The Elektron Analog Four is a tabletop groove machine with four mono analog synth voices, each with two analog oscillators, a 1-pole analog lowpass ladder filter, and a 2-pole analog multi-mode filter. It includes a 6-track MIDI sequencer and two audio inputs and outputs—but no digital connections.
The Analog Rytm is a true analog drum synth. It gives each voice its own engine, up to six oscillators, and a 16-step sequencer. Its pads are velocity-sensitive but small. It enables radical timbral shifts across voices with minimal changes. It falls short on pad ergonomics, stereo per voice, and external audio input. It belongs in the studio of a sound designer—not a live beatmaker.
The Machinedrum SPS-1 gives you four distinct drum synthesis methods—TR emulation, FM, SP1200/Simmons sampling, and acoustic physical modelling—all editable per voice with multimode filtering, distortion, and sample-rate reduction. Its Extended sequencer stores kits and tweaks across complex patterns; Classic mode abandons both. It delivers unmatched hybrid control—but demands patience, not immediacy.
The Elektron Monomachine is a 2007 hardware synthesizer and music sequencer. It runs six sequencer tracks, each assigned one of five synthesis engines: SID, VO, FM+, SuperWave, or DigiPro. Every step stores a full snapshot of all track parameters — what Elektron calls parameter locks. It routes audio to six mono or three stereo outputs. Two physical variants exist: the SFX-6 keyboard version with joystick, and the SFX-60 desktop module. The MkII revision improved signal-to-noise ratio, reduced size, and added user waveform support via OS 1.20.
The Elektron Octatrack DPS-1 is a sampling instrument built for real-time, step-sequenced audio manipulation. It loads samples from CompactFlash or live inputs, plays them across eight tracks, and sequences both audio and MIDI with the same button grid. Its strength is tight integration and tactile control. Its limits are RAM-only editing, no non-destructive tools, and no timeline-based workflow.