Picked up the new Electribe on Saturday. It’s really good! I would compare it to the DSI Tempest, but obviously digital instead of analog. Similar workflow, similar layout. In some ways not as flexible but in other ways more so.
Huge fun though! Should be on anyone’s list if you dig machines with sequencers. It has some pretty amazing possibilities.
Here’s a quick track I did with it just using synthesis waves, wanted to really exploit the automation and do some percussion using the chip-noise wave which reminds me a lot of the SID noise on the Monomachine but a tad more Atari than Commodore. I did run it through a Strymon Deco for some saturation and pitch instability.
Could you answer a question for me? That would be really helpful.
I’m using the Electribe Ea-1 and I don’t like how it stores the knob data per pattern because it causes jumps when playing them back and tweaking at the same time. The Analog four doesn’t do this when you use the same kit (because it doesn’t reload the kit unless you set it up like that).
So does the new Electribe store the knob data the same way; per patterns, like the EA-1 ?
Not sure exactly what you are referring to. If you mean the patch settings, yes they are stored per pattern. So if you have a pattern with a sound where the oscillator uses a sawtooth and you change to a pattern where the sound uses a square, it will abruptly change. There are no “kits” like on Elektron machines.
Hearing a lot of positivity on this one from folks who have got their hands on one. GAS is rising!
Interesting that it’s been compared to a Tempest. Seems like it could be a good partner for a Rytm? Love the form factor and the fact I could jam on this on my commute to and from work.
Sort of. I used it in this video but I was making sample chains for my Octatrack immediately beforehand and forgot to switch out of mono. So it exported in mono and I deleted the original! So mind the audio quality.
I bring in some wobble to add pitch instability in the beginning. There is Deco tweakage near the end.
I actually think it’s better than the Tempest. I have had one for two years and the Electribe pretty much cures all my Tempest gripes at 1/5 the price.
It has free running LFO, legato mode, polyphonic sequencing (4 notes max), useful insert / master FX, and the waves are more tweakable. The only thing the Tempest has on it that I care about is better pads.
The more flexible synthesizer voice on the Tempest is a toss up because while you don’t get as much control with the Electribe you do get more usable waves.
When you say it’s better than the Tempest, how do you think the sound and the live tweaking measures up? I’ve got a Tempest, am on the waiting list for the Electribe, and from the demos they sound quite different. I plan to keep my Tempest for the raw dirty sounds it produces, and use the Electribe for thicker things and more effect-oriented things.
Or would you say that despite their differences, the Electribe is just a better version of the Tempest?
Fast & easy import/export to SD card including Ableton sets
PCM sounds are more tweakable
External audio input
1/5 the price
Smaller, more portable
Runs on batteries
Honestly aside from pattern length, the Electribe pretty much shits all over the Tempest. From a practical perspective even though it’s synthesis is far simpler, you can actually get much more variety and create sounds much more easily. In fact from strictly a synthesis POV I even like it better than my Analog Rytm. The Rytm edges it in the sequencer department however because obviously p’locks > motion sequence. (not that motion sequence isn’t awesome and totally better than the 4 FX sliders that record steppy automation on the Tempest.
I have been a huge Tempest supporter and got a lot of use out of mine, but after the holidays it’s going up for sale. I mean the Electribe is only a couple days in the wild and already it’s a much more complete and satisfying instrument.