Backing up + managing digitakt

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Super new to digitakt, trying to wrap my head around elk-herd and transfer, how they play together in a workflow and what is actually happening.

It seems elk-herd/projects only handles pattern-data. I created a few projects and their .syx-files are the same size (4049405 bytes ~ 3.9Mb). So I assume any samples needed for the projects to play correctly should be transferred seperately.

Transfers explore/projects lets me download a .dtprj to the computer. If I unzip them I can see the samples used for the project in the same directory structure as on the digitakt. So the samples are included in .dtprj, I assume all pattern data are included as well.

It seems digitakt is clever about identifying samples (I read somewhere it uses a hash value og the actual wave data as ID.

Assuming the above is correct, what strategies are people using for managing and backing up digitakt data? Is it something like this:

  1. Transfer for generating a .dtprj. This file can be dropped to the digitakt at any point in the future, and the project will play correctly. Digitakt will restore samples to their original location.
    Q: What happens if the same sample is available on the digitakt already, either in the same or a hanged location?
  2. elk-herd for managing projects, stuff like copying patterns (or multiple patterns that make up a track/song) between projects or organizing patterns in a projects.
    Q: will elk-herd be smart enough to use the correct sample, even if it’s in a different location in the directory structure?

Sorry if this has been answered to death and/or is totally obvious. I’d rather think (a bit) about this now than when my +drive is full…

#2

Assuming Transfer works the same on M:S as on DT, you’ll be offered a choice by transfer: import new copies of those samples or re-use the ones already there.

#3

Uh, that’s nice! Thanks!

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#4

Elk-herd doesn’t have to worry about this because the DT is smart enough on its own. The folder structure in the DT is entirely for the benefit of the user to keep things organized…if you want to change your directories, or shuffle your samples around between them, the DT will still find any samples in any project (provided you haven’t actually removed them from the DT) because it uses a memory hash which is unique for each sample. It’s really great.

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#5

Thanks! That’s quite clever.