Digitakt tips and tricks

[selfup]

Unclear if this trick has been shared or not.

I guess I forgot I was live recording and kept sweeping the LP filter and then after saving the recording keep sweeping it and really cool results started happening.

Nothing perfect but here is a no words/no talking walkthrough with a simple drum loop and a bass line.

You have to kind of build the filter collisions up. And once they start doing weird stuff then you can do more on top of it!

I haven’t tried this on a loop sample yet (like that drum beat that already has a filter LFO thing going on) but I assume it might be kinda tight.

I assume this trick will work with any Elektron device but unclear. Might try on my DN next! Wooo

[Hawk]

WOW some awesome techniques in here!!! Just read through the thread and my mind is reeling! Some stuff I’ve done, but much more that I haven’t!

[selfup]

Ok so I tried it on more than one track and the results are interesting yet again. Was really able to enjoy jamming it out with this “Filter Collision” trick. Not all patterns use the collisions and you will be able to tell.

Hopefully someone finds this useful!

Also it seems to work great on the Model:Samples…

[Citizen]

Cool technique - almost a tiny bit like a 303 tweak in the first one.

I’ll have to try this myself. Keen to hear how it works on drums

[selfup]

Works great on drum loops but I haven’t tried it on individual tracks to then build a drum loop. I imagine it could add some spice for sure. Also using an LFO on pre-recorded filter plocks has a similar effect but it’s hard to find a sweet spot…

[jefones]

Saw this in another thread, thought this would be a good place to share. Didn’t want it to get lost in the wind.

Copy entire pattern without sounds?

(kit 1: samples 1-8, kit 2: samples 9-16, etc…), and them moving them all together with trk+ “knob D” to use the ctrl all to move all the sample slots at the same time…

By loading samples in groups of 8 one can give the digitakt a kit switching like behavior that is similar to that of the model samples

[new_drugs]

You could also put a trigless lock and set the volume down if you know where in the sequence you want the sample to silence.

[garf]

Although its primary purpose is for OB recording use, the Audio Routings’ Route To Main page (press […] and scroll to bottom, turn off Use Global Settings to enable) can also be used as an alternative Mute feature, handy for toggling audio without affecting the midi triggers – e.g. long samples can be mute-toggled mid-way through (not possible with regular Mutes). It can also mute the FX by toggling Del and Rev buttons (they’re green like the trigger buttons)

[vamoscreciendo]

Interesting, i didn’t know this (Now it is me, seeing this in another thread, but thought this belongs here too. Didn’t want it to get lost in the wind):

Clearing automation confusion

For any new people: for example, if I live record some tuning changes on the sample SRC page and I don’t like how they sound, all I need to do is re-enable live recording, hit the [NO] button, then push down the encoder for tuning. A message will pop up saying “Erase locks”, so you’ll know that it’s erasing the lock associated with that parameter.

[vamoscreciendo]

ok, for some time I was not really sure if it was a bug or what (although it is quite consistent in my DT, but I have never read it in any formal or informal manual) but I think we could take advantage of this:

press and hold one trig [1-8], +press and hold [FUNC], then release the trig first. This makes the trig latch, which also means that, for short samples without loop play mode+infinite decay, it can work as a way to mute it (also for the sequencer) until I press it again.

It is only not working like that with one single waveforms, because you hear it all the time without having to press the button… maybe still interesting for someone.

I also accidentally did this and then I didn’t know why they were not triggering, even if all volume levels and mutes were high and on… made me crazy in the beginning because there is not a visual feedback of it.

[digimatt]

The same thing happens if you hold a trig and press copy to go into grid record( not that you need to but it happens), mutes the track till the next time you press it.

[Electromatic]

I was stuck for a beat, so here’s what I did on the Digitakt.

I filled a new project up with a bunch of my samples (over 81). Then I went to the factory presets, copied a pattern, and pasted on to my new project. So, I had the sequencer and the audio track settings from the factory preset, but on my random samples.

After fiddling with the audio track settings for each of my samples, I ended up with a cool beat that sounded nothing like original factory preset.

Here’s what it sounded like. Digitone starts playing after the initial eight bars of the Digitakt beat Video processed by Hyperspektiv.

Calumet Iron

[isaacorion]

Great tip. The persistent cowbell/block rhythm anchors this track really well. Just the right swing.

Second, wow— you made a video art piece.

[tubefund]

Not a real digitakt only tip but if someone has a akai MPK range midi controller laying around gathering dust: use the midi clock from that akai piece as external clock source by starting the DT with the transport buttons on the akai. That clock is fluctuating a bit and the swing you get on your current and future projects is absolutely fantastic. You might add extra swing too taste from the DT itself. While your connected transform your DT in a 8 voice paraphonic synth. Go to settings, track one to eight on The same midi channel as the external keyboard is transmitting and, that’s the important part, autochannel to a ghost number like 16. Now load in some samples, pitch one -24 with lowpass filter into bass region as sub osc. Take 2 or 3 tracks with the same sample (Looped single cycles as a good start ing point) and detune and pan too taste with a bit of reverb and take another with some lfo on the start point, panning or whatever. Instant mono synth!

[texbrown]

Sorry this is probably a silly question, but do you plug the mpk using a midi hub?
I do have an mpk but I think it’s bus powered and has no midi in/out ports.
Or the new mpk line has these features?

[tubefund]

Not a silly question. I was referring to the MPK25 and up midi keyboards and other models with din midi out and build in clock. I’m sure MPC’s work great too but don’t expect that anyone has those gathering dust.

[vamoscreciendo]

ok, this is not working anymore with the last update 1.20 . So aparently it was a bug.

[anokah]

This might have already been mentioned but I’ll throw it in. Last night I wanted to cut the volume of a synth sample between hits. I tried using trigless trigs and cutting the volume, but I always ended up with clicks no matter what I did.

The sollution was to use the amp envelope instead. Place trigless trigs and just cut the decay instead of the volume. Got the result I wanted, no clicks.

[horrrsing]

Found out something quite interesting and I don’t know is this is documented somewhere.

F.e. if you play a looping sound on Track 1 in Pattern 1, keep the Track 1 button pressed, switch to another pattern while still keep pressing the button, the loop keeps playing while you are in another pattern. Could be a nice transition technique.

[digimatt]

There are a few combos where holding a trig and pressing something else will lead to the note locking, pressing it again should unlock it.