Syntakt into Digitakt or Digitakt into Syntakt

Elektron Gear Digitakt
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I can’t wrap my head around which is better. Any suggestions/pros/cons? Thanks!

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I personally route my Syntakt into my Digitakt so that I can take advantage of the compressor. I could see the master effects of the ST also being an asset but until the ST gets a compressor, this is how I’m rockin.

Edit: I’m also engaged in a hunt for a final device to glue these two together. Right now the top 3 contenders are the SP-404 mk 2 (might be overkill), Analog Heat FX (expensive), and the AH Xone 23 (would also want to add a compressor for the ST). Right now, leaning ST into DT into 404.

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This makes the most sense to me so far as well. I love to hear logic for the other way around however.

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But… You could resample Syntakt if you play it directly into DT. That yields some interesting options too.

I no longer have DT, but when I did, I usually kept ST going into DT.

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Don’t see why you wouldn’t put Syntakt into Digitakt; The Digi is a sampler, it’s designed for that.

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When the DT and ST share drum duties, and the sound you’re looking for is a bit dirty, the crunch of the master drive and analog filter on the ST sound so good.

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Here is a reason to go Digitakt into Syntakt -because DT can do dual mono inputs.

For instance: Two mono synths into DT, DT into ST…

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At this point I’d recommend to start looking for a mixer :slight_smile:

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I prefer samples mashed by a beat than the opposite.
I’d go DT into ST because the AFX bus offers more control than DT compressor over the sound. And DT into ST is almost like having a Heat.

Try to stick to you two pieces as long as you can, but indeed a mixer with some aux out would let you switch from one to another within a set.

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the age old question

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Agree with the mixer advice! Send them back and forth as needed. Need to sample or compress the ST? Send to Digitakt. Need the analog FX stuff from the Syntakt, send the Digitakt to it.

Unless you’re cabling them up semi-permanently in a case or live setup or something a bit more restrictive.

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The main factor for me has been wanting to be able to sample other things into the DT — as much as it makes sense to send the ST into the DT’s compressor, I like having those DT inputs free for whatever else I have going on.

Maybe the answer is to do all of your song/pattern writing into a mixer (so you can keep the DT sample inputs open for coming up with ideas), but then when you perform go ST into DT. Or the other way. At that point it’s just taste, Heat vs. compressor.

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I’ve ended up going DT into ST recently for all the reasons mentioned above. ST distortion & I sample into DT from something else.

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On the MIDI side, I made the Digitakt the master. Then I can sequence 8 of the ST tracks from the DT MIDI tracks. Makes performing much easier as you can use the mutes on one machine. Can also just use song mode on the DT for everything.

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Just the kind of logic I was looking for here. Something counterintuitive to what I was thinking. I think an external compressor might need to be added in this route.

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The question was mainly in regards to a live setup.

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Nice!

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After a lot of experimenting I’ve ended up with Digitone into Syntakt into Digitakt.

Reasons:

  • Digitakt compressor with kick drum on Track 1 for sidechain input means I can get that good old four on the floor pumping thing going for the entire mix.

  • Digtakt at end of chain makes it super simple to sample anything in the whole mix and then mangle the sample.

  • Chunky FM bass on Digitone run through Syntakt analog FX is a beast (and is then sampled on Digitakt).

  • Digitakt is always connected to iPad so I can sample iPad softsynths, one shots from YT etc and then record the whole mix back onto iPad using any recording app to get a stereo track master.

Also FWIW I have Hydrasynth Desktop into Digitone at the beginning of the chain so I can run Hydra patches through different Elektron effects (chorus on DN, analog in ST) and sample in DT as well as play live (MIDI from DN to take advantage of 8-note polyphony).

If I only had two Elektron boxes I’d take Syntakt and Digitakt with former into the latter (plus iPad) for the reasons set out above.

It is extraordinary how much you can do with even just those two little boxes.

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logic like this has me looking for “just the right” mixer (or a patchbay) again.

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:arrow_double_up: :arrow_double_up: :arrow_double_up: :arrow_double_up:

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