Should I keep my MD or return?

Elektron Gear Machinedrum
#21

I have the OP-1 too and it’s an experimentalists playground. I love it. I heard someone once describe it as a “portable radiophonic workshop”. But it does present the following major issue: Using it with other gear requires a USB-Midi host (Oplab, iConnectMidi). So to combine it with the Microgranny would require a bit of extra work or gear.

That said, there’s a lot of cool Musique Concrete things you can do with the OP-1’s tape, sampler, and tombola. Check out this thread I started on Operator-1 - https://www.operator-1.com/index.php?p=/discussion/1688/op-1-tape-vs-makenoise-phonogene-for-concrete-ish-things

You said it’s important to have a machine to use in live situations. The Machinedrum far outstrips the OP-1 here with the kinds of manipulations you can do on the fly with the parameter settings, with having 16 tracks to mute (including the ctrl-* tracks). MD has Midi out and through. It has multiple outputs, and two inputs that you can use to control or add effects to other gear. You can stuff kits full of MIDI machines, drums, or a mix of both. You can easily switch between patterns and do long songs.

Then again, an Octatrack is going to give you very similar things - it can act as a mixer, has all the MIDI sequencing, and has the ability to sample and manipulate on the fly…

Hm.

I still say experiment with the Machinedrum. Look at making glitchy sounds with the E12 machines. Give yourself as long as possible with it. If you want something good for live shows that you can use now, keep the Machinedrum.

If you’d like something more for composing and experimenting, and can come up with a financial plan to get an Octatrack later, get the OP-1 and forget about the Microgranny (the Microgranny is great but I think it’d work best as a Machinedrum companion). The OP-1 will give you a fun synth that you can resample later when you get the Octatrack.

#22

microgranny is cool but it’s no alternative to the UW aspect of the MDUW.

as far as sequencing other gear from the MD goes, the midi is quite flakey…certainly for anything more than one-shots. just do a search on MD MIDI to see the issues, maybe they’re not show stoppers for you.

honestly, return the MD while you’ve got a chance to get your full money back… get the OT, since you seem keen on it and although there’s one significant midi bug…I would prefer to rely on its midi for sequencing over the MD or MDUW any day of the week.

#23

Ok, this happened “kinda” to me when I got the UW.
I had a big project, won then the guys pay me and with the money bought the OT.

The first thing that came to my mind when I bougth the UW, AFTER getting the OT was…FUCK, CAN’T DO TRIPPLETS, AND ALL THE TRACKS ARE CHAINED IN THE SAME FUKKIN CLOCK, IT’S A 4/4 MACHINE, SHIEET. not like the OT in which every track can be a bitch of their own. which is pretty neat.

Then I thought of all the struggle I went to get the money so, I started digging more into it. I got into a bump in which every sound I made in the MDUW sounded the same. THEN I started to digg more on the sequencer. THEN INTO THE MIDI SEUQENCER. Then I just made a bunch of things that ended up working for me.

For sure, Elektron machines are not “to be loved” at first sight. (Except the Monomachine, that thing just melts my heart). but,
Get around the MD. if you don’t have the UW you can still bang some crazy ass sounds with it.
I’ve had the MD for a year and I’ve never used the UW, because I’m to lazy to send samples via MIDI TO USB, i just use the ram and play machines because I was a elektron virgin until I got the OT to prom dance.

Get around the sounds, get around the FXS", they are key to make the MD sound good, PLOCKING FX. some kicks sounds like shit, then you add compressor sounds geat. some snares sounds crazy, THEN THEY SOUND SPACEY.
Get around the midi sequencer. it pretty powerful.
understand the swing and accent function.
ALSO, tho’ the tracks are arranged like a drum kit…you are not forced to make all of them sound like drums…WOOOOTTT!?

Just play a little with it. If by then you like the machine, WORST CASE SCENARIO make all the sounds you can, sample them. Sell the machine, and get another thing.
it also depends on what you want. you want rythms? crazy rythms? crazy rythmic sounds? crazy sounds on crazy rythms? Or you want pads…samples? mono synths? analogue synths?""" DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU NEED. AND DESIRE!

I will suggest to focus on those 3 things.
Sounds.
Sequencing.
Midi Sequencing.

That’s it!

big love.

#24

now, reasons to agree with bloopity doopity.
IF YOU ARE A COMPUTER PERSON.
OT, has usb “file” management, so it acts literaly as a usb.
MD doesn’t. and it has a battery to save your information.

OT can expand memory.
MD doesn’t.

OT has a bigger community.
MD doesn’t.

OT is black
MD it’s not.

OT was in your mind but not your pocket.
MD was not in your mind but in your pocket.

OT is “kinda” new
MD is pretty effin’ old.

honestly, for that price…I think you got a far from decent machine, midi sequencers are priced at that number and they just make midi. I say keep it. It sounds good. you will have an extra powerfull sequencer. then get the OT too.

GET WHAT EVER BRO. I’m selling a guitar if you want to! I need money.

#25

I came the other way, I have the OT since 2 years as Midi Seq, FX Box, Mixer, Sample Mangler and Looper. Very nice.
But if you use all this at the same time, you run out of tracks quickly, and I need 2-3 tracks for some glitchy perc. stuff (also no 4 on da floor here).
So I was thinking about a MD to free some tracks on the OT, and also hit the “buy” button on a very nice offer. Since 1 week now I think if I should keep it or not, or I find a way to make it with OT…

I think OT would be for you; but you could keep the MD non UW (because you´ll add the OT later anyway, you know it :slight_smile:
You can learn the elektron-way nicely with the MD, squeeze it, and when you´ll add (or upgrade) to the OT the learning courve in OT will be less steep.

So the MD is your training horse for the OT (which you´ll keep when you add the OT)

MD now, add OT later, all perfect

#26

thanks!

it feels like a rollercoaster to me while reading your posts, still tending to keep the MD for now.

what about an order of adding equipment. if i keep the MD now and work with it for a few months which i can use to save up money, would it make more sense to upgrade next with an OT or get an OP-1 first (cheap second hand unit). or is a MD and OP-1 in combination with an OT equivalent? i think that i´ll get an OT sooner or later for sure, so what about a MD and OP-1. or does this thinking mean to quit the MD immediately to get an OT which i´ll add with an OP-1.

it is so annoying to want all of these machines! but in fact i think it is up to me, with almost every machine i can work and get interesting results, thats what you strengthened me in.

#28

I would send it back for a UW model. You can do a lot with RAM / ROM, CTR-AL and resampling. Take a look at this, I think it’s Machinedrum + some controller (looks like the Evolution UC33).

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#29

think i send it back today, got a second hand octatrack for 900€. lets go!

#30

Yeah ! Nice move.

Be patient with the OT ! It’s a beast that needs taming !
(or maybe it’s the user that it needs to tame, idk)
:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#31

thank you all for the input and your thoughts!

i got a second hand OT already and it is on my desk right now – very nice! i´m totally willed to get into it and work my way to find how to handle this huge machine. i could pull the trigger after your ideas – this quote from Huno is on point: OT was in your mind but not your pocket. MD was not in your mind but in your pocket.

one last question:

do you think that the MD is such a valuable instrument that i should try to keep it and work with it or would it be best to return it for the full price and add later something new (maybe the op-1 second hand). how important is the warranty for you, is it worth it to keep it for 699€ or could it also work to get a used one for around 500 (but just MKI).

maybe i have a possibility to get some $ so i could keep both machines, but not sure if it is necessary (and recommendable) to start with two machines the same time.

i create most of my samples for now with field recordings and found footage, so i could start with the OT, no question. thanks!

#32

With OT alone you’ll have plenty of learning for the next few months.
After this period you’ll know the smartest move.

I’d say get you money back !

#33

Two Elektron boxes at the same time is going to be a little rough because they are somewhat similar but different enough so that learning one might interfere with learning another. I’d say try to nail one down first and then later the next one will be a bit easier than it would have been.

#35

I’m returning mine to get a Rytm. The sound quality difference is just too much for me and the MD doesn’t pair well with the A4 if your goal is like mine and to bring two pieces of kit, and no computer to a gig. The Rytm is just larger than life.

#36

For what you want to do, the MDUW will ALMOST get you there.

But the quantized steps will never let you get there, really.

Send it back and move on.

#37

OT is enough.
If, after a while, you want to add something, I recommend a small analog Mono Synth (there are so many now: Dark Energy, Mono Lancet, MFB Zwerge, Dreadbox … just somethíng with knobs for tweaking, and of course MIDI in)
1 synth, sequenced by OT, and back into OT for effects and sampling, will keep you busy for a looooooong time