I totally understand. I just bought an Analog 4, and it is probably going to completely replace my CMS. I really love how the CMS sounds, but I just haven’t figured out a good workflow with it and my other Elektrons, and it is just too big to use as a simple sound module, considering most of the modulation power is tied to the sequencer and not to patches specifically.
I personally believe that it is a super cool entry level synth that sounds wonderful and has some novel features, but was hamstrung by an initial price tag that put it up against some more professional gear.
Yeah, I think that’s a good choice. Analog Four MK2 is pretttty close to being 4 x Circuit Mono Stations.
You get the addition of sequenceable high-quality effects, a lotsa i/o, performance control, a screen, etc…
Honestly, I think the only things that the CMS has over the Analog Four MK2 is the pressure pads, a couple cool lil sequencer tricks, funky illuminated knobs, and nice feeling sliders. It’s definitely a value-packed monosynth…but Analog Four pretty much makes it redundant.
If you miss the cool sequencer stuff on CMS…get a Pioneer Toraiz Squid…the such a fun and inspirational sequencer.
Interesting, I’ll have to check out the Squid! I think the one thing that I will miss is the simple paraphony of the CMS. With the CMS, just have Seq 1 play some long note and then play on Seq2 and you get a really, really cool sound, almost like hammer-ons on a guitar.
Loopop had a cool MIDI manipulation trick to get the A4 to play paraphonically from a controller, but I would love to see that as an added function on the A4. I know that parameter locks on the A4 can technically do it, but that involves programming in each note for the second osc, which isn’t as fluid as I would like.
Pity they didnt get more traction. Maybe the Circuit resemblance didn t help acceptance as a serious synth. And competition is hard in the mono market.
Thats too bad! I was hoping for some firmware developement for this as it has so much potential. It is very easy and fast to get new riffs and melodies on this thing.
I liked mine better when I gave up on the sequencer and just used it for quick selection of patches. But the synth UI sucks away most of the joy and spontaneity for me.
I got one about 4 weeks. Did not dvelve much into it yet.
But what i really like is the input drive when pushing shift+ext in mixer knob. The knob becomes white and a little amplification by turning the knob to around 9-11 o‘clock brings out some wonderful harmonics in a way no other effectbox of mine can do similar.
I tried to recreate this drive effect with a chase bliss brothers, an elektron drive, ehx big muff deluxe pi and the distortion of the octatrack but they just don‘t sound like the cms.
Even if i don‘t use the cms for anything else, it‘s a glorious and expensive drive effect.
I’m wondering if I can feed the Boss DD500 x2 mono inputs I’d like to feed the MS-1 in to it too, will have a read of the pdf manual tonight.
Looked at ZOIA looks pretty cool might demo one after this Corona malarkey blows over
Yesterday, coincident with CMS’s retirement, I composed my first melodic (as in: not abstract techno noise) bit in a long long time with it. Really more of a sound design exercise than a real song:
