Here I am with the usual question… Syntakt or Not Syntakt
I was Just about to get it but I changed my mind for a Play as I thoughts it was to be a good sampler companion to my Digitone instead of having a Digital Drum only although I love the complex sound I can now hear almost everywhere on the net and here.
I’m into Epxerimenting and I got tons of Drum kits samples to satisfy my need for a Drum Machine, but for the first time I would go minimal and dawless altough I own now a lovely HP Elitebook 12 inch i7 which ia so portable that really helps BUT is the machine that I’m after.
Did not fall in love ( so far ) with my new purchase so I’m back to the Dilemma… splash into a Syntakt to have the perfect DUO on stage considering I always wanted to own a machinedrum ( can’t mention Monomachine ) or get a Octatrack and cut it short? The Octatrack has always been a desire but the so call complexity of it ( and price ) did play his part in not owning one ( specifically MKII ) I know you would definitely suggest the Buy… I’m very close
I don’t have a Play, but I did own a Tracker which I sold for a Syntakt. Honestly the sound for the Tracker just didn’t sound anywhere near as good as the Syntakt. The sound quality and jankiness of the Tracker really makes me doubt how good the Play would be. Syntakt feels like professional equipment.
If you are wanting to integrate with a DAW, Syntakt with Overbridge will be amazingly better for your workflow IMO.
Also, consider getting a sample manager for DAW like XO, and a cheap midi pad controller.
Edit: I forgot to mention that the tactile feel of the white pads on the Tracker was awful. It looks like they kept the same ones for the Play.
Get one, Syntakt is dope, its a techno guitar, easy to sit on the lap, easy to integrate, sound is top. Lots of experimenting possile, also good fir any other electronic music.
Thanks. Play is already a bit of an XO sample manager in a box… or close to Atlas but I may use my Ipad pro with a Playbeat software eventually as its interesting and cheaper than a VST if dawless.
I also had a Tracker but did not go well…Maybe is just me. I owned almost all I could recently from TE To MC707 to MPC One to Akai Force and Digitakt BUT is the DT that I bought 3 times already and its stay now…
If that’s true, I might check out the Play… I really like XO, and Atlas.
If you have the DT already, and an iPad Pro, I wouldn’t get a Syntakt personally… even though I have one.
You can use the DT/iPad combo and get way better results… you have Playbeat already, add Drum Computer and that’ll give you the drum synth experience.
Use the DT’s midi channels to midi map to your iPad apps, boom.
I’m probably going to sell my Syntakt. It’s fun as a standalone mess-around machine, but it hasn’t forced it’s way into my studio/workflow. I have an Analog Rytm and Analog Four, and a Digitone, so it was always going to be tough for a Syntakt to establish itself.
Generally speaking my use of the Ipad has been restricted to Midi control Through OSC and recently AUM but is the Tactile feeling’ that I’m miss so it will always be a frantic companion but limited eventually for a 'Loading time Bed ’ and perhaps support with Audiokit Synth One that I consider one of the best Virtual Synth ever made and is even Free… I may let my Play go… did not trigger!
Syntakt could be cool, but it´s a little bit strange that they almost just recycled the machines out of the 300€ cycles while everyone and his uncle is screaming for MD and MNM Machines or at least something similar.
Also, but this seems to be not everybodys concern, the envelopes are not lin or log but percussive sounds are not linear, so that never made sense to me, why they are not giving us more options envelope wise.
Like I said, I was not looking for another drum machine but initially I thought that the 35 machines were cover plenty ( and make those orphans of MD and MnM like me a bit happy ) but I’m still digging as 90% of the demos sound too industrial/Techno ( i’m not cover the Ambient aspect ) to me OR simply need good crafting, and is were the challenge in my head is calling…
…that’s a good first step in diagnose…realizing, every music instrument “simply” needs good crafting…
no instrument, no matter if it’s hardware or software based, and no matter how “good” it’s preset examples might be, can lift u beyond the craftmenship it needs to make them really sing along end of the night…
Syntakt is the only Elektron device i own atm, and the only one i need. Great best-of-all-in-one elektron device, that also is like a mini-studio of its own.
Syntakt can do so much. I think for my tastes it’s the Elektron that comes closest to being able to make a full track in one box. Obviously if you rely on samples a lot, it might not be the same for you - it would be awesome to have a simple sample playback machine on it but I wouldn’t hold your breath.
I turned it on for the first time in a few weeks (I’ve been busy!) and was amazed just how good the patterns I’ve done on it sound (and I’m definitely not an amazing producer!). The sound just gels together really nicely and the FX block adds a load of variety and texture.
I think I gathered enough experience through all my time in Electronic Music Making with Samplers and Synths, ( last Sampler arrived the PLAY ) Like many here I expected Syntakt to be a sort of ‘New Monomachine or MD’ so initially I was disappointed to see yet another Drum Machine that may sound like plugins I use already… but It challenge me to find out my way of using Syntakt so here we are p.s. although I horribly witness how hot it become just after 5 minutes of use… but I will write it in a dedicated 3d already open in the Forum
I think this is important, there’s a lot more depth to it sound-wise than you might initially think. Pitch things far up or down, mess with the filter, use the FX block and you can get some pretty wild sounds. To be honest it feels probably more flexible than the MD in terms of synthesis.
Regarding the heat, this has already been discussed. It definitely gets warm though I wouldn’t say uncomfortably so. If yours really is uncomfortable maybe there’s a fault, or maybe you live somewhere hot?
Purchased a Syntakt a week ago and I don’t think I’ve played with a new piece of kit more than this one. It’s seriously making me rethink how I use my £4000 Eurorack system!
On a side note I used to own an OT and never fell in love with it. I’ve come to realise that I do not like working with samples/libraries and so the Syntakt has given me easy access to learn Elektron’s sequencer in a fast and efficient way.
I unfortunately never owned a MD, maybe one day when finances allow me to do so, yes my aim is now to craft my sound and explore, heatwise I can’t say how much it get hot than any other device out there, my room is Air Con so weather is not the issue, on a specific thread they are saying that most probably it won’t be fixed via software ( I believe too ) so a fan or laptop stand with cooler is the only help at this stage
