I have an Octatrack MKII coming when they get released which I was told would be Sep 22nd. I own a Digitakt already and am curious how those who own both are making good use of the machines together.
1 Like
I am also curious.
1 Like
Dont own both but id sync them both to the same clock and use digitakt to sequence drums keeping all the tracks on the OT free for madness, id play with using probability sequencing OT, and running the digitakt on a thru machine into the octa and using OTs effects as a master for digi, then neighbor tracks for more effects, then 6 LFOs modulating those effects then repeat times 4, on my remaining tracks, then some slicing and rearranging and then changing parts and having a whole new bunch of shit, then id filter and resample and chop some more, then run it through the digis drive and then resample into OT on 8 different tracks of independant length and speed, then id reverse half the slices and loopback the OTs midi and use its arp to play itself and then my head would explode
39 Likes
I own both, long time OT user and got a DT last week. DT is used for drums/percussions, OT for everything else. They are synced thru MIDI, but currently there is a bug in DT which delays pattern changes by a bar or so (VERY frustrating).
Overall DT cannot replace OT for me. It’s a GREAT drum machine, but OT as so many more things that I use all the time. They complement each other very nicely.
1 Like
You just exploded my head
1 Like
I don’t have a Digitakt, but I have an OT and Rytm so here’s some tips:
-Use one shot recorder trigs to capture the current DT pattern as a sample and use the crossfader to mix between the sample and the live DT audio, all at the press of a button without stopping.
You can fade to the sample, switch the DTs pattern, and then fade to that. Of course with the fader in the middle you have 2 DT patterns mixed… Repeat as necessary…
Sampling a DT pattern and mixing between it and a control all version sounds fun…
With the DT pattern as a sample, you can do audio warping tricks like reverse it…
-Have a pre arranged, sliced up remix of a recorder buffer on a flex track. As soon as you sample a DT pattern the flex remix will be available instantaneously, you can use the crossfader to mix that in as well…
-Use a thru machine for adding fx to DT, you can have the crossfader control the fx, sequence them if you like…
All of the above would be controlled using 3 or more different scenes which you select to decide what you want the fader to do…
-Send midi lfos to DT, and also the arpeggiator…
The above is staple OT stuff. For more experimental stuff I’d be interested in using DT’s conditional midi to trigger OT events… Conditional sampling sounds quite interesting for variation, and I’d want to try conditional launching of plays free tracks. OT can have tracks that don’t start with the play button and you can launch them whenever. You could set some tracks as fills or added textures and have them conditionally launched here and there as one shot tracks… With these two in combo you could get some interesting variations of fills or other elements launched here and there, and with occasionally updated samples as you go…
Having the lfos and arp controlling aspects of the DT as said above, the DT could occasionally conditionally change some of the arp or lfos parameters back on the OT, which in turn creates variation on DT…
Really there’s piles of stuff you could do with these two, the above is just a few examples…
You’ve got a little time before mk2, if I were you I’d get to the Dagobah system asap to find master Yoda and begin your training, I think he just got back from Burning Man… 
30 Likes
of topic but the one bar delay has been in AR as long as i know. the recommended solution is to send a pattern change in advance. not sure it even counts as a bug
Owned a rytm and never had this issue…
Most of that just went over my head, except dagaboh, I know it well. I am pretty good on the DT, it’s a pretty simple machine once you learn the basics. The OT is way more…I think that’s the best way to describe it. More. My plan is to use the OT as my home base and send changes to the DT. While it’s in arranger mode I’ll sing and play my guitar on some tracks and other’s I’ll go hands on with my machines
1 Like
I think after you learn the OT functions and terminology a little it will make more sense. It’s too much to describe how to set things up step by step, but I think after using the OT for awhile you’ll be able to look back and grasp what I said…
2 Likes
It definitely is a bug. I watched a video of the AR and Rytm together and they changed patterns together perfectly. I WANT THAT
In case you want something like this:
watch the tutorial from dataline aka Cenk from Elektron
It costs 5 bucks but explains the setup you are looking for in a good way.
Definitly worth watching as thru tracks and mangling them is getting a lot better to understand after looking.
At least for me 
3 Likes
Would totally agree with that and second your recommendation!
Been playing endlessly with my Digitakt since I got it- just amazing.
The one issue I have with it is that it really does rouse the itch to expand it with an Octatrack.
The issue I have with the Octatrack, though- is it felt like climbing up a steep incline before you could get to the fun(just the prep work before jamming out)
Who here has both- and have you experienced any benefit from working with both of these together?
Thanks!
Scenes crossfader, live loop sampling, slices, FX on inputs, 2 different FX per track, long samples, ARP on MIDI tracks… Those are where OT shines compared to DT.
Since OT2 I am really thinking of letting go DT.
But if I had only these two boxes, I’d use DT for drums and OT for everything else.
1 Like
I mean- those are nice touches- but if I’d get another OT I’d want the whole(OT + DT) to be greater than the some of its parts.
I distinctly remember the OT workflow not working for me, no matter how much the DT workflow is leading me to believe otherwise
I have now had both for a while, the Digitakt being the one I’ve had the longest. I am mostly using the Octatrack mkii now. However, I would be using the Digitakt more if the pattern change from the Octa didn’t arrive so late on the Digi. My plan was exactly that, use the Digi for dreams exclusively, and mangle samples on the Ocatrack and create song arrangements. That is the end goal, just waiting for the OS from Elektron.
1 Like
Is anyone using the DT for programming drum patterns—i.e., using mono samples—and the OT for slicing and programming drum breaks and mangling other (stere) samples? I’m very curious about this workflow and if it’s ultimately worth owning both machines. I feel like it’s perhaps a waste of the OT’s capabilities to use it for programming drum patterns (like the DT).
1 Like
Hey there, I know its been several months but I wanted to follow up and see where you’re at with your setup now. I have a OTmki and a DT. Lately I have been thinking about getting rid of one but I cannot for the life of me decide which one to sell-- I don’t want to miss one! At the end of the day I think my purposes can be mostly met in the DT, I use both for drums but thats not to say I wouldnt miss FX, 3 LFOs and the crossfader…
I keep going in and out so I thought I’d see where youre at now. I feel this strong temptation to experiment with a DT+Dtone setup, and get rid of the other gear-- which is funny, just a little version of my current OT+MNM rack.
Hey! Let me answer your question in regard to my set up, and I’ll tell you why I did what I did… I sold my Octatrack, and I kept my Digitakt. I had an opportunity to get all of my money back on the OT and switch to something that was more tailored to my pursuits, which is mostly eurorack. In truth my Octatrack had a bunch of issues, my button LED’s got stuck permanently blue, and some other stuff. Not deal breakers for me cause I had my warranty, the machine is worth the effort. Still I ended up with a Deluge by Synthstrom, and I am not looking back. The thing is amazing. However, I do love the Octatrack and if I had to choose between the DT and the OT i’d probably keep the OT because it’s just a much more powerful machine. I will probably not get rid of my DT- CAUSE I AM GONNA WITNESS THE RETURN OF CHRIST WITH IT, OR OVERBRIDGE as they like to call it. I am a firm believer that too many machines clogs the lines of creativity because guilt creeps in for not spending time with our other beloved machines, or integrating them flawlessly. I don’t know if this helps AT ALL, hahaha, but I am pretty happy where I am at with my gear at the moment.
6 Likes