OK, after about a month with my first E. Machine, the OT, I have to say the character of it has hooked me in and usually I come away with a smile after a go.
My gear setup is really focused on live performance- currently I am thinking OT with the Volca FM and sample and usually a Microsampler for key-based playing of non-synth stuff.
The thing is, I really prefer some kind of effects with the FM and I gravitate more towards dissonant bass, weird effected leads…i would rather not have to bring a dedicated FX. And with the Volca Sample, usually some additional percussion, so instead of searching for a supplemental boutique outboard FX, I am thinking Digitone to cover the duties of the Volcas, but with the recently-acquired taste of Plocks and Elektron workflow.
…and I have had plenty of FMs, I started out with FM, I just seem to gravitate towards it.
I am not looking for classic DX sounds, either. I think people expected the DT to cover that territory and were not seeing it as a different beast, when this is my whole motivation.
Well I had a volca FM for a brief time. Didnt gel with it and flipped it for a PreenFM2. Then when DN came out I sold off the PreenFM2 after owning the DN for some months. For FM needs, the DN is a good fit for me.
However, depending how you like your FM, results and opinions may wary. DN ratios are more restricted than in trad FM boards. If you always find yourself using non-integer ratios with your FM, you might want to demo things out at first. And if you also intend to do drums with the DN, polyphony or tracks might start running out quickly. I like to pair my DN with a drum machine of sorts because of this.
I’m considering getting one myself. It sounds really good to my ears.
How do you like the DN, in comparison to the PreenFM2? Could you remark on the things you liked about the PreenFM - something that might be lacking on the DN?
In response to the OP, I really dig the workflow of the Digitone–it’s easy to sketch something on the spot, the presets (there are a lot, like 500?) are great, but it’s also easy to start from scratch–it doesn’t take long to design good/satisfactory sounds with the provided / default sine wave, FM functionality, filters, LFO, and effects. The arpeggiator is fun. It’s a good sketch pad, and I imagine it would interface well with an Octatrack - they should compliment one another well.
I love it. It has a few minor issues, but nothing that stops me from enjoying it. It’s by far the easiest and most fun FM engine I’ve used.
I’m enjoying mine in regards to synthesis and workflow.
I am disappointed about the sequencer and its limitations. I 'd like the arp to be pLockable like it is on the OT and I’d like the track multipliers to be on a per track basis. I would also like scales and modes to be applied AFTER placing note trigs (like on the OT or A4)… this way I could just manipulate the arp seq without having to count semitones if I wanted to be within a certain scale/mode. I’m a little bummed that the sequencer falls short compared to its brothers and sisters (the midi section even more so, to the point that I won’t use it) and I don’t really understand why every sequencer on elektrons seems a bit different…
but now I used more words to outline the negative - whilst the positive prevails.
i love the sound and the synthesis, I’m getting to ‘my’ sound in no time with lots of quirk on the side. I’m hoping they keep adding to its functionality - especially on the sequencer side…
I like it a lot. If you are used to DX style synths or VST’s such as FM8 or Sytrus, the workflow is a bit different and opinionated, but the DN is very easy to use and allows you to focus on exploration.
It’s not just a VST in a box, but more of an unique instrument.
I like it a lot! It mostly comes down to the electron workflow and integration with my OT.
Fm is not my favorite kind of synth-ing but I also “pulled the trigger” partly because I knew it would be a sound design challenge.
Had 1 for a couple weeks. Sold it.
I’ve had an A4, an AK, then a Digitakt, but the Digitone is the best Elektron yet, in my opinion! A very original and inspiring synth/sequencer. It makes a great centre for my DAWfree studio set up. I even sold my Squarp Pyramid and use this now. Well I had no money. But this machine is fun!
I have more happy accidents from my Digitone than any other synth I’ve ever used. It is really hard to get a bad sound - plenty of noise and glitchy-ness, but nothing bad. It is, hands down, the easiest FM synth engine to explore.
I used Ableton’s Operator for about 4 years before getting out of the box, and DN is essentially a port into hardware with optimized (but limited) ratios. I tried Volca FM about a year ago (couldn’t optimize it, even with Dexed for program editing) and was looking to upgrade into a PreenFM but Elektron previewed the DN before I had a chance to pull the trigger.
I waited a little longer for the DN and haven’t regretted it, albeit I still haven’t tried the PreenFM.
I chose the Digitone because, even though it only has four operators, it has a feedback circuit while the PreenFM doesn’t. The Digitone synthesis interface is also a lot of fun to use (like I said, happy accidents). The Elektron sequencer doesn’t hurt either, as I was would have to set up a midi template on my Digitakt to handle the PreenFM.
My main gripe with the PreenFM was the UI. I never got fluent with it. Had the same experience with a Blofeld once.
Otherwise I really liked PreenFM’s sound and features. The redux filter and the modmatrix is awesome. And it has microtuning, but admittedly I never got around to uploading any scala files.
That is one thing that bugs me. I feel like I am on a grid in terms of tuning with the DN. The LFO appears to have tuning parameters available for modulation, but they aren’t easily available in the more basic synthesis menus.
The workflow aspect definitely wins out though. It is still faster to use an LFO on the DN to fine tune than to upload a .scala file and sort through a menu with PreenFM.
Agree on the interface … it’s minimalistic compared to the Blofeld and considering that a six operator FM offers a lot of parameters to tweak, it would profit much of more knobs and less menu diving.
The advantage of the Preen FM is that it is an uncompromised FM synthesizer and the sound is great. But one has exactly to know what to do and what kind of sound shall be created. The interface of the PreenFM doesn’t invite to experiment and play with the knobs … well … because there are not as many knobs … 
Is only been 3 days but I’ve played it for at least 12 hours! On track to being my favorite, it does everything I felt was missing from the A4 without stepping on its toes too much. More voices, better buttons, faster workflow, nice screen, smaller size, midi sequencing, tempo saved per pattern i could go on. What’s bad? Maybe the lfo don’t seem like they re as fast. The lights on the tracks are confusing makes it a bit tricky to figure out which tracks are active when the lights are all Blinky. Sometimes the knobs behave a little odd maybe just a tad too sensitive. The payable keys are built into the sequencer so you can’t hold a trig and press a chord like you can on the a4 unless you have a midi keyboard attached. live recording parameter changes seems less smooth. Overall very happy with the purchase so far
Yeah, no parameter slide hurts for now…Until Overbridge and DAW automations 
And it WILL happen.
Other than that, hopefully firmware going forward will offer more complex chord arrangements. The Add Note/Arp button seems too easy right now. I want to press the “wrong” button some of the time.
I wonder, do you need a subtractive bass synth to go along with DN, or does it make those snappy funky basses with ease?
Digital-FM can do quite snappy … depending on the envelopes … but FM is not supposed to sound like one of our analogue heros. If you need the typical beefy-funky bass from a Moog or ARP, or Roland, I would recommend to go analogue and not digital-FM.
This said … I love those gritty digital-FM basses too, which can’t be done on analogue synths
Cool, I am arranging a setup of just DT and DN in the future, but my music style requires that phatness… thanks!
You don’t need an original Moog etc. to achieve deep analogue bass sounds. The Behringer Model-D comes to my mind … and for more modern but very flexible sound creation the Behringer Neutron. The Neutron seems to be a heavy weight for basses.
You might be interested to watch this … since this review the Neutron is earmarked for my next buy as soon as it’s in the shops