Digitakt II with Logic Pro

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

People,

I’m thinking -

Logic Pro.

Digitakt II into Logic Pro, through USB. USB handles both stereo audio in, and midi. Both ways.

I’ll play some synths in Logic. Record straight into Digitakt II. Mess around with the recorded stuff in Digitakt II, in ways I’d never be able to in Logic. Record results back into Logic Pro, as a stereo audio file.

And so on.

This would work, right?

I’m thinking blankfor.ms Tape Synth Spitfire plug in Logic, I just love the sound of that patch, record from that plug into the Digitakt, mess it up with loops, slices, p-locks, sequencing mayhem, back into Logic.

I just think that kind of sample manipulation doesn’t lend itself so well with software. And now that the Takt has stereo recording and stuff, I’m thinking why not. If it sounds good, might even replace my current sound card, boom, one less gadget on the table. Not that there’s many left these days.

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#2

I don’t have a DTII (yet) but I don’t have good experience with Digitakt and Logic Pro or Ableton for the use case being described; which I understand is using the Digitakt as an audio interface since you want to monitor audio from the Digitakt. I am interested in the discussion though from a perspective of sampling DAW audio on DT with USB versus line in.

My aforementioned experience has not yielded satisfying results with sample quality. The source always sounds better in the DAW than it does on the Digitakt in 1:1 comparison :man_shrugging:

#3

I’m kind of doing this with my OP1f and Ableton but I see no reason why it wouldn’t work with Logic Pro. Basically I set up an “aggregate device” consisting of my OP1f and my audio interface. OP1f lives on inputs/outputs 5-6 while my audio interface is on 1-2 and 3-4.

Whenever I want to sample to the OP1f I select 5-6 as output, I can even monitoring live what is being sampled without nasty feedback. Then I can record back to Ableton via inputs 5-6.

Yesterday I even tried to use my OP1f as an external effect processor by arming recording on the cassette tape, sending audio to the OP1f and recording the output from OP1f to another audio channel. It works!

4 Likes
#4

This would absolutely work and it’s how I’ve used the OG as well.
But they are still working on Overbridge for the DT2, so until then you’re stuck with 4 jack cables and a midi cable.

#5

I don’t know about digitakt 2 but I use my SP404mk2 in exactly this way. If it works out the DT2 works likes this I’d be interested didn’t know it could do audio in and out over USB. That feature is a major plus on the SP and is the main reason I ended up favouring the 404 over the MPC one plus I had

#6

Oh, it’s not even audio class-compliant? I don’t need OB, I just need USB audio and midi.

I know this works with OP-1 Field, have used it like so for a few times.

#7

That should work at the moment. Make sure the USB config is set to AUDIO+MIDI (not OVERBRIDGE) and you’re good to go.

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#8

Then that is all I need. I’m not interested in Overbridge, I just want to bounce back audio back and forth, essentially using the Digitakt as a hardware plug-in :slight_smile:

#9

ahhh wait yeah that works. OB is just for the multitracking aspect of course.
Damn that’s neat. Forgot and was fiddling around with them cables already :smiley:

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#10

:smiley:

You know, just reading your enthusiasm here makes me almost wanna go for it.

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#11

You very much should!

1 Like
#12

Definitely share results/experiences. I am interested in your feedback. I will try at some point again myself, but like I said the sample recording over USB left me feeling much to be desired. Not sure if I would have better experience sampling over line-in but I just did a test again and I think line-in is superior here. I hear crackles and pops over USB. DUNE 3 patch sampled into DT:

USB:

LINE-IN:

#13

You know, I won’t go down this road if there’s quality issues. It’s not a cheap one, the Digitakt II. If it’s not pristine, I won’t even try it.

Can def hear the clicks on the USB version, obv not counting the intended ones :slight_smile:

Though I have to say, they’re so prominent, I’d say this sounds like some kind of peaking or hardware failure.

#15

Update -

It works flawlessly. Bought one. Here we go.

6 Likes
#16

Congratulations! Where did you find one?

Edit: I see them in store @ Andreasson, damn… Better post here so they sell out :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like
#17

:slightly_smiling_face::partying_face:

#18

Didn’t the BB work out in Logic?
What are you gonna do with all the midi channels and no HW :smiley:

1 Like
#19

Me and the BB are on a break :slightly_smiling_face:

#20

bb
bb819×951 91.5 KB

OMG what happened!? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

5 Likes
#21

Haha :slight_smile: yeah, I don’t think Bo and I ever were a thing :smirk:

About midi channels @Bignill I won’t be using the Digitakt for anything else than a glorious audio and sample manipulator and beat maker, as well as sound design kit. I’ve always liked the Digitakt sound, and the way you just cut through samples and make them into something else, has always appealed to me. The mono part, low memory and no kits put me off, but that’s all fixed now, so I can see myself using this with Logic to throw sounds back and forth with Logic as final destination.

Kind of like a super-powered plug with a hardware controller. I guess that would make a case for using it with OB, once they get that sorted, but I won’t be building tracks with the Digitakt, only use it to create loops, samples, one shots and just work those recordings into something else.

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