DT not receiving Prog. Change from DN?

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hi All,

I know this topic has been much discussed here, and I’ve read many threads on it in here to try solve my issue, but I still can’t figure it out.

I’m trying to setup the DT and DN so that they can ‘cross-inform’ each other in terms of program change messages. I do not want to use pattern chaining. Essentially, I’m trying to create a ‘song’ mode workaround.

I get the DN to respond to messaging from the DT, but not the other way around.

Settings as follows:
Auto Ch. 14 on both
Prog . Ch. receive (and send) both ticked on both devices
DT: transport send (not receive), clock send only
DN: transport receive (not send), clock receive only
Prog Ch. Channel: auto on both devices

This setup allows me to string patterns on the DT (A01 > A02) etc. and the DN follows neatly - swapping from A01 to A02. So that, at least, is working.

Bottomline: if I remove the chain, and add a trigless trig on the DT track (midi ch 14) and make that trig a prog ch. from 1 to 2 on the DN, then the DN follows suit.

If I add a trigless trig on the DN on channel 14, and tell it to send a prog. ch. to the DT from 1 to 2, nothing happens.

I should add that I have other stuff in my setup (a couple of rack synths): here’s the full layout:

Keystep Out > Digitakt Midi In
Digitakt Midi Out > Digitone Midi in
Digitone Midi Thru > TX812 IN
TX812 Thru > Bass Station In
Bass Station Thru > Keystep In

Any ideas? I’ve run out! thanks!

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Digitakt 1.20 : Bug reports
#2

A quick update, which may help y’all help me:

I tried the setup with only DT midi out>DN midi in>DN midi thru>DT midi in

Oddly enough, I setup a prog change on the DT, it responds on the DN, but then the DT ALSO changes. You can see the LED patterns shift on the DT, while I’m turning the prog. ch. knob on the same DT!

This would work perfectly if only I had these two boxes. I could send Prog. ch. messages in each pattern, and sequence a whole song! But, of course, I need the other synths too :frowning:

I have a midi thru box I can try… what do you guys think? Is there some midi/prog ch message not getting through the chain?

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#3

Ok, final update here!

I tried it with a Kenton midi thru box, thinking that perhaps that something in the chain was stopping the prog ch. messages from transferring properly.

FAIL. Same situation with the Thru box (keystep > DT > thru box > rest of synths).

I even adjusted the ‘midi thru: on/off’ on the keystep software to see if that made a difference. Nope.

Bottom line: this must be some kind of bug. I know it’s a bug because if the DT and the DN are both playing, and there is NO prog ch. message in the sequence, and I add a P. Ch. while the pattern is playing, then the P. Ch. works as normal.

If the DT is stopped, and you add the P. Ch. message, then it works first time. Press stop and play again, and the P. Ch. message is ignored. It only works the first time.

There must be something about when and where the P. Ch. is added. I think the ‘where’ function is not a major issue, because I added a trigless trig in various places in the sequence, and it seemed to manage ok.

The major issue appears to be the ‘when’ it’s added, i.e. how ‘fresh’ the information is.

So weird.

Anyone with any ideas?

#4

No.

You have described three hardware setups:

1

2

3

In all of those setups you have no MIDI Out connection from the Digitone, so no MIDI messages generated on the Digitone (such as the Program Change message that you want to send) ever leave the unit. That’s why your second example works as it does, because the PC message from the DT is sent to the DN and then passed back to the DT.

You should be able to develop your first setup by putting the MIDI Thru box on the MIDI Thru port of the DN and connecting the outputs of the Thru box to the MIDI In ports of the other synths and the MIDI In port of the KS.

If you connect the DN’s MIDI Out to the MIDI In of the DT (or the KS, probably) and continue connecting the DN’s MIDI Thru to the TX81Z and the BS as in your first setup, then you will likely achieve what you originally wanted if you are careful with MIDI channel settings.

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#5

Mistake in the title?
DT can receive it’s Program Changes with midi loopback! :wink:

#6

Thanks sezare56 - but the midi loopback trick (even with the retrokits cable) is a bit glitchy for me… stuff has ‘midi-crashes’ all the time doing that on my setup

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#7

Thanks @PeterHanes - I will give that a try!

#8

@PeterHanes I just tried the above and realised that I need the Keystep to go into the Digitakt (or at least have the keystep feed into the chain). If I plug the DN out into the DT in, then where does the Keystep out go to?

I tried the keystep out into the DN, but the information did not make it through the system to the DT

:frowning:

#9

Check the title of your topic ! :wink:
(DT not receiving Prog. Change from DT?)

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#10

Not sure what you mean by ‘check my title’ sezare56. I know of the loopback function, but it doesn’t work for my setup. Are you suggesting the title is wrong?

#11

DT not receiving Prog. Change from DT?

Do you mean: DN not receiving Prog. Change from DT?

#12

You have discussed multiple setups in this topic and you need to specify which one you are currently trying and exactly which connections you have made in order for anyone to offer precise advice.

I suggest that you start with the essence of your problem (just DT and DN) and work on getting that working and then add the other gear, but you may prefer to start with your full setup.

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#13

doh! fixed, LOL

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#14

indeed - I’m going for the FULL setup. The DT and DN combo, without keystep, work just fine in terms of communicating P. Ch.

I’m now considering a midi merge (midi out of keystep into merger with midi out of DN > new merged signal into DT midi in!)

#15

Final follow-up: midi merge box works!

I can now go DN midi out > merge box, with keystep midi out > merge box
then merge box > DT in

I add a p. ch. using a trigless lock on the bar before I need it to change. The whole setup syncs perfectly, so I have a song mode!

The only thing you have to watch out for is the dreaded double-stop. if you press it, the setup doesn’t like it. I guess it’s an ‘all messages off’ signal… but whatever it is, it causes havoc.

Thanks for all your help folks!

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