Sold my MPC Live and the same day, picked up a Digitakt

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I’ve had a Digitone for a while and have been loving it as a live performance box along with a Novation Circuit Mono.

I wanted to get away from samples for a bit and focus on synthesized music. I’m on a great path with that, and now feel like I’m ready to bring samples and a more dedicated drum machine sound back into my setup, with a fresh perspective on more musical approaches.

But the MPC has not been doing it for me. I got spoiled with the Digitone being so immediate and such a creative tool for multitrack synthesis. I didn’t want to drag my MPC back into the mix and spoil the party.

So, enter the Digitakt. It is exactly what I hoped it would be, with a couple of nice surprises, and it has both the beef and clarity that I’ve come to associate with my Digitone.

Yes, I’ve swallowed the Elektron Kool-Aid, but it certainly does taste good. :smiley:

And they look so darned good together on my desktop!

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#2

BTW, here’s a pic of my new live setup. Between these three devices and the Keystep for live playing, I can cover SO much sonic territory.

Setup_071919
Setup_071919.jpg2560×1440 1.29 MB

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#3

You’ve done the right thing. :grin:

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#4

What type of music are you making and do you have some songs online? I’d like to hear some!

#5

I love sequencing my DN with the MPC live for more free-flowing linear stuff.

Don’t really use the MPC for samples much, more as a sequencer.

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#6

I love using my MPC Live to sample voice and instruments straight onto its pads on the fly and then send them onward to my Octatrack or DT for processing and/or sequencing.

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#7

Id never sell my MPC Live. 2.6 looks cool.

The DT is nice too though. Would’ve saved up for it in this situation.

For me, the MPC steers me toward a certain type of vibe (read: deep house/tech).

My Elektron stuff is pure techno

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#8

Ive got both they work nicely together.

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#9

I’m eyeing at a mpc live. A friend of mine is rather enthusiastic about it :loopy:

#10

yep. that’s Elektron gear man… once you get it, and if you gel with the sequencer/workflow, there’s no going back. it’ll always be part of my setup.

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#12

I have a DT, wanted to buy an MPC, but many people said they sold the DT after using the MPC because the MPC do everything the DT do. I love my DT and I don’t want sell it, so I just don’t buy an MPC Live and keep grinding the DT :slight_smile:

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#13

I had a Digitakt but wanted a more ‘standard’ sampler with slicing features etc., so I bought an MPC Live expecting to sell the Digitakt but I ended up keeping both.

I see the MPC Live as a great computer-alternative and it’s great for sequencing all my outboard gear, and of course as a sampler it’s great. But the Digitakt isn’t really a sampler, it’s more like an instrument, and I like the sounds it makes enough to keep it. Even when I’m working in the MPC I’ve usually got one track triggering the Digitakt, or I’ll sequence the DT and sync it, I use it on pretty much everything.

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#14

Makes sense to me. Even with having MPC-style options in Maschine and all the power of software it provides, there’s a special place for Digitakt for me :slight_smile:

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#15

I traded my Digitakt to kick start my getting into modular! I miss the Digitakt but can’t say it’s a bad move. I could never regret getting into modular and probably reacquire Digitakt down the road. Did keep the MPC and love working with it. I totally see unlimited potential with MPC. Plus pleased with the update pace.

#16

I keep hearing people say this. What do they mean by this? How would you compare it to, say, an OT or 404?

#17

Immediacy and flow

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#18

Its feature set isn’t what you’d get with a sampler. Yes it can sample and trim but you can’t layer them, can’t slice them, etc. What you can do is mangle them in a number of interesting and quite unique ways, and sequence them in some very clever and again unique ways. And you can play it as a kind of wavetable synth by cycling short waveforms, even down to single cycle waveforms, even from material you’ve sampled.

You could make a whole track from just a snare drum if you felt like it. Having it play as bass and hats and even as a lead synth. Samples are very much just the start with the Digitakt.

It’s neat. And it pushes my buttons.

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#19

I had a Live, briefly. It was as great as it was overwhelming. I sold it.

I try new stuff from time to time, but always return to the Octatrack.

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#20

I went from the Digitakt to the MPC Live :slight_smile: I really like the Elektron sequencer, but i realize i would have to buy an Octatrack to get the full experience. An MPC live deal popped up. Went for it, layed down a cool pattern in 30 min., felt like i could spread my wings and do anything i want. I’m sure it would be nice to connect it with some elektron machines :slight_smile:

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#21

I bought a Machnedrum a few years ago, after using several MPC’s over almost 2 decades. Sold my MPC2500 after that and never looked back. I make do with a Digitakt now.

The only thing I miss is Note Repeat on those lovely pads, but I have that covered with a midi controller these days.

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