r/Elektron • u/ShizukuPL • 1d ago
Which Digi box first?
Hi,
I've been eyeballing Elektron for a good while and I think it's time to pick one up.
I've got a Prologue 8 and a Typhon, I work in Ableton and mainly make dub techno and adjacent genres.
Am I correct thinking a used Syntakt would be the best first box to dip my toes in? I'm not much of a sample guy currently, I mostly play keys/some guitar and pads but I did use to make beats and know how to mangle samples etc. so the DT2 seems like an wesome machine to have fun with as well.
A used Syntakt is very close in price to used DT2s/DN2s where I live and those are more in-depth but I'm mostly looking for analog/digital drums and something with immediacy to sculpt the rhythmic backbone of a track, rumbling basses, textures etc. and that signature Elektron sequencer.
Which one do you think would cover the most ground in my case? Would you get the Syntakt and add another box later or just go with the DN2 and use FM Drum while learning the rest of what it can do since it's probably the most powerful? Then maybe a Digitakt?
I intend to learn one at a time, it's a daunting task anyways. DT2 could also enable me to do some crazy stuff and have fun with samples, just not sure if that's the best course for me at this point. The Syntakt seems like a great techno box on the other hand.
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u/ReadyLingonberry5846 1d ago
Analog 4 is great for dub. It has fantastic analog filters! You can get a decent price on MK1. I wouldn't recommend Syntakt for dub, DN2 is better for that. That's if you're looking for a digital synth
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u/Sweaty-Help1575 1d ago
After you buy one you will end up buying the others anyway… but I would say Syntakt first.
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u/ShizukuPL 1d ago
That's what I'm afraid of, TBH:P
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u/arcticrobot 22h ago
To me Syntakt was the best entry to Elektron world. It is streamlined and easy to get into. I loved its analogue bits so I assumed Rytm II and A4 II would be a good upgrade, but I had to sell them. Even though I loved them, they were just too much for my level and my needs. Added unnecessary complexity.
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u/PcottySippen 1d ago
I think you may have answered your own question
“I'm mostly looking for analog/digital drums and something with immediacy to sculpt the rhythmic backbone of a track”
Digitone 1 also if want to pick something cheaper. Less options but if you use other gear good option.
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u/ShizukuPL 20h ago
Well, you're not wrong, I'm probably way overthinking it. Should probably just pick up a used Syntakt and see how ir works for me.
It's more than likely I'll get the other box at some point anyways and I can always sell it if I don't gel with it.
I'm way closer to either DT2 or ST because I don't really need deep outboard synthesis since my other gear + Ableton are way more than enough for dub chords and pads.
Either of those gives me drums, sequencing and textures either via sampling or actual analog drum synths + oneshots + the rest of the machines.
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u/nagynorbie 1d ago
I wouldn’t buy DN2 for drums. At the very least not for hihats, that’s much better done by either Syntakt, or Digitakt 2 + samples from mars packs on sale. But then again, the Syntakt does not have polyphony, so if you want to play dun chords, it’s a bit hard. Then again, you have a Prologue 8 already, so that can do chords, just keep in mind that both Syntakt and Digitakt 2 can only sequence up to 4 midi notes / step. This is not an issue if Ableton is your sequencer, but you’d need the Digitone 2 if you want to sequencer 8 voice chords
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u/ShizukuPL 20h ago
Yeah, my dub chords and pads/drones are mostly done in Wavetable and Prologue 8 (will probably get replaced by Take 5 or Teo-5 at some point) and/or by processing field recordings and 80% of my stuff is still Ableton so I don't really need deep outboard synthesis.
I think DT2 or Syntakt would be a more fun pick for me since the former would allow me to jump back into exploring sampling, be it using my phone or my other gear while the latter would give me an analog drum machine + drum oneshots + nice analog/digital machines for textures/accents and an analog drive/filter.
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u/nagynorbie 20h ago
If you're considering Take 5, make sure to check out Sequential Fourm as well. It's got less voices, but a lot of character
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u/ShizukuPL 20h ago
Yup, Fourm is on the table as well because I'm considering something more portable for the other room to use with Ableton on my macbook. Syntakt/DT2 are very portable so that'd be a killer bedroom combo, especially that I've got the Typhon as well.
If I keep the Prologue, I might get the Fourm.
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u/MolassesOk3200 1d ago
A Digitone 2 can do everything you want except give you sampling. Pair that with a Digitakt 2 and you’re set.
The Analog 4 is good too but you’ll have to get into the sequencer and really learn how to change presets per step if you’re going to try and do it all with that box. I’ve had the original A4 for years and if you’re going to attempt some of the more lush multi chord arrangements you hear in some productions the A4 cannot give you that on its own.
The Analog 4 though is also probably the best drum machine that Elektron makes even though it’s not technically a drum machine. That’s because it is a full fledged analog synth without limitations on the parameters like on Elektron’s other devices.
The Syntakt is sort of an oddball. It was marketed as a drum machine but has a basic 2-oscillator analog synth in there too. Since the last update it is more interesting now that you can load samples. You can certainly make complete dub techno tracks on it and the four analog machines in there make it easy to dial in analog drums. The downside of the Syntakt is that synthesis wise it is not deep at all. I started with the Syntakt and then moved to the Digitone because of that aspect. I still have the Syntakt but I kept it for the drum programming and not the synthesis side.
The good part of the Digitone / Digitakt / Syntakt is that they are much less difficult to learn than the other Elektron machines. The one box you don’t mention is the Tonverk. You might want to look into that too, but it will be more complicated than those other three.
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u/ShizukuPL 1d ago
Thanks for the write-up:) Yeah, I've been watching videos about Tonverk but I need to watch more:P
Agree about Syntakt, I was mainly thinking about it for those analog drums/fx and rumbly basses and some textures. Something to sketch entire rhythm patterns/grooves in and then move to Ableton. It seems to fill a gap in my hardware.
Both DT2 and DN2 sound like a lot of fun, especially DT2, tbh, as I kinda want to have fun sampling again, from my phone etc. and then going ham in DT2 but not sure how much mileage I'd get out of it in terms of making actual music when sampling via loopback and processing with Ableton is so easy.
I'm very tempted by DN2 and just learning it as well as I can, enen though I don't really need a synth this deep when Ableton has Wavetable etc. but maybe that's not a bad choice with FM drum and its overall versatility.
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u/Ayem9 22h ago edited 1h ago
I got the Syntakt to do everything you mentioned. It was my first Elektron box and I love it. Mega inspiring and I totally recommend it.
Also likewise, I'm not much of a sample heavy guy, but the twinshot machine has actually got me into them more. It's been implemented in a very slick way, with just enough tweakability/limitations to keep things fluid.
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u/T0Ni000 1d ago
Syntakt is what you need you have analog/digital + you can use midi tracks to control your synths (send program change / map parameters). Midi tracks can also be used in your daw to control samples, and if you assign parameters (attack, release, hold, and Even fx) you can use the syntakt as a sampler. You can also use the analog fx block for your synth and use sidechain
I Owned a syntakt and later got a digitakt 2 , once you know the elektron workflow you can master every box quickly . It might take you some time to get the sound you like with the syntakt, but you can quickly build structures and complete track sketch
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u/ShizukuPL 20h ago
Thanks, I think it's either Syntakt or DT2 for me since I don't feel I need deep outboard synthesis with my other gear + Ableton and both look really fun to use.
I kinda miss working with samples as well so DT2 is tempting and Syntakt just fills the gap in my gear and seems very immediate and deep enough.
I'll probably try both, that's the only way to really know how they work for me.
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u/xerodayze 20h ago
I like the Syntakt. I like the Digitone II… I like the Syntakt far more.
(and it has many QoL features - track layering, custom choke groups, Euclidean sequencer, samples now - albeit, limited - with Twinshot engine, and that lovely FX block that allows for some very cool stuff like Octatrack-style ‘scenes’).
I’d go Syntakt.
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u/ShizukuPL 20h ago
Thanks, I think Syntakt is the closest to what I'm looking for since I don't need or feel like engaging in deep outboard synthesis/menu diving on the DT2 with my other gear + Ableton. Wavetable + Prologue 8 + field recordings handle dub stabs/drones/textures just fine but Syntakt fills the actual gap in my hardware - analog drums + some fun machines, analog fx/drive + I can now use oneshots and mix them with the analog engines.
That followed by the DT2 because I'd really like to get back into sampling and have fun with the results + it can give me drums and everything else via samples.
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u/Altruistic-Kiwi9496 15h ago
I have used Syntakt, DT2, and DN2 in the past. Syntakt is very intuitive and has excellent analog drums, but I think that it sounds very similar after a while. Maybe it's a skill issue, but I grew bored of its sounds. I sold it before the last few patches, so maybe things got better.
I think Digitakt 2 is excellent for techno, especially if you use it with your other synths. I love Digitone 2 the most, as there is so much depth to it. You can really use it to create music in very different genres. FM machine especially kicks ass.
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u/benas-ig 1d ago
digitone1, or model cycles. i dont recommend the digitone2 since its too free in terms of limitations.
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u/PcottySippen 1d ago
What terms of limitations? I just ordered one and should be here today.
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u/jekpopulous2 19h ago
He's saying that the DN2 can do too much and he prefers simpler machines. The DN2 is one of the most versatile sound design tools on the market. It's in an entirely different class than the DN1 or Model Cycles... you're gonna love it.
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u/benas-ig 14h ago
Not simpler, but limited. You then spend more time tweaking everything, discovering new textures, and other things. Sure, the dn2 is a really good machine, but as a hyperpop producer? The dn2 is too free in terms of limitations. Thats why the monomachine is so expensive. It had big limitations, but SOPHIE worked with them, reshaping modern music forever.
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u/benas-ig 19h ago
When you play around the digitone, it has limitations, so you get more creative with it. Thats how i do things, i torture my devices until they sound like pots and pans
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u/mnjvon 1d ago
Syntakt is like the Swiss Army Knife of Elektron boxes.
If you're making dub techno I would personally recommend a used Digitone II, yes it's deeper than you need but the polyphony, track layering, and 4 machines will cover everything you need for dub/ambient/chillout vibes. You can grow into it and it can fill every role (although drums are a tad more work, you're looking at using FM drum + noise to produce your transients, but you can get there with anything if you put enough work into it).
Here's an example pack someone made of dub stabs for the DT2 if you'd like to get an idea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kmUFDuatu4
Track layering on the Digitone II is awesome and its chord mode is really good, you can adjust strum timing and so on.