Digitakt 'Starts' but doesn't Start

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Currently changing my MIDI setup and have hit a really odd one. Digitakt is recieving start/stop from a NDLR. When it receives the start signal the play button comes on and the stop button turns off but nothing actually starts. It’s also not putting out clock/start messages when that happens either. So other devices connected to the Digitakts MIDI out don’t start either. It’s like it starts the sequencer but it’s ‘paused’ on step 1. Is this behaviour even possible? Any idea what’s going on?

Clock is fine and the tempo button is flashing.

#2

Sounds like it’s receiving transport but not clock (you need both). Check settings on both devices to confirm.

1 Like
#3

does it have to receive clock from the same source as the start/stop message?

It’s intentionally getting the clock from another source as the other devices attached to the NDLR need the clock supressed. I just want the NDLR to trigger Start on the Digitakt.

#4

Just had a fiddle and it seems that’s the issue - bugger. Digitakt is so flexible I’m surprised this is tripping it up.

For now I’ve worked around it by sending clock from the digitakt to Ableton, rather than the other way round.

Not ideal as Ableton would much rather be the master but I can’t see a way around it.

#5

Ahhh no ok - so that did work, but seemingly only temporarily. I think something else is at play here as it’s now gone back to the behaviour I’d described above and that’s using it’s internal clock. And in fact the Digitakt now seems to be responding the opposite toi how it should, with the play button lighting up when the NDLR is stopped…

Edit: (Sorry for all the posts ah!) I’ve had to have the NDLR send clock, I can’t find a way around it as the digitakt seems to be getting confused without the ability to tell it which source I want it to take start/stop and clock from. Feels like a small oversight in an otherwise comprehensive midi setup. This causes problems later down the chain but they’re probably going to be easier to deal with.

#6

Why? You can configure if it uses the internal/external clock and if it response to external transport messages.

With just a single MIDI in port it’s not the Digitakt which is unable to distinguish from where a clock or transport message comes from, but the MIDI protocol itself doesn’t support such a feature.

MIDI transport and clock messages are MIDI system messages. They don’t include any channel info.

1 Like
#7

Digitakt can clock/transport over USB as well as MIDI, like the NDLR, which allows you to choose what goes over which. With the Digitakt you can choose if it receives/sends clock, and seperately whether it does these things over USB/MIDI, but you can’t say ‘RECEIVE CLOCK ONLY ON USB’. My assumption is that it maybe uses one MIDI in, and that USB/MIDI share it - whereas the NDLR has separate virtual MIDI ports.

1 Like