Elektron's $349 Model:Samples and Model:Cycles Are Underrated
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- Elektron's Model:Samples and Model:Cycles are six-track grooveboxes priced at $349 (or as low as $200 used) that sit in an overlooked 'no man's land' between beginner brands like Korg and Roland and Elektron's higher-end Digitakt, Digitone, and Syntakt.
- Model:Cycles uses a streamlined version of the Digitone's FM synthesis engine capable of DX7-style bells and icy pads as well as modern glassy keys and aggressive EDM bass, while Model:Samples plays samples loaded via USB but cannot record them.
- Both units feature Elektron's signature sequencer built around 'trigs' and 'locks,' with sound locks letting users change samples or presets on a per-step basis to stretch the six-track limit — kick and snare, for instance, can share one track if they never play simultaneously.
- Trig conditions allow steps to fire only every third loop, only on a fill, or only when a prior condition is met, enabling complex variety within a single 64-step pattern that can be chained into evolving arrangements.
- The Control-all function manipulates all tracks at once for live-performance moves — drowning a track in reverb while cranking distortion and lowering pitch into a chaotic breakdown, then snapping back with a button press.
- Documented flaws include mediocre velocity-sensitive pads, no direct sample recording, and monophonic-per-track limitation (one note at a time per sequencer track).
Why it matters: At $349 new or around $200 used, the Model:Samples and Model:Cycles deliver Elektron's celebrated sequencer and performance workflow — features that normally cost twice as much on the Digitone or Syntakt — making them arguably the best bargains in entry-level electronic music hardware for buyers willing to learn a slightly steeper workflow than Korg or Roland offer.
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