn good.
That’s exactly what didn’t came to mind when I first saw the animations while blasting my monitors with three sweet dual VCOs.
Btw fine resolution on any parameter makes the engines way better than on Rytm. You can get to sweet spots or fine harmonics that just can’t be reached on AR.
Yeah, but I don’t want to take a Digitone and a drum machine/synth to gigs when I can just take a Syntakt.
I think you’re missing the value of what Syntakt is. I can take a Rytm, Digitone and Model:Cycles with a master filter/distortion out with me all in one box.
Plenty of things to make music on, including toys. What’s amazing is a company releasing something called a “new” product, what with it being 90% recycled and only crammed into their most-sold hardware because they have the best margins on it.
If the best designers were still on this team I believe you’d see a different product. The Digi and models series are great but this adds very little to the line.
I dont know if the world needs an A4 AR OT mkIII yet.
I’d love an AK mkII 12 voice! But that’s no fun for the masses, and would definitely be an example of the company putting too many eggs in one teapot.
And I might be interested in the ST after early adopters report in, because yeh, makes the DN and DT look less appealing for my drums and Bass in one box solution.
I’ve got at least two or more boxes and I’m all over this. I can’t wait to get my hands on it, just like I did with my MD and my MC. Both ends of the Elektron spectrum and both had their place.
I expect they’ll sell plenty of these to new customers and long standing, more than 2 box types, but maybe not you.
For those thinking I started this thread as a hater, or someone that does not understand Elektron…
I started years ago with the Machine Drum and MonoMachine. Two very different, very defined instruments. But if you could use the sequencer on one you could use the other. Great pair.
Got the AR and A4, original versions, and later traded up to the MKii versions. Still defined but a lot of effort put in to let the AR do synth parts and the A4 do drum parts. I remember when we finally got the update to let us play the A4 as a 4 voice polyphonic. That gave me hope that someday we would get maybe a 12 or 16 voice polyphonic unit. Didn’t care if it was analog like the A4 or digital like the MonoMachine. Just let us add pads and orchestration to our creations with that great Elektron sequencer.
Got the Digitakt and Digitone. A nice pair that I recommend to a lot of people. Still, would like more focus on pads from the Digitone and less focus on percussion.
Got the two Models, not because I need them, but because they are just fun. Both are used mostly as drum machines.
When rumors of a new unit with “synth” in the name came out I thought "Finally, a proper synth with the Elektron sequencer. I can do chord patters. But the first thing everyone demonstrates is the drum machine. The synth section is a mix of analog, digital and FM. Just a taste of each thing. It sits somewhere between the Digitakt and Digitone and nowhere near the MonoMachine. And it seems to be more drum machine than synth, despite the name.
I suspect one thing this new instrument will achieve is to bring in solid revenue after two very difficult years for many people, after Elektron had a couple of recent years in which didn’t make much profit, and then a year when they had to recall an entire product line. This mythical risk-taking product some people were hoping for could very well have killed the company had it not hit the right note. Instead, they’ve guaranteed themselves a win with the Syntakt, allowing them to take more risks in the future.
IDK, it all just sounds like some form of GAS to me.
I really wish the Nord Modular did better in sales
I don’t see it as “hater” or someone who doesn’t love Elektron, I guess I’ve got so many general disappointments with 2022 and things in general that I can’t be mad or with divergent expectations if I’m not immediately NOW GIVE ME with my credit card
I watched a doc on ARP and they were right at the forefront with MOOG, pioneers in every regard (although they did start rehashing the same old tech into new products eventually too) and the arp odyssey was a hit with almost every major touring musician. It essentially ended up being just ONE product that didn’t sell well that tanked the whole company. Permanently. Then entered the era of Korg, Roland, Yamaha.
So, I can believe that an all-the-bells-and-whistles machine or a less sexy and new-development-heavy DT/DN companion could be a huge risk to the company.
I normally recommend the Digitakt or Model Samples. Both work really well with a Eurorack system, and is much cheaper than trying to get a Eurorack drum sequencer and a bunch of percussion modules. The new unit would be a good recommendation if it had sampling.
