what should i buy after the DN?

malalaltia · July 30, 2019, 9:17pm

sooo around 5 months ago i bought my first synth (DN) and i spent countless hours exploring what it can do, but i feel like 4 tracks is pretty limiting and makes it hard to create a full song just with that one device.

I’m relatively new to electronic music and right now i’m mostly into deep house (david august, kollektiv turnstrasse etc.)

i feel like i need something that can allow me to make smoother transitions and basically create full sets

could DN + OT be a proper set up for deep house? i fell in love with the elektron workflow and i feel like it just wouldn’t be that fun to play with a DAW.

i’m a broke teenager so saving up for something like an OT would probably take me a year, on the other hand saving up for a laptop, DAW and a controller would take even longer.

gerkinear · July 30, 2019, 9:26pm

I’d save and decide later. OT is always a good starting point for any setup, but also expensive. I love it.
The Digitone has two inputs which you can sugar with good fx. Maybe there is some iphone beatbox with 909 samples or something to get more stuff into your music without too much cost?

DJSpaceP · July 30, 2019, 9:28pm

Everyone is going to tell you, “Get the OT!!!”

Me, I love love LOVE the Digitone and Digitakt together.

hausland · July 30, 2019, 9:28pm

When you say 4 tracks are too few to make a whole track, what is missing from your tracks? Which “gap” would you like to fill?

Or to ask differently, assuming you’d have more tracks available, what sounds/purpose would you give them?

gerkinear · July 30, 2019, 9:30pm

Yes, digitakt and digitone combination is cool!

malalaltia · July 30, 2019, 9:47pm

yeah I’ve been thinking about that too… also its newer than the OT and probably will have more updates coming up

jingo · July 30, 2019, 10:21pm

Maybe get a Drum Machine, which (surprise) an A4 can be if you want to stick to elektron. With a drum machine you free up tracks from the DN for more synth voices instead of rhythm voices… Or vice versa, think it would be very dynamical setup…

Hinterlands · July 30, 2019, 11:15pm

I second the drum machine recommendation. I have a bunch of gear but I’m currently working on a techno/electro live set with just the Digitone and an MFB Tanzmaus. I like that they are both relatively small vs. my other live set up which is Octatrack + Machinedrum + Lyra-8 + mixer + microphone + effects which takes up a whole table top. The DN and Tanzmaus is tiny techno match made in heaven (they’re both so small and cute).

Cosmic · July 31, 2019, 12:05am

A sampler like the OT really needs to be complimented with a computer for project backup, sample file feeds etc.

Sam_Koch · July 31, 2019, 12:23am

I have a digitone sending it’s midi clock to a digitakt and then I use overbridge to get the ‘songs’ into ableton. It’s a really fun way to write songs, especially with the overbridge functionality. Also, the ability to now group tracks in ableton makes the whole process even cooler.

However, I too am having the same problem where they don’t feel like complete ‘songs’. I’m contemplating buying an OT… I can’t go back to the DAW workflow!!

Microtribe · July 31, 2019, 12:40am

People make complete tracks on Digitone. You dont need more gear. 5 months is not long enough to have mastered any machine.

Geneoart · July 31, 2019, 12:52am

Digitakt is the perfect companion and it’s a lot cheaper than the OT. The Digitakt Digitone combo is 12 tracks of audio plus 12 tracks of midi, that’s more than enough. Once you get comfortable making music with those two you can add a analogue polysynth. Deepmind 12 is super affordable

tnussb · July 31, 2019, 4:00am

All of the replies suggesting a Digitakt don’t take this part of your post into account. While the DT is a good companion for the DN it won’t help with smoother transitions, because it cannot be used as dynamic looper.

And “yes” its quite likely the Digitakt gets more updates in the future, but then the OT doesn’t require these update, because it has already the features the Digitakt is missing (song mode, stereo monitoring and sampling, a selective “CONTROL-ALL” etc.pp.).

So, yeah, my vote goes to the OT, because it completes the setup quite nicely.

bombsofgold · July 31, 2019, 4:19am

Whatever you get, get it used. So you can get the next one sooner.

ahlstrominfo · July 31, 2019, 7:25am

I’ve had multiple OTs and DTs. Right now I’m digging the 1010music BlackBox the most.

Nokulture · July 31, 2019, 8:55am

My perfect, minimal combo is DT, DN and circuit monostation. Well, you can switch CMS to another analog monosynth you love, but I feel that’s good combination. And you can get DT+analog monosynth, for the price of OT.

malalaltia · July 31, 2019, 8:11pm

please share the results when you’re done!!!

half.cto · August 1, 2019, 8:36am

As always cure to any problem is Octatrack I found that I run out of voices on DN rather quickly so OT makes perfect companion since I can quickly sample DN and free it up for other tasks.
Or using OT MIDI LFOs to further shape pad sounds. Or OT arp, yes its better than DN. Arranger. and so on…

blaize · August 1, 2019, 10:44am

Digitakt is very cool and if you know well the digitone you won’t be lost with digitakt. DT is much more than a drum machine and if you do techno you don’t need many track for rythm and you will have lot of space for FX, percs, melodies…
Also DT+DN fit well together.
I just have the DT and I do everything I want with it.

krunchr · August 2, 2019, 2:24pm

I would consider the Deluge. With the Deluge you get VA synthesis, (multi-)sampling, a first-class song sequencer, fx and (soon) a sophisticated looper in one box.