Elektron has constructed a cult-like following over time with its distinctive and, at occasions, esoteric tackle digital musical devices. On paper, Tonverk is a seemingly over-powered sampler that continues that custom. It’s the uncommon piece of {hardware} able to creating multisampled devices by itself. It turns a single pattern observe right into a nesting doll of a number of samples. And it’s loaded with a fully absurd quantity of routing and audio processing options. Tonverk is definitely able to making conventional digital music, however it undoubtedly caters to these with a extra experimental bent.
At its coronary heart is an eight observe polyphonic sampler, with three totally different “machines” to choose from: Single Participant, Multi Participant, and Subtracks. Single Participant is an easy one-shot machine that performs again a single pattern chromatically throughout the keyboard. Multi Participant combines a number of samples of the identical instrument for a extra real looking recreation. What’s particular right here is that the Tonverk can mechanically create its personal multisampled devices by sending MIDI notes out to exterior gear and recording the incoming audio. Sadly, it looks as if there’s no technique to edit these samples within the present firmware, which might be a little bit of a drag if there’s any latency or if a recording cuts off early.
Then there are Subtracks, which take Elektron’s convoluted workflow to an entire new stage. Right here you load up kits of eight samples right into a single observe. Which means, in contrast to a standard sampler the place your kick drum and snare may want their very own observe (with out some form of work round), you possibly can simply put all of your drums in a single place. The one draw back is that you would be able to’t change results independently. As a substitute if you happen to add reverb to 1 pattern in a Subtrack, it impacts all the samples in that Subtrack.
There are another odd omissions, like the shortage of a pattern chopping mode, which will be discovered on its different devices just like the Digitakt. That makes it lower than ultimate if you happen to’re a hip-hop producer that loves chopping up soul samples. Although, the corporate’s demo video says there are “initially three contemporary machines,” which suggests extra are within the works.
There are additionally 17 built-in results, three results sends, the flexibility to route audio by means of an exterior results unit, extra LFOs and modulation envelopes that you would be able to hold observe of. In fact, there’s additionally the famed Elektron sequencer with 256 steps, particular person sample size per-track, parameter locks for sequencing sound design options, and Trig circumstances for introducing selection and randomness to your creations.
That’s all quite a bit, however Elektron isn’t simply launching a brand new instrument with Tonverk, it’s launching an entire new {hardware} platform. The corporate isn’t saying something about what is going to come subsequent, solely that Tonverk is “the primary gadget and definitely not the final.” Sadly, for the price range aware, this isn’t a brand new reasonably priced platform for the corporate. As a substitute at $1,599 the Tonverk is decidedly upmarket. It additionally seems to already be offered out direct from Elektron, although you possibly can nonetheless pre-order it from retailers like Good Circuit and B&H.