Digitakt Pattern Chain mode

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

With the Digitakt I am having trouble with learning how to chain patterns effectively. Video tutorials on this subject don’t seem to exist. For instance, I have a XOXBOX which has a nice pattern chain mode. So basically with the XOXBOX when you are in the chain mode you can click any pattern number 1-16 (however number of times you want it to repeat! Awesome…) then switch to the next pattern and select that to one to play a by clicking it however number of times and so on… I think up to 24 patterns can be chained on the XOXBOX before it loops. I can’t seem to figure out if the Digitakt works the same. For instance I was trying to figure out how to play pattern 1 on the Digitakt, four times then switch to pattern 2 and play it twice then back to pattern 1 to play four more times and then to pattern 3 twice. Back to pattern 1 four more times then switch to pattern 4 to play twice! I wanted to keep this type of pattern chain going all the way up to pattern 16. I hope that explanation works. Is pattern chaining like this with the Digitakt possible?

Also, I did read somewhere that you can only chain patterns within the same bank. I understand that and was wondering if they were working on any update that will allow to select patterns from different banks to be chained in the sequence. But my main question is regarding the functionality of the Digitakt pattern chain mode. Thank you for your time with this technical question.

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#2

From the manual:

You can create one chain in the currently active bank. You can use the 16 patterns within that bank to create
the chain. The chain can consist of up to 64 pattern entries.

  1. Press [BANK] + [TRIG 9–16] key to select bank.
  2. Press and hold [PTN] and then press a [TRIG 1–16] key to select the first pattern in the chain.
  3. Release the [PTN] key and then press [TRIG 1–16] keys in the same order as you want the chained
    patterns to play. Keep the previous [TRIG] key pressed while you press the next one, the one after
    that and so on, so that the sequencer can recognize that you’re building a chain and not just switching
    patterns. You can press the same [TRIG] key again if you wish to add the pattern multiple times in a row.
  4. Press [PLAY] to start the sequencer and play the chain. The chain will be looped once the final pattern
    of the chain has played.
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#3

I’ve not tried chaining yet, and am not with my DT at the moment, but if you have to hold the TRIG key while you select the next one so it knows you are chaining, how does it know you are chaining when you press the same TRIG multiple times? Surely you have to come off of the TRIG to press it again.

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#4

Thanks for posting, I have read the manual. From what the manual says, you must hold the previous TRIG key down while you select the next to signal its a pattern chain. I tried to press TRIG 1 more than once this and it seemed to end the chain as soon as I let go of the TRIG. I will give it another go.

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#5

Maybe you have to press the TRIG multiple times whilst still holding the previous one?

But how would you repeat the first pattern multiple times?

#6

But what if its the first TRIG that is to be repeated… I guess you just hold down PTN then press desired TRIG X amount of times holding it down on the last desired amount then continuing with the chain. Sounds good… I’ll try that… Thanks Goseba!

I know about the bank limitation. I was just wondering if anyone has head if they will be working on a patch that will allow choosing patterns from multiple banks! Thanks

#7

i’m really not sure on the chaining the same sequence multiple times in a row as that is not the way i use chaining. someone in another thread was mentioning having duplicate patterns to do it. for example pattern one and pattern two are the same and the user would use those two patterns to create a long chain. i guess that’s kind of a work around.

aslo posting form the manual was more for this part, cause it answers the question you asked about same bank stuff

#8

AFAIK you can’t repeat patterns in a chain right now.

#9

That’d be lame (incredibly limited) if it were the case, that can’t be right…? what’s the use of a pattern chain mode when you can achieve better results manually?

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#10

I tried it out last night. It seems you can’t repeat the first pattern simply because you need to have that TRIG held down as you press the next TRIG in the chain. That to me doesn’t make sense.

What I think they could have done was allow for double click. So double click PTN key to put you in pattern chain mode. Or possibly hold down PTN then hit FUNC to enter pattern chian mode. Select the desired TRIG by pressing it once now by holding FUNC pressing the number keys for the desired number of times you want that TRIG to repeat. So…

HOLD[PTN] press FUNC Release —> enters chain mode.
Chose TRIG by pressing once. Then select the next TRIG in the chain. If the desired TRIG is to be played multiple times after pressing it HOLD[FUNC] then press the [TRIG number keys] for the desired amount. So if you wanted the TRIG to repeate three times just hit TRIG # 3 or TRIG #16 for it to repeat 16 times. or if you wanted to have it repeat 24 times just hit TRIG #2 then TRIG #4 for (24) Release FUNC would signal its waiting for the next chain command — Continue with the pattern chain.

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#11

You can repeat patterns, just not the first one, because you would have to take your finger off of it to repeat it. Heres a quick, but annoying, work around. Copypasta your first pattern. Then, while keeping your finger on this duplicated first pattern, tap the second, or any other patterns, as many times as you like. It takes up a pattern slot, but allows you to do what you want.

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#12

Chain Mode < SONG MODE w/ SAVE function = Please.

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#13

I’m still bewildered that Elektron hasn’t addressed the no song mode/can’t save pattern chains thing yet. If they aren’t going to do something about it, then they should have marketed the Digitakt as a sampler, not a drum machine.

7 Likes
#14

I’ve had an eye out for the release of the Analog Rytm MkII (which is only a little more than 2x the cost of the DT)…
• Analog synthesis: check!
• 8 dedicated 1/4" phono outputs: check!
• Stereo Sampling Capability: check!
• Song Mode: check!
• TRUE ANALOG / DIGITAL SAMPLING DRUM MACHINE???
May be selling the DT for the Rytm MKII – would function nicely alongside the SP’ and 950.

#15

Agreed!

1 Like
#16

I too am confused. People say a song mode is the dividing line between Digitakt and Octatrack but they’re two different mindsets right?

Involved/Deep or Fast/Fun

Is it really about price points, product hierarchies or basic sequencing features? I think Digitakt stands on its own as a completely different beast.

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#17

but no midi on AR MKII !!
:weary::weary::weary::confounded::confounded::confounded:

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#18

that workaround sadly doesn’t work if (for example) you have events that only happen the second time your pattern plays - the copied pattern only plays once, and then the first pattern starts from the beginning again… I hope the firmware at least fixes that!

#19

although you can of course just set up a dummy pattern two 16ths long and use that…

#20

I’m not getting what you are saying. Are you talking about using trig conditions in the first pattern and those not being present in the second pattern?

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