Sending MIDI to Digitakt from Logic Pro

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Apologies if this has been discussed.

So I have watched this video and am trying to replicate its outcome in Logic Pro.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLKEgxA32Ao

II just want to have a MIDI track open and have that play back on the Digitakt so I can record the pattern.

I’m not using Overbridge in this instance and I’m using MIDI over USB.

I dont understand the part about transposing down 36 semi tones, is there a simpler way to MIDI match the Kick on the Digitakt to whatever note the kick is on in the MIDI file?

#2

When you understand it, it is simple.

If you want to send midi to a single track on the Digitakt you can use the ‘usual’ midi range in your DAW/keyboard. You can use this for pitched/melodic sounds/instruments in the Digitakt.

If you want to send to all 8 tracks of the Digitakt from one DAW track, so for recording drums, you can do it on any midi channel (Digitakt defaults tracks 1-8 to midi channels 1-8)… but to allow this it places all 8 notes at the very bottom of the scale (of each channel).

This gives the best flexibility for use with external midi sources.

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#3

Hey, thanks for the reply.

I’m sure its simple once I have done it once, for the life of me I can’t figure it out at the moment.

So to walk you through what I have done:

First setup a Midi Instrument track, as the Output I selected Digitakt then Track 1.
In my Digitakt I have Auto Channel set to 1 as well…I fear this is not right?

Then, I’ve pasted a random midi drum track onto that new track in Logic, open the piano role and have looked at Midi Transpose + and minus 36 or 37, but here I am lost.

How do I know exactly what to do here?

#4

Logic Midi Track Elektron
Logic Midi Track Elektron1725×2318 222 KB

Leave your Digitakt’s auto channel out of the way (I think it defaults to channel 14)… and make sure your DT tracks 1-8 are set to midi channels 1-8.

If you’re programming drums, I would use the Step Sequencer in Logic rather than the piano roll.
Then you can just add in the notes you need to trigger the DT, and rename in that window… much easier than the piano.

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#5

Hey @CCMP,

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply and my apologies for taking ever to respond.

I’m still struggling with this, I thought maybe I’d post step by step what I am doing and hopefully something stands out as obviously amiss.

On my Digitakt I am set to:

USB Config: USB Audio/MIDI
MIDI Config > Sync > All ‘receive’ options checked, all ‘send’ options off.
MIDI Channels: Track 1 = Channel 1 etc. Auto Channel = 14

  1. First I created an External MIDI track and selected the Digitakt and Channel 1 from the list. Was I meant to use the External MIDI Plugin option here?

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  1. I then imported a MIDI file and deleted all the tracks that weren’t drums.

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  1. I then moved that MIDI region up onto my Digitakt Track.

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  1. This file only allows me to view it in the piano roll and not the step sequencer. I added in a new audio track that is the straight USB Audio from the Digitakt as well. It sounds as normal if I play something on the Digitakt. But the MIDI file is not sending the audio to this track. So I guess that’s half the problem.

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  1. The other half of the problem is, how do I know where to roll to move the notes? They currently sit between C1-C2 but how would I know where on the roll the Digitakt notes would be?

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Anyway, I appreciate anyones help with this.

I have been able to get MIDI sent from Logic to my Analog Four without any issues, just can’t for the life of me figure out getting it into the Digitakt.

#6

I figured it out and will post instructions for future people

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#7

I am currently trying to do this on Syntakt, which should be similar.

Can you share the solution?

Thank you

#8

Yeah, I’m in the same boat. The step sequencer is greyed out.

Is there a way to break up the piano roll to different tracks?

#9

I’ve been out of Logic Pro and into Ableton Live for nearly 2 years now… I’m not the best person to offer Logic advice.

But, each Syntakt track/channel responds to the lowest 12 notes of the piano roll on each channel.

C-2 should be Track 1 on every midi channel, and they go up chromatically from there.
If you have a midi keyboard, lower the Octave setting to it’s lowest point, and you should be able to play all the ST tracks individually this way.
Then just sequence them from there.

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#10

That should work! Thank you!

Just to be clear, c2 is track 1, d2 is track 2, and so forth?

#11

Nearly:

C-2 = t1
C#-2 = t2
D-2 = t3
D#-2 = t4
Etc

So it’s the white and black keys at the bottom.

2 Likes
#12

Great.

I really appreciate you.

I’ll tag you in whatever I make since you took the time to help me.

1 Like