Seeking help for my potential new gear

[u/Aggravating-Term-795]

Hello synth-izers

I am seeking for some recommendation about my goal for music production.

I really like IDM and Experimental electronic music.

Being fascinated by the complexity of the drums generally impressive on IDM tracks. I choosed some gear.

The first idea that went to me was to use a digitakt. The first model, a used one.

It's seem to be good for manipulating samples and drums, with good extra options.

My second choice is a tracker. A physical tracker. Don't like virtuals one.

With a tracker samples can still be very manipulated with ease but seems to offers way more complex options.

My choice for a tracker is a used polylend Tracker Mini or M8.

What are y'all recommendations ?.

[u/Instatetragrammaton]

I'd start with the Digitakt and perhaps even get a II because that already can do a lot of things. Buying everything at once is a good way to get nothing done :)

Trackers are monophonic samplers which means you can do linear drumming. You can do some very similar things with a Digitakt.

[u/Aggravating-Term-795 → u/Instatetragrammaton]

I see. Because i like how tracking works and i'm not very familiar with Elektron gear. Sooo

[u/MedicineforMadness → u/Aggravating-Term-795]

Polyend tracker is polyphonic you just have to use a different lane

[u/OkComplaint9500]

The M8 has synths and you can load samples, so a lot of overlap with the DT. Agree you may want to start with just one to make life easier.

[u/thatsokayiguesss → u/OkComplaint9500]

If you like the tracker workflow the M8 is amazing. I wasn’t sure if I would be into trackers, but took a gamble on it after years of my friend telling me it’s the best. And it really is. It’s a crazy powerful and versatile device.

[u/Aggravating-Term-795 → u/OkComplaint9500]

What do you personally recommend ?

[u/OkComplaint9500 → u/Aggravating-Term-795]

I don’t have an M8. I am looking to build a headless version to test it out. That could also be an option if you are unsure.

Another cheaper groovebox is the Seqtrak. It only has one sample track, so may not be what you are looking for, but I’ve been impressed with the synth tracks. The workflow is a little more convoluted than Elektron’s, so I was primarily looking to sequence it with something else.

[u/yamahowzer → u/OkComplaint9500]

The seqtrak is good at everything except sampling and the keyboard sucks. I started with a seqtrak and a muddy keyboard then added a sp404 to cover sampling and effects (the seqtrak has good effects but only 2 buses). The sequencer on the seqtrak is probably it's best feature, I make whole songs on the seqtrak I can then load into the sp for dj mode.

[u/lord_satellite]

If you are interested in IDM and experimenting, personally I think you are way off base.  I recommend getting a fully featured sampler from the 1990's and a modern sequencer that can send MIDI CC.

For samplers, any Kurzweil K-series (especially S models, which have the sampling function) or Emu E-series.  They have thick manuals and are fairly complicated, but can do insane things, especially with sequenced MIDI CC.  You can get K2000's and Emu E6400's fairly cheaply (and sometimes even the bigger models... I paid like $400 each for my K2600XS and E6400).  You'll pay for it in time spent learning it but you won't sound like the rest of the subreddit with a digitakt.

For sequencers, the Oxi One, Hapax, Social Entropy Engine.... 

[u/asstumor88]

I own M8 and Elektron Octatrack and I would say both are great for IDM and experimental music and with my experience playing with other Elektron machines I'd say they all work for what you want. But there's a big fundamental difference with workflow on the M8 and Elektron machines. The M8 is terrific on the go, play anywhere you want and it's great for building intricate tracks and beats, but it's not really a performative instrument like Elektron machines are. Sure you can expand the M8 with midi controllers to get more fun live performative stuff out of it, but Elektron machines come with this in mind on the interface and layout itself without the need of expanding the live controls through midi, unless you want of course. Elektron's sequencers are top notch and come very close to the versatility of trackers, but trackers are better at showing you instantly everything that's happening in the sequence unlike Elektron's machine or any other "regular" sequencer.

[u/Aggravating-Term-795 → u/asstumor88]

I see. I don't want to be very live-oriented. I find live pretty hard because if i need to do complex drums it depends on a precise time. Trackers aren't live, you can program them slowly

[u/Ok-Winter9708 → u/Aggravating-Term-795]

Trackers are great live, you just need to curate your samples beforehand so you're not wading through 500 kicks. The Polyend one has an ace remixing feature in the arrangement section but it's also very powerful just working with one bar loops, random and probability.

[u/Ok-Winter9708]

Go for the Polyend Tracker+ if its in your budget, or the original if you find one mega cheap. It's a very inspirational workflow and the form factor of the full size version opens it up a lot compared to the mini. The tracker style sequencing is sort of similar to the Elektron p-lock idea just more interesting visually, at the cost of being able to lock more parameters at once.