Two Digitones

Elektron Gear Digitone/Digitone Keys
#1

I love this thing so much I’m considering purchasing a second as per a suggestion…

What do you think? I feel like opening up this beast up to 16 voices would be game changing… one entire DN dedicated to drums with crazy trig conditions on kicks, snares, shakers, FX, then have perhaps background type leads/arps low volume for substance, and have another DN strictly for those lush FM pads and bass notes. Oh my.

I’m either going to purchase a second Digitone and an Analog Four MKII or snag a Dave Smith OB-6 that’s on sale for around the same price. The OB-6 sounds downright orgasmic but a lot of the 80s style sounds don’t mesh well with me even in FM, ironically I got the DN to create those 80’s sounds and Blade Runner sounds but it’s brought me to a completely different point.

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Who is doing interesting stuff with two Digitones?
#2

I used to dream about having an OB-6, until I came around and accepted that I can make nearly the same sounds on VSTs that are significantly cheaper. Even then, I found the OB-6 sounds not meshing with a lot of music I was making either.
It all depends on what you’re making, but I found that I was drawn to the OB-6 for nostalgic reasons and nothing else. I rather take that grip and spend it on something more useful.

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#3

That’s true I suppose… Maybe it is the nostalgia, and I don’t make anything very nostalgic. It just sounds so lush for what it is but perhaps you’re right, I don’t think it’d mesh well in my mix, probably stick out like a sore thumb. It sounds sooo very good though. Maybe I’ll hold off, hopefully someday there’s an 8 voice version…

#4

If your will is to use one for percussion, I would personally go for a Digitakt, that would also add many possibilities on top (think going granular on Digitone pads, retrig on DN percussions, etc.)
Or even an OT, that would add plockable arps, additional FX, on-the-fly sampling + mangling.

Now that I think of it, it’s my combo these days…

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#5

I’m mainly a guitar player but I coded all throughout college so Elektron devices come so easily to me since they’re just computers that do specific things. The Digitone has been a game changer for me.

I’m not too interested in the OT… I know it has infinite potential but it’s too much for me I think to use properly along with everything else. The Digitakt could be something though, I’ve never been much of a sampler but it could be pretty nice.

Edit: Can I sample my guitar into the Digitakt real time…?

#6

Digitakt surely is the right tool then. Samples are fun when they’re yours :slight_smile:
You don’t see them the same.

That might lead you to actually discover the pleasure of using samples in replacement of the traditional oscillator part. And exploring new soundscapes.

A beautiful discovery that is.

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#7

Dunno if you saw my edit but can I sample my guitar into the DT live?

Perhaps my best option is actually the Rytm MKII and Digitakt…

#8

If live means in realtime without stopping the sequencer, no. Only OT can do that.
I could be very happy with two digitones btw.
I have A4 + digitone, but two digitones instead might even work better for me

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#9

The A4 looks great but I just have this feeling about two Digitones being mindboggling due to the sheer possibilites…

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#10

the A4 also has sheer possibilities, believe me :slight_smile:
Depends on taste, which kind of sounds you like, I guess

#11

Having a tough time deciding here lol… Since you have a Digitone, do you know if I would be able to use two tracks sending MIDI over the same channel to the DSI OB-6? Just so I can take advantage of the polyphony properly.

#12

yes of course you can do that. But you can also send polyphonic data from one midi track up to 8 notes

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#13

Alright, I’m going to have 1-2 tracks finished by January 1st at this rate lol.

#14

One thing about DT+DN is that you can sample your FM percussion off of the DN into the DT and play it from there. You can also do single cycle waves for other types of synthesis to complement it. (On top of other types of samples.). Then your DN is free for the more dynamic sounds.

Of course two DNs has a very nice appeal too :smiley:

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#15

I was just thinking the same. Just get a Digitakt and sample your percussion from the Digitone. That would give you much more versatility wouldn’t it? You would also have retrig capability by using your DN percussion samples in the DT. It would be an overall more flexible setup, no? Though 2 Digitones would be crazy, use the one for percussion combined with the arp and p locks! Gets crazy fast.

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#16

Not only single hits, but one could record timed loops to fit the piece, and then mix those up in the DT. Reverse them, cut them, and still have the same timbres from the DN.

Damn it. Now I need to reacquire a DT too! :smiley:

I’m just using the DN and Rev2 right now, but the DN+DT was such a productive pair. The flow is just easy and inspiring.

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#17

And the sound, too. DT definitely has its own mojo.
If you want live recording, only OT offers this, though.

If you have the money for an AR mk2, then you basically have DT+one of the best analog drum machines there is in one box, so your suggestion is relevant. But DT looks better besides DN for sure :wink:

#18

People keep using the term ‘game changer’ when reading this. Can someone tell me what game is being changed. Is the wheel somehow being reinvented. Surely not.

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#19

Music to me is just a game to play, just like life.

If I double the voices of my Digitone the game I play has been changed.

No need to reinvent anything, because the Digitone has already been invented and is better than the wheel.

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#20

I thought that the world is narrow. There are people who think similar things.

I bought two digitones this summer. First unit is use for rhythm, drum part and FX. Also, the second unit is use for melody. I like to make sound from digital synth and create all the tracks.

Long ago, I was doing synth 1 project which makes songs with just synth 1.

Currently I’m studying sound making with digitone…

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