Page 2: Elektron Model:Cycles

Sequences

The sequencer is the full Elektron family sequencer. As with all the other devices, the transport is always in Playback, Step Record or Live Record modes. You can record unquantised, and you have full timing nudge control over steps. I love the non-destructive quantise feature. Patterns can be up to 64 steps, across four pages. You can adjust the step resolution away from the standard 16th notes to get loops longer than four bars. Tracks can all have different lengths.

The Model:Cycles is compact and lightweight, measuring 270 x 180 x 39 mm and weighing in at just 0.8kg.

Parameter locking is the key to the power of the Elektron sequencer. It means you can stamp the level of any parameter at any step, simply by holding the step and adjusting the controls. The most fundamental parameter lock is the step's note (set with the main encoder) but more complex settings such as the machine type and LFO assignments can be locked too. Up to 80 different parameters can be automated within a pattern(!), and in fact you can lock entire preset changes, which effectively changes every parameter at once.

There's a Retrigger button, which, very usefully, can have different settings for each track. Even better is that you can lock Retriggers to steps for ratchets, and can lock a speed, length and level fade-out for each instance — great for beat-repeat effects.

Conditional Locks are another trademark Elektron feature. These are trigger parameters that determine whether a trigger plays or not. The most common ways these are used is to set up Fill pattern variations, and to introduce randomness. All this is accessed from the Chance encoder, the default function of which is to apply a percentage randomness to all trigs on the current track. With the Func (Shift) modifier, this encoder accesses the other conditions that can be applied to individual steps, starting with Fill. This one-knob method takes what can be quite an esoteric feature on most Elektron instruments and makes it a whole lot more accessible.

It's the easiest Elektron device to master, and once you do you can quickly lay down interesting rhythmic parts with dynamic movement, and then jam out a performance.

Life Cycle

You could go a long way with the Model:Cycles sequencer following the traditional workflow of creating and launching Pattern variations. (It's a shame you don't have the Analog RYTM's Direct Jump or Temp Jump Pattern trigger modes, but to be fair, neither do the Digitone or Digitakt). But what really brings things to life is setting up dynamic movement within Patterns, and interacting with them in real time.

For example, you can punch in some hi-hats, then quickly lock longer decay times to some of the trigs. Now you have open hats interspersed. Now try adjusting one of the other macros on a few steps and you get interesting expression. Maybe you could open the delay send on a step, or toggle the gate mode. Very quickly, mad things can start to happen.

What would be really useful when experimenting like this is an Undo function. There isn't a standard Undo other than for Copy and Paste operations, but there's something close that can be even better at times. A button shortcut can perform a Temp Save of the current Pattern, while another shortcut Reloads the Pattern. These can be used for creative performances and experimentations, allowing you to go off on a flight of fancy, generally messing up all your settings, then instantly returning to the stored snapshot.

The classic use for this Reload function is to recover after using the All button (actually the Track button). Holding this modifier while making changes applies them to all tracks. It's surprising how useful this trick is for creating breakdowns, build-ups and weird variations. A more mundane feature that I found myself using all the time for jamming is that holding any track's pad works as a temporary mute. That is, unless you latched Retrigger on for the track, which is itself a great impromptu fill maker.

Conclusion

The Model:Cycles reminds me of some of my all-time favourite little grooveboxes, like Korg's ER-1 and the rhythmic synths in Reaktor's classic library. It's the easiest Elektron device to master, and once you do, you can quickly lay down interesting rhythmic parts with dynamic movement, and then jam out a performance. Just like with the ER-1, I really enjoyed trying to push it into weird territory to see what it can do. As the sound is novel and distinctive, I found myself worrying that it might be too recognisable and over-used on the next year of electronic music releases, but then realised what a crazy thought that was against the backdrop of 808s and 303s. Of course it doesn't have the range of the Digitone, and the lack of Overbridge is a shame. But it has a focus and immediacy that mean I'd probably end up using this much more, especially for live performance or jamming.