Sample slicing on Digitakt?

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

(I want to buy Digitakt)

Can Digitakt slice sample loops or is it Octatrack feature only?

#2

OT only. There’s ways to cheat on a DT (eg p-lock sample start points), but if you want slicing as an actual feature, Ot is the way to go.

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#3

What else is not available on DT ?
I can’t find any feature comparison list.

#4
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#5

There are some tricks you can apply -

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#6

You can copy the sample across the 8 sampler tracks and set different start end points. Or, you can use one sampler track and then p-lock the sample start/end.

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#7

For random slicing on Digitakt, set the LFO to sample start.

#8

No stereo samples and timestretch

#9

Blaize breaks it down here, auto slicing in 16/32 etc a bit of work to setup but save as a template project and easy as (sliced) Pie

#10

This is the basis of how I work too.

However, I have a slightly simpler variant using 8th’s, which provides a smoother, less fixed and more performative way of playing breaks in the DT:

Pre stretch your sampled break to whatever project tempo you’re wanting to work with. Rather than initially worrying about 16ths or 32nds, try working with 8ths. Many genre’s will work well with 8ths - surprisingly drum and bass.
Load retimed sample into DT. Set DT to the tempo or half tempo.
Then create track with eight p-locked start points as follows:
Step 1 - 0
Step 2 - 16
…
Step 8 - 105
Then copy each of these steps to the corresponding step in the row below, so Step 1 is copied to Step 9 and so on.
Now you have two identical rows of eight p-locked steps each playing an 8th of your break. Then go into the Pattern Tempo/Track Tempo ( I can’t recall the exact name as don’t have the DT infront of me) - and play with the settings until the track only plays steps 1 through 8, but crucially leaves steps 9 through 16 active, visible and copyable. Then while playing the DT, try copy/pasting from Steps 9 to 16 into steps 1- 8. Working this way gives you the opportunity to quickly paste variant step arrangements while allowing you to get back to the original p-lock/step setting without leaving the main page or having to use the pattern recall thing.

So this can be performative.

It does have some limitations in terms of forcing your other tracks to adhere to the Ch. Len Pat. / Len settings that make this trick work.

The other thing is make sure your Sample Length is kept long and then using the probability setting to randomly play steps. P-lock the probability on the down step to keep the loop start in place and you get instant variants with the opportunity to pull it all back by adjusting your prob setting for the track.

All sounds a lot more complex than it is to set up. But once its set up - the pattern can be saved as a template for other patterns/ projects.

Main takeaway is that the Ch. Len / Pat. Len are critical to make this work. Also that 8ths often work as well as 16th but in this context it also allows you to have an active ‘pool’ of eight p-locks available on the same pattern page so is good for performing.

Who’d have thought inglish was my first language?

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#11

sounds ace, thanks for sharing

#12

thanks, I’m afraid my account was somewhat garbled. But if you’re minded - let me know how this varient works for you.

#13

im gon‘ give it a try :ok_hand:

#14
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#15

The presenter wonders why “nobody is talking about this,” but I think every video I’ve seen, and article I have read, mentions this trick.

It’s the trick where you tap Yes in the slice screen, to assign random or linear locks, if you don’t want to watch the whole thing btw.

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#16

My thought exactly :smiley:

#17

I like that the backdrop of the video thumbnail implies that the tip involves some kind of advanced theoretical multi-planar quantum mechanics.

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