Digitakt encoders - turning slowly won't increase value

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hey,

I got a digitakt about a month ago (exhibition piece, scarcely used from the looks of it) and just noticed now that 4 of the 8 main encoders (E, F, H, D) are having a quirk - they feel very fine, but turning them slowly clockwise doesn’t really increase the corresponding value, it just jumps around in the decimals without ever reaching the next whole number.
Turning them in a snappy/quick manner works just fine. Pressing them in and turning clockwise works fine as well. Counterclockwise I experience no issues with any of the encoders.

I’m not quite willing to send it away for repair since it isn’t really that big an issue, also, I’m not really sure if it’s a software thing…? Firmware is the latest (1.20A)

EDIT: strangely the D knob works well in both directions when using it to select samples :man_shrugging:

#2

Hey
There’s a visual encoder feedback in the Test Mode (search pdf for early startup) - this will allow meaningful direct comparison away from parameter pages that may have different weightings on encoder response

The ‘encoders’ are a dual potentiometer sin/cos type - so it may be that if you twist too slowly, the monitoring algorithm writes it off as noise, it may need more pronounced twisting to register, but shouldn’t be different across the encoders, thus suggesting test mode to rule out parameter gearing

2 Likes
#3

Great tip, thank you!

1 Like
#4

Not sure if it was improved in an update or I just got used to it but turning some encoders very slowly in order to fine tune could lead to substantial encoder travel with no change at all, like there is a minimum speed needed to register.

#5

Just tested all encoders in test mode - they all behave identically! So it’s a software thing after all…
Any way of adjusting this behavior as a user?

#6

Note to anyone who might stumble onto this thread: it turned out to be a temporary issue, disappeared after a night. Maybe the knobs get freaky after prolonged use - I’ll keep observing it