Well then you clearly don’t have an A4
;))
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Let‘s summarize and conclude this thread with:
It depends on personal preference.
Whatever makes your boat float.
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I like it
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Me too.
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I would just like to to say that the A4 is a four part analog synth and sequencer. You can also save things onto the device. Smash the subscribe button and call me when your Alpaca farts into a microphone.
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I am a relatively new Analog Four MK II user, and have zero issues with its sound. Overall, the Analog Four MK II synth engine is highly functional, but its consolidated set of features was its biggest selling point.
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I hate it. No I love it. No I like it.
I would like to announce that I sold my A4 and I regret it already.
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Took me a long time to get comfortable with the A4 (and will probably keep taking a while), but recently have been really enjoying the reverb and LFO modulation. Here are a couple things that I’ve been playing with: Study No. 8 by Shea Betts | Free Listening on SoundCloud
Study No. 9 by Shea Betts | Free Listening on SoundCloud
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I think it takes a bit more knowledge than the average analog voice to get the most out of it. The first 4pole filter attenuates level as you lower the cutoff almost like a vactrol low pass gate. So the typical minimoog sweet spots aren’t gonna get you where you want. You need to work with it’s parameters which have more range and flexibility which comes at the expense of ease of use.
Remembering that filter tracking is 100% at 32, using the peak or hp filter to offset the volume attenuation that happens on filter 1s lower cutoff settings to restore the rumble when doing bass design, overdrive settings around -1 to -8 help round off the waveforms a little bit. Resonance at like 15-20 is already pretty juicy.
The main thing I think helps is the concept of restraint. Subtle parameter values are actually pretty exaggerated you rarely need to sweep the knobs super deep.
One thing I like to do if making big bass is use unison poly config instead of using osc 1/2. Set osc 1 to filter feedback and use osc 2 as your primary voice. You can get really huge sounds that way combined with subtle use of the filter drive and the other techniques above that kill all the rumors of a “thin” sound.
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If it had user slots for different oscillators (think Korg Prologue/Minilogue) I’d buy one.
It will never get something like the Minilogue XD one. But you can switch an Osc to an external input and route everything you want through this.
From the manual:
14.1.2 OTHER OSCILLATOR WAVEFORM SELECTIONS
IN L Uses the audio coming from the left external input as the audio source instead of the oscillator waveforms. The incoming audio can then be affected by the AM, the filters, the overdrive and the amplitude envelope of the track.
IN R Equivalent to IN L, but using the right external input.
And you can do this on all four Tracks plus you can do this for each osc too!
The A4 is in this way much more versatile than the Minilogue XD, because you can integrate it in a modular setup.
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this sounds even worse than pure modular’s blinky blonky style. Any good examples for this method? I tried it a few times but it always sounded like sh*t…
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Let me Google that for you. Ah the good old Cenk:
YT video description reveals the setup.
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This I understand but it then lacks the in-depth modulation capabilities with these external oscillators.
I’ll await Mark III.
You have an extra CV track.
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I’m going through a “like the sound” but also very much it has one or two sounds phase. I get why people call it “wooly”. I don’t think I’ll sell it, but I do think I’d like some more variety, or I need to get better at programming it. Maybe an FM synth, or something digital like a Virus to complement it somewhat…but then maybe the best thing to do is persist and get better at the machine I have.
EDIT: but then I ask myself (as of now) does it have to be so hard? Do I want to make music, or learn to use this particular music machine? Am in the midst of the sunk cost fallacy? I should buy a Virus 2nd hand and see, right? right?
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a little boost around the sub frequencies using the peak filter and some overdrive has a huge effect.
also the analog four has heaps of headroom maybe too much,
add some gain in your daw and it sounds huge fatness problems are gone…
basically turn up the volume…
then you have the elektron sequencer and all the modulation and tricks more than other synths…
the synth is designed around the sequencer sound locks, performance macros etc…
people can make full tracks just with this one synth!
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The A4 is great but if I like to create patches on my rev2 or DN, I can’t say the same about the A4. but I didn’t like to create patch on the Tetra either. It might be the small screen and the fact that the init patch is really thin but I should try to use OB!
But the A4 is one of my fav synth. I want a second one 
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