Digitone Keys without the keys

You are talking like you have some deep knowledge about the hardware and software internals but for some reason you don’t want to share it. So please give me some objective technical reasons besides “you could break it”. That’s what I’m asking for in this thread.

Nah I’ve just seen so many keyboard removals/synth mods on reddit and other forums turn out so badly, horrible jobs with hacksaws and dremels etc… and I also question the return on your time and effort versus just getting the dedicated bag for the Keys… but! If you’ve got some awesome fabrication skills and think you can make this work in a really clean way, you should go for it. I’ve also seen some amazing mods, like this one Minilogue that was converted, and some members on here have made entire new enclosures for Elektron gear that look 100% professional. If you’ve got the skills, hit it up! Do you have the skills?

where’s the guy that took a sawzall to his Moog Sub Fatty to make it a module…?

it’s funny that you want to bring all these outboard effects and a mixer or whatever to be able to do external processing, which all in itself likely is larger and heavier than the keys part of the DN keys that you’re objecting to. I’d say cut down on all of this and use the non-keys DN with overbridge to get individual tracks, then buy a small midi controller to control plugins on these tracks. or if you’re OK trashing half of a $1000 synth, instead just look for two used (non-key) DN’s. it’ll cost slightly more but you’ll get your individual tracks, plus a lot more, and you’re not destroying something you paid hundreds of dollars for but then can never sell.

but yeah… it’s yours so have at it if you want! just make sure to post pics!

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It’s not how you might think…

Using an USB audio interface (which is also my mixer), the Mod Duo X can serve 4 stereo effect channels or even more, depending on the complexity of the patch.

If this thing would come to iOS it could be an option for me to consider. I’ll not bring a laptop to the stage.

Two of them are too big and don’t fit in my case. With this space available I’d have to consider other synth modules too.

I’m particularly sensible to that thread because I removed the keys of my Taktile 49 keyboard to put 2 Elektrons in. I made a live with it.
Couldn’t find pictures except this photoshoping, and another one with Blofeld, but a regular 49 keys keyboard match really well to 2 regular Elektrons (original silver size as reference :content: ). Btw, it should match 3 Digis size.
Fully functional, but I’m missing the keys with that setup. :smile:
Keys are still the best for midi notes control imho! (guitarist talking)


Hoping it can give ideas to @klaustrophil for a compact setup without destroying gear!

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madman

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I have a screwdriver and hands! :loopy:
Enough space for cables and power supply, nothing difficult or particular, except I used legos to block screws, and leave some space for cables.

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Are the OSs the EXACT same on digitone keys and digitone? I imagine the keys has some stuff in there for handling the extra outs and knobs.
If you know what you’re doing go for it but tbh this all sounds more trouble than it’s worth, just get 2 digitones and you have 4 outs, or a laptop and use overbridge.

do it and post build pics!

Oh, now that’s an idea! :aw: As you already know, warranty voids and all that stuff, so let’s not get into that. I just want to chime in to give you some information before you decide whether to embark on this mission or not. Also, I can only speak for the hardware, from a software/user perspective I can’t say anything how stuff’s handled or what functionality will break.

As can be seen upon opening the machine, there are two PCBs with pots, switches and stuff. It would have been easier for you if the cut between them were where the keyboard starts. It isn’t. I would have liked to make the cut there, for exactly the reasons you describe in this thread, but that would have led to many more signals needed to pass over the PCB connection, and there is no space for that. So you would need to also cut off a part of the larger PCB, possible but not recommended when there are SMD components close by. (There is an IC right were I would have made the cut if I were you.) You would also need to fashion some kind of extra PCB support in this corner since the local standoff is in the part of the box that you want to cut away.

I can’t give you what signals you would need to rewire to get it working after the cut, partly because I shouldn’t give away the workings and schematics of the PCBs, but mostly because if you consider this operation I assume you have the skills to reverse engineer the circuitry and fix it afterwards. It’s not impossible to fake a single state for the controls you cut off, but I would not like to suddenly realize that I need to press one of the buttons I just cut off for some unforeseeable operation :pl:

So please, think this through carefully before you decide to try this operation. (And post build pics if you do, I love to both see and hear what people create with our instruments!)

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Why!?

Why not just get the DN again

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This reminds me of the guy a few years ago who destroyed his Analog Rytm faceplate in a DIY project and was FURIOUS that Elektron refused to send him a replacement.

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Yes.

I heard it was more mature on the DK…:wink:

Automation ok, but indv outs to me suggests great opportunities for effects and panning.

The version number is the same sure, but how does it handle the extra outs and knobs? Is there options in the UI for these on DN? If not then the OS mustn’t be the exact same. Therefore cutting the keyboard off a DK might just break the thing entirely.

The OS is the same: look at Elektron’s support page. The DN knows that it is not a DNK; the DNK knows that it is not a DN. The code responds to the knobs if they are there. The extra outs are a hardware feature that the firmware doesn’t have to ‘know’ about.

That’s of course a possibility, but for hardware reasons not firmware reasons.

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I didn’t explain myself properly. I meant it as a “You don’t care about effects and panning coming from the DN since you’ll do it by yourself”.

Seems like something that would cause reliability issues more than anything.

To add something constructive to this thread: would it not be possible to solder single outs on a Digitone board? I have no idea if it´s possible but since both devices share the same firmware it seems less brutal than chopping off the edges of a Digitone Keys to get a Digitone with Single Outs.

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