It's no secret that Elektron's Analog Rytm is one of the best analogue drum machines on the market; in our five-star review, we praised the Rytm's sound-shaping capabilities, flexible synth architecture and sleek hardware.
In that review, we also noted that some new machines (Elektron's term for the Rytm's individual synth engines, each designed to generate a specific type of sound) would have been a welcome addition to the Rytm's MKII version.
Well, our prayers have been answered, as Elektron has announced a comprehensive software update that brings five new machines to the Rytm along with a host of new features and workflow tweaks. Owners of the Rytm MKI needn't miss out, either, as the new OS can be installed on both versions of the drum machine.
OS 1.70's new machines include HH LAB, a sonic laboratory for designing metallic sounds; BD and SD ACOUSTIC, two machines aimed at recreating acoustic kicks and snares, SY CHIP, a machine that recreates the sound of Elektron's now-discontinued SidStation synthesizer, and SY RAW, a synth engine lifted from the Syntakt that can be used to create a broad spectrum of melodic elements.
The new OS also upgrades Rytm's sequencer, adding two Euclidean generators that enable the user to create complex polyrhythmic patterns based on Euclidean sequencing techniques.
Four of the Rytm's existing machines have been updated and equipped with new parameters, while the Chromatic mode has been bolstered with new tuning capabilities, pad scales and fold functionality to make programming melodies easier.
OS 1.70 also brings a number of workflow tweaks and performance improvements to the Rytm. For details on the full list and to download the new software, visit Elektron's website.
