Thanks for giving it a read! I’ve made a few edits, adding some things I’ve noticed since and noted your corrections. I agree, the pitch and mod function well as live performance tools, and as long as you weren’t in live-record mode they would function this way. There could even be an on/off switch in a system menu that would enable/disable the potential to record the pitch and mod wheels. I’m sure they’re planning to put out an update soon, if only to add the OLED dimming options.
Thank you! Yes, the pyramid is something I’ve always been curious about, even having used a cirklon, the pyramid appears be a bit more unified and possibly more fun in it’s UI? I’ve certainly considered adding something like that to the mix, but the idea of having an expensive sequencer next to the digitone keys just to send it midi performance data seems to defeat the purpose of using the digitone keys to begin with. Regarding verbatim recording, it seems like it could be a simple on/off switch in personalize which would change the way it captures incoming performance data depending on the users preference. Even individual strum microtiming seems possible if you duplicate the existing microtiming menu per note. Of course, I have no idea what the code would look like, but I can’t help but want this feature on a sequencer with such a nice built in keyboard. It’s a pleasure to play on and would be in a new class all it’s own if it could record the performance accurately.
Yeah, it would be nice if Elektron ditched the adherence to drum-machine-style sequencing, but there are likely big challenges as they would be basically re-creating what was done on the Pyramid and stuffing it into their grooveboxes. Editing gets complicated, lots of design problems to solve. That’s why I think they will never change it.
Like I said, I think your best bet is performing those expressive key parts live, especially if you don’t want to tether an external sequencer. Perhaps work alongside a DAW, recording layers as audio clips - that way you can have all the polyphony for every layer and aren’t limited by the sequencer
As an addendum … I get the desire to record complex sequences accurately and have them be part of the pattern. But that’s just a gap that will probably never be closed on Elektron gear. It would be neat if you could record what you want into another MIDI sequencer and then load that MIDI file into the pattern, giving up the ability to edit it on-device … but again would require a total rehaul under-the-hood.
In live recording mode: Press NO + press encoder to erase locks as the sequencer runs
In the voice menu (where you find unison etc.) Make sure ‘re-use’ is turned off. When on this will use the same voice for succeeding notes that are the same.
Not perfect indeed because of the sequencer’s resolution. Try setting the scale to 2x. This should help with this quite a bit as it higher a the resolution to 32nd notes in stead of 16th. Of course you get only 2 bars of recording time now so conditional locking is needed to extend a sequence.
Because sadly they are not part of the parameter pages. Only parameter page parameters can be plocked and thus recorded live. For this and a rudimentary song mode workarounds you can use the midi loopback method and then use the midi tracks to sequence mod, PB, AT, and BC, then in the setup page you get a mod matrix for each of those and a midi LFO on the midi tracks to modulate them. Neat!
This will also let you route a midi LFO to the master FX.
You can add a tag called “favorite” to your sounds (and “mine”) and filter on that tag. Done
For the ARP Already possible with trig locks I believe yes. Just turn those off and lock them to on. On the second page of the AMP you can find the AMP reset parameter.
This is easily solvable by creating a “template” empty pattern where you set everything the way you want. Copy that to all empty patterns and you’re done. However Digitakt recently got a global setting for this so I don’t think it’s too far fetch to think that they’ll implement this on digitone as well some day.
Otherwise I agree with a large part of your wishes. Though it would be vital that the directness of the digitone doesn’t get lost. And this is the reason I believe some of your ideas will never be implemented. Thinks like more FX are simply impossible to neatly add to the machine without destroying its flat structure of a maximum of two pages per parameter page.
There’s also the issue of DSP. tone has a more powerful DSP than digitakt so I’m sure we will see another update with some neat features but we have to keep in mind there’s only so much you can add. It’s not infinite.
Anyway, great post, great ideas. Maybe mail them to the feature request email of elektron if you haven’t already.
Awesome idea!
Come to think of it. I do this with the ARP sometimes. Just set it to higher resolutions. Then play a chord.
P-lockable on/off for arp, though I’m not sure how that would be implemented.
Parameter slides, would round off the feature set nicely. And for a first for an Elektron sequencer, modulo parameter slides (where the slide can occur over multiple cycles of the pattern, taking advantage of the 1:1, 1:2, etc trc’s).
You could probably use sound locks for that
Oh you’re kidding… New to DN and just realized it doesn’t have them. Why does every Elektron device have to be a minefield of gotchas…
That’s a nice idea I’ll have to try! Didn’t think to have 2 copies of the same sound with the arp only enabled on one of them. Clever!
For both the DT and DN, it’d be dope if we could set full track trig conditions for the 1:2 type settings.
Or just have longer tracks…
4 additional “subtracks”, mixed into the main 4 , plus the option of 8 mono outputs on the Keys. Access by double pressing MIDI.
Select multi map slot shortcut on Keys. Hold multi map and press trig 1-8.
Make Ensemble settings part of Sounds instead of Tracks
Additional algorithms, suited to making chords (i.e. 3 or 4 carriers modulated the same way.)
Ability to assign multi map slots to tracks. Instead of sound locks, the note triggers different sounds. So you can trigger multiple sounds on the same step without the midi loopback trick (which comes with some show stopping tradeoffs for me). That and lots more multi map slots. Multi map on this device is basically a form of multi sampling like presets in a sampler.
And if it’s not already supported, overdub recording that automatically stacks notes on existing trigs instead of replacing them.
Thanks. I do this manually by using three trigs where the first and third are nudged close to the second trig. I don’t really use this to make it sound like a string instrument but to make it sound like a hand playing a chord with the short time intervals between notes.
So a strum feature with random timing as an option.
Hello again DampSquid!
Is it possible to quick save a newly edited sound to the next free slot in the soundpool without going through the export menu? If so, could you share how it’s done?
I’ve had my Digitone for a little while now, and the only things that I bother me (so far) is the rudimentary arp (very stripped down if you compare it to Octatrack’s). I would like to see more arp modes (random, etc) and it would be great to be able to modulate some basic parameters like step length (even if only as an LFO destination…). Alternatively, if the arped notes responded to trigless locks in the sequencer, that would be a great way to add some movement… unfortunately that’s not the case. Oh, and also a way to hold the arp!
Other than that, I would really love to have some way to test the Velocity Mods without an external keyboard…
And of course: Macros would be amazing for live performance.
What you need is the digitone keys.
not for me, I don’t need the keys - I much prefer the portability
But @Roger is right: some of the issues you mentioned are addressed by the DK. Not all – the arp still isn’t any more full-featured.
yeah… I just rather just my Keystep while designing sounds… regarding the macros - I’m hoping they get implemented somehow in a future update… otherwise I settle on using the velocity mod as some sort of macro, from the TRIG page.