I have a rough signal chain idea in my mind, but I know next to nothing about balanced and unbalanced ins/outs or line levels etc… Signal chain in my mind is, Digitakt Out to some analog effects pedals such as fuzz, overdrive, delay or digital reverb, delay, to Digitakt In.
I know Digitakt Input can handle the output from a guitar pedal, which I know is unbalanced, and Digitakt Output is balanced (according to some reddit post) so I guess I need a DI box or something.
I’m afraid of damaging my Digitakt so I wanted to be extra safe, did anyone try something like this chain or exact same operation?
No. If you don’t need the balanced signal which uses 2 connections, just use TS (mono) cables for left and/or right main (instead of TRS/stereo cables).
Cable from the Digitakt out to the effect, back to the Digitakt input. The worst that might happen – unless you’re using some really odd ancient tube whatever equipment – is that you get some clipping in the effectspedal because it’s made to handle guitar, so be careful with the volume.
I guess you more want to focus on some weird routing with the left/right input/output channels so you don’t create a screaming feedback loop – unless you want that – with the effect pedal.
Would it act as an unbalanced if the cable is mono? I didn’t know that, thank you. I guess standart patch cables for pedals are TS, will give it a try.
Oh, I didn’t think of that, it can create feedback, you’re absolutely right. When resampling, I can mute the external mixer and choose sample source as Input, rather than Main.
For internally resampling, this works like a charm. But for sending out to FX (which has to be via the Main Outs), you can’t resample back into the Digitakt without creating a feedback loop unless Monitoring is turned off because the signal you’re sampling will be sent back out of the Main Outs and resampled. But without monitoring on, you can’t hear what you’re doing unless you can add some way of listening to the FX chain along the way. If there was an option to monitor via headphones like a cue out but not send it back out the Main Outs that would be great. But then we’re into feature request territory.
Also, any stereo FX (you mentioned reverb) will be summed to mono and will sound very different.
I think I can deal with no monitoring, when I sample things like kicks with fuzz or loops with a little overdrive. But for dialing the pedal or more complex effects, lack of monitoring is not really desirable, you’re right.
If any of your pedals (or an amp) have a headphone out that doesn’t cut the main output when plugged (even if that effect isn’t used in the chain) it could be an option for listening to what you’re doing without monitoring directly on the DT. Or a small mixer maybe?
Yeah that’s why I mentioned some weird routing with the left/right input/output channels.
There might be a solution that way, but I’m honestly too lazy to work that out now haha – I typically have a mixer inbetween for more routing/monitoring flexibility.
Report back if you manage to find a workable solution. I want to do this with some FX or an Analog Heat but switching headphones from one to the other and back again during the various stages is a massive PITA.
If you have a computer or even something to record (e.g. field recorder such as H4n, or even a cassette player!) it would make things a lot easier I guess
with Overbridge and VST’s you can record your tracks with added FX, then sample it back to the Digitakt, I guess you’re suggesting something like this. It would absolutely work.
I wonder if I can add warmth and analog/lofi feeling to one-shots and some loops by processing them through gain pedals. Not that I find DT lacks any warmth or body, just out of curiosity. It may lead to somewhere nice haha.
I haven’t tried this since 1.30, but I was able to run the DT output to some effects pedals and back into the sample input without creating a feedback loop. DT’s input attenuates to something like -12dB and then normalizes to 0dB after recording, so unless you’re using a pedal that boosts the signal, you should be alright.
With the addition of the mixer capabilities in 1.30, you will probably need to manually lower the input volume. But as long as the DT/pedal aren’t boosting the input signal, feedback loops shouldn’t be a big issue.
With the new fixed step recording now I really wish there was more sampling monitor flexibility (i.e. enabling a Line out FX Loop, and monitoring on headphones) to avoid feedback. Over the weekend I wanted to resample a break with different levels of my RML Electron Fuzz, and I was flying blind in the process. Lot’s of trial and error until I was happy, and it took me way longer as a result than it should have.
