Digitakt - Limiting?

Elektron Gear
#1

Hi Everyone,

I am about to get a Digitakt or mayyybbe an Octatrack.

Before I do I have some simple questions because I can get a new Digitakt for 730ish new or a used MKI Octa for around 875, not too much of a difference but still very expensive.

1a. Do you think Digitakt will ever have more than 8 sample spots? Wish they would have 16 instead of 8 for Midi, 8 for sampling. Do you find this limiting or is the parameter changes you can apply to the pads enough.

1b. Does the Octatrack only have 8 samples running at a time as well?

I am leaning towards a digitakt as this is my first Elektron piece and it’s cheaper, but if the Octatrack can have more samples playing, that’s big. I’ve been using random stuff and mostly a Roland SP-555 for sampling and workflow.

Either way stoked to get one of these. Been seeing my favorite bands using them now for awhile (Animal Collective, MGMT, Radiohead etc…) and my SP-555 is super limiting.

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#2

It’s 128, not 8.

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#3

For both machines?

From the video’s I’ve seen, they load the top 8 tracks with sounds and then they are all set.

I have also seen where they take a step from 1 of those tracks and change the sample on it. Is that what you mean?

#4

Both machines have 128 sample slots and 8 audio tracks + 8 midi tracks.

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#5

There are 8 tracks, 8 voices, but those voices can pull from a pool of 128 samples on any given step. So, you have a lot of material to work with, but you can only have 8 layers playing at the same time. The OT is quite a bit more powerful, so if the price difference isn’t huge, I would nudge you in that direction, but the DT is also really great and maybe a bit faster workflow wise because of its comparative simplicity.

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#6

Thanks for the clarification.

Yes, they are close in price but OT may be just outa my range. Also from videos I’ve seen, people say the Digitakt has a warmer sound. Have you noticed this? It seems like it may be a little smoother sounding? I don’t know bc I’ve never A-B’d them but that’s what I’ve been seeing on youtube.

#7

I think the DT has a slightly clearer sound and the OT I feel is actually “warmer.” The dual effect engine per channel and slices plus 3 lfo’s is really powerful.

#8

The difference in sound coloration is pretty minimal compared to all the crazy things either machine can do to a sound. I wouldn’t base your decision on that aspect at all… Either sounds just wonderful, and the music you make with will matter far more than the slight differences in final output stages.

The workflow and performance differences are significant between these two machines. You should watch videos looking at that aspect to see which jives with what you anticipate doing, more. The Octatrack does have far more processing options, and can be set up in more different ways (live looping, is a significant one, playing very long samples or backing tracks is another). On the other hand, Digitakt is very good at being a live playable sample sequencer. These kinds of considerations should be your first concerns.

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#9

The other thing to consider which may or may not be an issue for you is that the Octatrack can play stereo samples, the Digitakt only plays mono samples. Also as yet there is no way to back up your samples on the Digitakt if that is important to you.

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#10

The DT will get multitracking out via OB whereas the OT never will. Worth considering if getting the 8 tracks out individually is important to you. I tell ya, if they’d announced the OT Mkii with OB that would have been an instabuy for me

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#11

I vote for the Digitakt. It sounds great. It’s continuously fun to use(your fingers will forever be drawn to it) and works as a constant source of inspiration. The machine is very intuitive to use- so much so that scratching the music itch will feel as natural and direct as scratching an actual physical itch.

The Octatrack IS more powerful- and has features that one can’t reasonably expect from the Digitakt(such as stereo samples also a better midi sequencer)- also a more capable performance abilityand more room for storage. But you’ll have to commit yourself to diving deep into the machine- commit to a devotion to learning the Octatrack and the different ways it can be used- and from there- some of the features will require you to establish a sort of muscle memory.

The question is- do you want immediacy or do you want power? If you want immediacy- go Digitakt, if you want power go Octatrack.

You’ll be happy with whichever you get- especially if you vow to forget the alternative exists

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#12

Not trying to be that guy, but all those bands you listed I guarantee resample so 8 samples is not limiting in any way neither is your sp-555

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#13

You are right, i got the SP-555 6-7 years ago bc i saw madlib and animal collective use it. It’s a great sampler but i want something more in the lines of a step sequencer.

#14

How many minutes can the Digitakt store? Has anyone run into the issue of running out of space?

I think longer samples i can handle on the sp-555

It’s strange how you can back up samples on the Octatrack but not have overbridge, while digitakt doesn’t have backing up samples but has overbridge. I have to look more into what overbridge entails/is

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#15

If you look at the dt as a machine of 8 tracks with 64 steps in which different samples and sounds can be p-locked, limits start to get blurry and It can be really easy to use all 128 sample slots in a project.

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#16

Power (and the passion).

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#17

Octatrack…
A little known fact is that if you make it through the wtf is this machine phase, the why is it doing this phase, the I hate this thing phase, the this thing is actually pretty cool I should study it more phase, and into the I’m going to keep it phase… In the course of the following year it actually becomes super quick and immediate, and you enter the I’m never getting rid of this thing phase… Haha…

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#18

My man! :smiley:

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#19

guh, this is going to be a hard choice… I’ll be picking one up in about a month or so, so more thinking and watching youtube videos I guess!

#20

How do you mean “limits start to get blurry”? Meaning I will run into full storage quickly?

Are people running into full storage a lot with this device?