How is the Digitakt a Drum Computer?
Does it do synthesis in any way?
Is it not strictly sample based?
This thing would have actually been pretty dope if it had a drum synthesis engine.
Itâs a computer and you can use it for drums. How is it not a drum computer?
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Unfortunately, no, no ârealâ synthesis. Youâd more likely looking for a Syntakt or a analog rytm from the elektron stable if youâre looking for ârealâ synthesis.
However, that being said, you can do single cycle synthesis on the DT. Select a sample, set loop on, and boom youâve got a repeating âoscillatorâ.
You can then select the startpoint and length of the loop. Start and endpoints are incredibly high resolution, so you can zoom right in to a single waveform in your sample, turning a kick drum into something like a bass synth.
This can then be further shaped by the pitch, bitcrusher, Amp and the Filter to turn it into a brand new âdrum hitâ from your original sample.
To make this easier, you can load a single cycle waveform like âanasineâ that comes in the factory content folder. However, I think youâd probably find more interesting audio textures within standard ânon drumâ samples, like a bass loop or a piano solo.
In addition to this, the LFOs can be used to modulate parameters heavily, and well into the audio range. This allows for a degree of
- FM (modulate the pitch),
- AM (modulate amp vol),
- Pulsewidth modulation (if you modulate the length of a single cycle sample waveform),
- Granular synthesis (modulating the start point of the sample).
Again, not really traditional synthesis, but untraditional processes can bring about unique sound palettes.
Hope this gives some insight to the machine, have fun exploring 
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I think of the term drum âcomputerâ similar to the term drum âmachineâ. Some drum machines are sample based, some are analog, and some are both. The Digitakt It is all sample based. But, it gives you options to process the samples or single cycle waveforms similar to synthesizers utilizing envelopes, filters, and LFOâs per track. In that way it is like a synthesizer to me. And with the retrokits cable, it can used as an 8 voice poly synth.
For drum synthesis, check out the Syntakt or Analog RYTM. They both have drum synthesis engines. And the RYTM can layer samples over the drum synthesis, maybe closer to what you are looking for in the Digitakt.
Of course the Digitone, Analog four, and M:C can also do drums as well.
It is dope without it
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I really enjoy the synthesis options on the Digitakt. Itâs so easy to dial some sweet quiky synth sounds
As for drum synthesis, itâs not something you just throw as a bonus feature. It should be a well-thought synth engine that might include transient, noise, different types of synthesis (including physical modeling), specific types of enveloppes/EQâs/etc. Just check out the Nord Drums.
I think the answer to both those questions is âyesâ. I donât know if itâs officially considered this, but I think of it as sample-based synthesis: Sample-based synthesis - Wikipedia
There are also single-cycle waveforms that can be looped and used as âoscillatorsâ in the factory sample collection. In that collection, theyâre even in the âoscillatorsâ folder.
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Realistically, I canât think of a device that fits the term âdrum computerâ MORE than the Digitakt. Sure, itâs sample based, but when you consider how many sound design tools are packed into it including Tuning/looping/stretching/mangling of samples. Filters /EQ, envelopes , LFOs, Drive, Reverb, Delay, Master FX, and the sequencer of course. Combine that with it being a great MIDI brain for a set upâŚ
Itâs literally a Drum Computer.
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Itâs a computer but for drums
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According to Oxford dictionary:
computer noun. /kÉmËpjuËtÉÂŽ/ /kÉmËpjuËtÉr/ âan electronic machine that can store, organize and find information, do processes with numbers and other data, and control other machines .
I think it checks out!
If you were to travel back down he history of things called a âDrum Computerâ you would have been even more disappointed with something like the 1980 Linn LM-1 Drum Computer (earliest âdrum computerâ I can find.), Sample based, you would have to burn eprom to change the samples. Digitakt more than fits that linage
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I just bought a Digitakt and was trying to actually zoom in to the waveform. Is this not possible? When looping longer samples I found it really difficult to get zero cross points resulting in clicks as it loops. Do you have any tips?
Unfortunately, I maybe used the wrong terminology there with âzoomâ.
The recording screen has this functionality, however thereâs no way to do it with a sample in memory which is highly frustrating as the octatrack manages this. Octa also has âsnap to zeroâ if you hold function whilst scanning the wave.
You could get around this by resampling your track/sample via the record screen, setting source to the track you wish to âzoom onâ. Record it. You can then zoom in and out of your end points using the top row of encoders (Iâm not sitting Infront of the takt right now, so Iâd be hard pressed to say exactly which encoders. I think itâs A to move start point, B to zoom in and out, C for endpoint, D for zoom in and out). When your happy, save it as a new sample. Itâs a work around, but hopefully helps you a bit! Bit cumbersome, but it works if you need the visuals to find a zero point crossing. You can also try stepping in 0.01 increments till you find a zero crossing; rather fiddly, albeit possible.
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