Could the DT be a "studio hub" without song mode?

I’m a software based producer (Reason/Logic) that is interested in getting into Elektron instruments, and one concern I have is the lack of a song mode on the Digitakt.

Is there any workaround to save pattern chains?

Is that in the plans for a future OS revision?

(What I want to do is build whole tracks on the DT pattern by pattern, then link them as desired.)

While it works pretty handily as a hub of sorts, you might eventually find yourself looking elsewhere for more features. I’d probably suggest the MPC Live for that sort of thing, but it ultimately depends on what your goals are or on what kind of music you want to make.

I don’t use my DT as a hub for producing but it complements my use of DAWs and other gear, and I end up relying on it more as I’m learning. It’s an awesome, fun scratch pad, and the trig conditions make for some lengthy arrangements.

Hopefully someday they’ll enable internal routing to use program change messages to switch patterns but right now there are workarounds for this which will require you to sacrifice your MIDI I/O’s.

Just to be clear, are you talking about putting a prog change on the last step of each pattern, sent back into the DT via physical midi loopback? This is a very cool workaround, and not even much of a sacrifice if you have a midi splitter!

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it’s my hub for writing. totally.
it’s not without its shortcomings but I work around em, or with em. using extended patterns with conditions, some chains, and pattern changes on the fly.
when overbridge DT is released I’ll be jamming all those stems into ableton for final mix down type scenario, but for gigs all my stuff is pretty much mixed idt and ready to go.

Genius! You could even use trig conditions (based on %) to see whether the current pattern loops or it jumps to another one. There are all sorts of possibilities of making generative music on the DT.

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Yeah or just mute the midi track if you want to stay on a pattern. @void used this trick to great effect in an early video, definitely a generative wonderland!

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Or have each of the 8 midi tracks sending program changes each with their own trig condition. Crikey, my head’s spinning with the possibilities! Note to self - need to purchase a 15cm long MIDI cable. :sunglasses:

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Has Science Gone Too Far? :rotating_light:

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note: you can use the midi thru port as midi out port when you do loopback like this.

there is an issue right now, where if you have active midi tracks, and you press double-stop on the DT, it will send out special midi cc 120 (all sounds off) from the active channels. It will then also receive this message, and this will trigger the message to be sent out the midi channels again >>> endless loop, hang.

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Good point re MIDI thru, thanks!

Would be useful (are you listening Elektron?!) to be able to route this MIDI internally though.

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hm - I don’t understand why it could be useful: Which MIDI-information do you want to route through which is not stored on the tracks itself?

Midi tracks - > Audio tracks without need for a cable would be very handy.

You would save a cable for 1$ and therefore mess up your DT or even your whole rig - imagine what happens if your loops were transmitted over USB/MIDI-out. Not a really good OS-suggestion imho.

Furthermore - a trig is far more capable than an external MIDI-note…

I have a keyboard sending MIDI in into my DT and internal routing would mean I don’t have to swap cables. Using 8 MIDI tracks you could have 8 separate LFOs, program changes and trig conditions acting on the same audio track, very powerful.

Not sure I quite understand your concern tbh. Are you suggesting that MIDI loops could damage the device?

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Ah ok, the LFO’s.

No, I don’t think loops can damage the DT. My concern was about a proper MIDI-routing if DT works as a hub (for dark trinitiy i.e.). The loops will be transmitted to your daisy chains. I think this will require a MIDI interface where you can set a filter to interrupt a loop on other gear.

I use mine as a brain for my setup.
My preferred way of working with DT is recording live-sections to tape and glueing bits and pieces together in audio editor later.

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This way you can use as much LFO’s as you like… :grin:

d’oh! glad you suggested using a splitter, that never even crossed my mind :joy:

Anyone tried to control pattern changes from the DT to AR/A4/OT yet?