Seriously considering it. Thought I was really in to my recently bought AK but after a few days on OP-1 it feels kinda laborious to return to the AK and dial in characterful sounds and also it sucks being hemmed in by the 64 Step sequencer with no option for separate tempo per track to add longer passages to an idea/pattern in progress.
Maybe I just haven’t gelled with the AK ‘sound’ as much as I thought. But the inbuilt fx and the linear recording of OP just Feel way quicker/more fun/more interesting. And I like lofi which OP does great.
Gonna get some pedals involved and just focus on AK sound design for a few days, no sequencing, see how I feel about it afterward. I know it ‘can’ do interesting sounds, just not sure I really enjoy the AK process of getting to them.
I haven’t really missed all the depth of programming available on AK and it kinda seems like TE have managed to nail the 4 knobs in a way that gets me where I want way quicker/more instinctively and rarely thinking ‘I need more control of these parameters’…like the 4 knobs on OP somehow give me a better UI than the 10 on AK.
Dunno, just the immediate feeling after switching on AK for an hour today after a couple of days on OP…
Wondering if anyone else had similar experience?
I first had an op-1, after some time is was kind of disappointed about the synths…sold the op-1 and got an a4…its fun, but the sound was not that thing i was looking four…the stepsequencing is light and shadow…extremely difficult to break out…so now i’m an op-1 user again, love the tape for its freedom…
Ahah I feel you… Sometimes I feel like the A4 act better as a groove box than a synth indeed
For me it was the opposite, I wasn’t satisfied with the fact that the Tape captured sounds I couldn’t come back on. The sequencers were not enough for me, I wanted more.
Elektron machines offered this. And the live recording of parameter tweaking was such a great discovery !
After this I couldn’t believe automation was not mandatory on every machine !
But with all the love I have for these machines, I must admit that the Elektron step-sequencing oriented logic feels more adapted to drum machines than synths. It’s really only with the plocks that I manage to get it alive, so it’s totally loop oriented, unlike the OP-1 that CAN be loop oriented or not at all (I really enjoy linear composing on it).
Two things :
A4/K FX are gorgeous, even the Chorus adds a lot. So you may use it as an FX processor and obtain sounds the OP-1 cannot dial
dub-tech stab chords are pretty hard to obtain on OP-1. Same for big analog bass. In fact, I feel like there is little say no intersection between what OP-1 and A4 can offer as synthesis. So you can just play live your keyboard and record in OP-1. Or synthesize a nice drumkit from this incredible synth. Or tweaked loops…
Or you can just get rid of this big thing and either save your money for a Prophet 6
I know you’re having a GAS problem… So aim at a big one in an attempt to get some control over it
Or better, simply focus on the OP-1, and maybe add a Strymon Deco and/or an Eventide Space behind if you really need to spend the money ^^
yeah, that's basically exactly the feeling here too. suddenly realise how hard ive been compromising to fit the electron sequencer. it works for me with Octatrack but on A4 not so much. And the patch memory system with kits etc kind of always distracts me in to making a song instead of working on sounds. Maybe I just need to approach it differently. it's not like I HAVE to use the onboard sequencer for everything. I'll prob look at it more as a 'for loops' and 'sketchpad' thing now.
just kind of a revelation to be able to make something like this in an hour in bed last night with no laptop and a decent enough UI for it not to feel like its an ipad substitute. Track is just an instrumental thing, 3 parts, 2 of them unfinished, but to be able to record outside of the sequencer etc makes such a big difference in workflow. Super quick for this kind of stuff...you can just go kind of stream of consciousness without thinking about the OS/menus at all really..
Haha Thanks! Coincidently I spent time with AK tonight and first time I’ve used lfo/performance macros/plocks on fx track parameters, sounded like a zoo! Digging the AK again
Have you taken a dive into the neighbor routing or feedback OSC? There's an iceberg of synth beneath you.
Never would I let go of my A4.
After doing an entire album on the OP-1, going back to the A4 reminded me of what all the A4 could do and how it has far less limitations.
I'm not dogging the OP-1 for its limitations, but rather praising the A4 for its capabilities. No other polyphonic analog synths have such a capable sequencer (probability trigs, micro timing, hello?!), and few have as many modulation destinations. How many other 2 OSC analogs have a pair of sub OSCs tunable to 5ths? None. I do 4 note chords on just one of my A4's voices all the time. P-locking that sub OSC tuning makes good hooks great.
The KIT system is a blessing compared to most other multi-timbral synths. You get to edit the patches in your library non destructively. It's brilliant. That's why I love the Nord Lead, and the lack of such a system on Blofeld is why I let go of it. You don't have to worry about any changes you're making to the multi (kit) will interfere with the patch because you may or may not have used that patch in another multi. I spent so many hours organizing my Blofeld patches just to prevent screwing up a patch. This is something that the A4 does automatically.
I always say if you feel you're not getting anywhere with an Elektron instrument, the next track you work on, hit the parameter lock limit, and use every scene or performance macro (black box Elektrons) available, and then tell me it's not working out. Chances are, you'll be so damn happy with the track you made that none of it will matter anymore.
The OP-1 works so well because the limitations are strategically placed, and magic happens when you have to make creative decisions when you reach the limits. With the A4, the limits are in different locations. But they are there. Just like the OP-1, there's magic waiting for you at the edge.
Really apples and oranges. I’d say they are totally different beasts. They compliment each other, but I could totally see loving a and hating b depending on your preferences as well.
Hey Adam, recognise your name from elektronauts Yeah no argument from me on the depth of the AK. Just not sure it’s totally my thing. I had a lot of fun on it yesterday trying new routings etc but I’m just more of a linear kind of Musician I guess. I think the thing that really grates on me is the 64 Step limit and lack of separate tempo per track. I just seem to hit that wall soooooo often. So using the op-1 felt like being in a huge expanse all of a sudden without walls. A breath of fresh air. Don’t think I’ll be selling the AK any time soon though. Like you say, I feel like I have a lot left to get out of it. Though a part of me wonders if I should have grabbed the Dom 1 instead and just done all sequencing from OT/DAW… But then I’d miss the poly/multi-timbral on the AK…so I guess nothing is ever perfect
Also, couple of other things I forgot… I hate the response curve on the AK rotaries! Doesn’t feel right to me at all. I just want the option for a regular ‘one full rotation = full sweep of parameter. And the performance macros are a lot of fun, but I wish there was some extension of this that allowed for similar to be saved’ per patch’. Deep macros take a while to create and it’s a shame there’s no way to save that kind of thing with a patch… But I also agree that the way the kits etc work is perfect for most aspects of use.
Not huge fan of the AK distortion either. Just the character/behavior of it doesn’t really do much for me. Maybe user error though. Bookmarked a couple of elektronauts threads on this, I need to read through and try some of the suggestions…
Yeah I’m used to the encoder pushing from using OT. Just doesn’t feel right for me on AK. Takes a million rotations in ‘fine’ mode and when I push the encoders for ‘fast’ it steps through parameter values…Neither feel expressive in a way that feels natural to me. Especially on filter/resonance etc.
I haven’t heard of modulus trig conditions before, thanks for heads up I’ll check it out, sounds interesting. I use chains all the time as a workaround. It’s not so bad but can get kind of messy/use up a lot of patterns if you have a bunch of long passages and variations on them. Can get confusing when you’re hitting pattern changes on the fly.
Don't forget that chain mode as well as modulus trig conditions will help you break free of the 64 step barrier.
Using the #:8 modulus effectively gives you up to 512 steps before a trig would repeat, and that's without utilizing chain mode.
Had a quick Google on modulus trig conditions. Is that just a different way of saying ‘probability’? Sorry, I probably sound pretty stupid asking! I kind of struggle when things become mathematical… Could you poss elaborate a little on the technique you mention to achieve 512 step pattern? Or is it still only a 64 Step pattern but with probability making a trig skip X amount of passes? Thanks!
OK cool thanks. Yeah I’ve been using prob trigs in that kind of way to add movement/random kind of modular stuff in patterns. AK sequencer is amazing in that area. It’s the more traditional kind of elements (long chord sequences or melodies) that I get frustrated with the 64 Step limit. Chains are OK as workaround tho. I’ll quit complaining
I’ve thought about it many times. It’s a great machine worth every penny but maybe not for me. I am considering selling it off now and getting a Rytm at a later date if I miss it too much. It’s a tough decision to make for sure.
If you’re looking for a drum machine, consider the Circuit. I just updated my wife’s with the new firmware and put some new samples inside and it’s great considering it only runs $230 2nd hand.
Thanks! Coincidently I spent time with AK tonight and first time I’ve used lfo/performance macros/plocks on fx track parameters, sounded like a zoo! Digging the AK again