Just got my digitakt today. I’m coming from mpc and ableton as my main tools. I’m loving the DT so far just wondering how you guys make songs on this beauty. Are you tracking and arranging in a Daw. Are you playing live then just tracking the audio?
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How did you make songs before? What was your workflow like? Did you make a few loops in Ableton and then arrange them to get a song? You can do the same with digitakt. Just consider the different patterns to be “loops” or what have you. Then, chain some together.
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I’m also transitioning from the DAW songwriting workflow to the sequencer songwriting workflow, trying to abandon the former all together. Choosing what aspects of your song are going to be set and which ones are going to be improvised is a whole new dimension in songwriting without a DAW. Kind of difficult at first but very freeing
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I arrange full songs on my DN with pattern chaining (which I manually reenter as needed, since they aren’t saveable)
You can create a pretty complete song with lots of variation within the limits of 16 patterns in a bank, but you’ll need to use use tricks to make it work, including (A) using trig conditions for variations on a pattern when possible and (B) combining shorter patterns into the maximum-length 64 beat patterns.
On the one hand, this is kind of painful to do… on the other hand, there are some benefits in having your song data compacted in this way, since it keeps things organized and makes it easier to make global changes to your songs (which is difficult on other devices that rely more on a copy & paste workflow)
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On MPC Live I would track out the stems and arrange in pro tools. Or just make the beat in ableton. Sometimes same method stems and then arrange in pro tools. As I mess with the DT I’m thinking maybe multiple patterns. Or just muting what I don’t want. But yeah. I’m a nube
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I’m loving how you can jam with the DT. I’m a mpc head I started the fb group… and I’m wondering why I never owned a elektron till now…
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‘Song’ is a very vague term in music production.
To some people a ‘song’ is nothing less than an 8 minute long intricate composition, to others its nothing more than chaining a few loops together and calling that a ‘song’
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Everyone who buys their first Elektron wonders the same thing… Then you start reading and researching about all the other boxes and before you know it you want all of them!!
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That’s true. I mostly make beats to rap on. But with the digitakt I plan on doing instrumental work in the style of Ras G, flylo and gold panda. Experimental but hip hop.
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Seems like chain mode is where it’s at and possibly writing ptn’s down for future performances
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When you inevitably buy another box (besides Digitone) you’ll have access to a song mode feature which I find very useful.
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Ok like the octatrack? I almost pulled the trigger but my wife wouldn’t understand… lol mortgage before equipment. I did order a Digitone tho. If I could find a mk2 ot for the low that might be the next but I will prob have to sell my MPC Live. Don’t see myself doing that. We shall see. I hope I get noticed by elektron soon cause their gear is expensive.
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record your patterns / loops / back into ableton and cut it up further
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You can also change patterns on the Digitakt from the MPC Live.
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Don’t sell your MPC, keep it for the future incoming OT (wich is a beast of gear) and the combo will permit you reach experimentalrap.
The power of OT for mangling, the power of MPC for pads and arrangement.
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This is what I want to do… thanks I’m loving this site. I didn’t even think of that…
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Ha be careful there bud. A member here once said “it’s cheaper to spend money on gear”
You’ve got plenty of gear to make the music ya wanna make. Learn and have fun dude!
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I love my mpc, I’m just longing for something new like all consumer gear heads. I see so many dope compositions coming from elektron machines and I always loved to learn niche machines. Definitely loving the hardware jams. Also I’m trying to figure ways to use digitakt with monome also.
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First off welcome to the site! I can tell from your posts already youll be a great addition to our little community. Personally I record my DT in takes, using the CTRL-all feature heavily, and switching patterns manually. Theres a ton of great performance features i feel you miss out on by preprogramming everything. I love elektron boxes cus they feel a lot like performing on an instrument, they just beg to be tweaked live
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When OverBridge becomes a reality you’ll be able to multi track. Maybe it is a reality now…
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