Files transferred from DT2 to computer are sent much faster (comparatively!) than in the opposite direction…
DT2 to computer: 0.62 MiB/s
Computer to DT2: 0.38 MiB/s
Why is this?
The conversion that transfer does going into the DT2 (if sample rate and bit depth differ from that internally used by DT2)
Also, determining the file hash that allows transfer to identify when you’re transferring the same file that’s already on the device. That only happens going into the DT2.
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This was a file recorded on the DT, sent to computer, renamed there (added the ‘2’), and sent back to DT. There should be no conversion. But maybe the hashing slows it? It’s the same file, just renamed…
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I’m fairly sure that must only apply to midi-over-DIN and not midi-over-USB. Data transfers to DT2 are not as slow as that.
Assume they use Elektron’s own Turbo Midi protocol expansion (that’s why there was a special dedicated midi interface for use with MD UW).
Is it correct that transferring files to the OT is quicker than transferring files to the DT2? If so how much faster is the former exactly?
I believe that Transfer sends the samples as midi sysex messages, which is going to increase the data size being sent by ~30%, which I guess exacerbates the issue now files can also already be twice the size if in stereo.
Can anyone enlighten me on one question?
So i got a DT2 and also was a bit surprised by the very slow transfer speed among other things.
Should i expect an improvement in speed in future updates or is this the speed the machine will have
„forever“ with the used-implemented hardware?
My one-shot drum samples transferred super quickly (well, quick enough). Could it be that long samples are what bog things down?
I’m looking for info but I seem to recall that when storage media is tested for read/write speeds, testers always reference read/writing a bunch of small files vs one large file. Could it be that the storage media that Elektron chose is great for reading/writing a lot of small files but not so great at doing larger files?
I also thought that I heard someone having issues with the new transfer but on a DT. That might suggest an issue with Transfer and not necessarily the DTII’s storage media.
Just some random thoughts…
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your thoughts help me preserve the hope.
There where some long-er samples though i don`t know how to define what a „long“ sample is.
In my logic a long sample (of course full songs etc excluded) is something like a pad or a drum loop that goes 10-30 seconds and things like this.
From what i remember the longest samples where like 5-10 seconds but i did not really measure
the speed in proportion to the sample length+size. Maybe i should try this tomorrow. Like one folder with 30 small samples that add up to lets say 20mb and then one single sample that takes 20 mb and measure the difference in transfer speed if any
Remember that that interface also had special dedicated drivers.
The reason the transfers are faster than MIDI DIN or USB you would normally find, is that the Digitakt actually uses the full bandwidth available for USB MIDI.
For the nerds
A 3 byte NOTE_ON message for example takes ~1ms to send over DIN.
So that’s what most USB MIDI devices do, one message each millisecond so it can be easily converted to DIN.
USB MIDI packs each message into 32 bit (4 byte) chunks, but USB MIDI packets actually allow for 64 bytes, so 16 messages each ms and ~16 times as fast as MIDI DIN.
Usually this is just used for more ports and it still doesn’t bring you to the transfer speed of the Digitakt.
What I suspect is, because the DT has a USB 2.0 connection, they use the larger packet size available. For USB 2.0 this is 512 or 1024 bytes, which brings you to right around the reported transfer speeds.
From my experience in messing with Digitakt MIDI a lot, I can tell you that it accepts a f***ton of messages compared to other USB MIDI devices, so something is different.
If both the Digitakts would use the USB file transfer protocol, it would take ~11 minutes to fill the DT2 and only ~33 seconds for the DT.
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Is Elektron’s midi sample transfer just a hangover from the Machinedrum
Ie legacy code infrastructure that should have been overhauled long ago?
What is the advantage?
It’s quaint.
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Those words were in the same brain drawer for some reasons 
With MD I can understand that’s part of the concept. Max out midi and midi control internally and externally. C6 fits that purism.
That said, C6 is history, because no 64bit version was made, and it is very strange to have overbridge with multichannel hifi i/o and that transfer gigabytes of data via some kind of modem protocol (only) approach simultaneously on one machine. On DT1 I understand. It encourages you to think and protects you from hours of scrolling samples. And since transfer over audio is faster than transfer over transfer it encourages you to use the sampler as a sampler. But now?
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Thanks for the numbers and calculations 
I just tried to put some samples on my DT2, transferred 16 one shots and then failed.
This is abysmal. I thought people were transferring GBs of stuff, I want to transfer about 1GB and it obviously doesn’t work. FFS.
I’m also annoyed that not a single YouTube reviewer mentioned this issue (or any other of the many issues). This product is not ready at all.
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Is this the first failure or did you try longer files and it failed? When you transferred 16 one shots, was that all? It failed on 16? Or did you try a larger amount?
Some people have reported that when they tried a large file transfer and it failed, it seemed to fail consistently. Formatting the +Drive and starting again using smaller loads of files remedies the issue.
Not saying this is the permanent way forward or that Elektron isn’t looking into the fix, I’m just saying that this could be the interim workaround.
To contrast your experience, I transferred 1GB of ‘Samples From Mars’ classic Roland drum one shots without any issues. Not a single hiccup and it was as fast as transferring to my DT.
I suspect the issue is more ‘likely’ with the Transfer app than it is with the DTII. I’m confident Elektron will get it sorted out.
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Hi, from noon until 5:40 p.m. today.
4.50gb of stable and error-free transfer. Yes, it’s extremely long! Maybe change the USB port?
Whimsical, even.
Saying Elektron used a farcically out of date transfer protocol deliberately to help people focus is … generous. What’s next, a power supply that regularly burns out to help people’s eyes rest?
I was going to upgrade but if there isn’t a fix for this, I won’t bother. There’s no rationale to offering stereo / larger samples when they are going to take this long to transfer. And not including a card port in 2024 is just insane. Why???
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