MC-202 or Analog Four

I purchased a Roland Mc-202 a few months back and have had great fun with it but I'm thinking about selling it for an Analog Four as the parameter lock function sounds like what I was always looking for in a synth. Just wondering if anyone has any opinion on how these two compare? I really don't want to regret selling my 202 and can't go and try out an analog four right now.

can you sell something else? because these two machines are made for each other.

i'm sequencing the analog four with mc 202 via cv-gate. basicly getting a proper sequencer for the mc202 with the capability to save all my patterns/songs -> one of the reasons i bought the A4. you will need to do a little mod on your mc202 to get proper cv/gate inputs though, there are instructions on the net.

yeah i was thinking of getting a octatrack or something elektron to sequence my 202, either that or going modular, i have a midi-din but its just not tight enough to use with my mpc and other gear.

great synth the 202. with the nin guy doing the 202 album the prices have gone from about 750$ here in aus to about 1200 if its in good condition

I have nothing else to sell : / It's either one or the other. I love the portamento sound on the 202 and the sequencer is incredible but I want to be able to control every aspect of the bassline down to the tiniest detail. It seems like the A4 may give me this option with the parameter locks and everything but I guess I'm just worried it won't have the same sparkle the 202 has. You say you have both? which one would you give up if you had to? I really want to know the pros and cons of each, side by side.

What's the rush? Just chill and master that 202 while you save your dough. Don't sell it.

Save $10 a month for the next 12 years

  On 8/31/2014 at 2:50 AM, ceiling said:

I have nothing else to sell : / It's either one or the other. I love the portamento sound on the 202 and the sequencer is incredible but I want to be able to control every aspect of the bassline down to the tiniest detail. It seems like the A4 may give me this option with the parameter locks and everything but I guess I'm just worried it won't have the same sparkle the 202 has. You say you have both? which one would you give up if you had to? I really want to know the pros and cons of each, side by side.

I love my 202, i would never sell it! although the A4 is a much versatile synth with many modulation options, and together with the parameter locks you can go really deep into sound creation/rhythms, you will not get close to the character/feel of the 202.

here's a recent simple demo i made. the chords are A4 internal engine, bassline is mc202 being sequenced by A4 cv track, rest is 606, 303 being synced with A4 outputs. it can be configured to sync midi or din sync. it's glues perfectly with my setup :)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/dtn63qrv5luquao/gt%20produkt2%20f01%20130bpm%20mix3c.mp3?dl=0

The A4 is an amazing, deep beast (I love mine)... but it'll never have that 202 lovely tone.

  On 8/31/2014 at 3:53 AM, batch said:

What's the rush? Just chill and master that 202 while you save your dough. Don't sell it.

 

Save $10 a month for the next 12 years

+1

the 202 is a classic. Don't sell it.

You could sell it and try and track down one of these guys. And either use the outputs on your audio interface, or get a silent way cv out module to modulate/automate the parameters with the silent way software.

You'd likely be able to afford both the Atlantis and a case for that $1200 and then you'd be set up to add further modules as your finances allow.

The Atlantis sounds nothing like the 101/202, though.

Sell it before the ARIA comes out with a 202 'plug-out' and the price plummets!!!! lol.

I absolutely love the 202 square bass sounds though so I can understand why they are liked but the prices are crazy.

Tough call separating the two, they make an excellent duo.

  On 9/2/2014 at 12:54 PM, Grain Bastard said:

Sell it before the ARIA comes out with a 202 'plug-out' and the price plummets!!!! lol.

 

I absolutely love the 202 square bass sounds though so I can understand why they are liked but the prices are crazy.

The 202 is sonically identical to the 101.

But regardless, there is more to gear than the sound. The way you interface with it is--arguably, of course--just as important. The way it feels, the way it's slightly out of tune, the way it looks sitting in the corner of your room, all its little quirks...

That's the sorta stuff that will never be replaced by an emulation.

  On 9/2/2014 at 8:48 PM, LimpyLoo said:

The 202 is sonically identical to the 101.

Nitpicking: The 202 doesn't have the noise source. The 101 doesn't have the delay on the LFO.

  On 9/2/2014 at 8:56 PM, psn said:

 

  On 9/2/2014 at 8:48 PM, LimpyLoo said:

The 202 is sonically identical to the 101.

 

Nitpicking: The 202 doesn't have the noise source. The 101 doesn't have the delay on the LFO.

 

I did not know that. Interesting.

the parameter locks seem like the coolest function, also very useful for experiemental music, i cant wait to get my hands on something elektron someday and go to town on it.

i agree with the guy who says take your time and save for a A4 or better yet try one out, i had a mate who sold his one after a little while because he was a little unsatisfied with the overall sound of it but yeah i here that the elektron sequencers are pretty great once you get it

  On 9/2/2014 at 8:48 PM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 9/2/2014 at 12:54 PM, Grain Bastard said:

Sell it before the ARIA comes out with a 202 'plug-out' and the price plummets!!!! lol.

 

I absolutely love the 202 square bass sounds though so I can understand why they are liked but the prices are crazy.

 

The 202 is sonically identical to the 101.

 

But regardless, there is more to gear than the sound. The way you interface with it is--arguably, of course--just as important. The way it feels, the way it's slightly out of tune, the way it looks sitting in the corner of your room, all its little quirks...

 

That's the sorta stuff that will never be replaced by an emulation.

 

That's purely a personal thing tho imvho.

Providing the interface is not limiting its use then surely the point is moot.

Price/cost is a real factor tho - when a 20+ year old single voice synth cost the same as a modern 4 voice poly I have to question the merits of 'vintage' - so maybe the A4 doesn't sound exactly like the MC-202 but you could argue you get 4x the synth and still have some form of physical interface.

I've had to sell all my other hardware to pay rent : / sadly, the only thing I now own is a 202 haha. Because I've had to majorly strip back on hardware and I kinda hate most plugin synths, I've decided that I'm gonna just make music using one instrument, so it's important that I have a bass synth with as much control as possible. Basically the A4 seems like it's much more capable of creating full songs just from that one machine as opposed to the 202. Having said that in the meantime I'm going to purchase silent way and see if this can make the 202 a bit more flexible. It was primarily the parameter lock function that appealed to me, I wish there was such a thing for the 202 without having to painstakingly edit each note in logic or something. Using logic seems to be a bit of a vibe killer sometimes so the idea of not having to use a computer to compose songs with the A4 also seemed most appealing.

  On 9/3/2014 at 12:02 PM, Grain Bastard said:

 

so maybe the A4 doesn't sound exactly like the MC-202 but you could argue you get 4x the synth and still have some form of physical interface.

 

By that logic you could also argue a MicroKorg is 4x the synth a 202 is.

Which is to say, that logic is dumb.

In that case then I would definitely suggest getting the A4 if you are planning such an extreme scenario. I'd still suggest some software to add to it though, a sampler and digital synths like FM8 - no point limiting yourself unnecessarily if you have a computer at your disposal. The A4 is getting an update soon which will add something called 'overbridge' and will basically run the audio from the synth direct into the DAW via usb.

The A4 has some cool fx too.

  On 9/3/2014 at 7:14 PM, LimpyLoo said:

 

  On 9/3/2014 at 12:02 PM, Grain Bastard said:

so maybe the A4 doesn't sound exactly like the MC-202 but you could argue you get 4x the synth and still have some form of physical interface.

 

By that logic you could also argue a MicroKorg is 4x the synth a 202 is.

 

Which is to say, that logic is dumb.

Not really. Both the A4 & 202 are analog and have a sequencer - the A4 has 4 of them

But I'll go with you and suggest a Nord Lead 3 might be an option. Lots of voices, multi timbral, knobs, build, great sound...

I am also trying to make suggestions from the guys pov and owning 'just' the 202. They are great machines but if that was all you had and you could swap it for something much more useful, I personally would be tempted. Obviously keeping it and getting the A4 is the best option.

Well...I have the A4 and while it sounds very good and is very versatile I can't just give an automatic recommendation.

- You can get bass out of it, but it's not what I'd call a bass synth. It sounds fantastic in the midrange and high end but just OK in the bass department. If you want huge fat sounding basses you need to set up the 2nd filter as a very resonant high-pass and then dial in key-following. It doesn't have the raw power of the 202.

- It's very capable but you may find it a drag working with the 10 screen and ten rotary knobs to get at ~100 synth parameters. I also have an Octatrack and MachineDrum and don't find this to be a problem on those machines, but they have far fewer parameters to manage - I think the OT has about 30 controlled with 6 knobs and the MD has 24 controlled with 8 knobs. Using the A4 feels like you're doing a lot of menu-diving, although you can assigne multiple parameters to single knobs in performance mode (and to incoming velocity, aftertouch etc.). I do find myself missing the knobbier interface of the Virus although I think the A4 sounds better.

- the sequencer is awesome but once you go beyond individual patterns and start putting complete tracks together you can run into frustrations sometimes. Expect to spend a good bit of time puzzling over the manual, and then more time going onto Elektronauts to demand a better explanation than the manual provides. Their manuals are pretty bad, to the point that I'd be very reluctant to recommend an Elektron to anyone as their first piece of gear. Some things, like the note slide functionality, are very counter-intuitive, eg you have to put the slide on the first part of the ntoe rather than the second one, opposite of Roland style. I've begged for this to be changed but no luck so far.

- No MIDI out. This might change in the future but until then it's rather sucky. CV out is great and highly programmable but if money is tight it might be a long time before you have anything else to plug it into.

Have you considered other possibilities? For example, if you shop around you could get a Monomachine and a Moog Minitaur or a DSI Evolver for similar coin to the A4. That would give you a lot of synth power and flexibility.

  On 9/4/2014 at 3:36 AM, anigbrowl said:

 

Have you considered other possibilities? For example, if you shop around you could get a Monomachine and a Moog Minitaur or a DSI Evolver for similar coin to the A4. That would give you a lot of synth power and flexibility.

The Monomachine looks amazing. About a month ago I watched the SonicState Electron retrospective thingie, and I was blown away by the quality, sound and depth of their stuff.

But anyway...I was gonna suggest that the OP have a sampler somewhere in his workflow. Hell, even if you get the A4 you should get something like an SP-303--or even an SP-202--simply to have a sampler. They just offer so many possibilities that synths alone don't.

Also, the MC-202--if you kept it--coupled with a sampler would be a hell of a combo: fast 202 arpeggios run through long reverbs would give you lush chords.

Anyway, just a thought. I fucking love samplers and kinda think everyone should use one always.

Korg just announced a bunch of juicy new stuff including 2 samplers, (volca & Electribe types) so that's some budget friendly options right there.

Sell the 202... It's time to move on mate... I had one for years and although it is excellent I rarely used it because of the fact that you can't save patterns without recording the audio data feed. Time consuming