Making a utility to arrange patterns from the digitone

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

Hi, I have noticed that the digitone, even via overbridge, has no way to arrange patterns and make “songs” that you can play or save; and even add a repeat of the same patter seems to be quite a hack. Also seems that Elektron is not really concerned about this feature missing, which I would assume would be useful in Overbridge, for the ones like me that have hard time to chain patterns and figure out sequences.

So I decided to write a utility that is able to do so; in this way, when the device is connected to my pc via USB, I can create sequences and store them on the device to play tem as “songs”, via computer. Been working as software engineer for more than 20 years, so this may be a fun project.

Is there an open source version of the firmware for the Digitone? Or is there a template for how the digitone talk to the computer via USB, so when the device is connected and the overbridge software is running, I can get info about patterns and chained patterns?

This is mostly aimed at the Elektron dev team, unless this data is public somewhere. Thanks

#2

No, the firmware / OS is not open source. The best you can do is write a utility that listens to the Digitone Clock and sends Program Change Messages in sync with it. My iOS app for the Digitone does this to implement it’s song mode :nerd_face:

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#3

You will have to use your skills to glean what you can and reverse engineer anything from midi I/o or dumps. Feedback let alone Documentation won’t usually be forthcoming. In any case the solution as mentioned above is actually as simple as cueing up program change messages, no chops required

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#4

I see, so there is no way to get data regarding the stored patterns or the chain events directly from the firmware. From what I can tell sniffing the usb signal, from the device, there is no data related to patterns going in or out.

Bu the idea to use program change messages is probably good enough. Thanks!

#5

Thanks, I was not aware if the firmware was open to experimentation. I usually don’t spend time reverse engineering something (most of the time it is not necessarily legal to do so), and that’s why I ask first, in case the developers of the firmware for a device, decided to be open with it so users can make their own patch for it, and fit their needs.

I will go for the program change messages solution then. I will also put the final result on github, in case someone else wants to do the same, but lack the necessary knowledge to do so.

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#6

You can send a request for the Pattern Sysex, but then you have to decode it and figure out what all the bytes represent (tedious and large task). This will only give you the P-Lock / Trig details information of the specific pattern though.

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#7

Digitone SysEx decode attempt: