Elektron Analog Rytm MkII

The Elektron Analog Rytm MkII is a hybrid drum machine that combines analog synthesis with digital sample playback across eight independent voices. Each voice has its own fully analog signal path — filter, envelope, overdrive — but can also layer a digital sample on top of the analog sound. That combination gives you the warmth and physicality of analog drum synthesis alongside the precision and flexibility of sampling, all in a single unit.

Who Is This For?

The Analog Rytm MkII is built for electronic producers and live performers who want a serious, self-contained drum machine that does not require a laptop. It suits techno, electro, and experimental electronic music particularly well — genres where the character of the sound matters as much as the rhythm itself. The eight individual audio outputs make it ideal for live use, letting you send each voice to its own mixer channel for real-time mixing or effects processing. If you already own other Elektron gear, the shared workflow (patterns, kits, sounds, the trig system) integrates naturally into an existing setup.

Analog and Sample Hybrid Engine

Each of the eight drum voices runs through a dedicated analog voice circuit with its own synthesis model — designed to produce kick drums, snares, hi-hats, claps, and percussion sounds from scratch. These are not samples being run through an analog filter; the synthesis itself is analog, generating transients and tones electronically. Layered on top, each voice can also play a digital sample from the 1GB internal storage, blending the two sources with independent level controls. The result is a drum machine that can sound purely synthetic, purely sample-based, or somewhere in between.

Sequencer and Performance

The sequencer runs up to 64 steps per track with individual track lengths, enabling polyrhythms and evolving patterns without additional gear. Parameter locks — Elektron's system for recording per-step parameter changes — let you automate virtually any parameter on a step-by-step basis, so patterns can shift tonally and dynamically within a single loop. The 12 velocity and pressure-sensitive pads allow hands-on performance, and 12 performance macros let you map multiple parameters to a single control for dramatic real-time changes.

Effects and Processing

Each voice has an analog overdrive circuit for adding grit and saturation at the source. Send effects include a stereo delay and reverb shared across all voices. At the master bus, the Analog Rytm adds an analog stereo compressor and analog stereo distortion — both of which are genuinely musical rather than clinical, contributing to the cohesive, glued sound the machine is known for.

MkI vs MkII

The MkII is largely a workflow and I/O upgrade over the original. The sound engine is identical — the same eight-voice analog and digital hybrid. Key additions include eight individual outputs (up from four), two dedicated audio inputs for direct sampling, a new high-resolution OLED display, improved pads with pressure sensitivity, and CV/Expression inputs for external modulation. If you find an original Analog Rytm at a significant discount, the sound is the same; the MkII is the better choice if individual outputs or the sampling inputs matter to you.