The Syntakt is a combination drum machine, synthesizer, analog FX box, and sequencer.
“Its fine by itself, but paired with another Elektron, you really dont need anything else.”
OK, history lesson over.
Elektron
The Syntakt is a miraculous hybrid of all these devices.
In other words, an impossible mission.
The only thing it doesn’t do is record or play samples.
Elektron
“Its seriously amazing.
Been playing with it for a few weeks now.
It sounds huge,” techno musician and early Syntakt testerDave Mech saidon the Elektronauts forum.
Elektron
So why is this better than just fixing up Ableton Live on your laptop?
In some ways, its not.
Live can do anything the Syntakt can do, and more.
Elektron
But for many people, it all comes down to the electron sequencer.
Were going to get technical for a moment, but its interesting-technical, not snooze-technical.
See that row of keys along the bottom of the Machinedrum above?
Each one of those represents a quarter note in a four-bar sequence.
The Syntakt puts these in two rows of eight, but the principle is the same.
it’s possible for you to place a sound on any of those steps.
Its way faster and much more fun than drawing steps onto a grid with a mouse.
You just press down that kicks button and twist the reverb knob.
That reverb level is now locked to the step.
This works with pretty much any parameter, and once youve used them, its hard to go back.
And if you do prefer to use Ableton Live?
Thanks to Elektrons Overbridge plugin, your hardware boxes can morph into outboard effects boxes for your rig.
They really did think of everything.
Now, excuse me, Im selling off some old gear to pay for this.
