Now with 1.3, a Digitone/iPad pair sounds like a great mobile setup

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

I currently don’t own a Digitone nor a Digitakt…nor even a midi controller. All I have right now is a laptop with Ableton and an iPad Pro with a myriad of software synths, drum machines, samplers etc.

But with the 1.3 update to the Digitone and now that I can use it with the iPad as an audio interface, I was thinking it would make a great combo. 4 MIDI tracks controlling different synths in AUM on the iPad, along with the 4 tracks in FM on the Digitone…with all the sound of everything coming out of the DT to monitors or a mixer.

Hear me out: I’m thinking, if there was a choice between one or the other (due to budget restraints), the Digitone would make more sense paired with the iPad than a Digitakt would…even though the Digitakt has 8 MIDI channels.

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#2

your thoughts are correct, either will be a great setup with ipad… it comes down to sampler vs. synth and which you prefer, I guess… maybe also keep in mind, that dt has 4note poly on the 8 midi tracks while dn has 8note poly on the 4 midi tracks…

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#3

I had an Iphone 7 just before update. :content:

I bought an camera kit, it records nicely with the default camera application, but I want more.

What are the must have / essentials apps to start with?
AUM, Audiobus?

At first I want to be able to record the DN, and convert to mp3. Midi control of Iphone synths in a second time. Eventually Lemur to control the DN.

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#4

for recording i recommend audioshare, but the recording formats do not have mp3 as an option…

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for routing and stuff i use aum, it is great… have no experience with newer audiobus versions

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#5

GarageBand (free with iOS devices) allows MP3 export.

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#6

If anyone is looking for a sampling app on the iPad to pair with the Digitone, there’s really only one choice: Samplr.

If you haven’t checked it out, I strongly encourage you to do so.

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#7

Just as a hint: as far as I know you cannot connect both devices to the iPad simultaneously, because iOS supports only one audio interface at the same time.

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#8

Class compliant audio was the first thing I tried after upgrading to 1.30 on the Digitone. There were issues immediately with audio stopping. It requires a reboot of the host app, unplugging/replugging of the USB cable, or a change from USB Audio/MIDI to USB MIDI and back in order to recover the audio. It is the first post in the bug reports thread here.

I have an open ticket with Elektron and they have acknowledged that they are able to reproduce the issue under certain circumstances. So be aware this isn’t currently working issue-free, at least not with the DIgitone.

Should that discourage you from buying either device? Absolutely not! There are many ways to connect an iPad to a Digitakt/Digitone and they are an amazing pairing. I am absolutely confident that Elektron will figure out the cause of the above mentioned bug though so I wouldn’t wait to pick one up because you might not be able to maintain a stable audio interface connection with the iPad.

As for choice between DT and DN if I had neither? I would choose the DN to pair with the iPad personally. There are probably more apps that can approximate what the DT can do (Drambo, Beatmaker 3, Samplr, Borderlands) than can cover what the DN does. I would also rather have 4 tracks of 8 note polyphony than 8 tracks of 4 note polyphony.

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#9

Check out the Audio Damage plugins (there’s a bundle of their best reverb, delay, mod, distortion apps), plus the Enso Looper looks like fun - though I’ve not tried it myself.

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#10

Plus the polyphony on the Digitone has a way better user interface, I feel (I own both).

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#11

That’s correct. However, you can connect as many midi devices as you like, so you could connect DN and DT using a usb hub, use one for audio, and both for midi.

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#12

From my experience (and according to others), AUM has lousy sync when slaved (using iConnectivity soundcard). And to slave it to external midi clock, you anyway have to slave it via Audiobus. But Audiobus slaves very well. So while AUM interface and routing and recording is great, in slave mode I’ve given up trying to host anything that requires clock.

You can wire audio outs of apps hosted in Audiobus to AUM for reverb and fx not requiring clock.

AUM recorder is very practical; I’d recommend Audioshare for management, quick normalization, bit rate conversion. I think it does file conversion, but can’t swear on that.

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#13

IMO Tonebooster’s for reverb, Shaper by K-devices for distortion / overdrive, leave Audio Damage’s offerings in this area in the dust

#14

My Setup consists of Ipad, Digitakt, A4 Keys and Iconnect Audio 2+. As the soundcard only has one Input, i am hoping to get a second Input (in AUM) via USB Audio. Is that realistic? Until the update i used the Input on A4 Keys to hear my Digitakt in AUM (but that is both outputs together) . . .
I ordered a USB cable B to B plug.
Thanks for your help!

#15

Aye, plenty of options out there. I’m just a sucker for the EOS reverb and the chorus that used to be called Fluid - but maybe I’m just used to the sweet spot settings and see no reason to move on :slightly_smiling_face: Of course, DN’s built in effects are also of the highest quality here

#16

I have an Iconnectmidi2+, please let me know if it works properly!

#17

iOS only allows one audio interface at a time. If the iConnect is hooked up to the iPad, then you won’t be able to connect the Digitakt via usb at the same time.

#18

On the iconnnectmidi2+ there is a Audio Pass Thru thing. I’m not sure if it is an audio interface btw…

#19

Digitone + Beatmaker 3
sky is the limit

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#20

Finally, a chance to give back after all the killer advice you’ve posted on the OT.

If you get AUM, you can use AUM’s built-in audio recording feature to record your AUM jam sessions.

Audiobus 3 would be mainly useful for its transport controls. To record in AUM, sometimes you have to switch between AUM and others apps which can be a drag. But… just get AUM first and get a feel for what it’s like to record audio in AUM.

To arrange the audio clips that you recorded in AUM on a timeline, I am currently experimenting with Garageband and Zenbeats (free). Zenbeats has slightly easier workflow compared to GB, although you have to create an account with Roland to save your project, which kinda sucks but at least the account is free. Both are way easier than the other options I tried.

Lemur hasn’t been updated since 2018 btw. For MIDI control apps, you might want to investigate:

Midi Designer Pro
Mozaic
Rozeta Suite

For master MIDI sequencer - dunno if Digitone behaves as questionably as OT does as a MIDI slave - top candidates are SunVox, Nanostudio 2, and Xequence 2

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