Hi all, so…I’ve been using a Digitakt for years as a main sequencer. I’ve missed always a song mode (that we have now) and being a bit more visual. So…Squarp Hapax came and I was like…wow! So I bought it and it’s an amazing machine, the sequencer can be more deeper than the Elektron one buuuuuuuut…for some reason I am having second thoughts.
The Elektron seq. is quicker, easier to add par. locks, more…immediate, more fun, so I am having second thoughts.
I would like to hear your opinions for those one who bought a Squarp Hapax having Elektron machines. Are you happy? Did you come back to Elektron? Do you use both? Which one do you prefer?
Having said that, I love the Squarp Hapax, it’s a great machien, an amazing sequencer, but…it’s also around €1250. Not sure if it’s worth that money, to be honest, when I can do almost exactly the same with an Elektron sequencer…
i sequence my Digitone from Hapax but only by MIDI note – basically one track dedicated to each of the Digitone’s four “voices” never touched the Digi’s sequencer so hard to say what i might be missing out on but always seemed like a lot of trouble to try and get two boxes sync’d up at once over a whole song for not much more sound from the Digitone
I’m sequencing everything for A4 and DN from Hapax, and have tracks set to send clock PC’s etc to DT and SY which I program from the elektron sequencer.
I’ll occasionally sketch my drums out on the Hapax because it’s nice to see everything laid out piano roll style, but almost always transfer to the Elektron sequencer for the control it provides over the sounds per step. I find the Hapax much better when I’m programming melodic elements, especially if I need polyphany.
Sometimes I’ll send note data in a pattern to an Elektron voice from Hapax, shorten the pattern length on the Elektron track and program trigless parameter changes that beat differently than the melodic elements.
Both sequencers have a lot of powers and I think it’s worth using them to their strengths when possible,
I don’t think this is really true, but if everything you want to do you can already achieve with your Digitakt, aren’t you answering your own question here? I like the Elektron sequencer a lot, especially the plock workflow (and especially conditional plocks on midi CC). I feel like they shine most when used to sequence the device they’re on though. However from the Hapax I would not want to give up
Independence of tracks from patterns
Instrument definitions
Transpose track
NRPN/14 bit MIDI CC/CV sequencing
Euclidean sequencing
Time elasticity
Locking stuff to scales in various ways
Piano roll style polyphonic sequencing
The additional conditional trig options (including being able to set them per note rather than trig due to the piano roll)
Up to 7 LFOs/envelopes per track
Flexible output routing (including sending the same track to multiple MIDI ports/channels + CV outs)
Super flexible ratcheting
Chaining MIDI FX and modulating it
Tons of MIDI/CV I/O
Various sequencer direction options (including random)
Etc etc etc, I could go on for a long time. I’d love it if they added something conditional plocks for CC/CV etc to Hapax, but I’m happy to lose it to get all this stuff (and I can always crack out one of my Elektrons if I want to do that).
I used an Octatrack as the brains of my operation for a long time. Absolutely loved it and wouldn’t have guessed that it would get replaced. Unlike some I love the workflow and always found it very intuitive, and was able to create music very quickly. My music isn’t particularly loop based so requires that I use a lot of patterns/ parts etc. I eventually started to grow frustrated at trying to fit a song into a bank, and the process of copying between projects to build a set is painstaking to say the least (and hugely limits what you can play in that set). It also started to feel like a limitation having the pattern of each track locked into the master pattern I was playing, and the 8 midi tracks with only 4 note polyphony was very limiting (3 tracks would be used at all times for my Tr8).
When I started looking for change I initially was trying to figure out a way of maintaining the OT as master sequencer, but with a secondary sequencer that could step in as I changed projects, since the OT sequencer can be triggered via CC and nudged to beatmatch. This would allow me to build tracks in individual projects and have them all on offer during a performance. I was happy with the remaining limitations if I could solve this side of things. But then I came across the Hapax and impulse bought it immediately as soon as I read about the polychronic sequencing, as this seemed like such a game changer.
I’ve been using it a month or so and currently I just love it. It absolutely wipes the floor with the OT in terms of midi sequencing, just so much more capable (see Dokev’s list above, and so much more). The thing I miss most is the P locking which works very well on the OT, but the ability to draw in automation is far more effective on Hapax and has opened a big door to creating new textures which previously I hadn’t really bothered considering as it’s too much of a faff on the OT. In fact since I no longer have to worry about track count I can even connect some midi capable pedals and automate external FX which is brilliant. I also find it a bit tedious scrolling through a 32bar piano roll to make micro edits, this is much easier on the OT but it’s a slight sacrifice which is worth all the other benefits the Hapax brings. The Hapax also solves a few unexpected gripes I had with the OT - for instance sometimes my Minitaur and Nymphes would misfire PC messages. The pre send option on the Hapax ensures this never happens, a performance stress I’m happy to not have to deal with any more.
So in answer to your question, I love the Elektron workflow, I’d say I find it a bit more intuitive than than the Hapax workflow, but I’m happy to sacrifice a teeny bit of efficiency for all the extras Hapax brings. I just need to replace the OT now with something more basic for playing audio, using both together currently which is absolutely incredible, but I can’t really afford to keep both
I use my Hapx to sequence my Digitone 4 tracks (tracks 1-4 on the Hapax). Track 5 is my Novation Peak. I use the Hapax to just play my Digitakt patterns and send the clock to it as I prefer the extra options you get on the Digitakt you can’t do in the Hapax. All my audio goes through the 1010 Bluebox.
Oh I nearly forgot, I’m also using an iPad as another synth which goes into the USB port. Sometimes I have it plugged into the Digitone’s USB too so I can use the Eventide Shimmer and Reverb effects. I want to try MiRack (like VCV rack) on it as I really want a small Euro Rack to add and be controlled by the Hapax, but to save on cost I want to see if this will work.
Good shout, I’ve had a quick look at them before but will dig a bit deeper. Aside from a few one shots I would mainly need something for playing/ mangling breakbeats. Can get Polyend trackers pretty cheap second hand these days so also got that in my sights but have heard they can be a nightmare to sync
Heya
Got a polyend tracker 1st gen.
Sync is ok and steady for me.
There’s a clock compensation option on trackers since their last update. With hapax 2.0, you have 2 options for fine tuning.
