I just want to say, I’m totally in love with this machine. It sounds great, the drums stuff is really quite good and unexpected. it takes to effects well, (even takes well to master track effects on the Digitone nicely)
My only gripe is that it seems to run hot and is hot to the touch. I hope this doesn’t become and issue down the road.
Easily the best purchase I’ve made in 2021
Started watching the Loopop video on the Mono again. I’m amazing how incomplete my knowledge is of every piece of gear I own 
Fired up the Mono yesterday for the first time in awhile. Instant smiles and got a track done quickly. Might try sequencing it with the M8 just for grins
I tried it combined with the Polyend Tracker a while ago and had quite some fun sequencing random and non-random mod notes together for crazy beats. I need to look into this again.
Do you think the Mono can compete sound wise with the now unobtanium Avalon Bassline ? The sequencer is much more powerful I guess, but what about the core sound ? I’m looking for something more 303ish than my AS1 (which is great). I’m not attracted by the acid side of the sound but by something sweeter and deeper like on this video
I don’t think they compete sound wise. I enjoy both equally though, for very different reasons!
If you own both, which one do you prefer ? Can’t you get Avalon sounds with the Mono ? On the demos, the Norand seems to have a broader palette range. The Avalon sounds creamier, but the Mono demos are often a bit crazy.
I had an Avalon and sold it and have the moon now. I like the Avalon sounds more, to me it sounds richer and fuller. I love love love the mono and it’s sequencer and I think it sounds great too.
I never owned a 303 or anything approaching, and I end up using the Mono more as a drum machine than a bass synth. But what I can tell is that it’s a real sound design beast!
(like, you can a assign a different LFO and envelope to every single parameter)
It’s still a mono synth, so you can’t do chords, and I wouldn’t use it for atmospheric pads, but in its own style it covers an extensive spectrum.
And like @ddiamond84 wrote, the sequencer is really fun and innovative!
The Avalon is a boutique take on the 303, Norand is somewhat inspired by that sort of approach but makes up in sound design and modulation monstrosity.
I would say that they don’t sound a ton alike, “acid” can be done with the Norand, but one would not sub for the other.
This is really the vid that highlights why this synth isn’t like other monos
I have both, and have had many 303 clones over the years.
Mono can do acid, but it is absolutely not a replacement for a 303 or clone. From the oscillator(s), to the filter, and very much the accent & slide (though it has its own implementation of both, they don’t behave like a 303) and definitely workflow.
As with many other monosynths, you can make acid lines and you can make them sound ~momentarily~ like a 303, but tweaking them isn’t the same at all.h e massively important and subtle quirks with a 303 (its simplicity is a lie), things like the accent behavior are going to wind up sounding different.
The Avalon really is the holy grail of 303 and the filter cart system makes it something beyond that I won’t ever part with.
Mono is wild, it’s incredibly powerful, and it’s the future of analog I think.
They are a very different mindset and approach to making sounds.
If you want a 303 and can’t get an Avalon, get a well-built x0xb0x from a reputable builder/seller (or build yourself if that’s an option).
If you want something new that is a lot more than a 303, get a Mono.
I second all of this. Great post.
I’ve had mine a bit over twenty-four hours now (a purchase from a fellow Elektronaut) and I’m quite impressed. The user manual specifically gives a shout-out to Elektron, and the developer worked on the Squarp Hermod, so the sequencer has a good lineage. What stands out right away is:
And beyond the sequencer:
About the only things I miss so far are USB audio out and a separate headphone jack, but in this respect, the Mono is like the DB-01, and fortunately neither of these trump the other; they are both delights and keepers, for different reasons.
This acquisition might finally trigger some gear sales.
Does the RUN button not send MIDI start/stop messages, or is there some setting I have to tweak? Thanks. [Edit: it does. I was doing something wrong before.]
This synth is massively underrated, IMHO.
It’s so full of interesting features I haven’t got the chance to go through all of them yet, and I’ve been having it for a while.
Among others I’d like to draw attention to:
And many others. Every time I go through the manual I find new fun features to try.
And importantly, each firmware update comes packed with new features. Guys at Norand announced a new one was coming up, and it’s going to be huge, they said.
Where are you getting this intelligence from?
Norand Mono Users page on FB, a post from Norand.
But they are also quite responsive when you write them e-mails.
Is it a Mono MKII ? Not sure, as the were planning a whole line of products.
Ah, too bad, I’m not on FB any more. But I’m sure I’ll hear about it when it arrives.