Elektron Monomachine SFX60 (2004–2016)

Name: Elektron Monomachine
Brand: Elektron

A 6-voice digital synthesizer and sequencer from Swedish maker Elektron. It is known for deep sequencing and several types of synthesis.

Overview

The Elektron Monomachine SFX60 is a digital synthesizer and sequencer made by Elektron in Sweden. It came out in 2004 and was discontinued in 2016. It has six tracks of sound generation across synth, FM and drum categories. The sequencing engine has some unusual controls. The Amp Trig page mutes individual notes without changing the main pattern. The LFOs are tempo-synced or free-running, and they keep running whether or not a note triggers. The arpeggiator can be set to odd time signatures like 12 steps, independent of the main track. The BBOX machine, one of the sound engines, became a favorite among users for ambient textures.

Specifications

Polyphony	6
Dimensions	13.4 x 6.92 x 2.4" (340 x 176 x 63mm)
Weight	6.17 lb (2.8 kg)
Original Price	$1540 (SFX-60)

Design

The Monomachine has a SuperWave oscillator, built for warm, multi-oscillator, analog-inspired tones. Each track also gets tape-style delay, sample rate reduction, a 1-band EQ and a resonant multimode filter. The Mk1 is known for faulty displays and cracked display covers. Repair services are documented for both problems.

Context

The Monomachine was discontinued in 2016 alongside the Machinedrum, which ended Elektron's early standalone groove boxes. It followed the Machinedrum (2001) and was introduced around 2003-2004. It is the more complex sequencer of the two, with deeper track programming and flexible arpeggiation.

Market

Used Monomachines have gotten more expensive, with listings from $2,300 to $3,000 in recent years. Mint-condition units from the original production run have sold for around £1,300 on Reverb. Demand stays strong, often driven by the "crispy, weird, and gritty" sound and the cult status that followed discontinuation.