Elektron Unveil New Model: Samples Groovebox

Overnight Swedish manufacturers Elektron unveiled their offering to the 2019 NAMM gods, the oddly named Model:Samples groovebox — an entirely new budget-friendly form factor for the company who’s bread and butter is high-end complex analog, digital and sample based sequencers.

The new unit is a 6-track sample-based groovebox with knob-per-function sound sculpting capabilities — a first of Elektron who’s previous units have been notorious for menu diving. The Model:Samples comes preloaded with 300 samples sourced via Splice in its 1GB hard drive, add your own via USB. It features velocity sensitive pads,  chromatic pad mode, complex retriggering and per-track tempo multiplying. And it wouldn’t be an Elektron unit without their signature trig-locking sequencer. The price listed on their website is US$450, by far their most affordable groovebox yet.

It feels like Elektron have answered a call for a simpler and more affordable unit here — something that plagues just about every YouTube video of their products. They’ve boiled down their high-end units like the Analog RYTM and Octatrack to just feature the streamlined core ingredients that people love on a groovebox. Its limitations will no-doubt breed creativity, particularly with such a hands on and immediate layout.

Get all the info via Elektron here 

Key Features

• Control All lets you twist your sounds to oblivion. Then use Reload to take you back to where you started
• Use Parameter Locks to automate parameters. Each step can have a totally different sound
• Load six samples at once – just like a kit. Great when you have made a Pattern with Parameter Locks, LFOs etc… Load six new samples to instantly experiment and come up with unique and unexpected results
• Write basslines and melodies using Chromatic Mode
• New Chance parameter. Chance determines the possibility whether the sequencer steps on a track are triggered or not. Combining Chance with the Control All functionality can lead to many interesting results and happy accidents
• Record sequences with or without quantization. Steps can be micro-timed with individual Swing control per track
• Individual Step Length per track
• Individual Tempo Multiplier per track
• Class compliant USB audio 2.0