MIDI issues with Digitone

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

Hey everyone!
First post here. Im having some issues with digitione as master clock for my eurorack. I’m using expert sleepers FH-2 as midi interface.

Everything is set up good as two channels gate and note data and some midi cc commands on the knobs but I have major issues with clock and/or start/stop. When I use my beatstep pro everything works fine but on my digitone the first note in sequence doesn’t trigger properly. This is also true when I change patterns. The first note is always “weak”. FH-2 has these lights that show data passing through the outputs into the eurorack so I can clearly see that digitone sends out a weaker signal at the beginning of each patterna. After the pattern has went one cycle the note triggers as usual. I feel like I have tried everything and the digitone has to be the issue somehow since the beatstep works just fine.

One thing I am considering is if digitone is overflowing the midi-channels somehow? Can it be possible that the USB can’t carry too much data at the same time?

The other theory is if it’s something with the clock. I noticed before when I have tried to use it as master clock it doesn’t play well with other gear. Tr-8s always start like a quarter of a beat later for example.

Any help or ideas are more than welcome.

Also, I updated to the latest firmware.
Thanks!

#2

Are you playing in your parts as you record them or are you manually sequencing them in? If you’re playing them in you might have an timing offset on your first note. If so you can adjust the micro timing in that first note to make it dead on. This happens to me all the time if I set to record a part and then play it in. Inevitably I have to adjust that first note’s timing.

#3

Thank you for the reply!

No, sadly this is not the issue. Checked the microtiming and its all good. I had problems with this when i first got Digitone so that was my go to explenation too in the beginning.

#4

Can you explain the rest of the chain? Is a DAW involved, are you using Overbridge, etc.

Sounds like it might be a latency/latency compensation issue.

#5

Thank you for replying.

No DAW, No overbridge. Its the digitone via USB to FH-2 :confused:

I also suspected this so today i just slimmed everything down. Only transmitting 2 gate/pitch messages and 4 midi cc and still the midi cc Will always drop at least one of the four cc Channels when switching patterns, as If the New message doesnt go through. Does the Digitone really have such a poor MIDI out? Or could it be a ”language” issue inbetween the two devices?

#6

I consider the DN clock as rock solid, from midi out at least. But USB midi may be a different story.

#7

ok, rules that out then. What happens if you use the FH-2 as the master clock?
Do you have the DIN expander for the FH-2? Curious if it does the same using midi DIN.

#8

No, unfortunately i dont have this expander. Would have been great to see if it would change it.

Are you running similar setups?

Im trying to think If Im missing some setting for DNs clock or something else but i dont know Where that could be?

#9

I’m not running a similar setup, I use the Digitone via Overbridge mostly, and my eurorack is slaved to a DAW via an Erica Synths Black Sequencer which clocks the rest of the case.

But I have fought a number of midi timing/sync issues over the last few years, getting it all integrated, so I’m just trying to think of possible issues.

Sync settings are quite straightforward on the DN, so I don’t think that’s your issue. I’m wondering if it’s related to a slight lag in the FH-2 latching to the incoming clock, hence why I asked if you’ve tried it with the FH-2 as master.

#10

Ah, yes, sorry. I tried it and I still get the dropouts on the CV channels

#11

Have you tried a different USB cable just in case that’s an issue?

#12

Good idea! But no success :// as for now i just routed with no clock, no transport, the four cvs mapped to different channels and two pitch/gate channels and it works. For now i guess i Will have to do with this even If i get the random note drop from time to time… at least that seems to show it is some kind of overload in the midi communication