Digitone <> Digitakt, what's your plan for making them do beautiful things together?!?!?!

Elektron Gear
#1

I have a Digitakt (that is THE BRAIN of my setup) and a Digitone on order from Sweetwater. Thinking through how I’m going to introduce the two, get them working together and hopefully the sparks will fly and they’ll fall in love.

What are people’s thoughts on using the two together?

  • routing (both midi + audio)
  • syncing
  • what happens on your Digitakt (just drums and samples?!) and what happens on your Digitone (leads + bass sounds?!)

I know there is considerable overlap, which I see is an opportunity, not a problem, so wondering how people plan to use these two together?

#2

Get percussion into the DT by sampling the DN. Use the DN keyboard to program notes into the DT(and vice versa.

Run an iPad into the DN for FX, and also go into the DT(through the DN) for various other sampling.

Get some batteries, slap these into a briefcase, and jam wherever.

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#3

I guess I would start by updating them

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#4

Question with regards to them working together…let’s say I’ve got some swing on the DT and I’m syncing with a DN. Will that swing transfer over from one to the other? And how, via midi? Would the swing also apply to anything else I hook up too?

#5

Swing will not transfer- you will have to either manually set the swing on both, or you’ll have to sequence one with the other

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#6

Send those 8 extra MIDI LFO’s from DT into the DN, especially into the FX parameters.

DT MIDI channels become sequencable DN FX tracks, a’la A4/AR.

Send Audio from DT into DN’s stereo inputs, p-locking their FX sends (again, via MIDI on the DT)

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#7

Cheers mate :+1:

#8

Hmmmm does this mean 3lfos per track like the monomachine! I’m probably misunderstanding you but if true I would like to know how this is done.

#9

More than that. Up to 4 per DN synth track including DN and DT MIDI LFOs, if you don’t dedicate any to DN FX.

It’s done with a MIDI cable and channel/CC# assignments on DT’s MIDI tracks.

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#10

Can use the DT keyboard as a keyboard extender to the DN?!

#11

I would be very interested in a video if someone would be so kind.

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#12

Noob question: Can someone clarify how pattern change works if you use DT & DN together?

For example: if you were working on bank H pattern 2 on the DT, and then switched to bank H pattern 4, would the DN follow suit?
Or does it change per-track rather than per-pattern?

#13

I don’t have the DN yet… But one of my plans is to route the DT to the DN (when I get it) to the SP-404 (when I get it) for stereo samples and master FX.

#14

If you set up the two instruments to do so then, yes, the DT will send a MIDI Program Change message that will cause the DN to change its pattern at the same time.

#15

I want to challenge myself sometime and make a DT/DN only song meaning only using these two machines. I would create drums and percussion on the DN and sample into the DT, then use the free DN tracks for melody and chords, maybe resample some stuff into the dt to squeeze out more tracks out of the DN.

#16

thanks.
Slightly off-topic: would the Analog Keys do the same?

#17

Yes, all the Elektron instruments that include sequencers have this feature.

#18

I plan to buy a DT, have a DN.

With the DN, plugging the USB into Ableton gives you a nice 4 channels of Midi control, with the DT in the mix, that expands out to 12.

I quite like the idea of writing everything on both boxes, but then I really love the integration between computers and hardware.

Still, I love the idea of imposing a few limitations.

I like the idea of DT and DN only creations, where samples on the DT are from the DN only. That’s pretty strict, but I think it’d yield some great results.

Taken further, I think limiting everything to the contained tracks of the two boxes, so 12 audio tracks and 12 midi tracks is basically your limit - no extra DAW fanciness - if a DAW or a VST is involved, it’s sequenced from the Elektron side.

Still, there are awesome things a DAW based midi sequencer can offer the audio tracks on the DN or DT, I think that might be my way of tying my hands behind my back - DAW automation and midi out to the Elektron boxes, Midi out from Elektron back into the DAW/external hardware only. No straight up DAW VST just existing in the mix by itself, needs to be a cross-over with your machines at some point.

And then there’s midi loopback, too.

#19

Would be cool tonuse the faderfox mx12 to controll all the 12 tracks of the DT DN combo.

Anyone rocking this setup?

#20

Oh man, putting ideas in my head. GAS alert!

I’m wondering if you would still be able to have the suitable midi routing using just the three devices for the extra LFO’s trick?