Elektron Model: Cycles - FM Drum Machine/Synth

[Jean Luc Cougar]

youtu.be/7J9yC6N83_4

I have to say, I thought I was firmly in the Elektron hater camp after owning and selling nearly all their products but this new Model: Cycles is pretty interesting.

6 voice drum synth
Somewhat restrictive controls like OP-Z
Midi & Audio over USB
Clangy, metal sounds
$300 price point

I am pretty interested, tempted to actually just pull the trigger right now tbh

[kronk]

price is good... pretty yawnsome beyond that for me - regurgitating a cut down version of a 20yr old drum machine

[Críoch]

Apart from the FM synth, it seems like a handy way to grab the Elektron sequencer for your shizzle.

I'm sure there are caveats. Gonna look at it now.

[Críoch]

Interesting vid.

Looks really hands on TBF. Control all feature too? Excellent.

I've got an ambundance of shit sounding drums at my fingertips already.. Think I'd like it for wild sequences & fucked up noises. Looks fucking awesome like that.

Yeah.. Really impressed by the layout.

Haven't seen the back properly.. but it's usb midi? That's a bit of a shame as it requires some extra yoke to be bought. Boo.

[Jean Luc Cougar]

Stereo audio out
USB audio out

Midi over usb
Midi in and outs on mini jack (comes with two adapters)

[Mslwte]

Nice features for the price and it sounds good as well.

The king or boutique?

[buffered]

Control all and reload is a great feature.

[borg]

Haven't looked at new gear for a while, got more than enough hard and software, but recently saw this new Model Samples in a vid and after looking at the price, I was really tempted. It made me dust off the MD, which still is a dope piece of kit, to me. Still haven't gotten around installing the Autechre files, might just do that this week. Got a bit of a breather for the first time in a super busy winter theatre season.

Definitely seems a break of style/price range from Elektron. I wonder about build quality... My one year old M-Audio controller's encoders have become useless and behave erratic when touched, not sure when one of the 0-coast knobs is gonna fall off... My Korg MS10, a 40 year old machine, impeccable controls. My more than 20 year old Nordrack2, not one wiggly or jumpy knob.
There seems to come no end to the consumer society and disposable product mentality.

[WOLF!]

I'm guesing someone will make a video about Digitone vs. Model:Cycles to explain the differences.

Just fixed a almost 20 year old machinedrum; these units are very wel build.
I really feel Elektron is cutting corners now because they want to sell more units, so Elektron is getting closer to Behringer now with that stuff .

For a bit more you have a second hand Digitone, which is a decent build unit (that's why I'm curious about the differences)
The Model seem like cheap ass plastic stuff. I also don't like that midi over mini jack stuff; classic DIN connectors are the way to go .

[Críoch]

Boutique strategy.

Fender / Squier
Gibson / Epiphone

People need affordability. There looks to be few limitations sonically with that new Elektron FM box. I'd say it's a crazy fucking thing TBF.

Stuff will last if it's not abused (& it's not rotten AF on the inside). As long as it's genuine that way. It's good to see.

+1 on the midi. Really don't like that.

[mindstuff]

When I got the digitone I remember how great the kick sounded on it so makes a bunch of sense.

[Kane]

Not seen seen this or the model:samples one until this post... They look great as I'm all into battery powered gear (I commute on the train) but both are apparently lacking ADSR envelope? Is that right?

[ekwipt]

I was close to getting a Mode Samples the other week, I think they’re a great simple machine for the price. I’ve been playing with my MachineDrum recently but have never shelled out for the newer expensive pieces of Elektron kit.

Cool things about these are the sequencer micro timings and randomness you can through in, I wish the Samples had a card in for samples or some sort of simplistic way to get it inside

[Lost to the Void]

Shark_6864314.jpg (20.12 KiB) Viewed 16051 times

[Ben Kohonays]

There looks to be few limitations sonically with that new Elektron FM box.

According to the Musicradar review:

It’s worth noting too that Model:Cycles provides control over just a select few synth engine parameters; there’s no access to algorithms or individual operator settings, meaning that those expecting fully-fledged FM sound design tools may be left disappointed.

Bit of a gas killer, IMO.

https://www.musicradar.com/reviews/elektron-modelcycles

[Críoch]

Aye.. shame, but musically.. might be a less convoluted, more intuitive way of making fucked up noises

Bummer in one way.. but guess they don't want to completely shank the digitone.

Also, they usually like to deny something is possible & then eventually bring it in as a feature in a subsequent update. Who knows?

[Ben Kohonays]

might be a less convoluted, more intuitive way of making fucked up noises

The rest of that review did kinda give that impression.

[Huck Farper]

the thing is fucking awesome, an fm based drum machine.. if it wasn't elektron you geeks would be jizzing all over it

it can sound down right nasty too;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei2fcqVQMy4

[ekwipt]

the thing is fucking awesome, an fm based drum machine.. if it wasn't elektron you geeks would be jizzing all over it

it can sound down right nasty too;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ei2fcqVQMy4

that's the demo that made me want it

[Mono-xID]

For 300 bucks that thing isn't too shabby. Nice toy for riding trains. Way more useful than their samples box.