Elektron-Users

I debated on this one for months-the unfinished OS, the complexity of it and its price had me worried. But, the .97 version was released a few weeks ago and everyone was raving about it, so I broke down and bought it.
Holy crap! Best-sounding synth EVER! Blows away Moog and any other analogs you can think of. The interface is, in fact, complicated and the machine is a work in progress, but having a synth that is analog, a groovebox (with decent drums), a sequencer and a sampler (among other things) is a dream machine. Has numerous odd features like "probability" which, I believe, allows you to select the odds that a particular note will be played during a sequence. For instance, if you select "50%" for a particular step, there's a one in two chance that the sequencer won't play that note each pass. The purpose?--To randomize and add some flavor to the patterns. Very cool. You have to hear this thing to believe it. I'll include a link to a song I wrote using only one pattern; my (lack of) compositional skills don't do this thing justice, but at least you can get an idea. If you don't like the song, at least you should chuckle at the title.


http://mp3unsigned.com/Showband.asp?id=15870


Here's more info on the "Speckie."

http://www.radikaltechnologies.com/Products/SPECTRALIS/spectralis.html

P.S.--Anyone ever used one of these in conjunction with a Mono or MD?

Nice demo you have there, brett! The probability function really seems to work and add some life to the rythm. It didn't sound repetitive at all.

Funny that so extremely simple concept can be so powerful. Now let's keep our fingers crossed so that Elektron would implement this feature too

sounds good...

have you tried sequencing other gear with it ?

and what kind of stuff can you do with the samples ?

anything like the MD UW ?

You are having severe GAS my friend :-o

The unit seems to have very good sounds, some demos on their site are killer, but I doubt the interface has the same immediacy which makes the MnM so attractive.

Texmex:
About the probability factor, Elektron has given you LFO's for that.

eminor9 wrote:

About the probability factor, Elektron has given you LFO's for that.

Hmm... how you can do such thing just with LFO? Applying noise sample&hold to VOL won't do it, because it just plays each note with random volume. Besides the sample&hold is buggy... Maybe with some gating it could work...

But I'm all ears

eminor9 wrote:
You are having severe GAS my friend :-o

The unit seems to have very good sounds, some demos on their site are killer, but I doubt the interface has the same immediacy which makes the MnM so attractive.

Texmex:
About the probability factor, Elektron has given you LFO's for that.

Not sure what the "severe gas" comment means, but I wasn't attempting to compare or compete with the Mono. They are different animals with semi-similar concepts. They each excel at what they do. From experience, I can tell you that the Mono interface is, as you stated, more immediate and intuitive, but the Spectralis sound is much fatter, lusher, and deeper-due, in no small part, to it being analog, having killer filters and being polyphonic. Either way, they're both monsters and I was wondering what they sound like together.

As far as LFO's vs. probability: Two different concepts. The LFOs are actually modulating the sounds of the notes; the probability only changes the chances of the sound being heard. FWIW, Speckie also has LFOs.

b0unce wrote:
sounds good...

have you tried sequencing other gear with it ?

and what kind of stuff can you do with the samples ?

anything like the MD UW ?

I've only had the Revolution sequence the Speckie. It worked fine. I haven't gotten around to using the Speckie as a master. I also haven't even touched the sampling stuff yet. 48 hours and I haven't scratched the surface. I hear it takes people months to really explore this thing. That would translate into years for someone like me.

how many VCOs are in the spec?

watson wrote:
how many VCOs are in the spec?

4 of the finest made.

More info here:

http://www.spectralis.de/english/Guided_TourE/Oszillatoren-E/oszillatoren-e.html

Interesting when they talk about the "living sound."

I believe that Klaus Schulze from Tangerine Dream had some kind of input on the design.

breitt wrote:

watson wrote:
how many VCOs are in the spec?

4 of the finest made.

More info here:

http://www.spectralis.de/english/Guided_TourE/Oszillatoren-E/oszillatoren-e.html

Interesting when they talk about the "living sound."

I believe that Klaus Schulze from Tangerine Dream had some kind of input on the design.

hey breitt...I am a big klaus schulze fan...anyone who hasnt heard 'dark side of the moog' SHOULD!

where did you hear he had a hand in the spectralis ?

he promoted some quasimidi stuff when it was launched but I dont know if that was because he is involved in its R&D....or just because he's a suitable candidate for doing all the PR for a [german] synth company.