Elektron's New Drum/Sampler/Sequencer

I only messed with it for maybe an hour or so to come up with that simple clip. it was like 4-5 samples and only a few notes triggered.

I like to see how you other people are using it, especially people with more of a mpc backround work flow. I really like the digi but can't quite wrap my head around how i might use it. I really don't make that old school boom bat stuff, I enjoy it a lot but I was going to try more modern beats and learn to mix and master stuff. I know I will find a way to work it in but my workflow previously was more synth based, which honestly I am still learning alot. Which I am guessing the digi does quite well also... LOL

I guess I have my work cut out for me. lol

The digitakt is so f*cking close to being the perfect sampler for me, its really annoying it isn't....
I love machines that can really mess up your sh*t in a good way. This one seems to do it perfectly.
The filters, the assignable random sequencing of notes, the looping functions, quick workflow, output resampling, the way you can affect all the sounds at once with for example pitch, the screen with all the cool visuals and the overall simpleness of this thing.

If it had 8 analog outputs and more than 8 internal audiotracks I would jump on this sooooooo fast and sell my 2000xl with the quickness! Frustrating

My opinion about Digitakt is that it really is a diamond in the rough. The 8 audio tracks is just like the MV8800 style of laying audio tracks, so don't feel its inferior with only one sound per track because the MV is the same way. With that knowledge, I'm gonna try to MV things on it, maybe make a whole album within the Digitakt... The OLED screen is so next level if you used to LCD screens. Its like magic. The knobs need tweaking though, sometimes I adjust slowly but nothing happens, so when I put a little speed, it goes faster than I like passing where I'd like to be. Also, no mute groups at least at this time, Elektron calls that feature Choke Groups for their machines. Other than that, its a machine where you can make a whole song from a single sound, and everything will sound phenomenal like if you had drum kits, violins, keys and basslines samples. So much to do with one sample. Being I'm a crate digger kind of samplist, for those that wanna know, this can be a challenge for phrases if you don't mind oneshots but you can resample all day and just loop a sample in the sequencer and resample a few bars. Only spent a couple days with it and just playing with a couple psych samples in it. Will give a full review in a month of heavy use.

Would I recommend this; to a veteran beat maker yes, to a beginner yes, to a fully certified engineer probably not. Its a lot of fun and has everything that made the Roland SPs so legendary, ability to mangle and transform your samples but Elektron took it another level and only 3 fx in it

EDIT:Just installed 1.02 and the knobs are tweaking fantastic now, scratched what I said before.

And 1.02 is already out and Pete tweets "weeks"

https://www.elektronauts.com/news

Thanks for the heads up. Havent had any issues with the digi yet but still learning it, had some small stuff with the live but nothing like many are complaining about.

I agree with your assessment. I wasnt sure what to make of it, but yea a more comprehensive 404 or 555 is spot on.

Be real cool to hear what you been doing on it. I think with overbridge enabled it will be game over. jam on that thing for an hour and refine the killer stuff.

I'm interested in this little box as well. Looking forward to hear what you guys make and come up with. I'm more into sample base music.

The live is cool and all but for some reason it doesn't look inpiring to me. Maybe I'm still into the old school samplers. Digitakt also screams lo fi music for some reason.

n3rdi3st wrote:I'm interested in this little box as well. Looking forward to hear what you guys make and come up with. I'm more into sample base music.

The live is cool and all but for some reason it doesn't look inpiring to me. Maybe I'm still into the old school samplers. Digitakt also screams lo fi music for some reason.

And yes the sound is incredible when you sample your own stuff to really appreciate the converters. I once heard from variuos people that Elektron boxes are cold and sterile in sound but the Digitakt definitely got character, definitely a lo-fiologist's kind of sampler. The way you manipulate samples and chops just makes you say Damn! Also, I don't know about some of you but the Digitakt feels heavy to me, does not feel light at all. A bit heavier than my MPC500 with batteries in it. Its built like a tank almost like those old Pioneer mixers of the 80's.

Build quality is fantastic but I might have to send mine back, as one of the trig buttons stays in when pressed from a certain angle. Gonna give it a couple more days.

It sounds magical, I'm really impressed. Installed the latest firmware and the knobs are now much smoother. It's been less than a week and we are already getting updates!

I only wish I had more time to play with it.

One question if anyone knows, can I somehow see how much free storage I have left on the digitakt?

Have you tried checking it on the computer, I need to update the os so ill check tonight for ya.

Hopefuly find some time to put together a better track and see what other samples are sounding like on it by this weekend.

Still waiting to hear what other mpc heads are doing with this thing. Some decent stuff on youtube but mainly from elektron folks who been using them

Ill-Green wrote:Also, no mute groups at least at this time, Elektron calls that feature Choke Groups for their machines.

are samples p-lockable? like can you change what sample is playing per-step like in the other machines?
if so, there's yer choke group, just use the sounds you want choked on the same track.

another option is to make a sample chain and use the offsets - those samples in that chain would then be effectively a choke group.

tapedeck wrote:

Ill-Green wrote:Also, no mute groups at least at this time, Elektron calls that feature Choke Groups for their machines.

are samples p-lockable? like can you change what sample is playing per-step like in the other machines?
if so, there's yer choke group, just use the sounds you want choked on the same track.

another option is to make a sample chain and use the offsets - those samples in that chain would then be effectively a choke group.

Yes they are. Thanks for that one, I know one sample per track and noticed samples cut each other but never thought of p-locking for psuedo Choke group, will try it tonight. Thanks Tapedeck

Ill-Green wrote:Yes they are. Thanks for that one, I know one sample per track and noticed samples cut each other but never thought of p-locking for psuedo Choke group, will try it tonight. Thanks Tapedeck

something i like about elektron products, even if they seem simple sometimes, they are so elegantly designed that you can almost hack any function you want out of them.

dont look over the sample chain idea either... line up a bunch of sounds in one wave file and use the start offsets to jump around between different sounds. think of it like chopping on an mpc, but in this case, each 'chop' is a totally different sound. that will give you a choke group as well.
for example on my machinedrum, i have a 909 open and closed hat in the same sample, and i choose which one to play using start offset. that effectively creates a mute group for those sounds.

Cockdiesel wrote:Have you tried checking it on the computer, I need to update the os so ill check tonight for ya.

Hopefuly find some time to put together a better track and see what other samples are sounding like on it by this weekend.

Still waiting to hear what other mpc heads are doing with this thing. Some decent stuff on youtube but mainly from elektron folks who been using them

The digitakt is not visible as a drive when connected to the computer, and the transfer software doesn't have any info either. Weird.

My stuck button is ok now, I'm pretty happy about that. Can't wait for the weekend, gonna be spending a lot of time with my digitakt. Also ordered some new headphones today

Youtube has tons of inspiring videos and new ones are popping every day. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to master my digitakt just like Cenk. That dude is crazy good.

I have had some crashing issues tonight using the midi tracks but I have alot going on.... Hopefully they fix it with the next update.

Man I got my system banging tonight but I must say I have way too much midi going on, live into mother32 and the digi which is controlling a roland ju-06, the digi is also transferring the midi clock to my effects pedals...

I will try to slow it up some because I am trying to sequence the ju-o6 with a beat I got going in the digi. It's weird with the chord setups, and if it starts to stack up after it loops around it will freeze.

Man once this is firing on all 12 cylinders, its going to be nuts. When the digi aint locking up its super banging...