Some questions about the DN

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

Some of you have seen all of my various postings about my issues with the DN. One of the issues I def. don’t have is enjoying the sound. In the 3 or so days I’ve had the machine, I’ve made a bunch of custom sounds that I’m really excited about. I’m really trying to justify keeping the synth and I have some questions to see if anyone can give me some advice or ideas about workarounds.

  1. Since the DN doesn’t use kits, even if 2 patterns have the exact same sound set, any tweaks made on one won’t carry over to the next when doing a pattern chain. This is also apparent when trying to fade in a synth over 8 bars manually (2 patterns with different melodies that create 1 full part) and when it switches, the volume obviously jumps to the default. Has anyone come up with a good way to do longer live manual automation over multiple patterns?

  2. Given that a DN track can’t play the same note sequentially without cutting off the note prior to it, even if it’s a soundlocked note instead, has anyone found a way around wanting to create very long uninterrupted pads that include the same note in sequential chords? My only thought is to take up 2 tracks and sequence them separately, but that’s kind of a bitch.

  3. What are some tips for making sure pads will fade into each other without clicks, especially with behavior like this: Can someone explain this clicking?

  4. Anyone have any ideas on how to simulate a notch or bandpass filter? I know the base width filter can kind of rock bandpass, but there’s no resonance for the high and low, so it’s pretty limited.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

#2

Hi,

I was struggling with 2 & 3 the other evening. I found that if I recorded the chords in live mode, that I could get them to play without cutting each other off. I was getting clicks & couldn’t figure it out, until I realised that I was running out of polyphony & the note stealing was causing the clicks. I got around this by using conditions for when the notes would play to avoid the stealing.

#3

Some ideas …

to 1) have you checked already the option to change the “pattern/scale” in the menu after pressing FUNC/PAGE?

to 3) long Attack/Release times don’t work? The envelopes are quite snappy.

to 4) you are on a FM-Synth. The filters are just an add-on only and do not have the same critical role as we have in subtractive synthesis. That may be the reason, why there is no notch filter. Depending on the algorithm and the settings of the A and B levels, there might be an effect, which compares to the flanging of a modulated notch filter. I would suggest to check this out and try to modulate with the LFO.

#4

  1. Not sure what that has to do with anything. I have 2 4-bar patterns that I want to act as 8 bars when manually tweaking parameters over the 8 bars.

  2. Not always

  3. I know this is a FM synth, that’s why I bought it. I figure if they’re gonna include the A4/MM style filters, they’d actually fill them out. I’ll try different algorithms.

#5

Sorry, I was not clear enough … you also asked about fading in a synth voice very slowly. I would try this with a track, which is running at half speed of the other tracks. Depending on the sound of the evolving synth voice I would try to record parameter locks accordingly.

Since I have the DN for some days only, I could be wrong and there is nothing like the “Trigless Locks”, which I am used from the OT.

Depending on the sound and purpose, conditional locks could also be used. First set of locks work the first run of the sequence and the others at the second run. This would fake a slow change of a sound during a 2 x playing a 4bar track, giving an eight bars movement.

Just a suggestion, which came to my mind.

#6

I hear you. The DN doesn’t have a per track timing thing. Your idea could work in some specific instances perhaps, but not for what I’m going for. The condition locks would work if the melody has the space to allow for “2nd pattern notes” to be programmed in, but that won’t always be the case.

#7

Yep, you are completely right, sorry for waisting your time.

I have just tried it myself and there is no different time-base for the tracks. What a shame. I thought the sequencer would work like on my OT.

Well, next time I will try first and post after :wink:

1 Like
#8

No worries! I’m going to investigate sequencing the DN with the OT and see how that goes.