I agree with some stuff @esq say it is better as 4xMono than 1xPoly.
Really great on the 4xMono !
On the poly side there is some drawback.
The patch library was designed with mostly mono sound.
And lots of them sound not good in poly, which is a ´patch’ issue more than a synth issue.
Other thing which make it a not so nice poly is the UI which is a sound designer UI, not a immediate UI like a Moog/Korg/Novation for example. And encoder are great for multiple track with different patch, not so for a 4 voice poly synth.
So doing poly stuff and changing parameter is a pain regarding the other poly out there.
Macro are here to solve that.
It is easier to make your own set of patch and save it in a dedicated 256 slot bank for doing poly stuff and remembering that this bank is a poly bank.
And creating macro for easy parameter change.
It is still a good poly synth but requires more works than a standard 4 voice poly.
I get your both’s points. To me, I use my A4 exclusively in polymode for pads, chords, and atmospheric sounds and I love it for that plus it offers a degree of flexibility and creativity that is unmatched in my book.
Of course 4-note polyphony is not a lot and while it is still direct to use with a little muscle memory, the A4 is obviously not knob-per-function, which is important to consider in terms of workflow.
Re sound, the A4 sounds like itself and it’s quirky to program at times (eg bass), but personally I get all the sounds I want from it and I have little need for another poly atm (for what I do that is — it’s never front and centre in my stuff) —with the exception of the usual GAS of course (I’m looking at you UDO Super 6 :))
Like @PekeDorty I much prefer the form factor of the Mk1, which is why I bought that myself (used). The Mk2 has the additional outs, the better screen, and as Fin25 states the better overdrive effect…all things worth considering.
Over 90 parameters just for synthesis (excluding perf, fx etc) means that some level of faff is to be expected, a SH-101 has 23 parameters (excluding mod/bend) a minimoog has 40 parameters, a Pro One has about 45 etc for comparison.
the overdrive was worse on the MK1??.. oh my The Digis have such gentle nice overdrive … couldn’t imagine I could not like overdrive from Elektron until I used the Analogs with the “real analog” Overdrive. But maybe Elektron Marketing said “Hey folks don’t put too much effort into that Overdrive – the new AH is coming out soon!”
I got an Analog Keys and love it. The Ergonomy is problematic due to the tiny screen. But imagine you would try to get all the functionality with other gear: 4 mono synthesizers with lots of parameters, three effect channels and six tracks of detailed step sequencing. You would need a lot of work and space to set this up as a seamlessly integrated system
If you didn’t like programming the Pro2, the A4 might not be your cuppa either. Then again you’re of course familiar with the Elektron workflow and the A4 second hand prices don’t make it much of a gamble, so yeah why not just try it.
This coming from someone who 1) didn’t like programming the A4 mk1 and sold it, 2) didn’t like programming the Prophet 12 and sold it, and 3) is probably gonna get the A4 again as my next purchase (on 1/1/23 )
Until recently I was thinking mk1 again all the way but lately I’ve started to consider the mk2 for the slightly improved sound etc. Definitely prefer how the mk1 looks.
I’d get the mk1, but the arthritis in my hands is always getting worse and all that lovely space on the MK2 makes it far less likely that my cripple hands will just mash random buttons all the time.
Also, the issues I had with the pro 2 were mostly relating to things like the mod matrix and just general workflow, which probably won’t be a problem on the A4, as I’ve already established I have Elektron brain.
The mk2 is a bit big, but not as big as a pro 2, and it’ll still fit in my gig bag.
The only way to appreciate the mkII is to have it in front of you and play it. I prefer this form factor. It is already angled and all the improvements are a welcome addition.
I use my mk1 primarily as a drum synth. I have 4.5 banks of primarily melodic presets (factory and Elektron freebies) and could probably cull one decent bank from them. Biopads has the best hit ratio. But the Druma and Taro drum packs are both impressive.
I noticed that the presets sound better on my Digitone Keys when played with the keyboard than with the buttons. I had only auditioned A4 presets using the buttons, so I used the DK as MIDI controller last night, and played through a number of presets again, enabling polyphony this time. The A4 presets don’t sound better with a keyboard; in fact, some sound better with the buttons, at full velocity (I guess I have a light touch). And not many sound good polyphonically.
I haven’t used the A4 to sequence my modular (as opposed to providing percussion) as much as I thought I would. This is partly because I’m doing more generative experiments right now, and partly because I have a good sequencer module (Usta). But I don’t have anything as handy as the A4’s arp, which doesn’t work over MIDI but does work over CV. So it will come back into play at some point.
Yep, saw that but got @Scot_Solida 's extra one instead.
The main reason for having two IMO is to not having to replug and reset everything (CV, midi, audio routing etc) going from, say, your percussion setup to your melodic/ambient/noise setup. Also then you can have different sound pools of custom sounds in each one specifically for those applications…
Not sure about the presets you auditioned, but I personally made the experience, that like on the DN, the A4 sounds better if played from a keyboard. The mini keyboard on the unit seems to hit always at pretty much full velocity… I always feel a lot of liveliness is being awoken when playing gently with keys, especially with poly sounds.
I often considered swapping it for an AK, but I have space issues
The extra mini keyboard still super cool and the best solution for programing melodies on the desktop elektrons imo
I’m sure it’s the presets I chose, which probably predate the Analog Keys. I haven’t done sound design on the A4 since before I started acquiring modules, and I think I might do better going back to it now. Broadly, I would expect velocity to make a difference, and I think the A4’s sounds, while perhaps not immediately impressive by themselves, should layer well. I agree with you about the mini-keyboard; I really like it.
The Digis have such gentle nice overdrive … couldn’t imagine I could not like overdrive from Elektron until I used the Analogs with the “real analog” Overdrive. But maybe Elektron Marketing said “Hey folks don’t put too much effort into that Overdrive – the new AH is coming out soon!”
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