Ableton: Help with recording pattern triggers using Overbridge 2 / Digitakt

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I’m really stumped as to why I’m able to record midi events if I literally hit triggers when recording a session on Ableton, and if I set Automation Arm on, I can easily record parameter changes.

Works great.

But why on earth does it not record the triggers, automations, parameter changes and so on of a project that is already set on the Digitakt?

I don’t understand what i’m missing. It feels like something fundamental.

So to repeat: I made some drum sequences using the digitakt as stand alone.
i.e., I can load a project, choose a pattern, press PLAY on the Digitakt, and it plays a loop.

My intuition tells me that if I now jack it up to overbridge and ableton, throw the digitakt AU into a MIDI track, press play and record in Live, it should record that Digitakt pattern, but it doesn’t.

What on earth am I not understanding?

I’ve tried everything. I’ve watched David Mechs clips carefully. Set my midi prefs on both midi in and out to on for sync, remote and track. On the Digitakt Overbridge is On.
And like I said i’m perfectly capable of recording and playing back button and dial changes made on the DT.

Thanks so much.

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#2

Parameter locks are not send through midi. They don’t really automate a parameter. It’s a locked value within the elektron sequencer.
Probably not what you were hoping to hear. It would’ve been awesome if that worked but it doesn’t unfortunately.

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#3

I’m not home to test it myself, but does creating a separate MIDI channel and setting it’s MIDI in to the OB channel help?

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#4

Thanks Dave. Nope I guess not, but it is what it is.

I know everyone has the freedom to create their own workflow but what is the typical way to use the digitakt with ableton then?

My guess is:

Hook it all up, arm the track, record, use the digitakt almost like you’d use a Push 2? So it’s basically a hardware interface?

Do other drum machines allow recording of midi paramger changes from the hardware or is it an ableton thing?

Thanks again

#5

Just to be sure, you’re talking about recording the parameter locks from audio tracks into midi in ableton?

On midi tracks this is another story. There you can plock cc values to trigs and record that I to ableton.

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#6

Using the 8 audio tracks of digitakt, ableton essentially becomes the mixer letting you effect/mix each track, but the playing is still all done on the DT itself.
Using the 8 midi tracks you can control things in ableton and even p-lock CCs so it brings elektron sequencer into your other midi devices.
If you have a push2 its probs best to figure out a workflow that lets you play the digitakt and maybe just sequence patterns from the push (@Airyck made a great m4L device for this Elektron Pattern Clips! Now with Arrangement Mode!)

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#7

I really would have loved some kind of sync to OB which allowed tweaking patterns +plocks in the plugin, but I’ll keep dreaming :smiley:

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#8

Yeah that would be incredible :slight_smile:
Who knows some day on machines with usb 3/usb-c? OB does use its own protocol in stead of midi so maybe it’s a possibility in the future.

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#9

Hey @DaveMech @jdaddyaz @JPM just to say thanks for the follow ups and various ideas in the replies. Some of them I’m not at the stage yet to explore workflow wise, but i’ll be coming back to this when I get there.

I just wanted to confirm whether my expectations where on track or not.

@DaveMech I really like your YT vids, thanks for those.
As a subscriber, what i’d really love to see is a video showing your ableton OB2 workflow, I’m sure a lot of people would find it interesting and inspiring.

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