Playing Digitakt like a synth

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hey there was looking for something here like a FAQ/No Stupid Questions but couldn’t find it so here goes…

I am wondering if you can load synth samples into DT (Im thinking packs I got from Samples From Mars) and connect a MIDI controller, and basically play the DT as though it were a synth.
This is something I like to do using Logic’s stock Sampler, and it would be great to have a hardware version.
There are a few hardware synths that can load samples and obviously the DT can too - theoretically I understand that this should be possible - I just wanted to check with people who actually own one to make sure its possible and also if there are any hidden hassles or obstacles to this kind of use.

Thanks!

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#2

Single cycle waveforms is what you want for this.

Then you are getting quasi synthesis by looping a single cycle sample, and faking an oscillator. Theres plenty of them in the factory samples.

Personally I dont like the sound you get doing this, but if you do, then cool.

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#3

:wink:

Rk-002 cable makes this possible for example. If you want to play polyphonic.

You can also play a single track as a mono synth with a regular midi cable.

You need to load a single cycle waveform sample and set the play mode to loop. You can find a bunch of these on the +drive in factory/toolbox

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#4

Worth knowing that you only get a few octaves, 3? 4? Don’t remember exactly

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#5

Single Cycle Waveforms are fine, because you’ve got more options to sculp your sound. But you can use DT like a classic (mono) instrument sampler, too, of course. Roland W30 on steroids. :wink:

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#6
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#7

Yep I do this regularly as part of my normal workflow. 4 to 6 tracks used for drums then I’ll put 2 to 4 tracks to use as mono synths playing tonal samples, I record those parts unquantised using my velocity sensitive midi keyboard. You can use single cycle waveforms but you’re definitely not limited to that. I tend to find a nice sample of something like a Moog or Analog4 or something for a bass or lead and will use the Digitakt to set decent enough loop points to create the sustain I need. It’s a bit fiddly but it works. I also use samples as stabs played melodically too. The Digitakt’s bit and sample rate reduction, filter, drive, delay, reverb, envelopes and two LFOs gives you tones of sound design possibilities. Just limited to monophonic playback per track.

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#8

There is new app out called Polynator, and it adds extra LFO’s and stuff :slight_smile:

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#9

There are also slices. You can upload up to 64 notes (5 octaves and 3 semitones) of any instrument including synths…and play them with external midi or with DT keyboard.
Can be chromatic, scaled, played randomly by lfos…

Or…slices as wavetables…

With RK002

Slices can be also used to alternate octaves to mimick an arp…

Apparently.
Pitch goes from -60 to 24 semitones. 7 octaves. :wink:

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#10

I’m (at least so far) a one-box-to-rule-them-all composer, so I tend to think of the DT as my everything box. Sampler, obviously, but also mono synth. It does a surprisingly good job of this with its single-cycle waveforms on repeat play mode, which as someone above said simulates an oscillator.

Obviously this implies a certain type of sound. By definition this precludes thick super saw-type sounds or indeed anything involving multiple oscs. No noise/ring mod/sub to compliment either - you’d need to handle those on separate tracks. But it does a good job of basic single-osc sounds and these can be made to sound really quite good with enough modulation/reverb etc. It’s particularly good at FM-esque sounds.

You can of course sync the same sound over multiple tracks to create a poly synth, but it’s tiresome to have to duplicate/triplicate (depending on how many voicstin your chords) each step of your sound design process across the multiple tracks involved.

(Side rant: Long been baffled why Elektron have never introduced a basic mechanic to sync sound settings across multiple tracks, with one set as the master and others taking their sounds from that. That surely wouldn’t be too hard to implement and it would mitigate the classic “no polyphonic tracks” argument often cited against Elektron boxes. Ditto Syntakt.)

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