I totally agree. Machinedrum is still my most used box. I can only imagine what it would be if they had continued it’s development, utilizing modern processing power. I was really excited for Syntakt, thinking it would fill the position of being their flagship digital drum machine. And while it is a great drum machine, I feel like it lacks a lot in comparison. It does sound great, and I like that it is a hybrid analog/digital. But to me, it kind of lacks the innovation and originality of the older boxes (machinedrum, monomachine, octatrack). All of those were so unconventional and deep with possibility. Since Syntakt is still in the digi format, I’m hoping they still come out with something that is more of a flagship digital/hybrid drum machine. That and a flagship digital synth are the two things really missing since they discontinued the legacy boxes. For now, though, it would be a really nice suprise if they add some of the machinedrum machines to Syntakt.
Which MD machines would you prefer in Syntakt ? (Apart from RAM machines).
What features makes MD better in sonic possibilities ? (Apart from MD Master fx, Bit Reduction).
I liked PI machines, but I didn’t find other machines extraordinary. Syntakt has analog voices, much better FM machines, Synth machines (you can even tune all machines ! Real PITA with MD).
I’d also like more machines, more craziness with ST…
I hear what you’re saying about the Syntakt having features MD doesn’t have. I do think Syntakt has a great sound, and stands alone as a great product. I just think it is more limited in terms of the quantity of machines and features. There isn’t a specific machine that I had in mind from MD, but in general for me, I think MD has a broader range of sonic possibilities, and lends itself to more experimentation. I think Syntakt has a bigger more polished sound though. The digital side of the Syntakt has 10 machines (minus midi) that can be used on the 8 digital tracks. Of course you can do a lot with that, and the Analog tracks have great sounding machines. But on Machinedrum, there are just a lot more available. And, I really like the sound of the machines in Machinedrum and hope Elektron hasn’t abandoned them all together. I would love to see some sort of fusion of the 2 boxes, because, I think Syntakt could use more experimental weird machines (and of course sampling), and MD could really benefit from Analog filters, overdrive ect… to phatten up its very digital sound.
I think a lot of companies operate like this (release device partially unfinished as soon as possible, and update with all the intended features as time goes on to build hype/sales.) The results are usually, basically fine. MD was by all accounts really the exception, a once in a lifetime thing, a labor of love for the people who made it — the company was in it’s infancy and they worked many more hours than anyone would on most products to produce it. It was on a completely different platform that has not been reverse engineered to my knowledge.
I agree, I’d really like them to add more machines to Syntakt to represent more of the MD sound spectrum. I think sampling and more physical modeling type sounds would accomplish that! Other than those, there’s not really many machine types on MD I’m missing on ST. I prefer different things about each machine, but I’m with you, I’d like ST to be a full replacement for the few remaining aspects where MD shines
20 years ago, most of machines were finished when released.
I don’t control the capitalism!
I agree with you on all that. And, I do respect that they are coming out with new ideas, and not just re-issuing old machines. But, their older boxes are really unique and have a lot that the new ones don’t, so it seems like a bit of a shame that they abandoned them instead of continuing development or replacing them with something new, which is what I was hoping for with Syntakt. I still would love to see Syntakt get sampling and more machines, but in general I hope Elektron shifts focus from the Digi and Cycles products to making some new flagship boxes.
Can we go back to feature requests for Syntakt?
Not pointing at anyone in particular, but there are plenty of other threads to discuss “Syntakt has too many / not enough features of this or that Elektron box.”
i’d love to help with that sentiment
here’s something. I’m actually on my digitone right now, and I’m remembering how incredibly frustrating the speed is at which one can
erase their entire f*cking pattern. just by accidentally pressing a VERY often used func+clear key combination in the wrong mode. FIX THIS PLEASE AND I’LL [redacted]
QOL update that would be HUGE for me and probably everyone, would be any kind of solution to this problem. there, I said it. it’s a problem. saving often/temp saving often/etc. is just a gum patch in the larger hole of our elektron ship of fellows… our elektron fellowship
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enable an option to ask ARE YOU SURE you want to clear your sequence
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increase the time one can UNDO pattern clear by like, infinity. but if you do any other things without realizing, you’re screwed, at which point a
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global undo function allowing you to undo those previous items and then undo the sequence clear (admittedly this request has blasted off and out of orbit from what I would consider “simple fixes.”)
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back in the stratosphere of EASY TO IMPLEMENT – make clearing your current sequence like pasting patterns into a non-active slot (even though I can never get this to work properly, [ptn]+ ( [trig#]+[trig#]+… ) + [copy] . . . . [ptn] + ( [newtrig#]+[newtrig#]+… ) + [clear] - one has to then HOLD clear while it says “paste patterns? -> count down” … make it like THIS and no one will ever accidentally delete hours of work and want to clear their own sequence as a result
etc.
plz
There is also a reload pattern function, once saved.
What do you use it for ? (I mostly use copy/paste.)
see:
and as for:
just off the top of my head, [page] + [func] + [clear] - clear trigs on a page for a track in grid recording. [func] + [clear} in grid recording clear a track’s trigs. there’s also a plethora of other combinations that either include this exactly or are just similar enough to where a fast-moving in-the-zone-elektronaut might accidentally clear the whole thing.
but to be clear, specifically it happens when I’m clearing tracks or pages probably.
I wish it gets a 4 op fm and a wavetable synth, maybe even with neighbour fm, that would be dope, you could then sequence fm intensity or wafeform, generally a digital sub filter would also be cool, i.e. route this to a actual performance filter.
Additional fx would also be appreciated, like granular, and inverted envelope switch to have a breverse crash, snare, kick with modulation target 
Also improved loogic for the sequencer, xor, not and note pitch as random option with a list editor, in that configured track scale.
being able to go into FX parameter pages while still staying in FX mute mode would be sweet… and
I dont know if possible, but would be dope if we could apply master distortion to incoming usb audio.
Also, a string machine would be a nice addition, or a granular machine that uses incoming audio. 
again folks:
the DigiTakt already has all it needs for a great sampler machine (mbe stereo would be nice), let the Syntakt be the weird and awesome groovebox it is. I really don’t need samples there and would rather see QOL improvements and KITS!
Finally, damn kits as Overbridge already names them that!
It’s the biggest pet peeve I have with the machine and the workaround is tedious at best.
I love that idea!
We are on the same page. So much fun + joy lost on these boxes when I’m in the zone and then lose my work. I want Elektron to help me out here. I feel like a tool every time this happens. “Which mode am I in? Let me just toggle modes before I do this thing” is not the mindset I like to be in.
Maybe I’m too accustomed to the Roland TR and MC style sequencing, where clear track is the primary ‘mode’ and clear pattern takes a few extra & different & conscious keypresses.
Can we add all the features of the Digitone to the Syntakt and give the Syntakt features to the Digitakt? Then we only need a Model:Octatakt. And maybe an Analog Five.
I was just thinking about how cool it would be if Elektron managed to put the Syntakt inside a Cycles box. I was trying to figure out if i should sell my mk1 rytm for a syntakt but then i would miss recording patterns “free-hand” with the touch pads. i love the form factor of the Cycles, i really love the knobs and pads and the whole look and feel and weight and color scheme of the Model line. its very appealing, inspiring, and comfortable to me
having analog machines would be cool, but not necessary. I’d really just love an envelope (or two), and a 2nd base/width bp filter with some of those cymbal and clap machines. i forget whether or not the Cycles has a clap, but the updated Rytm clap in the Syntakt is amazing. some of the things i really love about the ST are the kick (ST has at least one good kick machine, but all ST ones would be amazing), the clap, the fm machines, the static, wavetable, fm, dvco, and physical modelling synths, and all of the nice swishy hat machines that are made better by p locking the attack & decay of either filter or amp envelope
maybe i should just get a cycles and another syntakt and send midi from cycles to st. i do love the master filter & saturation as well. its just a great box. it would be so nice if it had pads (and master comp). but really thats being greedy since, if the cycles came out after the syntakt, i would be amazed at how they managed to squeeze at least some of the elements into that form factor and would have been all over it
it’s odd how easy it is to do, considering an efficient layout most likely has a decently linear relationship between # of buttons / ease of pressing a key combination and an anticipation of how often the function in question will be used.
If anything it’s almost the opposite for me… I rarely clear whole sequences. I paste patterns around and proliferate those fckers like a damn plague on my available banks and patterns. And changing them around etc. Why encourage starting over? 
edit
maybe this is our inroad to the elektrocracy’s ears. I could see this being a meme. were I still a filthy 4chan kid I might attempt it but alas those tools I fear have dulled with the sands of time, and I would fear finding out how much that unique set of skills is deeply ingrained into my muscle memory anyway.
coffee coffee where were we – the meme being something highlighting this disparity of button presses & frequency of use; for example, it takes more button presses to edit the second LFO than to irreparably blast your entire sequence into oblivion.
and these are elektron sequences, to be clear. if one couldn’t spend countless hours within one sequence shaping it to be an entire section of a song more or less, then I wouldn’t care so much.
Incredible news about song mode! Been timidly requesting pattern chain save, thinking none of it would never happen anyway. I think it’s a better song mode than the analogs too, which is just wonderful. Must be another Analogs update on the way or maybe those MK2s are near retirement.
Some future potential Syntakt updates this still leaves:
-New machines (including user waves of some kind)
-New modifier functions (including an Arpeggiator, Parameter Slides, and global Accent. Ability to program more traditional “modifiers” such as these in x0x mode.)
-Kits
-New FX (including finer delay time resolution)
-Midi polyphony
-Direct Pattern Jump
-LFO keytracking
-LFO to multiple destinations
-Option to add 3rd and 4th LFO per track in menu would be killer for sound design