Digitakt - Limiting?

[tnussb]

The DT is way more limited than the Octatrack. If you can get both for almost the same price I would definitely go for the OT.

Reasons:

• Stereo Sampling: when you sample something with has stereo effects on it (like the output of the machine itself) this is a MUST-have for me.

• Dynamic Looping: Record inputs and play them with all kind of effects while they still recording

• On the DT you cannot mute the incoming signal while recording

• Storage Card Slot: You are not limited to the 1GB internal storage like on the DT

• Background tracks: The OT can play a background track directly from the storage card without ANY time length limitation.

• Song Mode

• More inputs and outputs

• Scenes and the scene slider

• time stretching of samples

• Sample slices

• … and many other things that I just can’t remember yet …

In a sense the DT is FASTFOOD, quick and almost instant to learn/use, but with vast limitations.
The OT is more of a proper meal - but of course, all these possibilities requires some learning effort.

[Ryan]

On the DT you cannot mute the incoming signal while recording

What do you mean by this? The incoming signal only comes through when you select monitor and external signal for sampling?

[tnussb]

Sorry that was really very unclear. I meant you cannot mute it from the main out and still monitor it. This feature is quite essential for live performing, because you want to monitor what you are recording, but don’t want the audience to hear it. On the OT you can route the signal to monitor to the cue output and hear it there separated from the mix.

This can be done, of course, for all of the tracks. Just temporary route them to cue out, manipulate whatever you want and bring it then back into the mix.

On the DT it is either both (monitor and in the mix) or none.

[Open_Mike]

You make me want to put 128 sound locks in pattern…
Must try that sometime…

[Open_Mike]

Man, that persons using the OT as a weapon… Haha

[Unifono]

I wrote some of my thoughts about this comparison in an other thread. Before I repeat myself too often here is what I wrote

Introducing Digitakt

Difficult, but I try to answer I’m not that audiophile, but I can’t hear a difference in the general playback of a sample. Can’t hear an influence of the machine, as I can’t hear any difference on the OT (didn’t actually compare, it’s just my feeling). For sampling, DT seems to sound fat and loud, but I guess that’s only because it normalizes everything sampled. Britcrusher was a bit strange, it’s better now with the update. For me the Filter is really nice, as it is on the OT.…

[kizunaut]

I feel like the DT can be a pretty self-contained sample-based groovebox. I’ve used it as one. It probably does not work as easily/immediatedly with loop samples as the OT since it has no slicing or stretching.

It has it’s limitations, the biggest irritations for me are the lack of song mode & the awkward pattern chain behaviour, no EQ or Digitone style BP filter, pattern change lag and the lack of individual outs.

I have neither owned nor used OT but I have heard that it can be a very esoteric device. Supposedly the MKII made the UI more intuitive. I had some initial hurdles with the Digitakt which came mostly from me getting sold a returned device which had not been factory reset’d before it got into my hands. It had no factory presets and just a pile of random rap oriented samples and I was like WTF is this. After I purged & reset the thingy I still really, really scratched my head at the whole sounds vs samples thing and the sample management in general seemed somehow…unintuitive?

But as soon as I cleared those hurdles I found the workflow very satisfying, it’s quite intuitive, flexible and fun. Real joy to use. At no point have I felt like trashing the device which seems to be a, um, sort of common sentiment among OT users at times.

OT is probably better and an even more self-contained production unit, but please be aware that it might have a really, really steep learning curve.

[Unifono]

Cf card
Longer recording and playback options
Looping
Time stretching
Realtime sampling and playback at once
Slicing
Midi Arp which settings are plock’able and lfo’able
3 lfo’s per audio and midi track
Crossfader with scenes
More fx and fx per track
Thru and neighbour machines
Zoom in the sample editor
Midi reriggers
Stereo samples
Song mode = arranger
Sequener time divisions

These are for me the most important features pro OT

Pro dt:

Form factor and interace feels more immediate
Display
Fx quality
Controll all
Lfo’able sample slots
Plock’able program changes
Conditional trigs not in a sub menu
I think start point of a sample is modulatable where the size of the loop keeps at the same size, independent of the position in the sample. So better for granular things.
Bpm per pattern (also possible in OT’s arranger)

There are more differences, but these are some that come to my mind at the moment.

Ot offers far more. If you want these things and you can afford it… go for it
Dt is a lot of fun though. Limitations can be nice for some people’s creativity.
Btw you might grab a used DT way cheaper. The TR8S is released and many people seem to think it can replace their DT

Hope this helps

[ellioup]

This is all amazing information… It’s great to some comments on people who are familiar with both and know the ups and downs.

I’m still keeping my eyes open due to the fact that I will be getting this in about a month or so but am leaning towards a used digitakt (if I can find one). It’d be I’m guessing 650 instead of 875 for an octatrack and more straightforward yet powerful as well. The main reason I’m getting this is because when I record I’m sick of using the same drum samples for my songs. I use the SP-555 to play a drum loop and then I try to jazz it up with delay or EFX. I’m looking for an elektron piece to add some flavor to the rhythm track (like fills) instead of the same old 8 bar drum loop on my sampler. I then like to add synth, guitar, samples etc over it on my cassette deck (may change to digital soon)

To give you some context here is a record I put out using the gear I currently have and pay attention to the drum loops (shameless plug)

[jefones]

I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience but my project sample slots tend to be full for most of my projects. My plus drivery is not full though.

As for approach, if you view the dt as a 8 track drum computer sequencing 1 sample per track and adding parameter changes etc, the digitakt is a relatively good drum machine.
I approach the dt more of like an 8 track sampler. Track one may have a kick and a sub kick micro timesd so I get some ducking or sidechain8ng effect, 2 different sample running on that track. Track two I may load a bunch of piano hits p-lock to different step and this could be anywhere from 5-8 different samples running on track 2. And my work flow continues in this manner.
So I fill sample slots quickly this way

[Anfim]

It’s Richard Devine, he’s a certified madman.

[Graves]

I made this EP using nothing but the digitakt. Usually with tracks to spare.
Proverbs
The workflow is really streamlined for me compared to the octatrack. I guess it feels like I’m interacting with an instrument, rather than a complex machine that is way smarter than I am (octatrack).

[darenager]

In the words of Chris Hülsbeck

[Anfim]

Yeah that’s a good way of putting it. I’ve only had my DT a couple of days (after years of using an OT) and already it’s a breath of fresh air: everything is where it should be, everything is quick and easy and fun. My only gripe is the single LFO, but then again I guess that keeps you focused on making music rather than getting lost in bonkers science experiments, which is where most of my OT sessions ended up.

[Open_Mike]

Digitakt Limiiting?

Sure, many users like this nice little unit:

[ellioup]

Are you bummed you can’t splice loops on it? I like to sample 15 seconds drum loops or so and think it would be great to be able to split them and don’t wanna do it on another device. Yarg, I’m leaning back and forth between them. Thanks though I’ll check this out

[Ryan]

The Digi series is the ideal machine for any ADD inflicted people- is ideas/inspiration hits you constantly- you need the Digitakt

The Digitakt is like writing poems, while the Octatrack is like writing full stories

[Open_Mike]

By splice do you mean slice?

[Open_Mike]

Here’s our latest adventures in live OT slicing, might be of interest…

Recorder buffers for looping and live sampling

(The following was moved from another thread as it seemed it deserved its own) The best use of recorder buffers is for looping and live sampling tricks. Might take a minute to wrap your head around it but the advantage is that you do not need to save them. By using recorder trigs, pickups, and manual sampling in combination with flex tracks playing the buffers, the OT becomes an extremely powerful live audio warping device… You use them differently than if you were building a sequence out of…

[porfiry]

The digitakt, digitone and octatrack are the third, fourth and fifth elektron boxes I’ve owned, and the three I have at the moment, with the OT having arrived earlier this week. With the little boxes, I’ve been immediately up and running, making some highly complex pieces with all kinds of spice, and time with the manual has been supplemental at most.

The OT is like a spaceship. I know I will get to a point where I understand it well enough to templatize and flow on it, but it’s gonna take months, and so far I spend more time setting the thing up than jamming. I’m very excited by the potential, as I fully understand how much power I’m dealing with there, but if I’d bought it as my first Elektron I might be too pissed to ever buy another one. Very low ADD Gratification Index.