working fine as expected
Have you got Receive Notes [x] enabled ?
Have you got MIDI In from USB + DIN ?
Have you got the audio tracks on different channels than the auto channel
ONLY set the Auto Channel to 10 - it is exclusive - ensure your device is sending on 10, some devices may set channels from 0-15 (implicitly referring to 1-16) - so ensure you’re not on 11
Another question: Is it possible now to input notes in grid recording mode on the track midi channel or does the midi note still need to come on the Auto channel? I remember that was something that was really bugging me when I used Elektron boxes for sequencing multiple external synths from multiple keyboards…
yes, this is as intended
you can record in Live_Record(flashing) on the TrackChannel or AutoChannel
but to p-lock as if via the device itself, in grid recording mode (steady red) you need to use the Auto Channel
If you are not in LiveRec the track chan note will be played and not recorded … same for GridRec
AutoChan is so much more practical when hopping tracks imho
I agree. I even have the regular track midi inputs disabled on my Digitakt.
My Sub 37 is connected to my DAW, and sending midi via channel 10 through my USB hub. My Digitone is receiving this midi via a USB connected to a USB hub and playing the notes I’m pressing on the Sub 37.
Yes, I have “Recieve Notes” checked on.
My Port Config says, “INPUT FROM MIDI+USB”
My Track Channels are 1, 2, 3, 4, My Midi Channels are 5678, FX is 9, Auto Channel is 10
I recieved further assistance from support, and i got it working! Here’s what they had to say:
So it looks like you have it set up the right way, just need a few other settings set up. The one thing to keep in mind is the MIDI Settings in Digitone is configuring the actual MIDI on the device and does not effect how Overbridge reacts. Overbridge runs parallel with physical MIDI. This means that you will need to select Elektron Digitone as the MIDI device you want to send your Sub 37 MIDI to.
On Digitone MIDI CONFIG - PORT CONFIG. Make sure that INPUT FROM is set to USB or MIDI+USB
In Ableton - Preferences - Link/Tempo/MIDI. Make sure that you select “Track” for Out: Elektron Digitone.
On your MIDI track that you have your Sub 37 set to MIDI From, below that on MIDI To, select Elektron Digitone [Make sure you select Elektron Digitone MIDI Device which will be on the top of the list, Digitone Overbridge will be an option, but this will not work how you want it to.]
Ah ha! You were sending MIDI from the DAW. I thought you were connected direct. Glad you have it all fixed!
I appreciate your help. Such a relief to have this working.
I’ve used the DN for a while and I’m fairly familiar, but just recently picked up a DN and I’ve run into a really odd issue.
I’m routing Midi from a KS37 -> DT -> DN via the MIDI Out. Everything is using MIDI channel 16 as Auto-channel and the KS37 is outputting to MIDI ch16. I’ve got DT MIDI 9,10,11,12 controlling DN 1,2,3,4. Track mutes are working, I can play chromatically via the KS37 and hear appropriate results.
I can enable live recording on the DN, after selecting one o the tracks, 9-12, and the trigs appear on the grid in the DN with appropriate parameters.
However, if I attempt to grid record, the note is always recorded as C5, Velocity 100 for every note.
In an effort to troubleshoot, I tried running the DT MIDI Thru -> DN MIDI in, and this does make grid recording work again, but of course this isn’t ideal since I want to use the DT as my master-brain.
Checked the obvious ones, Auto-channel is 16 on all, Receive Notes is enabled on the DN…it’s clearly ABLE to receive the note information since it’s doing so in live-rec mode, including velocity information, yet the only thing I ever get in grid-edit mode is C5/100 regardless of what the KS37 is sending.
I know there are other threads out there about this, but none of them were current or had positive resolutions.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Manual p.34
Auto channel on the DT will control the active track, but then pass on whatever channel that track is assigned to on the MIDI out. So, if your first DT MIDI track is assigned to output channel 9, then the DN will receive on ch9. As above, Elektron devices expect incoming data on the auto channel for grid recording mode, so this is why it’s not working.
Possible solution is to have an empty track on the DT assigned to output to channel 16, which you can switch to if you want to program the DN in grid mode.
I’m struggling to understand, the Midi data is there or the live mode recording wouldn’t work. The data is there, but DT is just ignoring it in grid-rec mode? That can’t be by design.
I’ll give your suggestion a try later tonight, thank you…
It’s just how it works. There’s probably some technical reason for it.
(if) Introducing a DAW into this will (as illustrated above) compound confusion
Thanks again, I’ve had more time to ponder this and I did successfully try your workaround last night.
Would a MIDI merge box work here? I’m thinking of merging the MIDI out and the MIDI Thru from the DT into one signal then sending that to the MIDI in on the DN.
It’s a little misleading to say it’s possible, when it’s not possible without a workaround that sacrifices a MIDI channel. Especially a workaround that breaks an otherwise tight Elektron workflow. Sure, I can get used to anything, but this feels completely arbitrary on the part of Elektron engineers.
Is this a case of Elektron artificially hobbling these devices to drive sales to the more expensive gear? Since we know it is possible, in live record, this must be an artificial limitation created in software.
Any thoughts on whether that MIDI merge box, or something else might hardware my way around this limitation?
Thanks!
Of course not. It isn’t.
Needing and owning a merge is no bad outcome
It’s much more likely to be related to the Digitone Keys having a built-in keyboard which doubles as a controller for external synths alongside the sequencer.
Here’s my setup, which works fine.
Keyboard > Digitakt > Digitone
Digitakt auto-channel is 10
Digitone auto-channel is 14
Keyboard is set to output on channel 10, and plays the Digitakt just fine. It also works in grid record mode.
I have one of the Digitakt’s MIDI tracks set to output on channel 14. When I want to play the Digitone with the keyboard, I just switch the Digitakt to this MIDI track. It then forwards the keyboard to whichever track is active on the Digitone.
This does what you want, with no extra hardware, and no conspiracy theories about having to buy some other elektron box.
The downside is that the Digitakt does not pass pitch-bend or aftertouch when used this way. For that, you need midi thru.
You also lose the ability to run track mutes on the Digitakt against the Digitone that way…again, nothing I can’t get used to in time, but it still feels a really arbitrary decision which breaks-up an otherwise excellent workflow.
Any inferred frustration isn’t directed at anyone here, I know you’re all trying to help, but this is the first significant limitation I’ve run into on these boxes…first world problems to be sure, but it still feels an arbitrary choice on Elektron’s part to support it in live recording, but not in grid. To me, that feels like a feature flag set in firmware that’s been locked to FALSE. This thread has been active for 5 years now, so it’s clearly been a pain point for many.
Owning a Midi Merger isn’t the worst thing in the world - especially if it overcomes this limitation, but for the ~$900(USD) price point of these boxes…it feels a little suspect to have to do that when the feature works, just not under specific conditions(live versus grid rec modes).
Again, no one’s fault here, I appreciate the responses and suggestions!
Yeah, this strikes me as a slight oversight by elektron when developing the grid recording mode. My guess is that it didn’t make it into the first release, and improving that functionality isn’t exactly a headline feature so it is probably hard for them to internally justify the development cost vs reward.
I’m using the Digitakt to control the mutes on the Digitone too.
Maybe I’m misunderstanding your problem. I just fired up the boxes to test, and I can use it in both live-record and grid-record mode.
By grid recording, I take it to mean you press record to enter grid record mode, then press a trig, play a note on the attached keyboard, and that note’s pitch and velocity are recorded to the held trig, correct?
This is working for me!
EDIT. This works only if you send to the Digitone on its autochannel. If you try to send to channel 1 (for track 1, say), then it behaves as you describe.
Check my earlier post again for how I have the autochannels set. If I can make it work, you surely can!
