Model:Samples is a straightforward operation; six tracks and sample-based, packed with over 300 presets selected by Splice. A mini USB port allows users to put their own samples onto the machine, though a lack of audio inputs means you cannot record audio directly into the groovebox.
Elektron are marketing the ease-of-use, with the no-nonsense chassis weighing just under a kilogram. The Model:Samples’ pads are velocity-sensitive, a feature distinguishing it from Elektron’s high end models, though it would not be surprising if new iterations of the Octatrack MkII were announced with the feature before NAMM’s official conference.
To create a rhythm on the machine, users can either play live, record their own beat (and add quantization) in real-time, or input a rhythm through the sequencer (up to 64 steps per track). Users can create bass lines or melodies via the new “Chromatic Mode”.
Elektron have also added a new Chance parameter, a mode which determines the possibility of whether the sequencer steps on a track are triggered or not. Elsewhere, the machine offers one sample playback engine, resonant multimode filter and assignable LFO per track.
Keep an eye on Mixdown for our coverage of NAMM 2019 from Friday January 25 to Monday January 28 (AEDT). Elektron is distributed in Australia by Innovative Music.
