Digitone Midi tracks, I must be daft

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

So I just cant seem to figure out how to program the Midi tracks on the Digitone, I have no issue with the channels/routings but I just feel dumb:

When I press the midi button and go to a track in grid mode i see a track populated with all red notes and hold one to see the note data and dont see any note data, I would like to record into a midi track using the keys in the same way I do with a synth track…

Can someone please give me a simple step by step to open and see a midi track on any of the tracks and then hopefully record and play them back?

(like I said I beleive I have a handle on the midi settings themselves but for background I am trying to sequence a Mother 32 on a midi track, essentially “channel 5” because I have left the routings as they are for 1-4 to make things easier and this is all because I cant sequence that M32 with my normal setup which is Octatrack for samples and transport, Digi tracks 1-4 for synth tracks sequenced on the Digi (and the M32 NOT sequenced from the Octa as I would love to do bc of that stupid M32 sequencer triggering issue when sequenced from external midi sequencers))

Thanks for all of yr help!

1 Like
#2

Switch to midi track - don’t go into grid record - hit record and play to live record - play some notes on the chromatic keyboard.

What happens?

#3

I couldnt get any sound coming out from the M32/didnt seem like it was sending “triggers”/note on data to the M32 so I figured that I wasn’t in the correct Midi mode :confused: (and did make sure that M32 was receiving on Midi ch 5 as I said in my setup example above)

#4

It might be that you have the midi channel settings set in config but not on the track? Go to your midi track - syn1 Page - press Func and turn the channel control to match the number of your target device (M32).

2 Likes
#5

huh ok when I get home Ill absolutely try that… that said do you know what I should be seeing when I do the sequencing? I appreciate your help with the sending the midi info but I am really mostly confused with how the sequencer works to begin with… (not trying to bite the hand that feeds me by asking you for more info but im struggling here!!!) To be clear what Im hoping for is someone to help me do a step by step so that I know I am getting to see the sequencer view/sequencer note information for the particular channel… ) regardless thanks for yr help!

#6

In live mode (where you are playing the Digitone keyboard and recording at same time, you won’t see notes on the grid at all -

1: hit record and play - you’ll just see the record button flashing -

  1. when you finish recording, switch to grid record mode, ( record button) and you’ll see the trigs laid out on the sequencer that you just recorded live.

  2. If you press on individual lit notes in this mode (grid) you’ll see the note info etc displayed as filled values on the Trig page (note you can add the Conditional triggers per lit step on this page too)

  3. You can tweak note values and any other parameter value on all the pages by holding a sequencer step and changing the param value you want - this is a famous “parameter lock”

  4. You can also hold steps and add microtiming and ratchet steps by pressing the arrow buttons.

  5. You can shift the entire sequence by pressing the func plus left/right arrows and not holding any steps

That’s the basics.

1 Like
#7

Thankyou!!! this is awesome, excited to try it out tonight!

#8

Just make sure as above ,that in the midi syn1 page you hold func and press/set the midi channel of your target device -this part catches out a lot of folks.

3 Likes
#9

Hey there, that number 5 there you mention ratcheting which I presume is retrig but I didn’t think the DN had that function?
Not calling you out, just miffed as I sold mine and can’t check, actually one of the reasons I sold it!
Couldn’t see it in the manual or the update release list, can you or anyone confirm this, purely academic now of course…:thinking:

EDIT don’t worry I searched and found it doesn’t have retrig, just the arp workaround, phew :sweat_smile:

2 Likes
#10

ive also been dissapointed by this as well, and in another sense, that they didnt include arp on/off p-locking as you can do with the Octatrack midi sequencer…

#11

yes thanks, this is what Im having trouble with, I have done exactly this but it just seems like there is still some step im missing, but I need it in front of me, at work most of the time Im even thinking about troubleshooting this! :confused:

#12

Yeah really unintuitive, took me a good long while to figure that out especially since you have to press and turn the encoder. I guess they did this so you can parameter lock to different channels

1 Like
#13

Haha your right - I did most of this from memory so apologies for confusion

2 Likes
#14

No you have done me a favour!

1 Like
#15

shit I should have known, when in doubt (and have already done function + ______ whatever else) try to push encoder and turn!

#16

a smarter person will explain why this is not enabled by default?? (thank you!)

1 Like