Using the Digitakt as a Polyphonic Synth [ambient jam inside]

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Hey fellow Elektronauts, here is a little ambient jam I made using the Digitakt as a polyphonic synth :

This was done with Max MSP but as you probably know you can achieve the same result with the RK-002 cable and various softwares.

I find this to be so amazing and inspirational! Are you guys using the Digitakt as a synth? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of videos or music with it on Youtube, which I find pretty surprising. This kind of sample-based synth looks pretty unique to me (except maybe for the Korg MicroSampler and the Electribe to some extent?). It’s obviously not perfect for emulating real instruments as some samples sound weird when pitched up or down, plus you only get 4 octaves, but it’s still fun! Also I think it could make for some very unusual textures and synth sounds, especially coupled with the MIDI loopback to get 2 LFO per track.

Anyway, hope you’ll like the music!

Aldo

P.S. : Big shout out to our fellow Elektronaut Chapelier Fou who made this patch in like 5 minutes, check out his stuff it’s really-really cool : https://chapelierfou.bandcamp.com/

18 Likes
#2

Beatiful. Love it. The DT can’t stop to impress me :slight_smile:

1 Like
#3

Yeah this box keeps on giving<3, thank you for the kind words!

#4

I can’t believe I never thought about doing this. Such a cool idea and amazing video.

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#5

Beautiful video ! You, sir, gained a sub, thanks for sharing :+1:

2 Likes
#6

Thank you for the support man, that’s very much appreciated!

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#7

All shout outs to Chapelier Fou are well-deserved (big fan here :star_struck: )

Also: DOPE JAM!

2 Likes
#8

I only discovered him now but he seems to be a pretty big name in France (where I’m from too!), and yeah his stuff is really amazing<3 (and thank youuuu)

#9

Any change we could see the patch? I might want to duplicate it in pure data. Thanks.

1 Like
#10

Sure! It’s available in the video description for anyone, but here is the link again. :slight_smile:

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#11

Thanks!

Edit: I have it now in pure data, if anyone wants it.

Edit2: https://github.com/Elektromatic/PolyDigitakt

3 Likes
#12

How would it be possible to have a similar effect/result with the Retrokit RK002 ?

#13

Hey, I don’t own the Retrokits cable but from what I understand there is a dedicated firmware for the Digitakt which include this feature (as well as an Euclid generator), here is a demo :

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#14

Sorry, I’m trying the max and the pure data patches and can’t get them to work. how does the digitakt setup needs to be? regarding midi channels etc. also the patches just work as is or does they need to have midi channel from the keyboard controller specified?

#15

Hey, I don’t remember precisely but I think you just have to double-click the [midiin] and [midiout] blocks to select the corresponding devices (presumably a keyboard for the in and the Digitakt for the out). You also need to have you Digitakt tracks receiving on channel 1 to 8 (that’s the default setting). I’m not sure about the channel for the keyboard but if there is a specific channel it’s probably channel 1. Hope that helps!

(Also I never used Pure Data, only the Max MSP patch.)

2 Likes
#16

Yes, default settings should work.
This polyphonic hack works also with Octatrack and Midipal midi processor (Mutable Instruments).

#17

thank you! i got the max patch working with the autochannel on the keyboard but needed to have a digitakt midi track ACTIVE with channel 1 as source for it to work properly

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#18

Oh I guess your keyboard goes through your Digitakt first and not directly into the computer? In that case that makes sense, the notes from the keyboard won’t be transmitted to the Digitakt output MIDI signal unless you manually route them manually like you did. :slight_smile:

If so you don’t necessarily need the auto-channel, you can go to Setting > MIDI Config > Channels and set one of the MIDI track to receive MIDI on channel 9 for example. Then you would just need to set your MIDI keyboard to channel 9 and it would always work.

3 Likes
#19

I’ll see if I find the time to make the Max patch more user friendly.

2 Likes
#20

Thanks! That’s right, setting a fixed receiving midi channel for the MIDI track should be a better option

1 Like