Seasoned users: what’s your headline pros and cons? I’ve been tempted for a couple of years but my relationship with the OT (I had two MK1s over a period of time) ended on bad terms, I think mainly to do with missing/unfinished features and too many obscure and hard-to-remember late addition button combos.
I’ve had a Deluge for…well, since it was released…but, the many pros aside, I’m a bit disullusioned with where they’re headed with the development (I can’t get into all of that, I’ve been fairly public about it previously which has garnered support and criticism in equal measures) so I’d probably be looking at the DT as a replacement for the Deluge. I know they’re not the same but every time I look at the DT it looks like more of a pro sampler than the Deluge and I think that is something I’m struggling to get over.
Can you talk about the features that you need that are missing from the Mk1 OT or Deluge?
I’ve found the Mk2 OT interface to be significantly easier to work with than the Mk1, but I have no idea whether we were hung up by the same issues. I do think the OT is better described as an audio stream processor than as a sampler. So if you are looking for something more like a conventional drum sampler then the DT may be more satisfying.
I had a DT for a while, I did not like:
Mono samples
Limited sample length/memory
The over reliance on trig buttons for many functions
The mute LEDs over flashing/modes
No song mode/arranger
Less performance modes than flagship Elektrons
Less fx
I did like:
The simplicity/speed of use
The sound
The ability to do interesting looping/granular stuff and plock it.
Octatrack has had a few significant updates, especially mk2, with the extra buttons.
Might also want to look at Polyend Tracker? A great machine which is worth a look. But also mono samples.
So you want a sampler to replace the one you have becsause you dont get on with it.
You’ve had 2 octatracks and didn’t get on with it.
What other samplers have you tried?
Ive no idea if you should buy a Digitakt or not. I had one, sold it. Im an octatrack dude so its kinda hard to see the point in the digitakt (form an orderly cue DT fans… oh wait DT doesn’t have a cue out!)
Other than the pun, this reply is pretty much useless huh?
Buy it try it, flog it if you dont like it, try something else repeat?
I came here to post exactly this… but on reading the full post, I think it really depends how much of a sampler is desired. People who are seriously into sampling complain about its limitations. For making samples beforehand, then playing and tweaking them in certain ways, it is quite good.
I don’t really have any gripes with the DT personally. Especially with the new update it had plenty going on to make music with it. It is probably my favorite Elektron (though I’ve not tried an Octa). I found it fast, intuitive and fun to use. The only two things I can think of I would like, really, is a song mode or the ability to render patterns as audio. And I would happily take just one of those items, I don’t need both.
I feel like it isn’t going to meet your expectations though.
It’s not the deepest sampler, I’ll say that. However, what you CAN do, the speed and ease that you can do it, and the features beyond just sampling really put it in its own class. Plus it sounds great doing it. It’s more than the sum of its parts really. If you adapt your thinking to its process, it’s a very powerful instrument. If you absolutely must have the most in-depth sampling tools, I don’t think anything short of software is going to cut it these days. Or, I suppose the Akais or Octa. I guess it really depends on one’s approach. I find the Digi to be the perfect curated set of sample tools for what I’m willing to do with samples.
Digitakt was my first and know it’s my only hardware synth/sampler so I’ll only speak on my experience with it, I can’t compare it with the ones you mentioned.
Yes, it doesn’t has a lot of features that other (more expensive and complex) samplers has, but I’ve always found creative ways to avoid those limitations on creative ways: you don’t have stereo samples but there are good tools to give stereo imaging to the samples, there’s no song mode but it’s really easy to learn how to perform songs with it avoiding.
I’ve been using it for a year and a half now and the thing that I most love about it is it’s flexibility. I started using it alone making full songs with it and I made an album with it. Then I tried integrating other hardware or acoustic instruments and it plays really well, specially now with the mixer capabilities om the new firmware. Now I’m exploring a hybrid setup using it with Ableton to make songs based on samples (processed only in the DT), plugins and recordings. Overbridge is incredible for this kind of stuffs.
If you want a straight forward sampler that can play many roles in a setup, with or without relying heavily on it, with many creative tools and limitations and a good sound go for it. It can’t do as much things as the OT or the Deluge, but for me that has been crucial in understanding the DT more like and instrument rather than a “brain” or a “workstation” standalone or in more complex setups.
maybe keep deluge for a now and see which one works better 4u.
if you dig the interface it’s the most productive sampler ever, very fun and easy to use + tons of creative options like usb sampling, easy midi sequencer, nice generative options, compact…
well, it’s the only elektron machine I can stand for some reason : ) and it’s very nice one.
Started with the DT myself, and burned for the OTmk2 for the fader and massive sample time/memory over the DT. However I loved the DT! Have at times contemplated selling the OT and reverting back to have money toward an analog poly and then just deal with the memory limitations and just playback and over dub on my Minikaoss pad.
So it was a hard piece to lose and not want it back as the OT can be a bear in just getting your mind used to thinking about more to “program” your setup, where the DT is just GO! And you can fly really once you get a hold of it’s features, as long as your cool with it’s sudo limitations and yes, see it as an instrument to perform a song or set rather than a mobile studio or whatever term, DAW in a box.
There is definitely some possible annoyances coming from different samplers to the digitakt but I think it would be worth a shot if you are looking to change it up. Digitakt is great if you really embrace the workflow, it has a great set of tools for making finished feeling tracks (compressor and the new bandwidth filter go a long way)
I’ll digest your replies and maybe expand on what I’m looking for in the DT.
I don’t want this to turn into a gripe about the Deluge because it’s pointless and counterproductive. Having said that a few fundamental things still frustrate me with it: the auto-normalising that you can’t turn off and you can’t manually normalise a sample, the lack of threshold sampling, and perhaps my biggest issue, you STILL can’t slice a sample via transients, and if you’re trying to manually chop a sample into a kit it’s an awfully laborious process, the main problem there being the inability to clone a kit lane (Deluge users will know).
When you save a sample it auto normalises. No way to turn it off.
I guess you can mess with the levels while sampling, or set the threshhold somewhere interesting. Ultimately I really disliked the auto normalise thing. Its good for one shots, drum hits and so on, but not much chop for any thing else.
Edit: you can edit a sample and save the edit as a ‘Sound’ that might be something of interest. I found it quite faffy. But then I didnt own the DT for very long.
Interesting… I have a Digitakt and I’ve been thinking of selling it to get a Deluge! I guess the grass is always greener on the other side, huh?
Personally, my biggest gripe with the DT is the lack of proper song mode, which makes it very challenging to write full tracks on it. I’ve also been on a serious downsizing path and I’d love an all-in-one box to make music on the couch, and the DT is certainly more limited in that sense then the Deluge.
The things I really like is how quickly you can get a beat going, the sound mangling capabilities (and overall sound quality) and, of course, the Elektron sequencer.
I love my Digitakt. I think it’s great. You don’t want one. Don’t buy one.
The Digitakt auto normalized samples you record. There is no dedicated sample slicing. Let alone slicing by transients. You manually chop samples in the sequence itself.
