Underdog Electronic Music School: When Less Is More – The Perkons vs. Rytm Showdown

We’ve all been there, mate – you save up, splash out on the so-called best gear, and reckon your troubles are sorted for good. That’s exactly what Underdog Electronic Music School’s Oscar thought when he nabbed the Analog Rytm MkII. On paper, it’s a beast: packed with features, seen in the hands of legends, and capable of sonic wizardry that’d make a kangaroo do backflips.

But here’s the kicker: all that capability doesn’t mean squat if the thing feels like wrangling a crocodile every time you want to make a beat. Oscar’s story is a classic – five minutes in, he’s lost in menus, manual in hand, and before you know it, he’s doom-scrolling instead of jamming. Turns out, even the flashiest gear can be a bad fit if it doesn’t vibe with your workflow.

Oscar’s attempt to make the Rytm the master brain of his live set quickly fizzled. Instead of wild, on-the-fly tweaks, he ended up triggering the same old patterns, muting and unmuting like a DJ stuck on autopilot. The emotional spark just wasn’t there – the sounds were fine, but nothing to write home about.

The real disaster struck at a live jam, when Oscar needed to tweak his kick on the fly and found himself boxed in by his own sample choices. Even worse, when asked for a rolling bassline, his brain went blank – too many options, not enough hands-on control. That’s when the penny dropped: all the power in the world is useless if you can’t reach it when the crowd’s watching.

Enter the Erica Synths Perkons, a drum machine that’s as direct as a slap from a magpie. With only four voices and a limited sound palette, it’s the polar opposite of the Rytm’s labyrinthine menus. But that’s the magic – every knob’s right there, begging to be twisted, and the sequencer’s always in plain sight. You don’t get lost, you get busy.

Oscar’s love affair with the Perkons is all about immediacy. No manuals, no forum deep-dives, just pure, hands-on fun. Whether it’s tuning kicks to the room, sculpting toms, or whipping up hi-hat tricks, the Perkons keeps you in the moment. It’s not about endless options – it’s about making the most of what’s right under your fingertips. If you want to see the real chaos and creativity, you’ll have to watch Oscar jam live – words can’t capture the sweaty, spontaneous magic.

Oscar wraps things up with a cheeky nudge: sometimes, the gear that looks second-rate on paper ends up stealing your heart. It’s not about specs or price tags – it’s about the connection you feel and the creativity it unlocks. So, what’s your underdog? Maybe it’s time to give that overlooked box another go and see what wild sounds you can wrangle out of it.