I need advice on whether to purchase the Electribe 2

[JohnnyA]

I've been spending weeks researching what is a new area for me - drum machines and grooveboxes. i was immediately attracted to the Volca series modules because of their pure analog sound. they really sound great IMHO.

but - as time passed i decided that they were just too limited and I would probably have to buy all 3 to get the desired backup tracks I would hope to build.

so - i then started looking beefy alternatives. again - keep in mind - i am a complete nooby with no knowledge of the history of these tools.

i looked closely at several boxes - like the Roland MC-505 - and they are certainly very powerful workstations - but the MC-505 is not an analog synth and all of the videos i've watched sound cold and lack real analog warmth.

this brought me to the electribe boxes.

electribe seems to have the pure analog synth engine i seem - plus a ton of filters and editing capabilities.

here is my last concern (before i purchase). virtually every video I've watched just seems to be so hopeless mired in Dance-techno-house-acid sounding genres. i have nothing against that music - and i KNOW that is what these boxes have been built to do!! but my final question is - how flexible are these workstation to create non-techno sounding music? are the waveforms so hopelessly mired in techno culture that i will be disappointed with the unit because everything that comes out of it sounds hopelessly like that 'world' of music?

i'm really hoping that someone can point me at some demos that showcase how this box performs in OTHER genres. so far - all my google searched have come up empty.

advice - opinions - resources - would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

[sohatyi]

The Electribes are Virtual Analog (well, the non sampling ones are). That is a world of difference from actual analog. The MC505 is a ROMpler, the pre sampled waves are put through an envelope generator, stacked and then filtered/put in the FX loop. That's the key difference, ROMplers can struggle with radically altering their sound (some people work wonders though).

The Electribe 2 is very electronic music oriented but with four bars and few parameters to change, it's not suited to lush pads and ambient music. It doesn't mean you can't do it, you'll just have to work harder.

The Electribe 2 has a great little synth engine but the customisation of each waveform isn't as deep as a genuine VA synth (like the King Korg its engine was based on). The filters are really interesting though and having IFX for each part as well as an MFX is better than older grooveboxes could muster.

If you want to step way out of the electronic/techno/house genre, have plenty of tracks and enough tweak ability then maybe a modern workstation is more suited to you. Something like a Fantom or an M3.

[Tarekith]

Just keep in mind, analog doesn't mean it's better. That's like saying red is better than blue.

[apapdop]

Check this thread out maybe?

http://www.korgforums.com/forum/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=94479

[circuitghost]

The Electribe is plenty flexible in the way it sounds. Don't worry. Put in the time and it will sing your tune.

But you're comparing to Volcas, among others. You should really consider workflow and what you think you'd enjoy when making music. The Volcas are so fun and immediate, you'll make great music with those even if you can't help yourself. The Electribe has a different way of doing things, and it"s the way it works rather than the way it sounds, that I think you should consider.

[JohnnyA]

Just keep in mind, analog doesn't mean it's better. That's like saying red is better than blue.

i'm guessing this debate has taken place here before.

i guess to my ears the Volca series just have that little extra something that i love.

[JohnnyA]

it seems like the electribe is more of the well-rounded-all-in-one solution for me. it's self contained and is fully loaded with effects and editable parameters that i can edit on the fly.

rats

i may just have to buy the electribe and the volca series - so i can sleep at night.

[circuitghost]

The Electribe's appeal is that it can actually be a complete production tool, if you like. The output really is that good.

And if you're into that kind of thing, I'd suggest you at least consider Novation Circuit. It can't compete in specs, and you'd have to approach it with a more minimalistic mindset, but the output is top notch, you've got what you need to make complete tracks and it's a killer to play with and use.

Workflow is just a window for our mind to be able to come up with ideas and execute upon them. Some instruments just understand human interaction and its impact on creativity better than others. The Electribe don't always get this, which I think is part of the reason much of its output sounds the same.

Compare to the Tempest or the Octatrack, two instruments that somehow trigger all kinds of result from their musicians. Not sure why, but there's just stuff going on there, that reaches part of your mind that not every other instrument does.

[immon]

I'll say that there is no true definition of techno although the electribe can do many kinds of techno! For me it seems adept at smooth dreamy sounds, at least from the synth engine. The drum sounds are very capable for dance genres across the spectrum but that does not mean they cannot be re-appropriated for your own style.

Overall the sound quality is very good to my ears it just has a workflow that seems to lead it towards live performance. People consider it to be an instrument because its deceptively complex!

[jbvdb493]

The Electribes are Virtual Analog (well, the non sampling ones are). That is a world of difference from actual analog. The MC505 is a ROMpler, the pre sampled waves are put through an envelope generator, stacked and then filtered/put in the FX loop. That's the key difference, ROMplers can struggle with radically altering their sound (some people work wonders though).

The Electribe 2 is very electronic music oriented but with four bars and few parameters to change, it's not suited to lush pads and ambient music. It doesn't mean you can't do it, you'll just have to work harder.

The Electribe 2 has a great little synth engine but the customisation of each waveform isn't as deep as a genuine VA synth (like the King Korg its engine was based on). The filters are really interesting though and having IFX for each part as well as an MFX is better than older grooveboxes could muster.

If you want to step way out of the electronic/techno/house genre, have plenty of tracks and enough tweak ability then maybe a modern workstation is more suited to you. Something like a Fantom or an M3.

I am pretty sure the electribe is also a rompler! Thus the piano etc samples in it!
As for the OP the only way to know is to go to a store and try it out a few times!

[NickZoll]

You are right. E2 is both. It has VA engine as well as samples in its ROM.

[scum]

Electribe is perfect, if you do one pattern and just muting and adding parts..if you try to do something, that connects patterns in structure, there is still the f*ck*ng gap between different patterns, caused by the fact, that all the effects you are using are just being cut with the switch. So, it sucks, i gave this about an year, and it still sucks, it's nice to have fun with it in the bedroom, or to control your other 15 sinths, but as the only tool i had, it sucks and it's useless to complete a track.

[Z7A]

but my final question is - how flexible are these workstation to create non-techno sounding music? are the waveforms so hopelessly mired in techno culture that i will be disappointed with the unit because everything that comes out of it sounds hopelessly like that 'world' of music?

As a test early on I made drum patterns used in punk and metal with the built in PCM sounds of the e2 synth. But the sampler is more flexible. Using single cycle waveforms you get less depth or complexity of the sound though. I like them both alot. They are far more powerful when used together. And if you use it to control other gear you can create in any style they have sounds for, and there will be no "gap" problem as they create the sounds based on the MIDI note messages. I have made classical music for example.

[sohatyi]

The Electribes are Virtual Analog (well, the non sampling ones are). That is a world of difference from actual analog. The MC505 is a ROMpler, the pre sampled waves are put through an envelope generator, stacked and then filtered/put in the FX loop. That's the key difference, ROMplers can struggle with radically altering their sound (some people work wonders though).

The Electribe 2 is very electronic music oriented but with four bars and few parameters to change, it's not suited to lush pads and ambient music. It doesn't mean you can't do it, you'll just have to work harder.

The Electribe 2 has a great little synth engine but the customisation of each waveform isn't as deep as a genuine VA synth (like the King Korg its engine was based on). The filters are really interesting though and having IFX for each part as well as an MFX is better than older grooveboxes could muster.

If you want to step way out of the electronic/techno/house genre, have plenty of tracks and enough tweak ability then maybe a modern workstation is more suited to you. Something like a Fantom or an M3.

I am pretty sure the electribe is also a rompler! Thus the piano etc samples in it!
As for the OP the only way to know is to go to a store and try it out a few times!

Well, yes, it has PCM samples and it is thus at least part ROM based, I was referring to the synth sounds over the "synth" sounds of something like an MC505 which are samples as well.

Whether or not it's technically correct to call a VA + Sample based box a ROMpler is another matter and not for me to decide .

[colulizard]

but my final question is - how flexible are these workstation to create non-techno sounding music? are the waveforms so hopelessly mired in techno culture that i will be disappointed with the unit because everything that comes out of it sounds hopelessly like that 'world' of music?

i'm really hoping that someone can point me at some demos that showcase how this box performs in OTHER genres. so far - all my google searched have come up empty.

advice - opinions - resources - would be very much appreciated.
Thanks!

Have you thought about the sampler? The workflow is the same, the filters are limited but you can import your own samples so you are immediately freed from the shackles of techno/ EDM / whatever.
There's plenty of free sample packs available to fulfill all your sound needs (and lots of ones you can pay for as well).

May be tricky making a full track on just the sampler though as you can get voice stealing, and it's more suited to one shot rather than pads due to memory limitations. It's a nice little unit though to complement another set up. I use mine mainly (not exclusively) as a drum sampler.