Elektron Musical Instruments

Two days ago, (after two weeks of shipping time) I finally recieved my
MachineDrum.

The Bad
It didn't take me long to discover that the buttons and knobs feel VERY
cheap.  The buttons/knobs on my $300 Electribe feel smoother and more solid
than the ones on the $1100 MachineDrum...hmmm...  Also, there are a lot of
wierd interface flaws when using the menu system.  The Mute section is
dissapointing - you can't tweak the Master FX while anything is muted...and
there's no Solo feature (is there?).  Also you can't record via key input in
realtime - that'd be nice.

The Good:
Sounds are really good.  I mean, that's the main reason I bought the thing =
the sounds.  I'm simply writing this email so anyone who is considering the
MD will think about if the 'feel' of it is important before dropping the
cash.  My whole stimulus for this mail is that if I'm going to pay a premium
fee for something, I want it to feel like it's worth every cent.  With the
MachineDrum I do not feel as if they put USD$1100 into it.  Or spent $1080,
but then spemt $20 on the hardware.

On that note - has anyone modded their MD?  Replaced knobs/buttons?  I
assume this can be done without too much hassle and would improve the whole
box (IMO) greatly.

Ed
:: http://www.Q5Studios.com
:: 785.842..3378

> It didn't take me long to discover that the buttons and knobs feel VERY
> cheap.

What's the problem with buttons and knobs on your MD?
Mine work well and make their job fine.
They are made of plastic... who cares?


>  Also, there are a lot of
> wierd interface flaws when using the menu system.  The Mute section is
> dissapointing - you can't tweak the Master FX while anything is muted.

That's not correct.
You can tweak the master FX even if some instruments are muted.

> there's no Solo feature (is there?).  Also you can't record via key 
> input in
> realtime - that'd be nice.

No solo, but is it really needed?
Isn't muting enough?
You can even record muting in a song with the seq.

hehe, get your shit correct *lol*

comparing build quality with an electribe is like comparing a lada to a volvo with volvo imho being swedish and all..

d
----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Federico Ciapi" <federico.ciapi@tin.it>
To: <elektron-users@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 7:12 PM
Subject: Re: [elektron] First Impressions


> > It didn't take me long to discover that the buttons and knobs feel VERY
> > cheap.
> 
> What's the problem with buttons and knobs on your MD?
> Mine work well and make their job fine.
> They are made of plastic... who cares?
> 
> 
> >  Also, there are a lot of
> > wierd interface flaws when using the menu system.  The Mute section is
> > dissapointing - you can't tweak the Master FX while anything is muted.
> 
> That's not correct.
> You can tweak the master FX even if some instruments are muted.
> 
> > there's no Solo feature (is there?).  Also you can't record via key 
> > input in
> > realtime - that'd be nice.
> 
> No solo, but is it really needed?
> Isn't muting enough?
> You can even record muting in a song with the seq.
> 
> 
> 
>  
> 
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ 
> 
> 
>

On Sun May 19 2002, Ed <freqdafunk@...> wrote:

> Also you can't record via key input in realtime - that'd be nice.

I might misunderstand you here, but are you talking about recording by
starting the MD, and then happily banging away on the sound buttons to
record the rhythm?

Keep the REC button pressed, and then press the play button. The MD
then starts to record whatever you tap on those 16 buttons in the
bottom row. This is written in the manual.

/Janne

-- 
Janne G:son Berg, d3berg@...   http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/~d3berg
                                      .

Hmmm, I have to disagree with your comments on the build quality.  I 
just got mine today and I think you're missing the point.  The buttons 
especially are definitely old-skool but that's only a style point (and a nice 
one) and regardless, the whole thing has a bulletproof solidity about it.

Having said that... see my next post :(

--- In elektron-users@y..., "Ed" <freqdafunk@f...> wrote:
> Two days ago, (after two weeks of shipping time) I finally recieved my
> MachineDrum.
> 
> The Bad
> It didn't take me long to discover that the buttons and knobs feel VERY
> cheap.  The buttons/knobs on my $300 Electribe feel smoother and 
more solid
> than the ones on the $1100 MachineDrum...hmmm...  Also, there are a 
lot of
> wierd interface flaws when using the menu system.  The Mute section 
is
> dissapointing - you can't tweak the Master FX while anything is 
muted...and
> there's no Solo feature (is there?).  Also you can't record via key 
input in
> realtime - that'd be nice.
> 
> The Good:
> Sounds are really good.  I mean, that's the main reason I bought the 
thing =
> the sounds.  I'm simply writing this email so anyone who is considering 
the
> MD will think about if the 'feel' of it is important before dropping the
> cash.  My whole stimulus for this mail is that if I'm going to pay a 
premium
> fee for something, I want it to feel like it's worth every cent.  With the
> MachineDrum I do not feel as if they put USD$1100 into it.  Or spent 
$1080,
> but then spemt $20 on the hardware.
> 
> On that note - has anyone modded their MD?  Replaced 
knobs/buttons?  I
> assume this can be done without too much hassle and would improve 
the whole

> box (IMO) greatly.
> 
> Ed
> :: http://www.Q5Studios.com
> :: 785.842..3378

great!  Thanks for that.  Half my mail was insinuating questions to things I
have yet to figure out...they were ALL accusations :)

I need to sit with the manual and go over everything...soon...


ed
:: http://www.NuBreaks.com
:: 785.842..3378


----- Original Message -----
From: "Janne G:son Berg" <d3berg@...>
To: <elektron-users@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2002 5:06 PM
Subject: Re: [elektron] First Impressions


> On Sun May 19 2002, Ed <freqdafunk@...> wrote:
>
> > Also you can't record via key input in realtime - that'd be nice.
>
> I might misunderstand you here, but are you talking about recording by
> starting the MD, and then happily banging away on the sound buttons to
> record the rhythm?
>
> Keep the REC button pressed, and then press the play button. The MD
> then starts to record whatever you tap on those 16 buttons in the
> bottom row. This is written in the manual.
>
> /Janne
>
> --
> Janne G:son Berg, d3berg@...
http://www.dtek.chalmers.se/~d3berg

>                                       .
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
>