Elektron’s $349 Model Grooveboxes Stand Out as 6-Track Entry Picks
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Aug 15
Elektron’s $349 Model Grooveboxes Stand Out as 6-Track Entry Picks
3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Aug 15
Summary
$349 Elektron Model:Samples and Model:Cycles are recommended as standout beginner grooveboxes, with used prices falling to about $200.
Both 6-track units pair velocity-sensitive pads with Elektron’s step sequencer, whose trigs, locks and conditional triggers stretch a single 64-step pattern into more complex arrangements.
Model:Cycles uses FM synthesis derived from the Digitone engine, while Model:Samples plays imported samples loaded over USB rather than recording them directly.
Their appeal is immediacy: hands-on knobs, live-performance controls and the Control-All function make jamming easier than on Elektron’s pricier, more menu-heavy boxes.
The trade-offs are mediocre pads, no polyphony per track and USB-only sample loading, but the article argues those limits are easy to accept at this price.