Elektron Syntakt Quickstart Guide

[@EZBOT_]

Don't forget to subscribe and join the discord! discord.gg/KUSBH9h Lessons and contact: ezbot.live Support this channel by joining the Patreon : www.patreon.com/ezbot Support this channel by visiting my hardware electronic music store: www.modbang.com

[@2010xkr]

For me, the most relevant advice appeared within 30 seconds of this video, informing us to *start by creating a new project*. I wish I had know this when I got the unit, because I started by making patterns into empty slots of the Preset Project, not realizing that the preset project is *write protected*, which means any patterns made there will be lost (unless applying potential workarounds). Very unusual setup and totally foreign to my workflow using other equipment, but there you go - and thanks for being the only reviewer I know of who mentions this small but potentially crucial advice.

[@EZBOT_]

It’s happened to me a few times as well

[@meilstone]

You can save new patterns starting at Bank C.

[@madgebishop5409]

this 100x !!!!

[@DJchrismiller1]

Really appreciate your introduction, got me going in the right direction immediately, TY.

[@vyrvygora]

I am a total noob both in music production, and hardware synths. I've just bought myself Syntakt. This video has been the most useful of all intros to Syntakt that I've found so far. Yet, it's still a little bit too advanced for a total beginner (which, I assume, wasn't the target audience in the first place). I would love a Syntakt-based video for total beginners where you go just a little bit deeper into each section providing more basics. For example, when you switch into the LFO settings and additionally to the technical perspective (describing how to change/use them on the Syntakt) - you also mention briefly what LFOs are, and how to use them from the creative perspective. I guess, what I mean is I wish for a kind of all-in-one Syntakt video for total beginners, which would take them by hand and guide through the whole cycle of producing a song, teaching some basics along the way. Would that be possible? I cannot be alone in this?

[@brutalityoffact]

+1 to this. I am right there with you!

[@JamesBermingham]

Just ordered mine. This video is just what I needed and i really like what I’m seeing and in turn gives me the confidence in that I made the right choice in getting Syntakt as my first Elektron box. Thank you Ezbot

[@markw5264]

The very first thing I did when i opened the box to my Syntakt for the first time was to play this video....by far the best beginners tutorial out there....thank you very much, EZBOT.

[@HenriDeCarvalho]

Nobody have been a better host than you Matt to introduce this new elektron machine. I've been looking for a while your videos and love how you get the most out of elektron machines. Thanks !!!

[@yurikalashnikov2460]

I super appreciate you running through the engines real quick at the end. I’ve been looking for that. So helpful!

[@EZBOT_]

No problem!

[@antiself6617]

Hi EZBOT (MATT!) I don't know if you read these comments but I just want to say that your videos are absolutely brilliant. I bought an octatrack almost a year ago and found it really difficult to get into and understand. I watched a fair few of your videos then and still found the learning curve very steep. But, a few weeks ago I decided to use the octatrack just to play some samples (I had been using it mainly as a live looper) and suddenly I realised how powerful a piece of kit it was and I finally got my head into it. So... I sold my Perkons HD-01 (which was awesome but not as awesome as I'd thought it was) and bought a syntakt. This video was what inspired me to buy it. The package arrived and I got it out and set it up next to my octatrack. I've spent five or six hours with it now getting familiar with the UX and I'm back watching this video for the second time and it is all starting to make a lot of sense. Thank you so much for doing this, it is clarifying everything I have learned so far and is presented so clearly and logically with a decent amount of humour too. Keep up the good work, I hope I get to see you play live some time!

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you so much! I do read the comments :) I hope to see you at a show sometime

[@thomassourice407]

Best of the best introduction for unexperienced people (like me) ! thanks a LOT ! this is a HUGE source of goods and efficients advices !

[@MattJacques]

I've got a Digitakt, but this is the perfect level of keep it simple, step-by-step guide that I've needed. Learned a ton from this!

[@matthiasurbach1952]

@EZBOT Once you complained about the many clicks on the Syntakt. Drove me nuts in the beginning and I was close to sending it back. I got rid of most of them by switching off the “AENR”, the “Amp envelope reset” on the second “AMP” page. (The rest are just the common things like amp attack and decay setting or fitting note lengths IMHE.) Many thanks for your tutorials, helped me a lot!

[@freshmintbubblegum3831]

That’s unbelievable how densely packed with the info this tutorial is!! Awesome work putting together such a comprehensive tutorial! Thanks

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you!

[@glowsloth]

Had to come back to see how you did the trig conditions. great runthrough bro

[@aptudo]

First time viewer. Never owned an Elektron device. Hats off; this was a superb demo. I think it's time I started saving for a Syntakt.

[@prospectnyc]

This video is great. It's not a bunch of specs, opinions, pros/cons. - it gets right to the "here is how you make music with this". Thank you!

[@gapster77]

A couple of years back you really helped me start off with the Model: Samples, and your doing it again with the Syntakt! 😁 You take things at a nice pace, and explain them well. Thanks, keep up the good work, man 🤙

[@EZBOT_]

[@hunnersahings7375]

I watched this video before getting the Syntakt and it wasn’t making any sense. After it arrived yesterday and playing with the device, revisiting this video it started to fall into place. It’s great that I can watch it and then use the time stamps to go through each step of the way as it’s difficult to remember what buttons to press. Thanks for making this video and also for convincing me that the Syntakt is the right device for me. I much prefer tweaking the sound to flicking through samples. 😊

[@electroangel909]

Best tutorial i've seen so far! Fantastic work, my man!

[@e-conrecords4665]

This is the best Syntakt video so far. Thanks mate!

[@mattkaz9604]

I thought I was sick of Syntakt videos but that one was good.

[@adamstetzer2910]

This is outstanding! Another amazing video from EZBot! If you are a newbie to Syntakt - I highly recommend following Matt's steps, one-by-one, through the video. There are many solid pointers that will get you up and running fast. BTW - the pattern-specific MUTE MODE hint near the end was awesome. I've been wanting that feature (and wondering why my mutes were green, rather than purple) and am so glad you covered this feature in the video.

[@ZeitfrakturDE]

Thanks for this brilliant tutorial. Perfect pace for me. Not too slow, not too fast (maybe a little too speedy). 👍✌🏼 Very informative and lots of valuable information.

[@bennydesign]

Finally, a really great introduction to Synakt for beginners. Thank you, you helped a lot!!!

[@Babeli]

Deserves more views.

[@eddiesinfin3583]

Great intro. Hope to see some more in-depth tutorials, tips, sound design, etc. on this thing from you.

[@andrewknox9360]

I got so much out of this video man, cheers. This was a concise lesson in workflow, as well as a functional overview.

[@_monoaural1993]

Best Introduction ever. I really like your style. Keep on bro.

[@psience_1]

hi Matt. Thanks for the intro to Syntakt. Waiting for one to arrive and appreciative of your walkthrough (although you were seated : ) . Cheers.Subscribed.

[@superlean5991]

The white screen + red trim looks so good.

[@FilippaArendt]

very helpful video, thank you, and congrats with 15K subs :)

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you!

[@wanderingjuniper]

This is excellent, thank you, 1st time Elektron user and this is perfect. It's a great box

[@anomalousmaterialsmusic]

This video was insanely helpful, just picked up a Syntakt last weekend.

[@GrahamC808]

Super starter thanks for the help my syntakt is on its way and now I have a little knowledge for uts arrival cheers

[@DawlessHouseMusic]

Mine just arrived. Super powerful features.

[@stanislavdumstorf724]

Shit ya learn something new everyday. Have had elektron stuff for years and had no idea that the re-trig values could go into the negative

[@vagueversatile]

Very nice! If I’m not wrong, scales are already implemented in the Digitone

[@EZBOT_]

Indeed! Just not with the keyboard fold :)

[@AsherBKNY]

Thank you bro , Really enjoying your Chanel!

[@markzenk178]

Thanks for this quick-tutorial. its just on point!!!

[@voxmnemonic]

Great job on this man!

[@romi2910001]

Half way through great vid so far thanks..

[@val478]

Thank you so much for the tutorial, very clear and helpful 🤙

[@gapster77]

In Song Mode, is there a way to start the track from playing at any other point other than the start? When editing I’ve been a little frustrated, the part I’m tinkering with is near the end of the track, wish I could highlight the section in song edit and play from there?

[@EZBOT_]

Not in the Digi-line boxes but yes in the Octatrack

[@gapster77]

@@EZBOT_ Thankyou for your reply, EZ. It’s a shame, would love to be able to isolate a section when I’m tweaking it.

[@saardean4481]

A very amazing machine. I had underestimated it. Only the loud keys I find super annoying but sweet Jesus this machine has some acoustic potential

[@EVILJAMARR]

Did you know that syntakt has push encoders? Try it! When you’re choosing your LFO destination, push down on the D knob and it will take your selection. I discovered it with the data knob which is also a push knob encoder.

[@RababaInc]

holy shit you can finally modulate delay with this one 😍

[@superlean5991]

Sounds great. Nice job!

[@AndroLectric]

Thank You for that 😊 Great Quickstart Guide 👍👍

[@nickademuss42]

This is my first Elektron device, thanks for the basics, because all the other vids assume you own the rest and know all the ways of the force.

[@EZBOT_]

Glad I could help!

[@Lo-fi_Hi-brow]

@EZBOT Nice walk-thru. One piece of friendly, constructive criticism: "[The Multiplier is] like a multiplier of your speed..." doesn't help me understand what a multuliplier is😬😅. I've had a Digitakt & Digitone for 2 years, and I still don't really understand it🤷‍♂️. I'm like: "If speed is at 16 and multiplier is 2...doesn't that just mean speed is 32?"🤔

[@EZBOT_]

I meant TEMPO not speed, sorry!

[@timgough942]

Brilliant intro thank you!

[@hightone7731]

Thank you for the very informative video 👍 on the other hand I would like to know if it is possible to choose your notes by turning a knob and add it to the trigs? like on Model Cycles we maintain the trig and we could choose our notes on the screen, because on the video you only use keyboard mode.

[@EZBOT_]

Yes it is :)

[@hightone7731]

@@EZBOT_ Thank you for your answer, it's cool 👍continue with your videos, very educational, methodical and well explained.👍🙏

[@BrockDavisson]

27:05 Ice Ice Baby? lol.. sorry for some reason it trigger that song in my head lol.

[@MrCoyoteculler]

Super cool! So cool it needs a cape.

[@Dj_BruceKirby]

Hey Matthew, I love all your videos on the syntakt and the Elektron gear you provide for us newbies, I want to us my eatherwave Theremin to control the sequencers in my Digitone syntakt and digitakt, but are struggling to figure out how to do this as none of the 3 mentioned devices have CV in, my theremin has pitch cv out, volume cv out and gate out. Can you help please ? 🙏🏻 thanks so much in advance

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you :) If it doesn’t send MIDI data then you will need a CV to MIDI converter to control the Syntakt with your theremin.

[@Dj_BruceKirby]

@EZBOT_ thanks Matman, your like the batman of Elektron gear🤣kenton make one so I've just ordered one, keep up the great work, I was on your patrons but had to cancel as the finances were running thin, but will rejoin when things get better...appreciate the help, thanks

[@9753zing]

Hey there, great review. Thanks for conveying it in an accessible manner. I’m looking to buy my first groove box and I’ve never owned a synth. Would you recommend a digitakt or syntakt? I understand the differences, but where would be a better place to start

[@EZBOT_]

Digitakt is more versatile considering it can house any sound but Syntakt has more tracks and the built in FX track is very powerful. Hard to tell.

[@hexwavemusic]

Personally I'd say a Syntakt would be easier because samples can be more tricky to work with as a beginner, a synthesizer like the Syntakt let's you make all the sounds it can make just from tweaking knobs instead of digging through the internet looking for sample packs and loading them on and figuring out how to use them. Everyone's different tho, lots of people prefer samples.

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

@@hexwavemusic +1 on this. I owned the Digitakt but chopping samples felt a bit like a chore and mostly used the internal factory sounds which can be tweaked a lot to make your own vibe. Syntakt will be much better for my needs and have one coming! Guess if you want to be able to have a vocal sample in your project then Digitakt is the one. You could add that later in a DAW but that sort of breaks the grovebox ethos. Depends on what kind of music you want to make at the end of the day

[@kungfubeatsbysifufilter9431]

Thanks for the great tutorial! 🙏

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Excellent vid. I'm tempted by a Syntakt but to use entirely as a bonkerz drum machine. I want all crazy modifying continually type sounds and this seems the best value and most likely of anything out there atm to be able to do such madness.... could you or anyone confirm? I've looked at the Machinedrum too but soooo expensive and I think excessive for what I need. Thanks again for the awesome vid.

[@LordoftheBadgers]

Brilliant thank you Matt!

[@grindedfranz]

great vid dude! THANKSYYY

[@proptosis2682]

Are there no individual retrig options like in the samples/cycles?!?! That was my favorite aspect of those?????

[@MykytaLyskov]

Thank you, useful

[@VoodooGear]

Definitely an upgrade from Model Cycles worth the money. And… I didn’t know Keanu Reeves was featured in Elektron tutorials 😂

[@vjDobermann]

Hi, it was helpful, thanks a lot :)

[@GarthVader666]

Great video! Respect 🙏

[@aaronn7576]

Good stuff as always my man 👊🏼. What mixer are you using?

[@EZBOT_]

SSL Big Six!

[@danpreston564]

I think on Digitakt there is a shortcut to trigger fills whilst in sequencer record mode. May be the same on here.

[@castelmau]

fantastic job!

[@aikighost]

31:49 Drive goes up to 11. Nice Spinal Tap easter egg there :)

[@cooptrol]

Great review! One question: are modifier retriggers realtime quantized to the sequencer? That would be a first for Elektron too. A feature long asked for for the AR which never happened (albeit the first version of the manual mentioned it but it was never implemented).

[@EZBOT_]

They are not live quantized, they just act as a button press on the default track if that makes sense. Same as Rytm

[@cooptrol]

@@EZBOT_ Ohh that's a missed opportunity. Dunno why they can't implement that, Korg did it on the Electribes back in 2003. Thanks for the info!

[@tybaker8092]

I just got the model cycles 2 months ago, and I wondering if will now be a dust collector, or is there 2-3 things that it does that the syntakt can’t do?

[@tendingtropic7778]

well its cheaper haha

[@andrewknox9360]

Is there a way to see just the presets for the machine you’re working with?

[@aSimpleChat]

Easy to follow tutorial as usual (but requiring lots of practice for me)! Thank you for the explanations. Aside from the increased tracks, would you say this is similar to having a beefy Digitakt that doesn’t require the Digitone to complement it? Also, since this doesn’t appear to have a sampler, can you upload your own samples into it? Of so, what is the internal memory and/or storage capacity size?

[@EZBOT_]

Thank you! No samples, this is just a synthesizer :) I don't think it NEEDS anything to compliment it honestly

[@austronaut5547]

Do you know how to switch off again (after activating them for the first time) the modifiers in the "Modifier Setup"? There's a little "Trig" switch but I can switch it off again. Do you happen to know what the "Remember Subpage" checkbox in the system menu does?

[@EZBOT_]

The trig for switching off should work in the menu. If not it’s a bug. Remember subpage will let you go back to page 2/2 for example after leaving a menu instead of it returning you to page 1/2

[@vinylarchaeologist]

EZBOT, love your videos, but why is the Syntakt the Syntakt for you while the Digitakt is the DigiTACK? Is that a regional thing for the part of the US you‘re from? Or just a personal pronunciation quirk? I‘ve been curious about this, and apologies if it‘s been asked a thousand times before.

[@strsssgddrrr2179]

Thx mate help a lot

[@kenb7540]

Excellent ! 👏👍

[@emilianoibarra3537]

is it possible to have tracks 1 to 8 just be drums and 9 to 12 synths for bass(9), synth(10), lead(11) and another rhythmic percussion (12)??

[@ZungZe]

Thank you!

[@trader4239]

1000000 times better explained than loopop bla bla

[@Sequencer_JY]

I love Loopops videos for feature overviews on new devices but your videos are much more down to earth and informative for the non-experts! And they are so chill I feel like I’m in a therapy session!

[@fabiandeleon4636]

Is there a way to clear a sequence from a track with one button or combination?

[@EZBOT_]

In REC mode FUNC + PLAY

[@trevormalcolm4328]

My Model:Cycles is sitting in the corner looking very worried!

[@antiself6617]

Haha mine too

[@fullcircle8564]

Do we know if there’s a way to unmute multiple tracks at one time? I know the Octatrack has this feature in the mixer menu

[@EZBOT_]

Just hitting the mutes at the same time, same as the other Digi’s

[@fullcircle8564]

@@EZBOT_ Thanks man. Only way to do it tho eh? No way to have one button unmute multiple tracks? I know in the Mixer menu of the Octatrack you can hold the “function” button and then choose which tracks are to be muted/unmuted. They all won’t mute/unmute until you release the function button. Surprised the Syntakt doesn’t have this feature 🤔

[@DespairQuietlyPlease]

Can u pitch individual notes up/down to get quarter tones in scales?

[@EZBOT_]

In the Syntakt you just set the trig length to achieve different note lengths. On a sampler you would pitch it down to make it play longer, is this what you mean?

[@DespairQuietlyPlease]

@EZBOT sorry not the note length the pitch...can you pitch up/down individual notes within a set scale say the second note degree in minor aelioan...this would allow for Turkish scales to be played

[@warpigs330]

hey, I have a question about the retirgger. On the cycles it always retriggers from when you press the button, and it is not quantized to the beat. On the Syntakt is it the same or is the retrigger quantized like an arpeggiator?

[@EZBOT_]

It’s the same retrigger as the cycles, so you are better off using the full condition for drum fills

[@warpigs330]

@@EZBOT_ BLAH! I love the model cycles with my whole heart, and all I want to do is to be able to add off the cuff drum fills that are quantized. Guess I'll keep my BSP plugged in for it's retrigger stuff.

[@Limbic1000]

16:41 this sounds so goood

[@RuiGon1]

Thanks.

[@danfuataga1216]

Legend

[@fiercecurry]

is there a way to audition a sound without sending it out to external speakers, but isolating it to just your headphones? Like if you are performing this live and dont want to ruin the performance

[@EZBOT_]

There is not :/ that’s what the Octatrack is for :)

[@damiensimper]

You set your Keyboard to C-Major Dorian and then applied a Chord using the Chord Machine, in that instrument/machine you landed on a Min setting, but are the actual notes of the Min Chord you pick in the same Scale as the Keyboard? As far as I can tell at that point you broke away from your Scale and Root note settings. I think many users will assume the chords will conform to the Keyboard setting as in 'Music Theory' this is actually how you compose when picking a Scale and Root Note, it's a Master setting that you then write in it! After that you can transpose or change key, but ATM it's a weird Frankenstein of two systems and something I find really annoying. I really hope Elektron can fix this by adding a 'Scale' mode option to the Chord Machine.

[@EZBOT_]

That would be cool, the Dirty Wave M8 can do that

[@JeezVince]

I have a digitone and they released the Fold Keyboard on it too.

[@lucaguidi1982]

Hey Matt, thanks for yet another brilliant and entertaining tutorial! 👏 Do you know how many Dual VCO machines can you bring simultaneously on the first three analog tracks? Example: if I would run a bass sound on 9 and two different leads on 10 and 11. Would that be possible? Thanks!

[@RobotSnake]

You could have one on all 3.

[@patrickp9624]

@@RobotSnake on the AR you can have it on 4 btw :)

[@EZBOT_]

@@patrickp9624 but you can only use 3 of those tracks at a time :/

[@RobotSnake]

@@patrickp9624 I was only taking about the Syntakt and it doesn’t matter when 3 and 4 mute each other. That’s still just 3 voices at a time.

[@patrickp9624]

@@EZBOT_ true that :) As you said in the video: there's stuff we know already from M:C and AR. And used ARs go for around 700€ over here in europe on the second hand market sometimes. Maybe for some people it would be more fullfilling to get a used AR mk1 and a M:C for the same money as the syntakt. Even tho the latter is a real powerhouse for the small footprint and it will probably end up on my desk sooner or later :D

[@jamescase-leal7858]

Great video love your content - one request: I know elektron gear and am interested in the syntakt, but im finding it very hard to find videos that demo what each of the machines sound like (since the newer firmware). I dont mean in the mix of a complete patch, but just holding down notes, sweeping the filter, throw on the reverb. Turn on chromatic and playing each of the synth engines. Im hoping this could take the place of a couple synths and a drum machine, but don't want to throw down $$$ without hearing it. If this video demo is somewhere and im not finding it - anyone please lmk! otherwise It would be a huge benefit if someone made it! :) thanks for the great work you do EZBOT!

[@shinezacharias3118]

these digital engine have any synths sounds

[@ChrisMiller-kw4qq]

Can I have Preroll without click/metronome?

[@doughertySD]

Can anyone tell me why when I hit play, the sequence starts where it stopped? I want it to start on step 1 every time.

[@doughertySD]

Figured it out, I'm not hitting stop to stop the pattern.

[@EZBOT_]

You got it

[@Hanoveur]

Mine doesnt show the keyboard when I press Function + Keyboard. It still goes into keyboard mode though.

[@thelevicole]

does this mean I can bring mine to our next lesson?!

[@EZBOT_]

It sure does! Congrats on your new piece of kit :)

[@Screenshot1015]

@@EZBOT_ I just preordered mine, are these actually on a shelf anywhere yet?!!

[@EZBOT_]

@@Screenshot1015 my guess is tomorrow or Monday

[@maikrobin]

What the f…?! Ok I wasn‘t prepared for that!!!!!!

[@toffchunks]

so usefull thks ;-)