I own a DT and love it and don’t mind it not having stereo sampling as I use it as a one-shot sampler.
That said, if it were to have stereo sampling, I’d use it and would use harmonic/melodic content that I wouldn’t sample right now due to phase issues when converting to mono. Using two tracks with hard panning etc is a neat idea, but it’s a workaround that could be avoided if stereo sampling were part of the feature set.
I don’t see the automatism that the Digitakt should by definition sample mono, but I do agree with you that it not sampling stereo doesn’t inhibit its functionality in a critical way - at least not for my use case.
I do sample stereo on my MPC Live and like to do so, but I still prefer sampling onto my digitakt due to the immediacy and hands on nature of the sound shaping possibilities on that device.
What I’m extracting from this discussion is effectively…”Octatrack”
100% Mr Hawk - The Digitakt design, form factor to me is pure genius, it is very much a fun machine, not a utility and I find a constant flow of inspiration from the two I own. The June 1.20 updates are just more icing on that lovely piece of cake.
I know it’s a luxury but utilising the best of both in an Mpc > Digitakt/Octatrack setup has become integral to my way of working. I absolutely would not want to choose between the 2 again. I couldn’t choose between the 2. I’ve tried to force myself to do so, selling multiple Octatracks, Digitakts and an Mpc Live only to find myself back with the OT and Mpc One Combo.
We don’t question buying multiple different synth, drum machines etc, so why limit ourselves to 1 sequencing environment?
I’m currently running the Digitakt + Force combo, can’t wait for Alai to update the Force like they did with the Live/One so I can sequence it from the Digitakt.
The Akai are deeper but the Takt is more immediate.
A quick update re my post about using the MPC One / OT Combo.
I’ve had a good few weeks trouble shooting this combination with various other bits & bobs.
I still couldn’t choose one over the other but i’ve decided to run them as **separate rigs.
Even though i know it’s not necessary to use every function of both boxes all of the time, it just felt that i wouldn’t necessarily be exploring both boxes fully when combined. When the mood takes me i’ll simply switch instrument and try to go a bit deeper.
No doubts it would’ve be slightly different/easier if this was an MPC / Digitakt setup.
And i’m sure, in time, i’ll feel more comfortable/capable of using this dual setup.
Agreed! When I use my MPC Live in combination with my live rig (which includes an OT), I usually use the MPC as a midi sequencer for longer (more than four bars, not tied to 16 step grid) melodic & harmonic sequences and for finger drumming only. The OT remains master in that setup. I use the DT’s midi tracks to midi map a few functions of pre-defined programs on my MPC (eg filter cutoff & resonance, pitch, dry/wet controls of one or two selective effects etc) and then p-lock them on the DT. So when I eg finger drum a drum kit, the sounds are manipulated by the DT and it sounds and feels a little more fresh/dynamic and feels more performative.
But I get the most out of my MPC Live when I use it as a standalone device into which I sample my other instruments.
I feel the focus on Elektron boxes is on performance and immediacy and apart from track-, pad- and sequence mutes, the MPC Live/One isn’t really geared towards either (but rather production).
Good thread here that I’ll try and revive for a sec with a specific question for those that have owned a digitakt and mpc one. I bought a digitakt to accomplish a project in which a build a kit using many samples of snares, kicks, hi-hats, etc. For example, I want to be able to use 20-25 different samples of the same hi-hat in the same projects as a means of variation. Granted, this is only my second day with the digitakt, I’ve learned that these are the two methods:
Load one lone sample with all of the hits for one instrument and then plock each individual sample. In theory, this would be awesome. However, there is no zoom. One cannot get enough detail to set the points.
Using the sound pool. This seems like it works, but it’s just so complicated. I somewhat understand it, but question whether I should have to spend so much time trying to accomplish something that I would think many people would want to do.
Thus, does the MPC One make this any easier? Can it be done? The only other unique feature I’d need is to be able to move the samples slightly off the grid.
Much much easier on an mpc. Load in all your high hats to a drum program. You can add effects and different offsets to each pad. You can have four layers per pad and cycle or rand between samples.
Considering making this swap myself. Feeling limited by the four bar limit on the Takt. Anyone else make this switch yet? Regret it or not? I have an Octa mk1 as well so have access to cond trigs and the like still. Really miss those big MPC pads. Used to have a 1000 back in the day.
I haven’t switched as such as I still have the Digitakt, but I do find myself drawn to the One more far more often and easily. I’ve come to think of them like this: the Digitakt has a boundary - could be 16 steps, could be up to 64, you decide. But within that boundary, the machine acts like a fractal microscope - you can never go beyond the immediately available 16 steps and still construct a long, evolving and complex piece. This makes it great for composing and experimenting in real time. The MPC doesn’t offer than level of detail, but it will quite happily and quickly take you far beyond those 16-64 steps. For me the Digitakt zooms in and the MPC zooms out, micro and macro. So they really complement, rather than compete. But if you have an OT then you can bring much of the Digitakt experience over to the MPC (and more so, with the MIDI LFOs).
Having said all that, as I mentioned at the beginning, I do find myself more drawn to the MPC than the Digitakt most of the time, so if I could only keep one I think it’d have to be the MPC. If you enjoy sampling, and you want to go beyond four bars, I very much doubt you’d regret it.
Slightly surprised that you consider that the MPC doesn’t offer the same level of detail as the Digitakt sequencer as the MPC sequencer has a much higher resolution?
