We would like to give the parts of the community that cannot attend the Inside Elektron: Panel Talk event at Elektron Studios Berlin on Wednesday, the possibility to ask questions for the Q&A session.
The panel will consist of:
Jimmy Myhrman — Chief Architect
Thomas Jansson — Research & Development Director
Ess Mattisson — Product Designer
Jon Mårtensson — Chief Product Officer
Cenk Sayinli — Product Specialist
moderated by Hainbach
Ask any questions you might have for this panel and we will collect and curate some of them for the evening.
What is Elektron current philosophy on upgrading their machines? When do you consider a product deserve a mkII version? Is it about time, new ideas, gear trend? Anyway thank you so much for your work guys, I’m deeply in love with my Digitakt mkI.
why such tight memory on the digitakt? Sometimes I love the limitation, sometimes I hate it. But memory is cheap, so why not make a device with more memory?
any plans to support AUs on iOS? OB + digitakt as an iOS sound card would be excellent.
I just got a machinedrum to go along side my AH, digitakt, etc. It’s really interesting how little the sequencer has changed in nearly 20 years. When designing new features/instruments, what are the sacred cows and red lines that must not be fucked with? How do you innovate within those constraints?
I’m curious as to how many boxes someone like Cenk or Ess go through in a year/lifetime. For example, how many personal digitones (if any) has Ess had to replace since it’s debut? Broken trigs, screen issues, dust problems, etc… I’m always OCD that im going to break one of my boxes somehow or that dust will ruin them. Do the people at Elektron think those are legit fears?
I mean this completely without snark our smart-assyness:
Can we expect quicker bug-fixing updates after OB has a stable release?
I love my OT but there are a few bugs that I would love squashed (i.e. arranger trig condition issue).
Can you say anything about the design philosophy going forward? Will we see larger high-precision boxes on the level of AR/A4/OT, or will we continue to see more in the streamlined Digi realm? Will we see hybrids of these methodologies?
The earlier analog series instruments, as well as the earlier elektron designs, feature song modes, much more elaborate configurations as well as performance macro elements. Since the digitakt was introduced, we are seeing less and less of these features.
Are we ever going to see new products from elektron that go back to offering these extended features? Including, but not limited to:
A song mode
Kits as well as patterns
Swing trigs
Mute trigs
Performance macros
Now I know you state “restrictions are for the dreamless” but these features made your products stand out from the competition in my opinion. Miss having them on the newer products.
Was the decision to not offer parameter locking of FX parameters on the DigiTone and the DigiTakt the result of a design choice, hardware limitation (processor, etc.), or both? What was the primary for not offering parameter locking of FX parameters?
Given that the Octatrack is widely acclaimed to be one of the best samplers ever made, and that there are still a few known bugs and missing features such as the ability to set RLEN longer than 64 steps, isn’t it time to give a final push on the OS and make it the best it can be?
To each member of the panel what would be your dream instrument that does not already exist?
Overbridge AUv3 support on iOS would be amazing, imagine having all the individual outs of the DT/DN available within something like AUM… I would probably never use the Mac for music making ever again.
Collaborations between companies are getting more common in the electronic music industry nowadays, DSI/Pioneer, Korg/Arp, Dreadbox/Polyend etc would Elektron ever consider this idea and if so which company would you like to collaborate with?
Q: what interesting methods of live performance (only Elektron machines) do you see and which inspire you the most? I find that we tend to discuss small details a lot in the forums which is great - but the ultimate purpose of an instrument is of course to perform with it. Looking at the discussions I somehow miss the big picture in the pragmatic sense of performing with elektron. Super curious to hear your thoughts on performance modes and how live sets can be put together, transformed, and performed? What are the best kept secrets?
Q: do you see room for a small DIY culture around your machines with retrofitting front panels, knobs and even displays? Unless there’s high risk to damaging the machine if “customizing” components, would you entertain the idea of slight customization? I’m sure the public demand and creativity is there for a “customization culture”! Also nice additional selling/business upside.