Best single companion to exploit Digitakt midi tracks?

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Title says it all I think. What SINGLE box would you to add to a digitakt to make good use of it’s midi tracks.

Currently I’m finding that on M:S as a sample player, I’ve just about got an interesting groove going and I run out of tracks, sometimes even after sample-locking to get more voices. For sample-playing tracks, the Digitakt only has two more. I get tired of the hoops you have to jump through with sample locking, that just really doesn’t work for me (I find myself fighting the technicalities rather than thinking about music), so I’m looking for a way round that by having another (something) driven by the 8 midi tracks of the digitakt, if I get it.

I can see that the companion “something” would be acting as a sound module, wether or not it had a sequencer. (I’m also not fond of the sequencing being split over 2 boxes, having tried that). I can see these working

  • MC-101
  • Model:Samples
  • Model:Cycles
  • MicroMonsta 2 (only add 2 ‘tracks’ in that case though).

Also considering a syntakt .

Other ideas ?

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BeSt sYnTH To PAir WiTh DIgitakt2?
#2

second digitakt. all 8 audio tracks available. all 8 midi tracks used (ie audio tracks on the other device). all 16 mutes one one box. additional 8 midi tracks on the second digitakt if you’re feeling froggy.

Also syntakt.

6 Likes
#3

Digitone.

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#4

That’s worth thinking about … particularly if I had two roles for the two different boxes, larger overall pool of samples on the box, 2Gb total.

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#5

Mutant Brain, Squarp, FH-1, Nord Drum 2

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#6

stereo samples : creepy wink :

(also no learning curve)

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#7

I use the MicroMonsta2 in bitimbral mode. Gives me two synth tracks to control with Digitakt. It is a dream team for me.

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#8

2 ideas:

  1. Waldorf Blofeld. It’s multi timbral so you can use up all your midi tracks up and it has some great classic sounds. You can route it all back to Digitakt to either resample or apply some effects.
  2. Great little option to extend Digitakt’s sampling is to add in a touch of yellow color and granular (1010 lemondrop). That’s what I just got connected to my Digitakt. You can use multiple MIDI channels to play it & automate/param lock it’s many params via CC.
3 Likes
#9

Would be sad not to use Syntakt sequencer.

+1 for :
Micromonta 2
MC 101
Blofeld
Lemondrop
Tangerine / Blackbox
…

#10

I use the SH-4D. Kind of the perfect companion out of all my kit. I’m sure there’s better out there, but I’m trying not to buy new gear currently and just use the hell out of my current kit.

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#11

Also sad to be able to use only 8 of it’s 12 tracks … :man_shrugging:

#12

Hmmm I may need to read up more … where do the multiple channels come in … I thought it had 2 samples and one oscillator combined into a voice (or something like that).

#13

I’m assuming that multi- timbral is important, so that you can make the most of the digitakt’s sequencing abilities?

I love the syntakt, but think you’ll miss out on some if its strengths if you don’t want to sequence with it. More effects would be welcome too. All the same, digitakt and syntakt have more chemistry than Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Yeah, get me with my zeitgeist cultural references.

High end virtual analogue suggestion - Access Virus

High end ‘all rounder’ - Roland Integra or Jupiter X

Cheaper option - some of the older Roland JV series or Korg / Yamaha 90s synths.

2 Likes
#14

It’s not multitimbral, but 4 voices and like 30+ modulatable parameters for osc, samples, granular engines, fx, so you can use one midi channel on multiple digitakt MIDI tracks to get around having only 8 x CC assignment knobs. Might be overkill, but as a single box addition to digitakt, can get you access to some really cool textures where you can use 1 or 2 tracks for voicing- so you don’t have to mock with note layering on single track and others for sample/granular CC messages, and then 1 or 2 per effect.

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#15

Prophet REV2 is an amazing bi-timbral synth. I pretty much always use multiple MIDI tracks for each layer. There is so much you can do with voice stealing and mutes.

1 Like
#16

I think so ! 8 tracks for 4 voices…

5 more modulations possible from a DT track : With Lemondrop you can also use velocity, pitchbend, aftertouch (poly or mono for DT), modwheel and breath.

Having Lemondrop, you might be tempted to add another Nanobox above Digitack :

Fireball has a very similar structure, 8 voices.

Tangerine is multi timbral, 8 channels, 24 voices max iirc…
As a sampler it can extend drastically DT limitations, multi samples, stereo, very long samples, timestretched loops…

Razzmatazz for FM drum synthesis…

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#17

Roland JD-08. Bi-timbral.

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#18

I really like my DT + Nord Lead combo. The NL4 has two internal LFOs with only a few destinations. You can add a third freely assignable with the DT or more with more DT MIDI channels.

Nord Drum is also a very capable 6 ch multitimbral, but a bit special partner (no envelopes, only decay).

Of course with a blofeld you get a lot for low price.

And DT + DN is a well established partnership

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#19

Other ideas:
https://www.elektronauts.com/search?q=digitakt%20companion

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BeSt sYnTH To PAir WiTh DIgitakt2?
#20

Ah … I did try and search for that before posting, don’t know how I missed it, thanks.

1 Like