Hey there everyone,
I am looking at picking up a model:cycles but before I do I was wondering if there anything in the price range that might be better for what I am looking for. Mostly I am looking for something that is able to generate a lot of odd textures/stabs/sound effects (think maybe autechre?). My other main consideration is the Arturia Microfreak. A good sequencer is a bonus but not a deal breaker. If anyone has another option under $500 that would be cool too, thanks for any input!
Second hand Digitone, then. Cycles is cool but way better at percussion stuff than melodic stuff imo - it does both but you’ll soon tire of the limited palate, lack of proper amp envelope and the single LFO per track. Digitone does everything much, much better.
I’m with Craig.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my M:C.
I mainly love it because I have a Digitone for all the stuff it can’t do.
I’ve got a M:C, a DN and a Microfrk and I think all of them are great in their own way but I suppose the key thing for me if I was to choose between them would be what else I had. The DN is by far and away the most flexible but you’d need to luck out second hand. The M:C is really nice and can get into some pretty weird territories when you start messing with really fast LFO speeds. It can be pretty flexible but you do need to patient and subtle with your programming otherwise you can breeze right past some of the sweet spots. That said, I personally wouldn’t want to rely on it alone. The Microfrk does have a breadth of timbres but is limited by being monotimbral - depending on what else you have that might be a factor to consider. The keyboard is also a bit of a marmite situation - I’m OK with it for noodling but that’s about it.
The other option if you already own a laptop/computer is a DAW. There’s nothing better for pure exploration for under 500 bucks.
It’s great that everyone mentions the Digitone because that is kind of my ideal synth at the moment that I am trying to find a cheaper alternative to haha. Should probably just save up some more.
I think sound/depth wise M:C is not too unlike something like the Yamaha RY-30 (that aurechre used) that stuff is pretty minimal and the RY is technically a Rompler.
You could probably more or less remake this in just a M:C.
I think that the deeper sounds you do end up with on the M:C will be based around bending and abusing the various machines with the tools at hand, limited LFO and envelopes mean the sequencer becomes an instrumental part of the sound design. If you aren’t looking to push the sequencer and make that part of your sound design process I think you will probably want to look else where. It can be inspiring to work within such confinements but also frustrating if you don’t already own something capable of more.
Also worth noting. The model cycles has a very particular tone. If you dont like that tone, theres no way to change it. No way to deviate from it.
Echoing other peoples sentiment here. The model:cycles is currently elektrons least versatile box. There’s a decent scope of sounds you can create (percussive, bass, chords, leads) but they all have a certain character to them that is hard to escape.
Maybe down the line the folks at elektron give us some more options to play with, but as it stands I’d recommend saving up a little longer for a digitone.
I don’t think it’s nearly as limited as some people make it out to be. You can get some great creative results with the right combination of knob tweaks, LFOs and p-locks. Certainly geared towards percussion, and it does have a sound, a la “FM,” but with the pretty good delay and reverb, you can get some decent pad sounds too.
Getting more expensive gear with many more options doesn’t necessarily equal better music. There will always be something different, something more. Do you have much experience with Elektron gear? If not, you can always get a Cycles, and sell it for not much less than you paid for it if you want to move to something else. Starting with a Digitone could be overwhelming (but I’m not sure how much other gear you have).
It’s not Autechre, but check out this guy’s Aphex Twin covers using the Cycles: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRCViAiQjt0MB-2hX5CRIxg
Yeah I have a model:samples which I love. Beyond that I do not have much other synth gear (volca FM and Keys). One of the things that seemed attractive about the Cycles is that it allows you to manipulate and take advantage of FM without having a huge learning curve.
If you’re looking for versatility and don’t need a sequencer, nothing beats the Microfreak, really.
It can produce every weird or melodic sound you can think of and because of the great interface you’ll just create one after the other.
Plus, it’s only around 200€-250€ used, which is absolutely mental to me. Coupled with a good sampler (Digitakt in my case) it’s everything you need to make great tracks.
Hardware: I find the Cycles to be much more versatile than the Microfreak. You can make full tracks/sets with the M:C, something that is not possible with the Freak (which I absolutely love). Both are great for weird textures and odd sounds. Don’t own one, but I could imagine that Typhon is also a great contender.
Software: so much choice…Ableton’s Wavetable, Arturia Pigments, loads of iOS-apps like Mononoke, Borderlands, Shoom, Nave, Drambo etc etc.
As you have the Model Samples maybe you should consider a synth which has stereo audio inputs (unless you own a mixer).
A relatively cheap option would be a second hand Electribe 2 synth. To my ear, the synth sounds of the Electribe are in a similar ballpark to the Braids/Plaits modules.
obviously doesn’t have the sequencer but the Preen FM3 might be worth a look if you have that bit covered somehow.
Thank you so much for this explanations, I was looking for this kind of feedback about the model:cycles.
If you push the reasoning further, do you think the Digitone is too limited regarding FM capabilities? I I mean if you compared with other synth/brands, I have the feeling that I it’s not capable to achieve the whole FM palette, like the growling/nasty/noisy sounds of the Yamaha’s or the MEGAFM.
The Digitone is very appealing, price point, multitimbral, supported device, etc but it seems that the ending sound is very (too) tied to the sequencer, at the expense of pure FM synthesis.
I understand there is instant gratifications and cool tricks, but do you guys think it’s to the cost of a lack of depth ? The 3,5 operators and limited algorithms is really bothering me.
Not wanting to hijack this thread but I’m still on the fence about getting an M:C. I listen to every creation/demo on the dedicated thread and have searched You Tube and Soundcloud quite extensively. I can’t say I like the overall character of the Chord machine much, and “bread and butter” drum machine sounds don’t seem to be it’s strong point - the Tone Machine sounds pretty nice to me for percussive melodies. I’d approach it not as a drum machine but an FM percussion and tone machine well suited for live shows. OTOH, I have an OT and Nord G2, which I love for FM percussion. But sequencing drums / grooveboxes with the OT you can quickly loose sight / forget which OT track and notes are mapped to which patches in the G2 (I have the engine so no visual feedback) - fine for making tracks but not optimal for live.
I reckon the M:C is the most innovative small groovebox to appear in recent years: the ability to use any of the machines multiple times can make for complex layering. It’s own sequencer would free up some tracks audio and midi tracks on the OT dedicated to percussion. Using one or two OT midi track’s to modulate the M:C would open a lot more possibilities.
OTOH, I’m split between M:C and getting a couple more modules for my modest (but still wonderful) eurorack, but I digress.
Can someone confirm that the M:C clock and transport slaves decently to other Elektron sequencers (OT)?
If you like the idea of the DX7, in case you didn’t know, NI FM7 and FM8 can save patches in DX7 format for upload to the DX7. Infinitely better than trying to programme on the DX7.
My take: the Digitone is not trying to be the most powerful FM synth on the market. It is trying to be a novel, interesting and useful version of FM with subtractive filters on top, tied to a powerful sequencer.
The Digitone is very different to other FM synths.
It is very much its own thing, but can get really nasty if you want it to.
It’s surprisingly deep, don’t let the lack of operators or algorithms put you off, there’s enough of both.