I sold my Syntakt to get a Digitakt II. Here's why

[@nakiradams]

Predict your future. You will keep the Digitakt 2 and also buy a Syntakt again.

[@vertigev]

Lmao 😂

[@johnnygorillas]

haha...that's not completely impossible

[@j.s.8933]

Haha, I was about writing the same 😄 Happened to me...

[@BeyondCashed]

why, youde be better off getting the digitone. getting syntakt would just be more of the same

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

Absolutely. Out of all the gear I've bought and sold, the Syntakt was the one I regretted the most. So I bought it again. I'm never letting it go. It's the best synth I ever owned. But it's a drum synth too. 😁

[@MFPRODUCTIONSCHANNEL]

My Elektron journey so far: I got the Model Cycles when it was released, I really liked it so got a Digitakt soon after, I really liked the Digitakt so I sold the Model Cycles to help get a Digitone soon after. I really liked the Digitone but sold it to get an OP-1. I sold the OP-1 after a few months because I felt it was overhyped and didn't sound very good. After a while I really started missing the Model Cycles so bought it again. I also started missing the OP-1 so bought it again, this time I kept it. I found some old Digitone songs I made which reminded me how amazing the Digitone was so bought it again. When the Syntakt was released I wasn't too interested, but recently I found some nice videos of it, including your channel and I decided to get one. I sold the Model Cycles again and I'm very happy with the Syntakt. So now it's Digitone + Syntakt, this covers 99% of my needs, if I need some samples I guess can add them later in Logic.

[@johnnygorillas]

Interesting journey :)

[@Alex-o2q9l]

Well, hello there, fellow MrGASman 😂

[@LyoshaTheZebra]

Loved that the machine was demoed with some good music, which is actually kind of rare.

[@johnnygorillas]

thank you 🙏

[@matiascova]

great video! the musical examples were beautiful, which is rare for videos about elektron machines.

[@pirated8557]

Cool man ✌🏼 I am researching Digitakt 2 for live sequencing with my analogue synths… looks like just what I need… another Os learning curve 😂

[@dfgdsgdfa]

Thanks for making this! I really enjoyed the approach that you have with your digitakt.. voice memo recordings, mixing down in ableton, having every and any drum kit at your fingers if you want it. You've really shown how it's much more than just some sampler with a sequencer, It can actually be about breaking into new workflow and coming up with things you never would have before. that's really exciting to see, ty

[@johnnygorillas]

Thanks for the feedback. I’m glaub you enjoyed the video 🙏

[@flugaflaug1647]

This was a cool watch. I love my DT2, but I'm slow at learning its secrets. Practice makes perfect I guess!^^ Keep making music and vids, I like them alot. Peace!

[@dertyp6767]

Thanks for sharing some arguments justifying to buy this one. But seriously, very cool video and your jam sounded superb.

[@owRekssjfjxjxuurrpqpqss]

I sold my syntakt for digitone 2. I like syntakt a lot but digitone 2 just has so much more sound design potential despite fewer “machines”, 3 of the 4 machines have multiple pages of parameters and every machine has 3 lfos instead of two, 128 steps as well as being able to play chords or unison on any machine is also a huge plus too. I was considering digitakt 2 for a while but I feel that it should have proper granular synthesis support rather than doing weird tricks with the lfos to achieve a similar effect, I like samplers but I do like the ability to create the sounds from scratch, starting from a simple sine wave and ending up with a complex rich sound is very satisfying.

[@justinjones2595]

I didnt know you could do audio via USB like that. Cool trick with phone and USB adaptor

[@dracul74]

I owned a Syntakt… did an album and then sold it. Felt similar to you… but funny thing is when I listen to those tracks they are still some of my favs… lol. I have used a lot of elektrons. Still using my OG digitak and still love it.

[@fxaarchable]

Love the video. Been thinking about getting a Digitakt 2. Actually, I bought it and returned it but I having second thoughts. Any event, I currently produce everything in a very crude way live using a Korg Wavestate mk2, Boomerang looper and a Drumbrute Impact. Your video really helped me decide to try out the Digitakt as a substitute for the DB and the Boomerang. I might keep the looper for some added textures but fundamentally the Digitakt would play drums, chords and bass and then I would improvise over that using the Korg. What do you think?

[@johnnygorillas]

The Digi2 can definitely do that but if you want more hands-on control for bass or chords you could midi-sequence a dedicated synth from the digitakt.

[@fxaarchable]

@@johnnygorillas at this point I really dont understand how midi works but woud like to. Sequnecing a synth sound cool. I will need to explore how that is done. Thanks

[@damelos4039]

I have both the Syntakt and Digitakt II. My goal is also to finish tracks in Ableton. Can you go a little bit more in depth about how you took the stems from the DII and got them into Ableton? Was it already arranged the way we see or did it just move stems and you had to place them again the way you wanted from the pattern? Grea video with use cases! Thanks.

[@jeffnabers9180]

Easy way would be to use Overbridge, but I think Overbridge for DTII is in closed beta currently.

[@johnnygorillas]

Because Overbridge is not yet available I just recorded the single tracks one by one into Ableton. Some of them just a 2 bar loop but for something like the hats I recorded for 16 or 32 bars and changed some parameters while recording to end up with a more interesting take.

[@dudeseriously79]

I got the Digitakt 2 as well. I also have the MK1 and the Digitone. After getting the Model Cycles, i fell in love with the sequencing. Good stuff.

[@iamjamessmith]

Great vid!

[@BoBeats]

very cool jam and setup there at the end, sounds great

[@johnnygorillas]

thank you! Glad you enjoy it

[@mellemellor]

Single cycle waveforms are fun, sampling synths is fun , but they will never replace an actual tweakable synth for me . They take you to different places, im keeping both.

[@Hessencemusic]

great video and congratulations on your handling of Digitakt.... It's a team in full hype (if at some point I don't stop being hype), but there are many videos and many that say nothing except "film I have a digitakt mk2"... this one however, makes me want to buy a digitakt again.

[@johnnygorillas]

thank you

[@sensorycircuits1338]

Nice selection of kit, Juno = 80s, moog = classic, dx7 all the bells & whistles. digitakt sews it all together. Pretty much covers everything up until 2010ish.

[@unclerm]

Thank you for sharing, I am deeply inspired

[@SparkySubie]

With a bit of layering you can take syntakt's kicks and snares to new sonic territories. It's quite difficult getting the layers to gel but the sound design options are extremely flexible to get totally different flavors of kicks. That's why I got a Digitakt to resample those layered kicks and free up tracks :). You can make some pretty hard transients with the LFO set to audio rate modulation and then applying a second LFO or LFO fade as an envelope for the FM LFO. You can mix in a quiet reverb or delay with an amp envelope to make a more flavorful stereo kick sub. The only issue is layering with the filters and envelopes has very narrow sweet spots

[@johnnygorillas]

Nice ideas!

[@sharpXpaper]

06:04 🤯Suddenly my mind goes blank and filled with melody

[@johnnygorillas]

🙏

[@HalfBakedBeats]

Use case vier is where it's at. :) 👍 ps. Funny enough, I sometimes like to do the opposite: setup loops in DAW / Reaper -> send them over to the DTII + mess with them some more.

[@ukbloke28]

your 808 samples sound great. which set are you using?

[@johnnygorillas]

I honestly don't know exactly where they are from. I have a huge collection of vintage drum machine samples on my hard drive and I picked these from several folders of 808 samples

[@thiloeichhorn2654]

Before I finally sold my Analog Rytm, I kept getting lost in the possibilities of synthesis, but in the end the sound rarely convinced me. The engines are partly the same with the Syntakt, so I can feel you. The Digitakt is practically a nobrainer these days. Unless you already own an Octatrack - - and have kind of romantic feelings for it 🥰 Thanks for the vid! Always a pleasure to watch your stuff.

[@johnnygorillas]

romantic feelings towards musical instruments are probably the most productive "feature" they can have ;)

[@robertocaba5915]

Im about to do the same. After a year I couldnt gel with the sound it has…I like the versatility and workflow etc but its got a distintive sound thats hard to get away from. But I just dont like how it sounds…

[@jeffnabers9180]

I also just sold my Syntakt to get a DTII, for similar reasons. Killer hardware sequencier, controller, and I like analog hardware synths + samples for drums. Coolest groovebox eva

[@johnnygorillas]

good to know, I'm not the only one :)

[@dominikhaering]

i feel you. For me it is that the syntact sounds everywhere the same. There is no uniqness anymore after release. When i listen to many syntact artist - the sound all the same.

[@DanChippendaleMusic]

I beg to differ. I'm not so keen on the raw Syntakt sound. I see a lot of videos with that samey sound. I myself try very hard with my Syntakt and believe I'm making some amazing sounds with it that don't sound "Syntakt". Have a look at my recent videos 😊

[@unseenjungle5386]

my problem with a Mashine like the Syntakt is its limitations aside the drum sounds. no matter how much You could do... You rarely might end up with something usable outside of Your standard/favorite sounds. An one shot drum sampler makes way more sense to me.

[@eldontyrellcorp]

Funnily I started to feel the same about the Syntakt. I always tend to have the same kind of melodies and sounds. While the digitakt 2 allowed me to explore me a lot more different soundscapes. Initially I prefered the Syntakt because I didn't want to experience the hassle of importing samples, preparing them so that they would sound good etc Now I really enjoy playing with the digitakt 2. It's so powerful and just sounds huge! I mean, it has a real punch. I'm exploring all kinds of directions, not only ambient music, but also ethnic music etc. Ultimately I think I'll sell the Syntakt. But I had some great times with it.

[@johnnygorillas]

So I'm not the only one having that experience. Exactly my experience :)

[@eldontyrellcorp]

@@johnnygorillas I'd like to see a lot more machines in the Syntakt. Maybe even granular synthesis or something else, or a real FM machine. It really needs some diversity. I also have an OP1 mk1 and intend to sell it (the workflow does not suit me, but interesting results can be quickly obtained, and it has a sound of its own). Also, having only 2 different songs is way too limiting even if I understand that we are supposed to transfer the wav to the PC when we are happy with the song.

[@stef_kob]

The dawless remind me some kenny larkin sounds 👍

[@horaziohorazio]

same feelings here. had a syntakt for a weekend but will stick with the digitakt II. in my opinion it's an expensive toy. better get a hydrasynth for the price... and a couple of beers 😉

[@Alckemy]

I traded my octatrack for one. Should’ve waited. Still no over bridge smh

[@johnnygorillas]

hope they'll add it soon

[@mango4two101]

Overbridge isn’t ready yet, so no multitrack to DAW just yet. Zero cross calculations on sample placement aren’t in the same league as Octatrack, can’t manually place slices like Octatrack.

[@johnnygorillas]

Hoping overbridge will be here so and also that they add manual slicing. What do you mean by zero cross calculations?

[@adamdoran235]

@@johnnygorillas Isn't that what avoids popping sound on sample loop points?

[@johnnygorillas]

@@adamdoran235 ah ok, you’re right. Fades would still be great and often work better in my experience

[@BDKabrini]

Blasphemy. Lol. I have both. Syntaxt and NOW Digitakt 2....bcus I understand the Syntakt. I've heard people say THEY wish the Syntakt sampled. Actually it depends on how you define "sampling" For me... I just load up a sound pack and wallah. Random Choppable samples. That said... If ya wanna be selective. The Digitakt 2 fits the Bill. Im Glad i own it...but i will never disrespect the Syntaxt. She taught me A LOT. The Goal is to intertwine DT2 samples with ST shapes and sounds. Seems like the Perfect Pairing. Throw in a SP404 and Whoooo!!!

[@johnnygorillas]

no disrespect for the Syntakt! And much respect for anybody who creates bangers with it. Having both is surely great!

[@effebidi9677]

I love the Syntakt concept, but is too germinal and is totaly needing the get the light of a version II , and for 3 reason mostly 1) MIsses a sample playback option , a sample player, not necessarly a sampler, and mixable with digital machine like AR does . 2) more analog tracks OR that the 4 analog can work for all engine and not this CYmbal track to waste one importan analog track. 3) More numbers: and so more tracks (16) , more steps (128), arpeggiators, more hybrid features, more more more just more

[@johnnygorillas]

more is always better :) and I guess we'll see that in Syntakt 2. Not sure about the sample playback though - they still want you to own at least 2 of their instruments...

[@ShaighJosephson]

I don't see the sense in having the Syntakt if you already have synths and can use the Digitakt 2 to create samples from them...

[@johnnygorillas]

Not exactly the same but you can use the Digitakt to sequence your synths…and then maybe sample those sequences :)

[@jenssonntag908]

@@johnnygorillas Hi, can you actually sample a midi track? Or how would you go about it?

[@johnnygorillas]

@@jenssonntag908 I mean sampling the audio of the sequenced synths. Of course it’s not the same as a synth engine but you can interesting results.

[@jenssonntag908]

@@johnnygorillas Ok, gotcha.

[@godot5082]

For a dawless mixed setup the digitakt 1 is perfect, 8 audio tracks and 8midi tracks, the prices are down at the moment.

[@johnnygorillas]

you're right. What drew me to the Digi 2 was mostly stereo sampling and I think I can benefit from the 16 tracks down the line. For example to use several tracks at once to create chords

[@MayhemJack]

Here's why: because capitalism and in people's minds, 2 will always be better than 1. No need to watch a half-hour video. That's your life, y'know. Limited time. Spend it wisely.

[@johnnygorillas]

that's maybe why I got the Digitakt 2 instead of the now very affordable mark 1 version...can't deny that. But Syntakt vs Digitakt is another story

[@joeybassbass]

This comment would make sense of the video was comparing the Digitakt 1 to the Digitakt 2

[@LainIwakura905]

just wanted to write you that im not watching your video...and that you made a big mistake selling that syntakt .... even comparing these 2 is idk....