Hello guys, long time no see. I have a simple question. I did not browse the forum for a long time so I may have missed the answer. I want to purchase a digitone in the very near future, because I love FM synthesis, Elektron sequencers and I´d love to midisequence my old unused gear. To my setup (essential read to answer my question): I make music without a computer, I use a Rytm and an Analog Keys to do that. Of course I use songmode. My Rytm is the master and I let a song play and the Analog Keys follows lovely. I do not use program changes for this, only the sync and I have both machines in Song mode to fire their patterns at the time I want it to be. Works flawless. Now, with the Digitone it woud be different. At first I was like, what!?! No song mode? But I then thought about the scenario that the Digitone could be also a slave and then receive program changes from the Analog Keys or RYTM. My question: Does that work? I mean, does it work, that when AnalogKeys is in Song Mode and plays pattern A13 and changes to A14, through send the program change to digitone, would the digitone follow? Would it play A13 and change to A14 when the Analog Four does do it? That would be nice and a workaround for me so I could purchase it. I do not want a debate here about pros and cons of songmode, I just wanna now if this works, because for me its a dealbreaker. Thanks in advance for reading and answering! And happy knobbing and sequencing! 
Hi! Straight to the point: yes, it works exactly as you described it. My A4 changes patterns in my Digitone and Digitakt. The Digitakt is the master clock, however, because of the per-pattern tempo settings.
Sweet, thanks for confirming this.
Hey there! I am trying to get a setup going like this (but with AR instead of A4). I essentially want Digitone as the master clock (to have diff tempos per pattern), but I want AR to control the program changes (so I can use the AR song mode). Sounds like you have this figured out, so I would love to hear how you did it! I can’t quite wrap my brain around which inputs/outputs to use.
I am using a Keystep for an external keyboard.
Thanks so much!
You may need a merger for the keystep but set up should look something like
Digitone midi out to AR midi in
AR midi out to Digitone midi in
Digitone Send clock on, receive clock off
Digitone program change receive on, program change send off
AR receive clock & transport on, send clock & transport off
AR program change send on, program change receive off
A merger is needed to get the keystep in the mix so the AR and the keystep can go into the digitone midi in.
that should work. 
I think the keystep even has an option in the setup software, which turns the midi out into a thru (plus out)…
Thank so much for all the info! I’ll give your suggestions a try.
Hey, sorry it took while to reply! jefones and nionmu replies are spot on, you do need some kind of MIDI merger (I have a mio4) in order to get both the AR and Keystep to go into the Digitone, but the Keystep already provides that! (see page 61 in the manual)
This way, you just need to connect [AR out] → [in KS out] → [in DN out] → [in AR]
Good luck!
long time no see! Due to unexpected changes in my life I couldn´t purchase the digitone until now. Also I did not have time to take care of my music making hobby. But today I logged in and saw all the answers and scenarios you guys wrote. Thank you very much for that! I am very happy now and looking forward to buy the lovely digitakt device. Thanks also for the keystep scenario, cuz, I have one in my home and I am glad I can use it to feed the digitone some mididata. Yeah! You are the best, rock on! <3
I’ve been studying this thread for a while and now when I have what I need to implement it myself I would really appreciate if someone could explain to me how to set up the program changes in the AR MKII song mode so that it switches patterns on the digitone simultaneously. I can’t really wrap my head around it. I’m not really talking about the settings (I think), but how I program the AR so the digitone switches from Pattern 1 to Pattern 2 and then to Pattern 1 again and then Pattern 4 or something like that?
Welcome to the forum!
There is nothing special about Song Mode in this respect. The Elektron instruments use MIDI Program Change (PC) messages for this purpose. The AR MkII can control the DN’s pattern switching if you:
- connect AR MIDI Out to DN MIDI In using a working MIDI cable,
- set INPUT FROM to “MIDI” in the DN’s SETTINGS > MIDI CONFIG > PORT CONFIG menu,
- activate PROG CH RECEIVE in the DN’s SETTINGS > MIDI CONFIG > SYNC menu,
- check the PROG CH IN CH in the DN’s SETTINGS > MIDI CONFIG > CHANNELS menu (best set to a specific number),
- set OUT PORT FUNC to “MIDI” in the AR’s GLOBAL > MIDI CONFIG > PORT CONFIG menu,
- set OUTPUT TO to “MIDI” in the AR’s GLOBAL > MIDI CONFIG > PORT CONFIG menu,
- activate PROG CH SEND in the AR’s GLOBAL > MIDI CONFIG > SYNC menu,
- set PROG CH OUT CH in the AR’s GLOBAL > MIDI CONFIG > SYNC menu to match the DN’s PROG CH IN CH value.
Then the DN’s pattern will follow the AR’s pattern if the patterns are set up correctly.
The AR cannot send arbitrary PC messages as you wish. You have to settle for equivalence between the AR pattern number and the DN pattern number.
From now on, you should always compose with Program Change on. Set and forget.
I can’t speak about the sync stuff as I don’t have the experience, but in terms of your comment about loving FM synthesis, Digitone is for you my friend. It’s stunning, and I’ve never had so much fun sculpting and playing with sound before. The LFOs acting on the FM parameters is just gorgeous.
Hey – Am replying directly to you as I’ve seen you reply to a number of threads on this – are you saying that these PC messages from AR (in this case but also e.g. Octatrack) will be saved in song mode / arranger and change patterns on DT/DN/ST simultaneously?
Am only asking as I have an MPC Live that I thought might be able to control Digitakt patterns but it turns out that PC messages aren’t saved in the MPC’s song mode (and they change pattern late on DT anyway) – am tempted to sell the MPC for an Octatrack but haven’t seen a clear answer on whether I can get this working so don’t want to take the risk. Thanks!
It is not that Program Change (PC) messages from AR (or other Elektron instruments) are “saved” in the Song or Arrangement. If the appropriate setting is made on the transmitting instrument, it will send a PC message whose value corresponds to the next queued pattern shortly before the next queued pattern begins. It will do this whether the next pattern is selected manually, in a pattern chain, or in a Song/Arrangement.
If the appropriate setting is made on the receiving Elektron instrument, then it will (in most circumstances - there seem to be some exceptions where the receiver uses different track lengths) change pattern at the same time as the transmitting instrument.
I’m not familiar with the current MPC instruments, so I can’t comment on whether PC messages are “saved in the MPC’s song mode”. My impression is that MPC devices can send PC messages when their pattern changes, but that these messages are not sent early enough for the receiving Elektron device to change pattern in sync with the transmitter.
For the reasons given above, Elektron instruments are more likely to send the PC message in time for a receiving Elektron instrument to change pattern at the desired moment, but please read widely on the forum for case studies of success and failure that may be due to problems with the receiver rather than the transmitter.
And, of course, there are many other differences between the OT and an MPC to consider.
Thanks for the swift reply! Think I understand now – sounds like the key difference is the MPC’s song mode is basically just turning X amount of sequences into one long sequence (which is why PC changes don’t save), whereas Elektron’s song mode/arranger is more of a remembered set of pattern changes(?)
It’d be really good if there was some sort of list of all the devices with song mode that could control Elektron boxes like the DT without communication problems. Especially as the lack of song mode comes up so often in this forum.
Anyway, will keep digging for more info! (The other thing that’s pushing me towards OT and away from MPC is the possibility to use something like a CIOKS supply to control everything. 12v is so much more convenient than 19v!) But what you’ve said sounds promising.
Song mode would make Digitone too powerful… probably open a wormhole to another dimension- not safe.
I like wormholes to other dimensions…
This man knows. Seriously, it’s very dangerous to talk publicly about this, need to stop.
Stay safe and close the thread pls.