Correct workflow with digitakt

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

Hi there,
Apologies it this is a super noob question but I desperately need help!

I have connected my digitone to the digitakt (master) using the instructions provided in the digitone manual.

I set up my midi tracks on the digitakt and away I went.

My question is (forgive me if it’s stupid)

But should I be changing sounds on the digitone via the digitakt midi controls? Because I was changing the sounds on the digitone itself and then realised that when I reloaded different projects on the digitakt, they would all play back with the current synth sound selected on the digitone.

For some reason I assumed I’d be able to change the sounds on the digitone and the digitakt would load that data for each project. Assuming this is possible but I just need to set it all up a specific way to do it? (Different to the manual?)

If I do indeed have to change patches / banks on the digitone via the digitakt, how do I do this?

1 Like
#2

If you have the digitakt as master and digitone slaved then you need to setup on the digitakt to send pattern change settings in midi options menu and have the digitone receive pattern change

#3

I have it set up that way, and if I change the sound on the digitone - the digitakt will play that sound - that works fine.

My trouble is, that when I save that project, and then go and open a new project, and change the sounds on the digitone for it, when I open last project, the sounds have also changed for that one.

Is there something I’m dong wrong in how I work? Should I not be changing the sounds on the digitone?

#4

To be clear, when I change a sound on the digitone, I change it via the tracks on the digitone itself - should I be doing this some other way?

#5

You need to be making a new pattern for each time you want different instruments loaded in.

#6

There is no way to load a different sound to a track using MIDI (neither on the DN nor on the Digitakt). If you want another sound, you need to change to a pattern with this sound set up.

About workflow:

When using multiple machines in most cases it’s a good idea to make a project on each device with the same name and keep them in sync manually (always load and save on both devices when working on it).

Try to keep a 1:1 relationship for the patterns. Pattern A01 on the Digitakt should match with pattern A01 on the Digitone. This keeps stuff simple and you haven’t to remember which pattern matches to which. When you keep stuff organized this way, you can come back even years later and find your way around easily.

When you use just MIDI to control the Digitone and not its sequencer, nevertheless try to keep the 1:1 relationship of the patterns for the sounds (which are an integral part of patterns).

8 Likes
#7

This is 100% the answer I have been searching for. A huge help! Thank you!

#8

…and it’s way more common to run the takt through the inputs of the tone…no matter what machine gives the masterclock…

3 Likes
#9

I’ve set it up that way, however I’ve noticed that when I copy and paste patterns on the digitakt, that the master audio settings on the digitone (that feed in the digitakt signal) are not copied. Is there a way to copy all settings from one pattern to the next? I would’ve thought those master audio settings were global and only set once per project.

Digitakt stops when playing a note on Digitone
#10

…input/master settings of the dtone are also saved within the dtones single patterns…therefor u’ll need to save the hosting pattern for the dtakt output in the dtone always too…

#11

Ok thanks, just wondering what do you mean by ‘save the hosting pattern’ ?

#12

…hosting patterns means the patterns that corrospond to the patterns in the other machine that has to play along…

#13

In workflow terms, does this mean I need to manually add in the output of digitakt audio feed on the digitone every time I create a new pattern? Or is there something I do in my workflow to allow me to copy one pattern, and ALL of the settings relating to that pattern copy also.

2 Likes
#14

…for all elektron machines, it’s a good thing, to prepare one blank project that suits ur overall and most common needs…that includes one blank pattern that has, for example, the external inputs open already…
so, whenever u start fresh from scratch, u start right there…which means, once u start copiing patterns, that pattern contains this pre settet conditions…so, no…not every time…just once…in the beginning…

#15

Hi there… I hope someone could help me even if this is quite old post. Isnt there a way at all to change sound on digitone from Digitakt? It will be very usefull to me. I used to control a minilogue with digitakt and by Pattern change command from digitakt I could actually change patches on minilogue… This let me do pretty cool things like lock trigger using different sounds even in the same track and using the digitakt sequencer… I understood I cant do that by pattern change command… Is there another way? Or Do I have to use the DN internal sequencer?

#16

The right technical MIDI term is Program Change. Normally synthesizers respond to Program Changes by switching the active patch (also called program, thus the name). But with Elektron devices this command is re-utilized to change patterns.

And to answer your question: No, you cannot remotely change the sound of a single track without changing also to a different pattern. That’s the way Elektron devices work. When you want to change sounds remotely you’ll need to change to a different pattern which is configured to use this sound. Of course when you use the internal sequencer you can use sound locks (change the sound per trig), but that’s not available from outside.

1 Like