Hello!
The web is packed with comparisons between the several boxes, so I will try and ask a question that no other human being has ever asked!
Well, I have a Digitone. Considering that:
I would not be bothered by recording samples on my Mac, rather than in the box itself
I don’t really do anything live: I rather sequence and program and then record into the DAW
I love LFOs: the more the better
The question is: in what respects using a Digitone’s external MIDI sequencer, combined to an Elektron Model Samples sequenced by it, be inferior, or superior, to a Digitakt alone?
In other words, to save some money, how bad would be for me to get the Samples and sequence it with the Digitone?
Digitone has only 4 Midi Tracks, Samples 6 Tracks to sequence then.
If you really just want to use one sequencer I would advise to save up to a Digitakt and skip the samples. If you record anyway into a daw, how about using the daw? It has unlimited (well, depends on your potato computer situation) power.
Well, I forgot to say that I like the Elektron sequencer. Otherwise of course I could just use the daw.
It isn’t just a matter of saving money though: I would hate the idea of buying stuff that I already have and not use (the two midi sequencers in Digitone and Digitakt).
However your point 6 vs 4 tracks is quite valid. But could I use two tracks in the Samples with the internal sequencer (and limited LFOs) and the remaining 4 via Digitone?
I haven’t used the Model Samples, but the Digitakt is a lot more than just a sample player - you can do all sorts of sample mangling, resampling etc and it goes really well with the Digitone. If you like the Digitone and you want a sampler, you can’t go wrong with the Digitakt IMO
Model:Samples does not have control over attack, unless you sacrifice the single LFO. I had a Model:Cycles, and didn’t care for the buttons, knobs, or small screen. Digitakt has the same quality as Digitone in that respect.
You can use the MIDI tracks on Digitakt to control PB, AT, MW, BC on Digitone and thus set up macros to use on Digitone. If you just want to hit play while recording into a DAW, this is not useful, but if you’d like to tweak while recording, it expands your possibilities.
I may never use the MIDI tracks on my Digitone Keys. One doesn’t have to use every feature of a device for it to be worthwhile.
assuming you get the DT you also get a compressor for your DN which can be very nice, and you’ve mentioned you love LFOs, well DT has 8 midi tracks you can use to modulate DN, that’s extra 2 LFOs per DN track, and loop the midi between the two and you get 4 DN midi tracks you can use to modulate the DT.
a simple thing that comes to mind is that neither have FX track, well you can use the midi channels on both to create sorts of FX track…
also as mentioned, you can sample into DT and DT has much more control over sampled material with better envelopes, BW filter, two LFOs per track and so on. (also machines! slices, etc)
but if you don’t care for those things and you just want to have a samples MS is a good sample and it’s pretty much function-per-button which is really nice.
you are saying interesting stuff but I cannot follow 100% because I am not an advanced user!
If I understood you correctly, I can use another device’s LFOs on top on Digitone’s internal track?
(if so, it is good, but it would also play in favour of using Digitone’s MIDI tracks to modulate a cheaper sampler, woudln’t it?)
(also, it would be good if I could use Digitone’s MIDI tracks on Digitone’s tracks! Uhm… I wonder…)
Also, I’ve been told that Digitakt is not just a sampler, corectly, in the sense that can also manipulate samples. True, but if it could be “piloted” with MIDI CC… uhm, certainly not immediate but I wonder if possible at all.
yes, both DN and DT have LFO on the midi tracks, so assuming you route your devices so they send and receive midi from each other, you can use these midi tracks LFOs to modulate things one on another. so for example you can route DN midi out > DT midi in and DT midi out > DN midi in, that way you create midi loop between them and both can send midi information to each other, including LFOs, just make sure that only one sends transport/clock and the other one receives so they won’t get stuck.
sure, that’s possible, but Model:Samples has 6 tracks while Digitone only 4 midi tracks, that means you will be only able to sequence 4 out of 6 tracks from Digitone, if that’s enough for you then it’s all good.
it’s possible with midi loopback, i.e. you plug DN midi out > DN midi in and you get a loopback, there’s a very old feature request for making it available internally without a cable but so far it’s only available with a cable. when you use this method you lose the transport/clock being sent to other devices unless you use some sort of midi thru box, which will cost you extra $, so keep this in mind and add it to the M:S price.
not sure I’m fully understanding this, what do you mean “piloted”?
DT is a sampler as in there’s no synth engines, but it’s very creative, with p-locks and sample locks you can create very complex sequences, add internal and external resampling and you get a very powerful box, a lot can be achieved with it. also you can use single-cycle wave forms to emulate synthesis.
I suggest running through the manuals of both devices to get a better understanding of the features of both machines, and maybe watch some of the mega tutorials available on youtube so you can grasp what’s possible with each.
but I cannot follow 100% because I am not an advanced user!