Elektron Machinedrum

BobTheDog

Hi Guys,

I have been thinking of getting the Machinedrum UW SPS+.

I bet some of you lot have one so what do you think of it?

Cheers

andy

DrJustice · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:09 pm Post subject:

Nobody wants to talk Machinedrum with you?!?!

I haven't got one myself, but what I've heard makes me want one. They're not exactly cheap though. Used prices seem to be almost the same as new - that's what you get with a hipster cult following....

DJ
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BobTheDog · Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 11:53 pm Post subject:

I decided against it in the end, the price seemed pretty high for what you get.

The Octatrack looks more interesting though Smile

Andy

Antimon · Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 4:45 am Post subject:

I don't have one, but I get the impression that the user interface is very nice.

GovernorSilver · Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:15 pm Post subject:

I thought there would be more Machinedrum users here too.

The Octatrack looks pretty tempting to me too.

miketheman · Joined: Oct 12, 2009 Posts: 56 Location: Gothenburg, sweden

From all the experience from when I worked at a music store a couple of years ago. I can tell you that much that the machinedrum (as well as monomachine and probably the octatrack too), has a great user interface. In the sense that starting from scratch and quickly get a groove is in matter of fact within seconds actually. Quite amazing. If you´d looking for acoustic drum sounds or similar in it, there are not much there (if any). However if electronic drums are the aim here I can´t think of any better workhorse. Since the introduction of UW and the fact that there are parameter lock possibilities expands this drummachine into territories not commonly known for drummachines (from audience view anyway).

Octatrack is indeed a very... ahem... sick unit. Had it demonstrated for me, and I can´t even find words for how to describe the possibilities in it when it comes to mangling/bending the sounds. Would probably be easier though if I had big/deep experiences from software synths/drums/samplers (which I unfortunately don´t). But sick is a good word, in its good sense! Laughing

/mike

v-un-v

BobTheDog · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:37 am Post subject:

It's on the wish list already!

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 3:53 am Post subject:

Hehe. Excellent! Cool

GovernorSilver · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:15 am Post subject:

From what I understand, the Machinedrum will support any time signature. The Octatrack is reportedly even more flexible (if that is possible).

There are still a lot of unknowns about the Tempest. All we see from them at the moment is "look at me, I'm ANALOG!". No info on time signatures...

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:21 am Post subject:

I think it is highly likely that Tempest will support all time sigs, considering it is designed by Roger Linn himself (who is no slouch!)

Very Happy

GovernorSilver · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:53 am Post subject:

The Akai MPC 1000 was unable to play any time sig other than 4/4 or some multiple thereof, at least without JJOS. And we know it was inspired by Linn's designs....

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:25 am Post subject:

Roger Linn had nothing at all to do with the design of the MPC1000.

The 1000 was a joke, just like every other MPC desiged after the 60 and the 3000 (I know, I used to have a 2000- it was crap, and kept crashing if you programmed it too fast. Some menu functions didn't even work properly!).

Vader77 · Joined: Nov 19, 2010 Posts: 40 Location: Death Star

mpc1000 + JJOS2XL + SSD = beasty workstation

the Machinedrum is a very complete sequencing/sound unit but the drum synth sounds lacked clout imho but for digital stuff its very good but not the 'be all end all' by any stretch

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:42 am Post subject:

Just to prove my point, here is the absolutely brilliant Uwe Schmidt (Atom Heart) playing live with nothing more than an Akai MPC3000 on stage. If you look at the projection on the wall, it is the Akai's control screen, and it is clearly indicating in green that Uwe is playing back in 5/4! Cool

AtomTM worship!! Cool

edit- I think there is also a Tenori-On there too. Very Happy

GovernorSilver · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:15 pm Post subject:

skellogg · Joined: Feb 16, 2011 Posts: 5 Location: Bloomington, IN

Also, you can nudge events forward or backward on the timeline with the microtiming feature.

GovernorSilver · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:10 am Post subject:

skellogg · Joined: Feb 16, 2011 Posts: 5 Location: Bloomington, IN

The Tempest and the MD don't really compete, since they are completely different beasts. Plus we'll have to wait and see what the Tempest actually brings to the table other than "look at me, I'm analog."

The Octatrack is sick sick sick. I'm loving mine.

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject:

The tempest does remind me of a souped-up ER-1. It's a lot of money for what it is. The Octatrack I think is probably a far better instrument for experimentation, but I love to get a full on brass section with the tempest firing on all fours in the background. It would be like having Bill Laswell doing "Memory Serves" all over again! Cool

v-un-v · Posted: Thu Feb 17, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject:

Oh what a fucking brilliant album!!!! Beefheart fans take note!!

Here's another; Square Dance;