A Great Groovebox That I Wouldn't Buy (Elektron Syntakt Review)
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- čas přidán 21. 08. 2024
- A Great Groovebox That I Wouldn't Buy (Elektron Syntakt Review)
Welcome to my review of the Elektron Syntakt! Truth be told, I hadn't planned on checking out the Syntakt, as I knew it wasn't going to be a device for me. However, so many of you asked me to try it that when I was given the opportunity, I went for it! Shoutout to zZounds.com for loaning me one to play with. While I won't spoil the entire review, just know that if you do plan on using every single feature that the Syntakt offers, you are going to love it! If you won't use everything it can do, your money might be better spent on something else. Enjoy the video :)
My favorite gear in one list, courtesy of zZounds.com:
www.zzounds.co...
GEAR IN THIS VIDEO
Elektron Syntakt: amzn.to/3Snnaiw
Elektron Model:Cycles: amzn.to/3Lzg4VG
Zoom Livetrak L-12 (audio recorder):
DISCLAIMER
I filmed this video before Elektron released the new song mode, and I had absolutely no idea that it was going to happen!
Questions? Ask them below!
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A few years back, I wanted to get into electronic music, and had next to no previous experience, and as I started out I also watched you, and you really helped and inspired me into getting involved, and influenced some of the decisions I made on what gear I chose to get next. I now have a pretty decent range of kit, and have got to the stage where I’m even more choosy on what I purchase than I ever have been as I don’t want to own too much.
A couple of years ago I purchased the Model: Samples, and was blown away by how much control it gave me over the music I made. I always intended on also getting the Cycles, and was about to do so… but I looked into the Syntakt and decided it had so much more to offer, not only being able to do everything the Cycles can do, but also incorporating many functional aspects of Elektrons other machines, the Digitakt, Rytm, and Heat, to the extent that it’s almost not worth having/buying a Digitone if you have purchased the Syntakt. The only relevant thing it can’t do is handle Samples! (So I’ll be keeping my M:S).
So I got one, and I’m very glad I did. I don’t think you mentioned the fact it has 2x LFOs? It seems a little unfair to compare it in price to the Cycles, really you should compare it to the cost of 2x Cycles, as it has twice the Tracks and LFOs and much more :)
I’m a little confused; if you’re not interested in the sound design aspect then why did you get a Cycles? Mores to the point why did you get a Cycles over a Samples?
I love the Samples, and I will likely never sell it, even if I get something else that trumps it, as it’s too significant to me.
Too any novices out there, who’s budget can just about stretch too the Cycles or Samples, and it is a step up from what your already tinkering with, I highly recommend getting one, for me it was a very valuable step upwards and enabled me to do so much more creatively, the sequencers are awesome.
Glad to see your still going strong FreeBeat, all the best for the New Year 👍🏻
I’m the opposite. I love the sound design abilities of the Syntakt and that’s my main reason for having it, on top of the sequencer.
I'll wait for the Syntone
Fair enough!
I think both the Syntakt and Model:Cycles are fantastic too. The Syntakt was an easy decision for me coming from a Cycles.
Having filters and effects really boosted the sound on all the machines, the scale mode for playing notes, plus those analog tracks can be super fat!
I think it’s cool there’s a choice between the two with the Cycles having excellent features for the price, and the Syntakt being the suped-up box. I’m glad I upgraded, but it may be a while yet before I really master all the features.
Cool to hear your take on the two!
I’ve been on the verge of buying the Syntakt for a bit now, but I just love my Cycles as well.
I was also considering the Digitone for deeper FM stuff, but I still find myself coming back to the Cycles.
What a great device.
For the same price as a Syntakt you could have both the cycles and the Digitone... which would also mean 12 tracks, but would actually give you some polyphony
@@fluim0102 it would be 10 tracks. 4 on the Digitone and 6 on the Cycles.
get a digitone i had the same dilemma but trust me you wont regret
@@KSKSKSx2 - I've had friends say the same . I'm even have one on an extended loan from a buddy right now. But I just look at all of these layers of options, and I find myself drifting back to the immediacy of the Cycles. I should just stick it out until things click, right? I'm waiting for that 'lightbulb' moment with the Digitone, I guess.
@@martinsouthall and just from the utilitarian point of view. 4 track polyphonic synth. That's just awesome...
A great honest review thank you. Pointing out the importance of pausing and ask yourself 'do I actually need this or am I being suckered in by the hype' is very valid. So many people leap in, spend hard earned cash and then realize it's not for them. At least then though the second hand market is full of barely used new gear 🙂. There is also another point to consider. which is, although it may have several features you may not need now, will you in the future? Will this 'new' device be futureproof enough to grow with you and that includes making sure a company supports their users by listening to feedback and supplying regular software/firmware updates. I think the Cycles appeals to me more, that plus a few seperate synths still works out cheaper and gives you more diversity. Elektrons 'everything in one box' is great for portability but all the demo's of their gear that I hear, all sounds the same....and usually drowned in reverb 😶
I totally agree about the price. This thing makes me think of a mix between a machinedrum and an analog 4 and I'm here for it. I'd buy one if I could afford it.
Great review! I bought one and love it. I disagree that you have to take advantage of every single feature for it to be worth it. One new thing in the latest firmware is a song mode. I don’t believe the model cycles nor model samples have this.
I agree with your disagreement!
the one feature nobody has mentioned is the randomize all parameters feat by hitting track and yes it literally makes whole new kits in seconds that would take hours of fine tuning otherwise tons of happy accidents to be had . I saw someone do this and was blown away this is not mentioned anywhere . the missing sidechain i know ya can fake with fx's and no compressor is weird along with no polyphony.
Agreed. This wouldn't be for me either. I already have both the Model Cycles and Samples and found them both at their cheapest price, brand new last year (recommended sale by FB). Two grove boxes with the Elektron sequencer workflow that compliment each other is more than enough for me, and I still came in at half the price of a Syntakt. Thanks for checking it out and saving me a lot of $$$!
Well this is analog drum machine and digital synth with it's own VST with per track usb Audio, effects unit for external gear and more - all in one compact box. For now synth portion looks kinda poor to me but there will be updates for sure. Talking about price - It is not cheap.
Very honest review. I couldn’t really get that excited over the Syntakt release as nice as it is, it’s just a glorified drum machine with the classic Elektron sequencer
Thanks for watching! It's a great box that I think is just priced too high :-/
Overbridge is also a big selling point for some of the Elektron gear. Being able to start something on the Syntakt and move it seamlessly to a DAW is a big plus for me
A solid talk from your point of view, just like it is supposed to be. Thank you!
You saved many $$$$ and you helped many spend $$$$ wisely. Job well done.
I put my TR8s and MC707 into an Octatrack. I thought about going the all elektron route, but i like the TR8s more than the Digitakt and i like the MC707 more than the syntakt. I REALLY hope Roland gives us an Overbridge type of device, but i can create an aggregate audio device to bring all the audio to my DAW via USB, so at least i'm half way there...
I have model cycles and model samples and love both. Bought digitone and syntakt but havent got my hands on them yet. Im a trucker and they are waiting for me on my desk. Very excited to get home and explore
3 analog DUAL vcos!/analog drum tracks, analog master fx to route hydrasynth through, 8 drum or poly midi tracks, absolute beast for me that I've been waiting for for so long. Will perfectly match my Hydrasynth, maybe I'll add a model:samples, run them both into syntakt through a 4 channel mixer, out to a parallel compression unit and damn I'm done
You're done. LOL! That's funny.
Great review!
I bought a Syntakt because I was blown away by the sounds, and I still like it as a drum machine. But I also feel some downsides: 1. The sounds are very specific, so stand alone you cannot get any genre of music from this box, which lessens its value as a groove box, 2. Chords is indeed a hassle, and 3. It is not easy to write long melodic lines on it since the sequencer has only64 steps per pattern. I am spoiled by the Deluge, but I really don’t like step resolution limits in sequencers, doesn’t click with my workflows.
So I amusing it as an expensive drum machine / sound module. I do love how easy it is to make good drum sounds from scratch very quickly.so that’s why I keep it, but it feels a bit too expensive for what it actually does for me.
64steps is not a downside anymore with song mode
@@TheDjFac Yes it still is, cause you cannot make a 8 bar melody with notes overflowing. You still have to make and record 2 seperate patterns which is somewhat of a pain. Though yes there are workarounds
I liked my cycles a lot, but really grew bored of its sound capabilities over time…. Sold it and got a digitakt and was super happy! But missed the cycles… then BOOM! Syntakt! Perfect. For. Me.
an honest review :)
Thanks for watching!
I have the cycles and the syntakt and I just don’t think the syntakt sounds as good as the cycles …. The cycles has some kind of great saturation going on
I think the real point here is that the Cycles is an incredibly useful device for the money.
I sold mine to get a Digitone. Still miss it as a drum machine/bass synth.
I agree get the digitone and digitakt :3
They both do things better.
Also SONGMODE 🤠✌️🤠✌️🤠✌️🤠
syntakt has analog components, that is why it's more expensive.
It seems the prices have gone up a lot. I bought an Rytm and Analog four, second hand for the price of what just the Rytm costs today.
a bit repetitive in this review. still love what you do!
Gonna go with a deluge at that price range. As much as I want this one the deluge just has too much to offer
just about money then
It feels like you're contradicting yourself a little bit when you say that you can't really figure out the price of it while also saying that there is no comparable groovebox that offers this value for cheaper. By the way that's not true, the MPC One is arguably WAY more capable for less money. It's really a beast compared to this Elektron offering.
Syntakt has 6 analog dual vcos over 3 tracks, analog drums, digital synth engines, audio in through analog distortion and filtering, verb and delay. It's a sound sculpting/sound design machine that is also a sequencer and mixer for external gear, processor of a master buss of sorts. MPC One is a midi sequencer and sampler. Very different. Syntakt for me can be the centre of my sound design and signal path that MPC One couldn't be.
@@sqreef5736 It sounds like you know a lot about the Syntakt and almost nothing about the MPC One. I own both so maybe I can shed some more light on this for you. 😊 The MPC is far more than a sampler and sequencer. It M
has multiple digital synth engines, some with very complex analog modeling, 50+ effects including chorus, tube drive warmth, a handful of distortions and amp simulators, etc, a full-blown production environment with mix channels, busses, four return channels, etc, 6 audio out channels, 4 audio in channels, a vinyl preamp, FM synthesis, VA synthesis, hell even a full ARP Odyssey inside, velocity sensitive pads and a sequencer with polyphonic aftertouch, a full drum synthesizer with engines for hats, snares, claps, kicks etc, essentially no polyphony limitations, stereo sampling with the most advanced hardware feature set on the market - and I'm probably forgetting half of what the MPC can do. Super advanced sample synthesis with 4 layers, LFOs, 3 envelopes, randomization per layer, effects, a built-in looper, full song mode, etc. The list goes on and on. If you're talking about sound sculpting, there's hardly anything the MPC can't do.
So, no, it is not just a sampler and a sequencer, that was true around 20 years ago.
@@sinewaymusic I appreciate the time it took you to write this David. How do you compare the quality of sound engines between the two? Is the Syntakt more esoteric or metallic vs electro or mainstream on the MPC? Or does pigeonholing like that not apply? I will watch some more mpc vids, though I have shied away as I have found the mpc workflow not as fun or creative (for me) as my experience with elektron. Cheers 👍🏼
@@sqreef5736 It's a very relevant question. I'd personally say that the Syntakt is far more sonically limited, it has its very distinct sound signature due to its specific "machines", many of which are based on FM synthesis. Then there are the exceptions, such as the analog oscillators that can push it to different sounds. I would say that the analog oscillators are very analog in the sense that they aren't very "controlled". This can create some cool sounds indeed, but the lack of control is a problem in the higher octaves. This is apparently a known problem and was even more pronounced in the Analog Rytm. But this eliminates their use for bright plucks etc. Luckily the digital machines are versatile enough to compensate for that. But yes, I would agree with the generalization that the Syntakt sounds very metallic. I can't dial in a good sounding hi hat no matter what I do. It's simply not its strength. Personally, I would feel very limited with the Syntakt if I attempted to use it in standalone, then you're limited to a very distinct sound signature. If you use it as part of a larger setup, it's a different story, and/or maybe you love the distinct Syntakt sound enough to want it to be your main sound signature.
The MPC is much more versatile in comparison. The TubeSynth sounds like a polyphonic analog synth, Hype is a bit like Roland's Zencore in the way it's built and sounds similarly crisp, Arp Odyssey sounds like an Arp Odyssey. Their drum sequencer sounds great, but less distinct than Syntakt. I love the Syntakt clap machine for example, it's very cool. It's all a matter of taste or course. In terms of the quality of the DAC circuitry, I'd say that the MPC skews towards sounding warm, punchy. It's sample engine is second to none and I find the flexibility to be so worth it: if I want to replace that tinny hi hat sound with a better sample, it's a button press away. On the Syntakt, I'm stuck with what it can offer.
So it really depends on what you are after here. And how you'll use the gear. Producing full tracks? Performing? Having fun?
Sidenote: I first got a Digitakt and Digitone and loved them for their workflow. Then I upgraded to the MPC because I wanted to make full tracks and be less limited. I agree the workflow is a bit less "fun", but with muscle memory it has become second nature and I've never been more productive than on the MPC in terms of number of full tracks produced. It's amazing. I then got the Syntakt because I still missed that fun workflow. But this time around, I found it to be more limiting than fun to be honest. I'm just so much faster and can reach a wider range of sounds on the MPC, with less effort. And besides, the MPC already has so much generative stuff by now, such as probability, randomization, etc, that the edge of those Elektron p-locks aren't as relevant to me anymore. But there's something to be said about the Elektron boxes, they somehow trigger some emotions to me because they look so great and feel so well made. But if I had to choose just one box, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to pick the MPC over any of the Elektron boxes. Hope this helps!
@@sinewaymusic I think the sound 'artist' in me gravitates to the Syntakt, and having analog sounds and the weirdness that brings is something I'm after. I used to have a matrix 1000 and miss it's messiness. I also am a bit scared off but the DAW-ishness of the MPC. If I want to get that menu-divey and preset trawly I'll go to ableton or the hydra. I'll always be finishing in Ableton so I want my gadgets to be as 'instrument' like as possible. Something about the MPC screen just feels like work. The Syntakt seems more arty and less conventional (lol) for whatever that means and is worth. Really appreciate your replies, thank you ☺️☺️
gross
First