Spy jam with the Elektron Syntakt
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- čas přidán 20. 05. 2022
- Please support my work on Patreon: / jayhosking
A live, semi-improvised track performed entirely on hardware.
I am a big Elektron fan, so I was immediately on board when they announced the Syntakt. My first impression is that it's a box full of fantastic sounds; I especially like the analog synth voice, the clap, the kick, and the chiptune-esque digital engine, but most of it is super useful, varied, and has plenty of texture or warmth, depending on your needs. The addition of a flexible FX bus that can act as master FX, or sidechaining, or envelope, or some combination thereof, is also a great feature. Altogether, the Syntakt seems like a great device to compose on.
But if it's a great composition device, I found I struggled a lot more on the performance side. There is manual tweaking of individual parameters, but the sweet spots sometimes aren't wide enough to play around; there's control-all, which can lead to neat results, but it's relatively inflexible (since it always captures all sounds); there's the master FX bus, but it can take some time to set up mid-song; there are new modulators on buttons 13-16, but I can't seem to fit them into a performance. Overall, there are some great options, but I'm missing the awesome performance features of (say) the Octatrack or the Tracker. Even a simple beat-repeat, or other sequence-based performance options, would go a long way.
Ultimately, I think the Syntakt will be a device I regularly pair with something more performance-oriented, like the Tracker or Octatrack. And as ever with Elektron devices, I look forward to seeing if any firmware updates improve on its formula. As of right now, though, it's a fantastic little box for writing music.
Elektron Syntakt - All sounds
Arturia KeyStep - MIDI control of one analog synth voice
Performed and recorded live to a stereo output, with EQ, compression, and limiting on the master.
jayhosking.bandcamp.com - Hudba
a fabulous melody! its something that i can't forget when its quiet
This video is the one that convinced me, a long term post-rock/shoegaze guitarist, to start trying to create my own melodic electronic music. I've now fallen deep into the Elektron rabbit hole, haha. I seriously still get the lead line to this stuck in my head regularly.
That's a damn good tune Jay
Yes! You're gonna kill it with the syntakt jay! So glad you're as adamant about composition as you are gear!
Jay is the answer when people say "no one posts music, they just post about gear". :D
Jay has the perfect balance. The text overs make it like "shhhh , ill secretly show you this...." kudos.
Nice little melody that doesn't sound like you've heard it a million times, although it is fresh and simple at its core. Love it!
dude mad respect for your workflow and in depth heart felt keys playing
big love from MCR
Nice. My favorite song that I've heard someone do with the Syntakt to date. Thank you.
Beautiful jam with a great arrangement and sound. Wow!
Very nice, thank you for taking us through your changes and sequencing 😊
Very impressive performance and demo of the Elektron Syntakt. This was a listening journey of bliss.
Impressed by your creativity, how you explore soundscapes so naturally
Did it again, Jay! You're solid gold!
This has been such an ear worm for me the past few days ❤
I stumbled across one of you videos on r/synthesizers about a week back, then found you on here where I’ve been really enjoying your videos and releases on bandcamp. Keep up the inspiring work, dude. Much love.
Thanks for the captions. It’s very cool to see the process.
Amazing Jay
Great blend and balance here. Love my Syntakt. You make it sing.
Hadn’t really considered the Syntakt too much until now ! This is incredible. Nice one !
Quality demo, as usual 👏👍🙏😊
This is also a top tune, I have come back for it a few times
fantastic work here as always, love the harmony part in the chorus
Superb, really enjoyed it
Man that's an awesome jam ! Congrattsss
fantastic stuff! made me pull the trigger on the syntakt 🌱
I was honestly lukewarm on the Syntakt. But this has been one of the few jams that has convinced me not to write it off. Wonderful jam as always!
This got really beautiful
This sounds great
Fantastic!
Great song.. love this one.❤ Congrats !
this is obscenely good sounding for just one machine
In 30 seconds I went from not knowing about this instrument to deciding I need to set aside 1000 dollars. Beautiful song!
Beautiful chords.
Very nice! Reminds me a bit of Disasterpeace's FEZ soundtrack. Just discovered your channel and so far all of the videos I've seen are extremely well done and polished. Visually clean, acoustically wonderful, no wasted time, simple text annotations. Just wonderful, you very obviously 'get' this medium.
Awesome, spy vibes for sure!
Nice demo
I always enjoy your jams, and this is no exception!!!! The effort you put into learning an instrument inside and out (and probably also blindfolded) is downright inspiring... I always quit at around 40% :-( RTFM, thrice
Every Elekton gear is dope!
Quality !! 😎
I didn't know you could use full synth voices like this
sounds awesome - i'm really keen to try the Syntakt with the MicroMonsta2
Very nice from 1:04 on. So great.
Its like my Jomox but a thousand times more options and ways of manipulating. Why have I waited so long to get some elektron kit… thanks bro (again)
while I was still learning how to use analog four, I regreat I bought that instead of this one...😂amazing performance as always!
There's never enough tracks! I feel limited by 12 (but possibly I just need to experiment more) but I'm using the Syntakt with the Akai Force together with my other synths and it's a beautiful combination. What the Syntakt lacks in synth timbral variation my other synths do the heavy lifting 😄
Sounds like something from High On Life; or I suppose maybe chill synthwave? Genres are silly. Either way, lovely stuff.
There's a place in France!
Я люблю тебя бро, твоё творчество достойно большего внимания 🤲🏻🎈
Like an elektron free solo
Tasty tune!
I know it's not it's focus, but I wish they had some poly mode like vermonas on those 3 analog tracks, the utility would be super nice that way, could also be used like a perfourmer lite with just a firmware update, if dual vcos are option on those channels may as well go the whole way I guess
That would be extremely useful, yeah. I suppose we can cross our fingers for a firmware update!
Stellar work. Was this track released on your Bandcamp as well? Couldn't find it at first glance. Thanks!
You know, this one never ended up on an album. Maybe on a B-sides one day!
would be awesome!
Great track. Haven’t played the Syntakt yet, but share the feeling that it lacks live performance features; miss those on my Digitone, too, and prefer my RYTM Mk. 2 in that department (which could also still be improved)
Yeah, the Rytm's quick performance knob and pads are very useful for live work. Ditto the Four's performance stuff. Wish the Syntakt had a little more of it.
@@JayHosking Elektron could easily level up those RYTM performance qualities even more by adding 8-knob menues for the performances ... so that you would have more than just one QPER knob, and better control than by using aftertouch on the pads in PERF mode
Jay your videos are so inspiring. Maybe you've posted it before but would please let us know what video editing software you use? You've got me thinking I can contribute in some small way to the Elektron and Deluge communities and I love how you teach in every video and want to try my hand at it!
That's great! You should definitely contribute; my favourite videos are ones that contribute to the community, in fact, and it's one of the main reasons I started making videos. I use free video editing software called Davinci Resolve and it's always been more than enough. Best of luck!
Righto, you have convinced me that I need elektron as drums but also as a midi master sequencer…. Right.
To do list:
Buy at least 2 elektron drum machines
I stole the documents while listening to this and wearing a trenchcoat.
Was wondering when you would do a jam with the new guy. I am not a fan of the digital chord engine (challenging to make it unrecognizable), but being honest I find it as a whole more jam-worthy than the Digitakt and Digitone.
I think Elektron have been successful here in creating a product that gets to the punch with minimal effort, and while it has more features in some aspects, overall I feel like it is a great example of “less is more”.
I couldn't agree more. I still prefer the Four and Octatrack, but the Syntakt is more "complete" for me than the Digitakt/tone.
@@JayHosking ill second that
@@JayHosking but what about the takt and tone together vs the syntakt
What is there to say .... ,- Somehow - even with a single Elektron unit - this dude woe us all with his trademark "Hoskingianna" sound . - i took the word from the biblical word "Hosannna" a cry of praise or adoration (to God) - I always think about that word , when i hear Jay´s music pieces ,-
How many octaves does the analog synths have? Limited stands for? Nice jam btw
Nice! Does the syntakt accept pitch bend & modulation from a midi keyboard/ controller ?
Sorry, when you wrote it in the video, had to watch my kids while watching, but which machine is the synth track, you play with the keystep? Reminds me a lot of Tame Impala
Track 9, the dual vco analog synth. Has an LFO on the pitch to cause that warble. Hope that helps!
Love to see it on a Saturday morning! What did we call this jam on the stream? “Okay Jay’s Computer”?😂
Hah! Yeah, something like that.
Was this track ever released on Bandcamp? I can't find it there.
This one didn't make it there, no. Sorry!
The more i hear videos about the Syntakt the more i think the sounds you get from it is “limited” like in Cycles 🤔
A little bit too much detune for my Taste in This one but nice melodies as always
You're great but I kind of hate the Syntakt.
Hey, totally fair. It's not a perfect device, and also has a particular sound and particular workflow.
@@JayHosking Agreed. I got it and returned it because it was too rigid. I love the Digitone though.
@@guysmiley7289 same here. Love Digitone but I just wasn’t feeling Syntakt
@@tyroneshoelacez3498 I sampled the hell out of it before I returned it. :)
@@guysmiley7289 lol
Pretty good explanation of the Syntakt. I have been disappointed with its ability to make good, convincing snare sounds that I like. I’ve spent many hours trying with mild success. Still, everything else it offers and does has made me a hardcore Elektron user to the point where I sold my Akai Force and bought a brand new Octatrack mkii and am considering getting a Digitakt or the Four.