The Verge: Elektron’s budget grooveboxes offer high value for electronic music producers
Review highlights the devices’ six-track step sequencers and ‘Control-all’ performance tools, positioning them as undervalued alternatives to competitors in the sub-$400 market.
The Verge has published a review of Elektron’s Model:Samples and Model:Cycles grooveboxes, characterising the devices as powerful, enjoyable, and significantly undervalued instruments for electronic music production. Priced at $349, the two models occupy a niche between entry-level hardware and Elektron’s traditionally complex, high-end professional equipment, offering features that the publication argues are often overlooked by consumers.
The primary distinction between the two units lies in their sound generation. The Model:Cycles utilises frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, built on a streamlined version of the engine found in Elektron’s Digitone, capable of producing everything from classic FM bell tones to modern EDM bass sounds. The Model:Samples plays back audio samples loaded via USB; however, it lacks direct recording capabilities, meaning it is technically a playback device rather than a sampler.
Both instruments share identical physical layouts and core functionality, featuring six-track step sequencers and six velocity-sensitive pads. The sequencer system relies on “trigs,” which act as events to trigger notes, and “locks,” which apply step-specific settings. This architecture allows users to change samples or presets on a per-step basis, enabling complex arrangements where multiple sounds share a single track without playing simultaneously.
The review notes that the devices are designed for immediate approachability and live performance, contrasting them with Elektron’s more menu-heavy professional gear. A key feature highlighted is “Control-all,” which allows users to manipulate parameters across all tracks simultaneously. This facilitates live performance effects, such as applying reverb or distortion to an entire mix, before quickly resetting the sound to drop the beat back in.
While the review acknowledges limitations, including mediocre pad quality, a lack of polyphony, and the inconvenience of USB-only sample loading, it concludes that the instruments offer significant value. The publication suggests they provide a more capable and enjoyable experience than competitors like the Novation Circuit Tracks, which it describes as confusing and mediocre-sounding. Used units are currently available for as little as $200 on secondary markets such as Reverb and Craigslist.
