Elektron Syntakt

I upgraded from the Model: Cycles, which I really liked, to Syntakt. You get 12 tracks instead of 6 and two LFOs per track. The sound design machines seem a bit more limited but there are more of them so, overall, you probably have more sound design options. I've not owned a Digitone or Analog Rytm but it seems like you've got both combined in one box. There is no sampling, obviously, and you are limited to a specific set of FM-type synth sounds - although the analogue dual VCO can create a surprising range of sounds because of the multitude of waveform combinations available: from Moog-style bass to disruptive noise. And the analogue drums are great. I've only had Syntakt a week but I can see that it's going to get a lot of use. With a bit of imagination you could almost certainly do a live set with the Syntakt alone. It's easy to create generic house, techno etc but if you experiment with varying track lengths and probability settings you can go beyond rigid, grid-like dance music. It works really well for ambient and generative music, for example. As with all Elektron products, the manual is long and there is a steep learning curve - but if you are familiar with their sequencers from other products then that will speed things up a bit. For me, the advantage to Elektron products is their portability: they get you away from the DAW and allow you to make music anywhere - and with 12 tracks that really can mean complete songs. Mine will be going on holiday with me this summer.

Edit: I've had this for about three months now and it's probably the best piece of gear I have ever bought. I own a modular synth and loads of other stuff but this is getting far more use at the moment. The range of sounds you can get from it is really surprising: Aphex- style IDM, cold wave, chip tune, dark ambient - even gamelan-style percussion. It's a complete analogue and digital drum machine AND analogue and digital synthesiser. Yes, there are limits to it - as with all gear - but there are usually workarounds. The only thing it doesn't really do is lush synth pads - so I bought the Digitone for that. The Digitone has more depth for pad sound design but it's difficult to put together complete songs with only four tracks, even with sound locks etc. But together they make a pretty fantastic combination. In fact, Elektron gear is so good that I'm now thinking of getting the Digitakt in the distant future when I can afford it. I'm definitely a convert.

When I bought this, I already owned a Digitone and a Model:Cycles.

My reason for buying the Syntakt was that, while I loved the sound of the Model:Cycles, I found myself missing some of the features and user experience of its Digi siblings. Originally, I had been saving up for a Digitakt, but the idea of replacing my Model:Cycles with the Syntakt grew on me and I decided to make the purchase.

And I was not disappointed! The Syntakt takes the best of the Cycles and adds a ton of its own features. It has twice the track count and triple the machine count, while still maintaining the same minimalistic sound design approach. The extra LFO and actual ADSR, along with the song mode, are wonderful additions.

The Syntakt sounds great; I especially love the analog cymbal track. It looks great too, especially when paired with its Digi family. Using it in my workflow has been amazing. Currently, my go-to workflow is using song mode on both the Digitone and the Syntakt at the same time. The Digitone has all the melodic stuff, including MIDI tracks to layer more sounds from the Syntakt if needed. And does all the transport duties. The Syntakt is more detailed and drums-only song mode, and all of the Digitone's sound goes through an FX track for a bit of overdrive and sidechaining.

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with the Syntakt. It has added a lot of character and sound design possibilities to my setup, and I love it.

I think overall this a great little machine and i've been infatuated with it since I got it. Honestly intimated by it's potential sometimes.. ill put 2 lfos on 1 random synth track and after a little tweaking its like the craziest glitched out synth mod ive ever heard. You'll go in the studio and cook up a fire drum pattern ?melody and you'll be like what ?? how did that take 3 minutes versus hours digitally.. for me this thing is a godsend overall

Sure it has some flaws and restrictions like most especially newer tech does.. but they're hard to pinpoint and certainly have room for improvement. In my opinion even more modulation capabilities could be included in the sense of, recording knob modulation in the live recording section. The live recording function could use some work too and more paramater/time options. Thing has a lot of potential but I don't see myself using it as a standalone box, even though its totally possible to do so its just not quite my style, it seems best hardwir

I have the audio outputting through volt2 & into ableton so i can pick and chose what melodies / drum patterns etc I want at certain times if need be, if song mode worked better this wouldn't be a huge issue. But again. Overall its a great piece of machinery that does what its supposed to and then.. a hellll of a lot more

it seems the goal of the syntakt wasnt to be a standalone machine at all, though of course this depends on intention. It seem best fitted pairing with other elektron products like the octatrack which personally I don't see an issue with. hope to get an octatrack one day but rn im in the process of building a eurorack :) cheers!

This machine is versatile, capable and incredibly well-designed. Its UX is highly refined and the time and effort invested into design really sets it apart from many other instruments. This is the sort of thing you may not realise until you spend a lot of time with an instrument.

The sound quality is excellent however, bear in mind it is focused on more percussive sounds and would not replace a polyphonic pad monster, but this reflects the design focus and is not a negative for me.

Regardless of how many extra features I can imagine to improve it further, I have been blown away and the machine is regularly at the heart of my production and performances. The firmware upgrade that was released after I bought it was a welcome surprise with many new features.