#1

Hey guys, I’m looking to get either a Blofeld or Analog Four so I wanted to hear your opinions on the 2. My other hardware would include a Minitaur and an Octatrack.

#2

You might get more insight on MW or Elektronauts, but both seem very controversial. People seem to either love them or hate them. Doesn’t seem like there’s much consensus.

I hesitated on the A4 because of mixed reviews and have always been intrigued by the sounds my friends have gotten from the Blofeld. I finally got an A4 and am pretty happy, but it’s not particularly immediate (neither is the Blofeld) with all the submenus, etc. I also haven’t integrated it into any setup/approach. It just hasn’t founds its place, yet I’ve hung onto it because I actually really like the sounds. That said, it takes a bit of effort to dial them in at first. Anyway, if you have an OT either will probably be useful if you want to keep it in the all in one little box sort of format of Blofeld/A4.

#3

Stereoping has a programmer that supports the Blowfeld (called the QFeld). I have one - but haven’t had a chance to connect them together yet.

#4

I think you should give them a close listen. They both have a very distinctive sonic quality, and actually… it’s almost comparing apples and oranges.

I liked the Blofeld because it tends to have a certain cold, gritty sound to it. You could argue that it sounds very digital in some ways, and that’s what I liked about it.
If you’re playing the keyboards in a funk band, it might not be your thing, if you’re into wave/industrial then it might be very fitting. Then of course this is all very generalizing.

Other things you might consider:
if you’re on a tight budget: get the Blofeld
if you’re an analogue fanboy get the A4
if you think 4 voices are a laugh, get the Blofeld
if you like white, get the Blofeld
if you like things that match your OT, get the A4
if you think toasters should also make coffee, get the Blofeld
and finally, if you’re into 1-knob-per-function interfaces get a Prophet 6 :smiley:

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#5

The Blofeld’s price and look are definitely appealing :slight_smile:

In the Papernoise comparison, I’d mention CV as a variable that you might consider too. A4 has it, Blofeld does not.

I have plenty of crap and only pounced on the A4 because a friend was giving me a deal and the CV interfacing appealed to me as a possible go-between for my OT and modular.

#6

the third way: Elektron monomachine :wink:
from my point of view, the monomachine and the OP-1 are the best and creative synths after the Nord Modular G2

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#7

Agreed. The Monomachine is a thing of its own, I don’t think there’s anything else quite like it. I picked up an A4 later but barely ever use it. The sound is decent, but not as nice as my analog Eurorack stuff. I also miss the per-track delays and 3 LFOs of the Monomachine, as well as the unique arp. I do wish the Monomachine had that little keyboard the A4 does, but I just hooked up my key step instead.

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#8

Wish I had picked up one of the last production monomachines, the price was so low for a minute there. They seem to have shot up in value since.

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#9

I sold mine many years ago and regret it so much.

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