How good is a Digitakt/Model:Samples combo?

Hi to all.

I already have a Digitakt and I love it to death.I combine it with a Roland JP8080 which is my poly synth and I love it too.Great for leads/pads and “air” type of sounds.The outcome they produce is great and with the Roland beign a dual timber synth I end up with 10 tracks in total.

Still I feel like I want some more tracks to work with in times.I was thinking of the MS because currently my budget can’t afford much else.

I can’t find people that use that combo and maybe it does not make much sense in using basically 2 samples,but the thing is that I play a lot with vocals and “sounds” in general so the MS seems like it could fit the picture.

My concern is the sequence between these 3 machines.MS does not have a thru,neither the Roland.
Right now I send MIDI from the DT to the Roland and use all 8 MIDI cc and program changes to control it.It works great and I wouldn’t like to change that.

I also use the DT inputs with Overbridge and capture it with the standalone app.I have LogicX but I use it just for mixing the 2 stems from the machines,plus a slight mastering.I love recording while performing.It would be great if MS could stick in between.

I would like it if I could control the MS with the remaining 6 MIDI tracks and a similar way.I guess I lose the MS sequencing abilities in this way but I have all control on a single machine.Maybe it’s better to use the MS sequencer and just send transport from the Digitakt?

I would love your input.Hope you are all well and safe.

Hello, I don’t think DT+MS is the best idea.
Adding a machine mean more cables, less spaces on desk, and more complexity.
Maybe you should try to work deeper in the DT to take advantage of sample trig lock. You can easily free up some tracks. Also, resampling a drum loop into one track free up lot of space too.
Theres are plenty of tricks to make DT alone enough for sampling needs.
If you really want add a machine to trigger more sample from DT sequencer, check at a basic sample player, or even better, trigger them from Logic with any plugin that read samples.
Hope that help.

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Yes, I totally agree, good advices.
If another gear was needed, I’d rather buy a 2nd DT or a DN 2nd hand, or use MS own sequencer.

Cheap sampler, 32 voices : Akai MPC500. Much more capable than Digitakt in certain domains.
Also Akai MPX8, MPX16 you can sequence with DT.

Beatsqueezer seems great, but does anybody know if you can find it now?

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M:S has configurable midi, the out port can be set to thru :wink:

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M:S does have a thru, it’s the same as the out, you need to switch it. In the manual there’s a list of thing controllable by midi CC, pretty sure it’s not everything, but there’s stuff you can’t modulate internally

I have both right here. It might suit you if you use a lot of sounds as you don’t need to use the sample pool, every sample you have on the device is always your sample pool.

It’ would be much better to use the M:S sequencer, that’s one of it’s strong points. You could use the DT to modulate and control it on top though.

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Thank you for your answer.Well you see,that is the point,I use the sample lock feature a lot,I feel like I over do it in some instances and i really lose the count of what’s where.

Plus resampling does not work well for me.

I work a lot with pan and reverb and generally spacialize the thing as much as I can with sample locks playing different things and reverbed/delayed/retrigged panned stuff on the offbeats so resampling these elements in a loop does not give me the sound I want.
I will need to have the loop sliced again with sample start/end points to get the result I need which is actually kinda pain.I only use resample in the initial stage,perhaps to mask some sounds together.
Logic is out of my picture because I want to be able to perform what I make on stage without a computer.I have a Mac mini so it’s not the most practical thing to carry around.

Thanks for the advice.Perhaps I will need to check into some other sample players.

MPC500 looks like a great choice.Seems like it’s able to cover too much ground for what I need it.
Plus if listens to the DT sequencer well,it will be a dream.Great suggestion,thanks!

And send it as a thru into my synth…actually a game changer :slight_smile: Thanks for that :slight_smile: Now the MS is kinda back in the game :joy:

Thank you for your answer,it makes perfect sense to use the sequencer of the MS,it’s the strong point.
This is what I don’t understand though,what could I control on top from the DT if I get the MS play with its own sequencer?

I get it on MIDI,I could assign the midi cc like I already do with my synth.
But in essentially “standalone” mode,what else could I control except the transport?

Yes, pretty well. Different samples depending on velocity, 1 sample per note (48 notes max per program IIRC, some parameters like filter depending on velocity. Program Changes to change programs (patches)…
I only sequenced it with Octatrack (4 tracks with arp), but of course you can sequence it with DT. Interesting form factor / color to match DT. Cheap, light weight.


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Great suggestion thank you very much my friend.Also checked the MPX8/16 you suggested,seem cool too and really affordable.
Always nice to have options!

Nice tablas btw :wink:

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Check them, carefully, afaik even more limitations than the MPC500, which is limited compared to an MPC1000.

I took a DT/MPC picture, and the weight pretty close finally (1.5/1.3 kg).
image

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Yes after some good research they actually kinda suck MIDI wise.
MPX16 confuses MIDI notes and has huge sample load times which makes it impractical for what I want to do.MPX8 is quite limiting in this factor as well and also provides less parts.

Seen a couple of videos about MPC500.A lot more capable than the other two but it’s price seemed quite stiff to me.While it certainly looks like a good DT pair,its on the 400€ range even on the used market which is kinda far from where I can currently go.

Plus I never worked with an MPC before.The wheel job and menus kinda drives me off.Love the DT encoders for stuff.One year working with Elektron stuff and I feel like this is my thing.Also can’t live without p.locks anymore :joy: Which one you like more of the two?(DT/MPC500)

DT of course, Octatrack being number one! :pl:
The MPC500 editing is not exiting at all, but you can make kits/program pretty quickly with some softwares (I used MPC MAID).
It’s also interesting to record midi things with overdub, quantized or not, especially with poly / multitimbral synths. You can layer many notes, tracks…

I paid mine 180€, average in France, so I’m surprised by he price!

Same, and you can add trig conditions, probability.

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Absolutely,as well as control all and pattern mutes.Its like the gift that keeps on giving!!!

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