Interesting to me too. The Electribe Sampler is quite a powerful beast once you get over the initial menu diving. 24 note polyphony, stereo sampling capability, Chord/Scale function, Arpeggiator, Insert FX on each track. The DT cannot do any of that
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I ended up selling mine because I like stereo sampling. I wanted slices and crossfades.
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Those things led me to the purchase of my OTMK2, but I’m still hanging on to the DT for now. That thing is just too much fun
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I had the same idea but then couldn’t justify the cost because I use Ableton a lot. If I was totally OTB then definitely.
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Well, some Elektron employees already did this here, explaining the design decisions and why the DT and DN are limited as they are.
I think you can find some of it in the AMA section, for example this:
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I think most of the limitations of the DT make sense. The ones that don’t, like no sample zoom, I suspect will be improved in future updates.
I’m finding it very, very capable though. I’m playing live sets with DT + synth and…it works. Thing is - it’s at a level of complexity where it still feels like playing, rather than playback, which I think is the risk with anything more complex than the DT. I look enviously at some of the features of the OT, but then I think, do I really want to be preparing ‘scenes’ and all that jazz?
I think it totally depends on your musical goals though. I think the lack of a song mode should be taken as a fair warning of what this box is and isn’t good for.
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I dont even want a daw in a box mpc live YAWN lol just the ability to cross fade the sample loop points so they dont click if I want to make a pad sound, its a tiny request tbh. I can even deal without slicing on the box but that would be nice. 2018and people still spout hardware chip limitations its just beyond.
Just please elektron your products are great the OT just is not needed for me it still doesn’t do xfade looping to my knolage click click click sometimes clicks are great its not even a creative limitation.
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that’s the thing – sample editing on the DT is WONDERFUL compared to doing it on the Electribe.
that, plus microtiming, plus fine-tune… the ET has its good points, but the whole time I was using it I felt like my hands were tied.
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Yes, please! As an OT noob, scenes are my favorite thing about the OT…easy to grasp too
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I dont think the answer to question 3 can get any more clear on why they decided to leave some features out.
Quoted for ease
Q: "Is there any kind of set rules for what is included and omitted in the Digi line?"
Yeah, panel space and to omit anything that would be convoluted when it doesn’t have that. They should be more ‘focused’ and ‘boiled down’ without losing too much. To make something streamlined you have to remove a few things. It’s like minimalism in art or music - strip away what isn’t neccessary and focus on the core components. The result will be larger than the sum of its parts.
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I think it stems from Elektron themselves, subtitling the Digitakt as a “Beat making powerhouse” on its product page, which is the obvious use case. But sure you can use it for anything you want. I use it for pretty much everything myself.
Elektron basically said that they did not cram all the features in the box because this would clutter the interface with too many options and losing its identity as a 8 Voice Digital Drum Computer & Sampler.
Basically, DT is more of an instrument within a band, it handles a role very well. But if you want a studio in a box, this is not it.
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Elektron Digitakt:
Intelligent sequencing features such as 8 tracks of highly programmable midi, conditional triggers, micro timing, re-trigger …yet no song mode? Doesn’t make sense. Its like being given a fancy ice cream without the cone.
Chain mode is not a solution when you can’t edit a pattern after making a chain without the chain dissappearing. That is a serious frustration, sometimes we like to edit our sequences when they don’t sound right in the chain but why do we have to make the whole chain again?
but maybe you didnt get the cone because you ordered just the ice cream
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Here ya go:
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For me there is very little missing but there are a few well discussed tweeks that could be made to the sample editing that would imo benefit the more experimental side. I know they call it a drum computer but there is no doubt that a lot of people became interested in the Digi based on the more unusual demos at the time of its release, unfortunately many of these features are not as usable in real life as they appeared requiring odd workarounds or backtracking that doesnt fit the fast,smart workflow that exsists when using it as just a drum machine. It is a fine machine with seemingly no direct competitor(decent microtiming) but it feels like it wants to be much more, I supose what I want in the future is a Digitakt combined with the best parts of the Octa, dont imagine I will see it for a while though.
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Strongly agree, Make a OT with DT is offtopic because the DT is formatted as a drum machine.
On the other hand microtiming could be more advanced#
because at the end of a time of use ,there isn’t more variant in the motifs …
Sarcasm mode See you all next week for the next installment of the Digitakt complaints and general moaning thread. We’ll be talking at great length about the lack of song mode, the endless disappointment of overbridge and the crying shame that it doesn’t have all the tools that Ableton does. End sarcasm mode
Seriously though, as much as customer feedback is important, the Digitakt is a limited (or focussed, stripped back, essential, choose your adjective) instrument. Try to see it for what it is, not what you want it to be, chances are you’ll be much happier as a result.
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