Octatrack MIDI vs Digitakt MIDI

Hi,

I currently own a RYTM mk2, digitakt, digitone and some eurorack and some other random synths.

Since getting RYTM I’ve used the DT very little. It’s an amazing little box so I probably won’t sell, but honestly RYTM covers pretty much everything I’d want. The 1 big thing with DT is the midi tracks. They are amazing, and I prefer the larger buttons for midi than you get on the DN.

Now - using DT as a midi sequencer seems a little overkill tbh.

I had been interested in getting an OT to bring everything together.
RYTM + eurorack into OT (maybe use DN now and again).
The idea here being that OT would be the mixer + mangler + midi sequencer (for sequencing/p-locking some of my modules)

After looking around for quite a while on youtube I’ve not really found any good comparisons between the MIDI on DT and OT.

Has anyone used both? Is the OT midi as quick and easy to get going as the DT?
Is there anything lacking (midi wise) from the OT that we get in DT?

Cheers!

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Don’t own both. Own the OT. One big advantage that OT has over any of the other Elektron boxes is MIDI arpeggiator. It’s powerful and p-lock-able. Otherwise, I believe they both offer the same polyphony of 4 notes. It doesn’t do the 101 style step sequencing that the other boxes recently got (REC+Stop). It let’s you program the step sequencer in the same way the SH101 is programmed. It’s nice but not a game changer IMHO.

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The OT is def. the better option if you’re not really needing the DT sampler for anything. The MIDI is better, and the sampling will fill a niche that the Rytm doesn’t have going on for it.

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I have both. Personal sum up : OT’s has arp and assignable lfos, DT can send Program Changes easily on any step.

OT : arp, arp designer, scale, transpose, 3 lfos, assignable to all parameters (except setup pages). Can add lots of variations.

A part change is needed to send a Program Change at the beginning of a track. Not convenient.
Note length values are weird.
No overlap, a step cut previous notes.

DT : Midi notes with possible overlap
Midi notes length in steps, longer time possible
Probability
Program Change / Bank per step

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Oh probability, I really thought OT got that in the latest update! :frowning:
I guess it’s not a requirement though as I assume I can use a random lfo on velocity or something?

Thanks for the info all!

It did & before the last update.

Edit: ah - not the same probability as DT - see @sezare56 ‘s post below.

The OT does have individual trig probability for those wondering.

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Unfortunately not.
I guess you think about trig conditions.

Probability is a useful per track X% parameter brought by Model:Sample (CHANCE).
Now on DT, DN, A4, AR, MC, afaik.
With Control All, you can control all tracks probability, from 0 to 100%.

Next : Octatrack !
feature-request@elektron.se

Yes, that’s a workaround used before trig conditions. A note with Velocity = 0 isn’t sent.
A random lfo on Vel acts as probability.

But lfos are precious for other stuff!

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Thanks! Another question :slight_smile: Can you randomize the midi arp page?

Yes.

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I think that’s a valid and great use for a DT, it’s 50% of what it does.
If you like the general DT workflow it’s a brilliant way to get that into your external sounds… plus it feels like a bonus having the 4 note poly.

Also, I have both the DT and OT, and the Rytm MkII… I had the same idea as you as using the OT as the central midi sequencer, then I bailed on it as I found it really frustrating and a hinderance to my workflow.

I’m not saying the OT might not take that role for me eventually, but I’m not familiar enough with it yet and don’t have the time/inclination/patience when I can do what I need with my other gear.

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I think the only other difference that wasn’t mentioned by sezare56 is the digitakt LFO every parameter is plockable. I wanna say some of these are in setup pages on the OT.

I think the most notable difference in DTs favor is the note overlap vs OT note cut. You can get some really natural sounding playing on the DT live recording. But yeah it sounds like you want enough features from the OT that out weigh that.

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Not true for midi tracks. :wink:

The DT lfo can modulate
PB, AT, MW, BC
8 CCs

The 3 OT lfos can modulate
SRC (note, velo, length, Note 2, 3, 4)
ARP (transpose, legato, mode, speed, octave, lenth)
LFOs (speed 1,2,3, depth 1,2,3)
PB, AT
10 CCs

Much more possible modulations with OT.
DT can’t modulate it’s Trig page with its lfo.

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Ah sorry I misunderstood. Yes, you can plock only speed and depth with OT lfos.

But DT lfo destinations are limited!

Can you record midi CCs in Live record mode?
EG if I sent a midi LFO to the OT in Live record mode would the CCs get recorded as plocks?

This doesn’t happen on digitakt rytm or digitone sadly but wondering if OT supports it? Was hoping to be able to record some midi LFOs assigned to parameters, if OT works like this then maybe there’s hope for the other boxes at some point too

Yeah it is much less an issue on the OT as you have more lfos, but digitakt can kinda fake it tracker style by locking the lfo parameters per step

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Yes, with corresponding knobs or from external midi.

A midi track lfo controls internal parameters, including PB, AT and 10 CCs that can be sent via midi, but not internaly recorded as plocks.

No internal record of what’s sent with midi out, unless you use midi loopback (midi cable between in/out). But I don’t recommend to control / record other midi tracks with midi loopback, complicated. Midi loopback is very interesting to control audio tracks though.

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Any exemple?
Speed and Depth can be plocked, lfo reproduced, or randomized. More interesting not recorded imho. And with less data recorded, your sequence is tidier!

If I send CC 73 to the device (and lets say that internally 73 is controlling filter cutoff because I dont know what the actual values are)

Then I’d want to know if I enter live record mode, then send CC73 from an external midi device, will the filter cutoff be recorded as p-locks as though I was moving the filter cutoff knob on the OT itself?

The other boxes don’t currently work like this it seems. The only way to record p-locks in live record mode is to move the knobs on the box itself. Sending MIDI will change the parameters, but those changes are not recorded on the box! :frowning:

Yes.

DT and DN you mean? I’d be surprised.
At least it should be recorded sending CCs corresponding to CC1-8 knobs…
To lazy to test now!