Here we are on a thread about deciding on what gear to trim, and I’m pining for another thing. 
I had a 707 for a while and while it was pretty fun I hated sound design on it and missed the Elektron sequencer. Like you point out though, I could forgo the 101’s sequencer and use it as a sound module with a huge library… Hmmhmm…
Maybe someday!
Huge. It’s massive and spans generations. Plus the effects.
It’s crazy what’s in that little box.
What made me buy it was that I have an AxEdge keytar, and it has the same engine. But it’s so bad using the app.
Found out about the 101, and it has triple the sounds. Plus it’s all legacy Roland everything.
Used to use the Keystep to sequence, but it’s so much easier with the Syntakt sequencer.
Plus as I mentioned it’s weak point is the drums. I have a TR8S as well, but the Syntakt blows it out of the water with low end. Roland is all clean and civilized.
The Syntakt is just nasty and dirty. Just how I like my bass.
You’re not making it easy for me to sell any of my gear. 
Yeah, if I were into dawless jamming, I totally would consider this. In my case, I deliberately intend to focus my music making in the DAW, so I want just one (or maybe two) toys/synths that can offer that creative spark, hands-on control and preferably the sounds that tickle me. The idea is to record those things into the DAW and finish up songs and layer other sounds on top of those embryos, and I want the stuff coming from the hardware to be stuff that I can’t easily recreate in the DAW itself. Actually the MC-101 and the Syntakt (or Digitone) both fit those bills, but very differently. I may end up keeping both for that reason, but unlike you, I don’t plan on connecting them but rather use them independently.
Yeah, that’s solid advice. I definitely need more time with the gear before making any decisions, that part is clear to me. In the past 18 months, I’ve spent nearly all of my time with the MPC, and I haven’t spent a fraction of the time on these two boxes. So that’s the first thing I’ll do now. I’ll try to create at least 3 song embryos on each box and as a result practice the groovebox+DAW workflow on at least 6 full songs. By then, I should have a much better idea of which one to keep or sell.
There are certainly some uses, but I wouldn’t say it’s underrated. It has a super narrow timbre range. Contrast it with eg. a mesmerizing Juno pad and it’s obvious what it’s lacking. There’s no grit, there’s no edge. It’s like being on some weird frozen yoghurt diet when you really want to have a pizza every once in a while. 
Just my humble opinion though. Doesn’t mean you can’t make some good use of it, but in my case, it’s far from a solution to my harmonic needs. The MC-101 fills that void in spades, as does the Digitone. This is where I’d say the Syntakt is by far the weakest of the three.
Ah, I see! My bad for missing that bit.
I’m pretty biased toward the Syntakt, and I am indeed a dawless kind of dude. I like your yogurt example too. Makes sense in a tasty way 
Hmm. You do sound more fond of the breadth of sounds and portability of the MC-101 to me though. Ultimately up to you! No rush.
That’s a cool plan. Then you’ll have direct recent experience you can compare, plus find which is easier to translate into a DAW workflow.
Yeah, it is definitely tasty! Just not something you want to eat every day.
It’s actually kind of the opposite. I love the portability, yes, but while the sounds are so lush on the MC-101, the experience using it doesn’t tickle me. I’m more drawn to the mystery of the Syntakt.
Since I’m on a weird analogy spree, if both the MC-101 and the Syntakt were parts of a vacation on Iceland, here’s kind of how I see it (images shamelessly stolen from Google Image Search):
Meaning: the Roland warmth is like the reward after an adventurous expedition, and the Syntakt is the expedition itself. On a great vacation, you probably want a bit of both - but you’ll probably remember the adventure the most.
So eventually it is a matter of taste. I like the 101 more 
https://youtube.com/shorts/g7POdq_p_KA?feature=share
*courtesy of my son, who read the above quote and wanted to share this video.
Since your a melodic composer consider Digitone and MC-101. You can always drive the MC-101 from Digitone Midi tracks. Here is a fellow on YouTube the does a lot of Digitone and MC-101 tracks.
Already have the MC-101, I wrote a thread comparing the MC-101 against the Syntakt recently. Syntakt vs MC-101?
And, I sold and miss my Digitone. 
Yes I knew that. I just wanted to point out a fellow that does melodic music with just MC-101 and Digitone. Seems a very good pair.
I see, than you for clarifying. Like I wrote in my longer thread, I’m not really looking to make dawless music with a bunch of cables between devices. I really just want one device that can be used on the couch or in bed as an inspiring synth to make patterns and sounds, drums, effects and then used in the DAW. Something to noodle on when not in front of the computer.
But I agree the DN and MC-101 is a powerful dawless combo. And I just made my first YouTube video with a jam on the Syntakt so maybe the idea of a little more elaborate dawless jams is still something to hold on to.
Edit: and I just realized now that you replied in this very Syntakt vs MC-101 thread, clearly I wasn’t paying attention yesterday! 
for me, Syntakt and MC-101 have very little in common, so complement each other very well.
Yeah, I agree. The premise of the thread was that I wanted to choose one of the two, but I’m beginning to realize that’s a tough choice.
Finally got around to making a video of this dilemma of mine. Hope it’s useful to someone.
I know exactly what you mean. For me it was Digitone for programming parts and presets but the 4 parts was limiting for what I wanted to do. I got the MPC Live 2 sometime later and I’ve found that’s the best solution for me. I can sample in my hardware synths and get full songs structured fairly quickly. I’ve not updated mine but I believe there’s a load more native soft synths and fx with the latest os. I’ve still got my DN as I couldn’t be without an Elektron sequencer of some kind
I keep being drawn to the 101/707 for the zencore stuff to be fair.
Sounds like we’re on similar paths! Now I’m back in the groovebox camp again though, and currently my fellow musician/friend is learning how to navigate the MC-101, so there’s a chance we’ll be doing jams with two devices after all. I still don’t enjoy the cables and I prefer to curl up in bed to jam in one box, but I find the Syntakt to be so inspiring and less linear than the MPC, so despite how well-rounded the MPC is, it’s more like sitting with a DAW in a box to me.
Yeah it’s hard not to love those sounds and that chorus. That’s the main draw for me when it comes to the 101. It fills the gaps of the Syntakt nicely: lush pads and sample playback.
Interested in how the two machines (MC-101 and syntakt) might work together regarding pattern changes (midi PC), i.e.
Have a vague suspicion the former wouldn’t work.
I’ve tried with PC messages from the Syntakt to the MC-101. It’s the usual problem that the PC settings of the Syntakt pattern itself is sent too late, so the MC-101 changes its clip one loop later. I really don’t know why Elektron can’t offer a setting to send the PC message half a bar earlier as an option.
The workaround is to send the PC message as a trigless p-lock trig somewhere at the last bar of the Syntakt pattern. This requires you to plan ahead and know when you want to change clip. I guess you could use the Fill condition so you basically hold down the Page button when you’re ready to change clip.
