No. Why are you trying? Each synth has its own dialect. If you could match then youd end up with just one synth.
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I’ve been owning the Rev2 for years.
And recently, I bought the A4 in the hope to use it as a traditional synth, to be played with a DAW. I sent it back, it was a mistake. I’m using the Rytm this way, sequenced from Ableton Live, and it’s definitely awesome. On the other hand, the A4 feels more than a groovebox to me.
As for the sound design part, the A4 is far less immediate than the Rev2. And in terms of specs, I would really not compare them at all. The Rev2 shines at polyphony, modulations, and gated sequencers.
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Are u sequencing the AR from Ableton? Bypassing the elektron sequencer? I have them synced for sure but I use the elektrons sequencer.
My comparison is that none of these synths can replace the other two.
Edit
A4 has a unique sequencer and is basically four monosynths w polyphony bonus
Peak is a sound design oriented modern synth.
Rev2 is a more traditional analog poly and the Curtis filters are pretty distinct.
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Yeah so I’m not trying to compare them heads on, I’m trying to compare the differences and see what would be the best synth to fill that one gap.
These are all very useful arguments!
…sonicwise and handlingwise, two totally different planets…
I’m confused because your OP doesn’t mention a gap. But the information is out there in documentation and demos. A piece of gear either fulfills an objective need or it doesn’t.
I don’t know another way to compare gear. A stranger saying they like the sound or workflow of a piece of gear isn’t useful to me.
Yesterday I picked up the A4 mk2 after a while and realised I had forgotten how cool it is. The mod destination list is unbelievable and has so many special ones like key-tracking, the AM settings, sync amount and mode etc… That combined with the perf. macros make it a wild and somewhat unique synth. Also the feedback mode on the oscillators is something I’ve not seen in other synths.
I’ve had the Rev2 but even though it sounded v nice, I found it a bit one dimensional and tame, and really lacking low end. I think the A4 can match some of the Rev2’s sonic capabilities but the user experience is completely different, much less immediate.
It’s a great drum machine too, deeper and more experimental than the Rytm IMO.
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The Pro3 is the Sequential synth that seems closest to an A4.
Would you prefer a Pro3 to your Rev2?
I think this depends 100% on the kind of music you are making…
I think the user interface makes the biggest difference.
If you want a knob per function interface with keyboard, which clearly built „just“ to be a (very feature rich) polysynth go Rev2 e.g.
If you want something multitimbral, almost groovebox feel, where 4 tracks can be sequenced at once but polyphony was more of an added bonus -> A4.
Quite different indeed. Given that you like the rytm so much, it is certainly worth a try. Some say it does even better drums than the Rytm…
A4 always pushes me into groovebox workflow, I hardly ever use it as simple polysynth. It‘s something where I always try to squeeze out little tracks, with drums, bass, melody… Similar to digitone, but with less voices and different sound. Digitone is more suited to be a polysynth imo, due to the 8 voices, and for me it works somehow better in that regard. But I prefer the sounds of the A4
Just for info: Played a rev2 only for 15 minutes in the store, so I can only really talk about the A4
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You might want to recheck that one
Oops, I meant osc 2 key-tracking.
edit: nope, they’re both there… so you can have both osc’s tracking modulated with different depths of the same LFO. Very useful with sync sounds and some more experimental stuff too.
Oh you mean LFOs tracked to osc rate, Thought you were saying key track was a mod source, something I’ve wanted for a while but is missing.
I mean LFO modulating the oscillators key tracking amount. I said key tracking is a destination, not source. The MnM has key tracking as a source too which is incredibly nice, one of my fav things about that device.
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Why? I understand that it might suit dance stuff more than blues, but nothing is impossible is it? I like to make house and techno but love to make.hip hop as well. My point is that there’s plenty of VSTs that make bread and butter sounds, so a hardware piece of gear has to offer something. That’s of course tweakability and hands-on control at the minimum but something inspiring / instrument-feeling is something I long for as well.
My OP might be a bit unclear on that but I’m very happy with my rev 2, but deciding to trade it for a desktop due to footprint & the fact that I sequence / use my ks37 to play it.
During that switch, other desktops came to me and made me think what is it I look for in a hardware synth?
You can use a computer to do your drums, but a digitakt / AR gives me something I would never find in a computer, regardless of features. I’m chasing that same feeling in a synth but it could very well be that the rev 2 is that for me! These takes are very useful regardless. Two very different synths, different purposes being compared is pretty insightful to me, but probably tiresome to more advanced musicians…
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As some others have said A4 can do pretty much any typical analog synth sound, but it takes a lot of work due to not being knob per function, and the number of parameters.
But on the other side of the coin it can do stuff other synths can’t, and the tightly integrated sequencer both internal and CV/FX are pretty much unparalleled.
I have done some emulation of other synths I own with A4/AK and it can get so close as to be indistinguishable, but again it takes time to dial everything in.
For me where the A4 falls down a bit is poly mode, you have to be mindful of playing/sequencing style to avoid stealing happening due to it only being 4 voices, even for triads. But poly mode is not its main reason to buy IMHO.
Performance mode is fantastic for tweaking, wish more synths had that.
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When I make a patch on my Peak, it joins a library of fantastic sounds that maybe I’ll go back through someday, or sample, or put together a pack for.
When I make a patch on my A4 it turns into a track.
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Agggghhhh. I want an A4 again now lol.
Edit: When I had one a little while ago, I wanted it to be my main synth. Now I’ve got a full on Poly and a great Paraphonic. I miss the sequencer (don’t have any sequencers now) and can see the potential I missed when I did own one
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totally agree, imagine a tool kit with just one multi tool to do everything, hammer, drill screw and saw! each synth has its own character and take on what a synth should be. I have lots, Summit, Prologue 16, Virus TI, A4, Digitone Keys, Modwave, ASM Hydra, Iridium. Each one unique and doing its own thing in its own way.
A4 without a KB attached is a brilliant drum/synth groovebox, add a KB and it can be a 4 voice poly.
It’s like nothing else out there on the market atm. sounds are great it can really scream, as a poly or as a x4 voice unison mono even. Its a very, very powerful box.
The x4 voice limit really got me for the price, I went for it as a mono synth with seq but its a thousand times that and more.
I don’t think I’d part with it now. There’s not much it can’t do if you invest the time in it
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