Hi everyone, new here and after 2 days of reading manuals and watching youtube videos, i decided i needed some proper help! I’ve had a setup with some external gear for a long time, but i’ve recently added a Digitakt 2 and a Moog Subharmonicon to the kit list and thought i’d try wiring it all up for a more live setup rather than running everything by Ableton. Turns out it isnt easy! Im looking for advice on the best way to route things as there’s multiple options. I have the following - all with latest drivers etc
Mac Pro
Scarlett audio interface taking audio ins from:
Moog Sub37
DT 2
Moog Subharmonicon
Novation Summit
Sequential Pro3
The SubH only has midi via 5 pin not USB so my first thought was to wire that into the DT2 midi out. This works fine however, the sequencer on it triggers automatically, even when muted and no trigger is pressed down on the sequencer on DT2. Obviously i dont want it running all the time and there must be a better way than just dropping the volume down on it.
I’ve used Midi cables with a splitter to run from the DT2 into the Sub37 and SubH and then a midi thru cable from Pro 3 to Sub37. The sub37 and Pro 3 are also connected by MIDI so they appear as devices in ableton.
Any advice on the best way to connect all this stuff together in a way that gives most control would be great. I really want the DT2 to be the brain of the operation and i thought i would be able to trigger the SubH and Pro3 sequencers from the DT2 by choice rather than whenever i hit the play button.
Thanks!
first of all, welcome to Elektronauts and congrats to your new DT2!
I’m no expert, but here are my humble thoughts.
Your midi connections seem to work.
Just disable TRANSPORT SEND in your Midi Sync Settings of your DT2.
That way your external sequencers won’t start every time you hit play on your DT2.
You’d still want to select CLOCK SEND.
OR you sequence everything from the DT2 and mute/unmute MIDI tracks here.
What about your AUDIO Setup?
Do you want to be able to sample every external synth on your DT2?
At first I thought, you’d need a mixer, but your synths have audio inputs.
So you could go crazy:
SubH (Mono) > Sub37 (Mono) > Pro3 (Stereo) > Summit (Stereo) > DT2 (Stereo) >
[ Scarlett (Stereo) > Mac Pro ]
But maybe a mixer makes more sense for proper gain staging.
How many inputs do you have on your Scarlett audio interface?
Do you need to multitrack everything in Ableton?
Thanks for the detailed reply! My audio setup is all good, it’s just the midi I have an issue with. I also wanted the digitakt to control ableton as well but I don’t think this is going to be possible. Unless there’s a way for the DT to trigger thinks independently of each other? If I turn off transport from the DT then even setting a positive trigger value on a midi track assigned to the subj, it doesn’t set it going.
No worries! Alright, your audio setup should be fine, as you said.
I’m not sure, I get your midi problem yet.
That’s the reason, why i suggested to disable TRANSPORT SEND on your DT2.
Sorry, I thought that’s what you wanted to achieve (see my comment above).
In other words:
If you want to use the sequencer of the SubH, you can’t mute/unmute it from the DT2. You only can hit play/stop to trigger the external sequence (with TRANSPORT SEND on). And yes, you have to turn the volume down on the SubH for example.
If you want to use the sequencer of the DT2, you can mute/unmute the notes/triggers on its midi track for the SubH (with the right midi channel setup).
Let me know, if we’re getting closer to the problem.
there’s a third approach worth considering with the SubH: bypass its internal sequencer entirely and just use it as a pitch-CV voice from the DT2. set up a MIDI track on the DT2 targeting the SubH’s channel, and sequence notes directly from there. the SubH will respond to the note values while its own sequencer sits idle. you get full step-sequencer control from the DT2 and the SubH’s oscillator stack does what it does.
for triggering the Ableton side simultaneously, the DT2 can send MIDI clock and transport to Ableton over USB while still sequencing your hardware over the 5-pin out. just make sure Ableton is set to receive external sync (enable it in Preferences > Link/Tempo/MIDI > MIDI Ports, set the DT2 as sync source). they’ll lock together and you can run your hardware rig and DAW from one play button.
I use my DT2 as studio rain also. It’s perfect. It sequences a Typhon, 2x CV/Gate/clock channels, a pinky, Nymphes and sometimes my friends looper + drummachines.
It is important to fully think out which sequencer(s) you want to use:
all gear has it’s own sequencer - - > DT only sends clock & transport
use DT sequencer: make sure DT does not send clock/transport, notes, cc & pc only
depends on the gear - - > midi hub that filters the midi.
I use the latter setup, I have a Retro kits Rk-006 that let’s me easily mix pin5 & USB midi, as well as alternative clock formats, and I can filter every channel on the Retrokits depending on the device. Super versatile!
