Digitone + Octatrack partnership

Elektron Gear
#1

Seems a lot of folks are enjoying the pairing of DN+DT, but I’ve heard less mention of how ridiculously well DN+OT complement each other as a compact and quite complete setup. If you slave the DN to the OT, connect each’s midi out to the other’s midi in, and turn on CC Direct Connect on the OT, you get to do crazy shit like this:

  • Sequence the DN’s notes and gates from the OT (p-lockable arp, step retrigs, modulating the phase of melodic sequences based on designer LFOs), with the benefit of using the DN’s nice keyboard mode for faster p-locked note entry on the OT, while using trigless locks on the DN (microtime them 2 micro-steps forward for this to work reliably with swing on) for p-locking its sound parameters, and taking full advantage of DN’s 8-voice polyphony (8 MIDI tracks on the OT vs. 4 sound tracks on the DN)
  • Send MIDI CCs to the OT from the DN, so you can arm track recorders based on trig conditions or automate the crossfader and scenes with LFOs and conditional p-locks. It’s crazy being able to mix the LFO and envelope (one-shot LFO) shapes you can get from the more parametrically exposed (fade in/out, start phase, invertable and reversible) and p-lockable LFOs of the DN with the OT’s designer LFOs to modulate either of the two machines
  • Go beyond the 2 LFOs per track of the DN with any of the 24 MIDI LFOs of the OT. In this setup CC learn between the two machines works really well. Pretty much unlimited sound design possibilities, and especially nice to send OT LFOs to modwheel/breath/etc. on the DN which you can map to multiple parameters in a similar way to the A4’s “performance macros.” Also really nice for modulating FX parameters on the DN
  • Apply Elektron’s best-yet (IMO) implementation of song mode (OT arranger) to the song mode-lacking DN
  • Send OT samples through the cue outs into the DN’s much nicer reverb and chorus

Just don’t hit stop twice on the DN or it’ll freeze :wink: All good to double-stop on the OT though.

If anyone else is finding other particular joys in this pairing I wanna hear !

47 Likes
Octatrack with the Digitone & Eurorack - Set up ideas
Two DTs + DN or DT/DN + OT setup?
#2

Another: if you’d rather have the DN as pattern master, you can make the OT do instant pattern jumps (overcoming its native 2 beat minimum) with p-locked Program Change + Note 35 (start/restart in the OT midi implementation) on the DN. Nice to set this up as a FILL-conditioned trig :slight_smile: Tip to @sezare56 for this find

8 Likes
#3

i don’t even own a DN and this was inspiring. if there were ever any doubt that i would get one, you just banished it.

can’t wait to try appropriate parallels on OT+MnM and MnM+MD pairings.

3 Likes
#4

I suppose another, future benefit, is using the two DN inputs to get a pair of OT outputs into the computer via Overbridge, once available for the DN.

I like the DN+OT pair mostly for the purpose of sampling Digitone parts in stereo unison, and with the 8 OT tracks that gives me 12 tracks of Digitone to work with, effectively.

If you love the sound of the Digitione, the OT simply multiplies it.

About to sell my AK and Qu Pac and just focus on DN + OT + a Focusrite Clarett 4Pre.

9 Likes
#5

I feel that! going on a trip soon and just bringing OT+DN+Zoom H6 to work on and I’ll probably not be missing much from the pile of gear sitting at home.

3 Likes
#6

Looks like a great combo. But what about the limitation of FMSynthesis? I guess you could add a few Analogue samples to help out.

#7

whether you find it limiting to work strictly with the digitone’s synth architecture depends entirely on your musical goals. enough has been said elsewhere about how flexible it is with 4-op fm with additive synthesis-based wavetable modulators, two filters, all its envelopes, unison, and overdrive both before and after filter. classic analog subtractive synth sounds are definitely there, but if you need some particular kind of analog filter or vca character for your tones then of course you’ll need that particular synth or module too.

3 Likes
#8

I feel like Digitone can really do great things on traditional analog territory. Although I love to come back to my A4 to get such sound.
But really, you can go pretty far with Digitone, thinking it’s limited to FM sounds is underestimating it.

Now OT + DN is my actual combo and I hadn’t even thought of messing with extra LFOs.
1000 thanks, @Autopoiesis

Edit : oops, you’re faster :tongue:

2 Likes
#9

Another !

DN still applies swing to incoming MIDI notes, so you can swing the OT’s arp (not possible with OT alone) as long as you’re sending that arp through the DN and set it swingin. Not sure if DN’s own arp swings.

4 Likes
#10

Interesting that one thinks being ”limited to FM synthesis” is more limited than ”being limited to subtractive analog synthesis”…

DN + OT ftw though!

#11

Love the ideas. I’d love to understand how you would connect them (audio & Midi).
I’ll try this. Should be fun !

#12

Hi Carmelo,
You can connect the output audio from DT to OT to rec some sounds or to use in a thru track or
the the OT Outpout (or maybe CUE) to the DT inputs to use the fx( reverb/delay/chorus). For the midi would think OT midi out to midi IN in DT and vice versa, mido out from DT to OT midi IN… Then on midi tracks you choose channels, and you must to decide who is master or slave.
By the way, good evening neighbor ! :wink:
A jam one of this days? Maybe we can see that together?
:smile:

#13

This is the core of my hardware setup. I’m still learning both, but I got the DN because I was so infatuated with the OT, and I wanted a synth that would pair perfectly.

2 Likes
#14

I still haven’t used any of my Elektron machines together. I’m thinking of a “something old, something new” video with MnM + DN but yeah, I’m also keen to do DN + OT…

2 Likes
#15

Inspiring thread. Much appreciated.

#16

@sezare56 yo dude, (est ce qu’on peut p-locker les ProgChange) SUR un combo MD OT A4 ?

Est ce que la MD pourrait envoyer aux deux autres un PChange locké pour faire du “instant pattern jump” ?

#17

Yo. Pattern direct jump is possible with A4, not MD/OT. Direct change / start would be possible but I think you’d need a midi processor for instant change, sending Stop / Start messages just after PC.

I tried midi loopback with MD and random PC. It worked.

3 Likes
#18

Thank you dear :slight_smile:
By the way your soundcloud post are cool and inspiring (personnaly I have really fun with OT ressample cross on this time) I think this is your crédo !

cheers :slight_smile:

3 Likes
#19

I just have an Octatrack for my setup, that’s it. And I am still learning it so I don’t plan to get anything yet. But I’ve really want some FM sounds to sequence in the OT (can’t even find FM sound packs for the time being) so Digitone looks like a great fit. I was thinking the Monomachine but now I think the Digitone would be a much better choice for me. Love the sound of analog but personally I really prefer those FM sounds. Good to hear they pair well. Now if I can just be patient and hold off in getting one. :sweat_smile:

1 Like
#20

Hey.
Thank you so much. I’m testing right now this connection.
But it will work if I work with my computer with Ableton and a MOTU Midi Interface ?
If I send the OT Midi out to the DN Midi AND the DN Midi out to the OT Midi In, I wont have a freeze note or something like that ?

Are you from Brussels ? Me too, from Forest and you ? :slight_smile:

Cheers