Nope, you can use some of the machines for synth sounds, and you can load synth samples to make more synth sounds. It seems like the most complete of the elektron groove boxes.
I have an octatrack and it is deep, but having stuck to the parts of it that I needed to know right away and slowly learning the rest made it manageable to figure out. But I really like sampling, I use it with an mpc 1000 so tells ya where I am coming from. I think I'm your case I would recommend the rytm.
Also look into push 2 might be your answer! TBH I am thinking of getting a surface pro and just using that with push as a super slim setup! Oh the options!
Drum machine and synth suggestion
Re: Drum machine and synth suggestion
Cuckoo is hilarious but it's a good demo! Shows you can do way more than just drums, and I am pretty sure he isn't using samples either!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vlhuYZCKLVU
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vlhuYZCKLVU