Pros and Cons of Sampling vs Sequencing Your Synths?

Buy more synths, easy fix :sunglasses:

Thanks all. I’m gonna try messing around with sampling my model D tonight (it’s mono anyway) which will free it up for leads

Great question - I am in a similar boat in that I like to sequence hardware and get bored having 1-2 synths. I have an OT2 which is useful for adding some one shots and/or other tricks…

I never sample my instruments because i prefer to tweak parameters as i jam. I am also worried that it would be tedious as hell to do - perhaps easier on an MPC but I probably have it all wrong.

Drives me crazy as I know am not using the OT for what it was designed to do… to make matters worse, I used to use the OT for sequencing duties, then I got myself a Cirklon and never looked back.

But I am reluctant of letting it go - perhaps because I know I will get around to it one day.

sampling as a compositional technique is way cool.

repurposing and re-contextualising within the original context … next level subtle funkiness achieved via micro adjustment of the chord sample start position.

limiting the amount of time the sequenced sampled chord part sample sounds for is also redefining the rhythm feel… often, enjoyably so.

pitching a nice lush chord down about three tones often yields amazing deep coolness.

Alternatively, using Rate is also fun … on the octatrack if i set the Rate of a sample from 63 (regular) to 48 the chord goes down a fifth, and the side-bonus is that any time-synced delay on the chord is also somehow in time with the current tempo.

sample sequencing of original midi sequenced content allows for a tighter timing feel sometimes, not sure why but the sudden triggers (maybe with Att on 1 or 2 smoothing the start portion of the sample) bring a new sense of defined custom-designed rhythm vibe.

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Isnt the digitakt a groovebox Sampler? I suggest you start sampling with it.

I only have the OT for sampling, so cant comment too much specifically on the DT. But with the OT + one synth, every time the synth gets sampled it turns into a new synth. Synth, sample, mangle, new synth. Rinse and repeat.

Buying new gear is tempting, but learning to use the gear you have is a lot more rewarding. In the long run :slight_smile:

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The trouble is getting the sequences synced. Some time stretching would be most appreciated on it :slight_smile:

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Me too. Seems like the midi only worked as a master, totally drifted when slaved.

I may be misunderstanding your question, but I’m reading this to mean you’ve only used the digitakt for MIDI sequencing, not sampling. I love sampling my synths. Sampling on digi is stupid easy… just grab a C in the range of where you want your melody or bass line, then use the chromatic mode to record in a sequence. Use the Digi’s filter / envelope / effects / etc. for performance tweaking.

I also “sample” long passages, basically multitracking as @bradleyallen suggested, and program it onto step #1 / bar #1 of a track sequence, or wherever… but then you lose the ability to evolve the sound.

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Buying new gear is tempting, but learning to use the gear you have is a lot more rewarding. In the long run

Yes! All you need is the digitakt + 1 synth… seriously… you may not even need the synth…

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I’m actually an Octatrack rather than a Digitakt owner, but in the OP’s situation, I’d probably try recording samples of the Micromonsta and Model D, then load them into the Digitakt and have it play samples of the synths.

It just seems like a time consuming PITA to get MIDI sequences to play in sync with sampled melody, especially if you’re not happy with the sound quality of the time stretching.

Don’t forget internal re-sampling too. Great for looping a basic rhythm to free up audio tracks on the DT for melodic parts.

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what digitakt is extremely usefull for when sampling from a modular source is the exact tuning. on some synths its quite difficult to adjust the analog oscillators exactly, but when you sample the notes in digitakt, you can finetune them very precisely. I also sample tunes with much more overtones and that are longer than needed, so that I can carve out the right sound with the eg and filter of the dt. putting in subtle changes with the lfo to samplestart, filter eg decay or filterfrequency also make patterns come alive. so sampling gives a bunch of options for soundshaping that you dont get with the original synth. unfortunately its only monophon on the dt.

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I buy cheap-ass synths at the thrift store, harvest the best dozen or so sounds, then send them straight back to the thrift store. My DT is loaded with Yamaha PSR, Casio, and toy sounds.

Just sampling/bit crushing/envelope snapping/filtering/then bit crushing again creates all kinds of great sounds.

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Thanks for all the tips. Honestly somewhat new to this device so have pretty much just been midi sequencing over beats that I put together with the stock sounds.

That said when people mention there being a lack of time stretch does that mean samples don’t respond to the global BPM? I’ve been slowly pre-prepping some drum/synth grooves in Ableton so they’re within even bars, but I take it I’ll also need to note their BPM to have Digitakt patterns sync up?

I get that it’s meant as a one shot style drum machine first, but that’s gonna make working with drum breaks and melodic loops kind of difficult.

Not even
I have some breaks at 110 bpm an if i gave track at 90 bpm i just p lock where i want kicks and snares and move the start point to the next kick ir snare in the sample…

i have an OT to your DT, but same general idea.

i often use the OT as an “overflow” sound source when i don’t have enough tracks on my other gear to make all the sounds i want. often that means figuring out which melodic lines will sound OK if they’re sampled rather than played live on a synth.

i’ll ask myself things like: does the melody need to change constantly? or can it vary effectively in ways other than pitch and timbre? …a randomized arp is an example of the first type, while a rhythmic chord line might be the second. it’s the second type that i’d choose to sample, and then tweak that sampled version in other ways.

the differences can end up expanding your compositional options. you can slice up a sample, for one thing. tweaking the sampler’s filter might change the sound in ways different than the synth’s filter does. you can have a live melody interact with a sampled line, where each has a slightly different tonal color. etc., etc.

even if you don’t always need to do it, you might explore the idea anyway. it’s another brush for your easel.

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it’s possible to timestretch on the Machinedrum … put a 2 bar loop on a play machine, put a trig on every trig, p-lock the Start time forwards by 4 each trig … set the Dec or Hold to a minimal level a couple of millimeters above zero … then pres play, change the bpm, and experience the majestic workaround of Machinedrum Timestretching :joy:

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Maybe I’ve mis understood, but wouldn’t this mean that you would have gaps of silence between the p locked samples?

I use this technique too and yes, that mean you can have gap of silence. Or you can add a little hat in between to remove the gap :slight_smile:

Not necessarily if your amp envalope is infinite then it will keep playing the sample (sounds messy as he’ll in some cases…)

But if you pitch it down with “tune” the loop will “stretch” or grow in length…you can get it to fit…

Or yep set set the amp env to a short value and the gaps can sound gated yet good…