Ok. After a couple of hours my first Elektron noob setup is working.
Digitakt is master, all the correct midi stuff configuration done. Transport works, I can play from the Sledge the sounds of both machines, everything ok except for the mod/pitch wheeld and pedal from de keyboard.
Midi out Sledge to midi in Digitakt. Midi out Digitakt to midi in Digitone.
If I plug the Sledge directly in the midi in of the Digitone wheels and pedal are working normally.
The Digitakt won’t record or pass through pitch bend or mod wheel data, so it won’t work I’m afraid (it’s been a feature request for ages, and discussed on this forum many times). You’ll either have to go from the sledge to the Digitone and then to the Digitakt (making the Digitone the master), or use a midi merger box
Don’t know why you would come to this conclusion.
The Digitone midi implementation is exactly the same, it won’t pass through pitch and mod wheel either.
I think the best solution here is to connect the Sledge USB to the MPC and connect the Sledge MIDI OUT to the Digitone. Then Connect Digitone MIDI OUT to Digitakt MIDI IN.
Well. I’ve just bought the machines this week and I’m a totally noob. I,m now discovering both Elektrons. But the lack of mod/pitch wheels and pedals through Digitakt it’s an important point for me. I would have preferred Digitakt as master.
Then. If I want that the Digitakt is the master, and I want to use the wheels and pedal of the Sledge for the Digitone sounds, I have to buy this cable. Correct?
I think it’s best to have the Digitone as master in this case.
The only difference with the Digitakt as master would be start and stop controls.
You can still use the Digitakt to sequence other instruments from the MIDI OUT and if you set it up correctly it will happily follow the Digitone.
So:
Sledge USB > MPC USB
Sledge MIDI OUT > Digitone MIDI IN
Digitone MIDI OUT > Digitakt MIDI IN
for clock and transport only:
Digitakt MIDI THRU > MPC
or if you want to sequence MPC from Digitakt:
Digitakt MIDI OUT > MPC
Now, if you want to use the Sledge keyboard for the Digitakt, set up a midi track on the Digitone and set it to the same channel as ‘auto channel’ on the Digitakt.
A cable like that wouldn’t really help, because it can only be used to split a MIDI OUT connection.
Never use that on a MIDI IN connection.
For 2x MIDI OUT to MIDI IN, you need a midi merger.
Now that the Digitone is master and I can use the mod wheel and pitch bend wheel from my keyboard the Digitone’s sequencer doesn’t record the modulated / pitched notes…
Thanks again Dream Xcape. I appreciate your help a lot.
So it doesn’t make much sense for the Digitone to be the master.
I find it all a little weird. When I open the modulation wheel, many of the Digitone presets sound much better. All of this is lost if the sequencer does not record it.
Now I wonder if the Digitone Keys also has this problem.
If you want some expression in your sequences, use the velocity mod in the setup.
If you turn velocity to volume of, you can P-Lock modulation for each step or just play and record with a bit more expression.
There is a trick to use modwheel for velocity, but it would require external hardware.
There is also the multi-mode but I don’t know much about how to set it up.
I know it can basically put a different sound under each key.
edit: Also, for pitch bend in the sequencer you can P-Lock Portamento.
The Digitone, even with it’s shortcomings, is still well worth the money.
Even if you just use it as a multi-timbral synth module.
You can still sequence all the modulation from the MPC if I’m not mistaking.
It still sounds amazing to my ears, I’d buy another one if I had money to spare.
It also sounds very different from your Sledge and is a good companion for that.
I combine it often with a Waldorf Blofeld(a Sledge is a big Blofeld Lite).
This is my great doubt my dear friend. Whether to keep the Digitone or not. What I know for sure is that the Digitakt doesn’t match my setup. The MPC One is far superior.
I can get into that, that’s why I didn’t make a case for the Digitakt.
I don’t know the MPC very well, and it’s not really my thing, but I know enough to know that it’s at least a very capable sampler and sequencer.
The Digitone, however, is a beast of it’s own.
This may not be your style, but you can hear the Digitone can produce some very different sounds, including earth-shaking bass.
Most synth sounds are Digitone in this track:
The trancy supersaw in the background is a Blofeld.
The portamento saw is actually a Digitakt(crappy recording of).
Don’t give up so soon.