Believe it or not, not everyone who uses Elektron gear DJ’s or plays EDM. Some of us play guitars, bass, vocals, drums, etc. , and we can’t be plinking buttons every 15 seconds to change a pattern.
If Elektron puts in a song mode, or the ability to save pattern chains, people don’t have to use it, but at least it’s there for those of us who find it indispensable.
Simon/Elektron had said that there would be a pattern chain mode as a viable option to not having song mode, so my fingers are crossed that Elektron actually have a plan for being able to save pattern chains.
I am ready to buy if/when this happens.
Just do it like the Electribes do it. A pattern can tell another pattern “Hey, you’re next.” And that next pattern can tell another pattern “After me, you’re on.”
And so on.
This would be cool if we could have conditionnal trigs with these pattern changes 
Simon or someone at HQ said they have it covered so I guess just wait and see what they’ve done with it…
I can see the frustration for some users in not knowing, but with no guaranteed date of it being added it makes sense to hold off purchase anyway if it’s a totally vital feature to someone. Might not get added for a while…
Save the chain with the pattern. Like the Electribes do.
Could they not just have ‘button + pad 1-16’ = save the current chain to that pad. A different ‘button + pad 1-16’ = load/play that chain? That’s assuming there are some buttons on the UI that don’t currently do anything when combined with a pad?
Yep, same structure. The pattern rules it all and everything derives from there. It was a big deal for many Electribers when Korg implemented pattern chaining, as a reply to users’ lament for lack of song mode. You define the chain and then define if it’s on or off, and then you’re good.
In the original pattern, the one that’s first in the chain.
As above, accessible in first pattern 
or if you can only store 16 chains, have the same 16 chains accessible on pads 1-16 from all patterns in that pattern bank. Or something like that…
If you can find your way around the Electribe chain, they can be as long as you want, I think. It’s an oddly liberating structure. The one pattern only knows the next pattern, and that pattern only knows the pattern after that. So it’s your mind’s eye that sets the limit.
Exactly. Not better or worse, just different:
I would love to have more than one pattern change on each pattern though. That used with trig conditions would give a proper song mode for me.
i think the lack of song mode really hinders the DT from becoming “the brain” of any setup.
it’s the brain of my setup. A4, tt303, mc202, op-1, monologue all slaved to it. Im looking forward to their apparent future more extensive chain mode update but it’s my favourite centre piece I’ve ever used as is.
I find I’m using trig conditions more on DT than before instead of chains, and then longer chord progressions / lines are done on the A4.
song mode is integral to my setup, so while i do have the Digitakt incorporated into my setup, it’s most definitely not the brain.
I used to share the thought that song mode was an integral part of my set up and would make it difficult to use the digitakt as a brain. But, since i started using my digitakt as the brain of my setup up replacing my monomachine in that role, i have found that i never really needed it. Its not too difficult to name patterns in a fashion that reminds me their order and what “song” they belong too. As well as utilizing the sound saving feature regularly has eliminated my reliance on the kit
i rely on program changes / ch.len to have the digitakt “follow” my monomachine.
this works okay, but the hardest part is setting pattern mutes…so if i don’t want any sound from the digitakt, i need to copy/paste a new pattern on the monomachine so that i can have those pattern mutes on the digitakt.
anyhoo, i don’t believe song mode is a dire necessity by any means, but it does hinder the digitakt’s potential for being “the brain” of a setup…or at least, “my setup.”
are you sequencing the digi with the mono or just the program changes?
i primarily use the mnm to sequence itself, but i’ve configured some DT patterns to seq both internal/ext tracks on the mnm to sprinkle in some probability triggers.