The Elektron sound is cold and digital. It can sound punchy and in your face, but it won't sound analog. For some styles, especially the more glitched-out recesses of IDM, the MD's sound is great; for other genres, however, it's not so swell. The good news is that it can sequence external sound generators over MIDI or via gate triggers. The best scenario is to combine the MD with a few analog sound generators; I use mine in conjunction with Jomox M_Base and the TipTop 808/909 drum modules. This combination is perfect... you get the flexability and glitch-tasticness of the MD's sequencer and drum synthesis together with the power of real analog drums. A fantastic combination. Of course, it's possible to compliment the MD's synth engine with samples (on the UW model, at any rate) but the sample engine is 12-bit and that ends up coloring whatever you load into it significantly.
I like it. Weak points would be conventional drum box sounds. The hats aren't convincing to me in this way. Also the snares lack weight. But it's very fun and you can get some great sounds from it. Very nice modern kicks and yes you need to work with it a bit to not get dated sounds from it. You will still need a analog box for more classic stuff. It would work very well coupled with such a unit.
Recently I bought the Octatrack not reading the specs. I wanted to control external gear and create my beats with it. Now I see the shortcomings of the Octa: NO quickly accessible accent function (for a step sequencer!!), only 8 tracks, not 16, limited midi sequencer (no velocity/note off recording, 4 chords), no armed sampling (that is so stupid, sorry). So it cannot even do an MPC workflow. Now I thought of either replacing it with or adding an MD.
If I can control external gear, the MD can at least replace the Octa for an external drum computer, which makes the Octa looking even more stupid than now. Only good thing is the strereo sampling capability and the convenient sample exchange. All that you have on any MPC.
I like it. Weak points would be conventional drum box sounds. The hats aren't convincing to me in this way. Also the snares lack weight. But it's very fun and you can get some great sounds from it. Very nice modern kicks and yes you need to work with it a bit to not get dated sounds from it. You will still need a analog box for more classic stuff. It would work very well coupled with such a unit.
very well put, and a great recommendation to have it coupled with an analog unit. i have the uw+ and it goes very well with my miami.
it is incredibly versatile and dynamic and the sampling engine expands the possibilities even further. and, if you choose to use the sequencer it is very powerful. complete midi implementation as well.
i also have to say the manual is the best i have ever read for any piece of gear- it's a great reference point when learning the machine.
it's cold, it's hard, it's digital as can be. it's wonderful. i have had many drum machines in the past, including the non-sampling sps-1. this one will never leave my studio. i often consider sampling the miami and then letting her go, because the more i use the sampling engine of the machinedrum the deeper i fall in love with it. i LOVE the sound; it's perfect for what i do.
if you get the md, obviously go for the UW version...i had mine loaded with 606/808/909 kits and a couple natural snares and claps.. the 12-bit mono definition gives it a nice crunch not unsimilar to s950/mpc60. my favorite part though was the different drum synth machines, yo can go in quickly and tweak your own kicks,snare,claps,hihats etc.. yes it sounds colder then analog but better then software imo. i loved the simple sine wave, could make some piercing basslines, kicks & fx with it. it's really a delightful drum machine up there with the best, and in many ways superior to OT imo
if you get the md, obviously go for the UW version...i had mine loaded with 606/808/909 kits and a couple natural snares and claps.. the 12-bit mono definition gives it a nice crunch not unsimilar to s950/mpc60. my favorite part though was the different drum synth machines, yo can go in quickly and tweak your own kicks,snare,claps,hihats etc.. yes it sounds colder then analog but better then software imo. i loved the simple sine wave, could make some piercing basslines, kicks & fx with it. it's really a delightful drum machine up there with the best, and in many ways superior to OT imo
+1
Wonderful machine. As said earlier, great to hook up with other analog gear to compliment the 12-bit crunchiness...
some of the machines sounds are a bit humm, but cos you can tweak so endlessly, it doesn't really matter.
I had the MPC2500. Really bad experience. Although I liked the sound a lot.
More than the MPC4000 (a bit thin and harsh sounding).
Mine had glitches and I got a refund from Akai. Timing was also not that precise with the internal effects or when the voices are cut.
No Numark MPC for me.
The MPC4000 I have produces strange clicks at the end of samples, especially for kicks.
not sure if the samples are not properly cut, but this does not happen in software.
I got one a few years back and wasn't feeling the sounds. As others have said, not really analog sounding but rather digital. Check out Maschine from NI, much better libraries and FX.
I bought a machinedrum and a korg er1 mk2 at the same time, I sold the elektron and kept the korg just because the er1 is more fun to play with.
And no you really cant get the versatility and edge of sounds tremor produces out of the machinedrum. But that's because tremor is actually extremely good at what it does IMHO.
Thanks! I also had the feeling that Tremor would excel the MD in terms of sound. Seems like I will focus on the Octatrack and not invest in any further Elektron gear (money can be spend elsewhere). I really like the Monomachine for its sound. But I have a TI. So I will do some primitive music using just the OT and Virus TI. Limitations are nice sometimes.
Well, perhaps the Machinedrum isn't "warm" as in analog, but I tend to get "warm" sounds but putting it thru my mixer (and sometimes the Fatso, but that might be cheating).
I love how fast I can work with the MD and most of the time I come up with something I enjoy.
Here's a track I made on a train ride some years ago. It ended up on vinyl after I'd separated the sounds and mixed it outside the Machinedrum. All sounds come from the Machinedrum though, lots of samples obviously:
I love my Machinedrum and my Octatrack but I'm very interested in that Tempest too...
I am thinking of getting me an Elektron MD UW mk2.
I believe it will be a lot of fun. Especially with the straight forward sequencer.
Soundwise I haven't heard so many convincing demos though.
Does it hold up to the level of 2012? Or rather outdated?
Does it sound hard enough, but not digitally hard, but punchy?
I have Tremor and you can get really punchy kicks out of it. But there can be some post-processing involded. The ADSR IS snappy. How does it compare?
I know that there is a TR machine as a choice. But does it do the job? Or sound rather lame?
I loved the sound, but yeah, digital as all hell. I didn't mind replacing it with software. "straight forward sequencer" I didn't think so. Maybe if you were a Star Trek science officer.
I got a MD SPS1 mkII a few weeks ago and I have to say, so far I'm not really feeling it.
Firstly, the electronic kits are just a bit gutless in comparison to how I thought they'd be, there's just no....beef, to them.
Secondly, the ad's etc, give the impression it can do real sounding acoustic drums too; Balls it can!
MY Korg M-50 sounds more realistic, which is a REAL bummer for me as I'd hoped I would never have to use the M-50 for drums again.
Some might say it's not really SUPPOSED to do realistic drums - well Elektron claim it can, and at £750 a pop I really would've thought it would.
And I expected more than a few dozen samples to choose from.
All I can say is, so far, I'm feeling a bit like I've been had, seven hundred and fifty quid for something that doesn't really seem to do THAT much, and what it does do, it aint that good at, either.
I loved the sound, but yeah, digital as all hell. I didn't mind replacing it with software. "straight forward sequencer" I didn't think so. Maybe if you were a Star Trek science officer.
Hello
What was the problem with the sequencer? Let's say on an Octatrack the sequencer is ok. Not too hard to learn. but maybe because i did my internship on the Enterprice
Quote:
Secondly, the ad's etc, give the impression it can do real sounding acoustic drums too; Balls it can!
MY Korg M-50 sounds more realistic, which is a REAL bummer for me as I'd hoped I would never have to use the M-50 for drums again.
I guess, the acoustic drums would be a nice bonus to get a more punchy snare etc.
i'd say using the MD with its own engine sounds is a totally different ballgame than loading up warm analog samples into the UW version. either way, sounds fantastic to me.
I got a MD SPS1 mkII a few weeks ago and I have to say, so far I'm not really feeling it.
Firstly, the electronic kits are just a bit gutless in comparison to how I thought they'd be, there's just no....beef, to them.
Secondly, the ad's etc, give the impression it can do real sounding acoustic drums too; Balls it can!
MY Korg M-50 sounds more realistic, which is a REAL bummer for me as I'd hoped I would never have to use the M-50 for drums again.
Some might say it's not really SUPPOSED to do realistic drums - well Elektron claim it can, and at £750 a pop I really would've thought it would.
And I expected more than a few dozen samples to choose from.
All I can say is, so far, I'm feeling a bit like I've been had, seven hundred and fifty quid for something that doesn't really seem to do THAT much, and what it does do, it aint that good at, either.
while i think you can do a LOT with the non-uw version as i had one once, i think you really need to have the uw with the +drive.
don't give up just yet though; keep working with it. my experience with the md seems to get better by the day.
I absolutely love the sound of my MDUW, it would be the last piece of equipment I'd sell, but for me it's all about layering samples with the internal machines. Using the individual outputs to send tracks through a mixer for EQing helps a lot as well. I think it's a very versatile machine, you just need to put the time into it.
sound is really 'modern' and clean even though i use mine as a 808 stand in. my hand written patterns match exactly - neat. coming from years of using x0x-style machines i completely understood what it's about.
just i wish it had less options and its kit/sample management is confusing to say the least.
kits are weird to me. I cant help but constantly change whatever I'm working on. I would prefer a kit per pattern so I know tweaking things wont imp[act something else. I end up saving crazy useless kit names and I make new patterns only to be forgotten as I move on.
The one thing that would make the MD or UW versions really stand out, if Elektron gave it the option to layer kits, as opposed to just being able to select and use one kit at at a time.
Right now though, you have to make a new kit and select various samples you need in that kit if using the UW versions.
The md is the piece of gear that been around longest in my studio. I find the seq very easy to work with. If you like xox seq it should be easy for you to get going in notime.
The sound is very nice, but sometimes its hard to fit the whole kit, Bd, sd, other perc parts into a tune. Although its very possible. I find the sound clean and a bit polished. Lots of bottom end and quite a lot of high end. The midrange ?.
I love the sampling motor. Its easy to get different kind of percussion sound and groove. The fm kit is also very nice for different sound. Load singel cycle loops, square, saw, tri or whatever. All I need now is the drive. I find it a little bit to expensive. Also want a special 909 BD machine. , request for that. Would make my day.
If you love percussion, I think the md is for you.
Dont buy this gear for realistisk drums. Buy some sort of sampler with perl presets etc, or sample drumloops of real drummers and playback via sampler.
Well, perhaps the Machinedrum isn't "warm" as in analog, but I tend to get "warm" sounds but putting it thru my mixer (and sometimes the Fatso, but that might be cheating).
I love how fast I can work with the MD and most of the time I come up with something I enjoy.
Here's a track I made on a train ride some years ago. It ended up on vinyl after I'd separated the sounds and mixed it outside the Machinedrum. All sounds come from the Machinedrum though, lots of samples obviously:
I love my Machinedrum and my Octatrack but I'm very interested in that Tempest too...
i like this tune but it uses samples, right? does anyone know a link where you can hear only the engine? kick, snare, hihat, all basic sounds. i know there is the homepage, but i am looking for some better examples.
As far as the sound of the machines go... I liked all the fm instruments, but then I got a tx81z and it became a bit redundant. The sequencer still rocks, and you can do a lot of interesting sounds by working the paramter locks, but IMO none of the actual sound modules are all that special done straight on their own. It's certainly not a machine you would buy sample and resell. The value is in how the sequencer and the sounds interact.
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Now I thought of either replacing it with or adding an MD.
