I totally agree with you, I also watched your comparison of DN and ST on YT. I can’t buy a used one because it’s almost impossible to find one in the country where I live (I’ve already searched and found nothing). I decided on Syntakt, although I still have to google a bit about it before buying.
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What about Digitakt with a Retrokits RK2 midi cable that turns it into a polyphonic (up to 8 voice) synth?
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Thanks for the nice advice, but I’ll just stick with Syntakt for now.
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I think you’ll like it. 
One more thing is that with the Syntakt, thanks to the “machine” design where you pick a synth machine and then dial 8 knobs to tweak its parameters, I have found that I almost never browse for sound presets on the Syntakt. You are always just a couple of knob twists away from the ballpark of the sound you’re looking for, and this makes the music writing process very quick and immediate.
On the Digitone, I found myself much more dependent on browsing for presets because dialing in the sound on the spot is much more complicated with the underlying FM synth engine. For someone deeply experienced with FM synthesis, this might be less of an issue, but at least for me, preset browsing was a significant part of the song writing workflow on the Digitone. Sometimes that could of course lead to happy surprises, so it’s not a binary good vs bad thing, but at least for me, I prefer to just dial in the idea I hear in my head and then twist some knobs to get the sound I want, and that process is so smooth on the Syntakt.
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@djst Exactly. Now I watched some more Digitone tutorials about voice stealing and I concluded that Digitone is too deep for me, it’s great, but for a beginner it can be a nightmare. I don’t even have experience with the piano, and I think that’s important for Digitone.
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Interesting. Now that the dust has settled from the initial flurry of videos in the release window, I should probably see what actual users are doing with the Syntakt. Power users have probably had enough time to start pushing the box in unique directions
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What a ride reading through these posts!
I’d echo a lot of people’s sentiments about the two devices I’m sure.
I had a Digitone as my first “serious” Elektron synth after getting addicted with the Model:Cycles, but I was in way over my head.
I’m absolutely in love with the Syntakt though. It covers what I wanted out of both the DN and MC combined so efficiently.
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After reading all the comments, and after watching the Digitone and Syntakt tutorials, I am concerned about only one thing. Having practically decided on Syntakt, I’m afraid I’ll miss the FM and polyphony of Digitone. I am aware of the limitations of both boxes. The immediacy of Syntakt is great, when it comes to percussion, but when I listen to melodies, I don’t know, I don’t feel the sound, what I would like to hear. Yesterday I watched the Cuckoo mega tutorials again for both boxes, after Syntakt I didn’t have any special impression, after Digitone I had a “wow” effect. It is difficult for me to make a final decision, some users said that there is no wrong choice. Maybe I should flip a coin, heads or tails… 
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Does it make you feel something ?
And remember, there is no bad choice !
You still have a daw, so if you are confortable using the Digitone and do the drum on the Daw you will be confortable with 4 track.
The only issue I would have with the Digitone is fitting 4 track with Drums/Melody/Bassline. Nothing else. If you just kick/snare in HipHop way BD 1,13 SD 9 or similar one track is enough
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It’s nice, but it’s a little too harsh for me, it’s not that soft, there’s no warmth (imo). I saw that in the new version of the firmware 2 new synths were added and I watched/listened to that, it seems that I really miss polyphony. I can use the DAW but not right away, first I would like to get to know the device (as a standalone), and when I get stuck I would start using it with the DAW.
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My vote is for digitone. Despite it having the potential for really deep exploration (particularly the more you learn about FM) it’s also fantastic without any of that prior knowledge. The presets cover a massive range of sounds and are a great way to work out how those different sounds are achieved by reverse-engineering them, which in turn gives you a fairly good basis for how FM works. Its fantastic, and the reputation that FM has for being horribly complex to understand shouldn’t put you off as the digitone makes it a lot more palatable and fun to get to grips with. The syntakt sounds always feel a bit lumpen to me, and definitely steer you in a certain direction whether you want to or not. Im in the ‘jack of all trades’ camp when it comes to the ST, whereas the DT has a lot more depth and flexibility. Plus, as someone of nearly 40 years of age, I found the cartoon-y graphics in the syntakt UI irritatingly infantilising. Also, when it comes to the ST track count of 12 vs DT’s 4, I would stress that quantity doesn’t necessarily trump quality. Having 12 tracks of something that you don’t particularly like the sound of isn’t better than having 4 of something that you do…
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There is no rush.
Sleep on it.
I’ve been fawning after something for almost half a year now that I’m finally feeling like I don’t need.
You may also find your desire will cool, or you can make a strong decision given time.
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Yeah - it ultimately doesn’t matter if the Syntakt is easier to learn and create sounds with, if you don’t like those sounds.
It’s still primarily an FM drum synth that can be made to do more, rather than the Digitone being a poly synth with deep sound design options, which can make some great FM drums.
There’s still going to be a learning curve with either of these instruments, and maybe you don’t mind it being a bit more challenging at the beginning, if the end result is something you prefer.
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Many people complain about FM synthesis being too cold. It is certainly easier to get glassy or bell-like sounds. DN has ways of blunting that edge (chorus, overdrive, filters).
Another factor is whether you want relatively quick results or whether you can take pleasure in sound design. DN has good presets and some very impressive sound packs, but moving beyond them (designing from scratch, as opposed to tweaking them) takes some work. I don’t think it’s incredibly difficult or unpleasant work, on the contrary, it is like exploring a new pocket universe, quite fascinating if you can take pleasure in that (I certainly can). ST has presets also, but they are less significant, I think, because it is easier to choose a machine and move it towards the sound one has in one’s head. ST is easier to recommend to the newcomer because it has a lower barrier to entry. But for some newcomers, having that depth available to explore is a good incentive.
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Thank you all for your opinions.
@christianlukegates By the way, I’m in my mid-40s. 
25 years ago I really liked techno “hammering”, which is great on Syntakt, but over the years I’ve cooled off from it, I still like it but in a much different form.
I’m curious about what you exactly mean by “soft” and “warm”, could you post an audio example of something that you really like, and would like to be able to create on one of these boxes?
Just a few examples from the Elektron website:
https://cdn.www.elektron.se/media/demo_sounds/Reason_For_Digi_1.mp3
https://cdn.www.elektron.se/media/demo_sounds/Waiting_to_Wake.mp3
https://cdn.www.elektron.se/media/demo_sounds/Face_Slap.mp3
Edit: here is an example of “soft and warm” on Digitone. A couple of posts above:
Just put a filter on it and cut highs, now its warm.
Then put an lfo on pitch, but slow and low, then it’s guts are old.
thank me later.
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Fascinating … how many pocket universes have you explored ?
Do you also like any of the Syntakt sound demos from Elektron site?
I think you’ll have a hard time getting by with a single Elektron machine and nothing else. They’re great for what they are, but also quite limited in many ways, no matter which one you choose.
It might be wise to approach this from a standpoint which one would you rather use as a central piece for you setup. Because IMO you will add something to it sooner or later, either another Elektron or something else to cover the missing features and/or sounds. Fortunately you get Elektron sequencer and ability to also sequence external gear with any of the Digi boxes.