Does anyone have both the OP-Z and the Digitakt? I do, and I’m thinking of selling the Digitakt. But I wonder if anyone is using both, or has picked one over the other.
The Digitakt’s advantages are pretty clear. Its sound-shaping tools are much better, sampling is way, way easier, and the organization of sounds and samples is also better.
But the OP-Z has better sequencing. The step components are enough on their own to lift it above the Digitakt, for what I do, anyway. Plus, it’s way easier to change track length/speed, and to add probability to steps.
And then there’s the OP-Z’s drum sampler, which lets you chop stuff up, or use sample chains.
This isn’t meant to be a debate about which is best. They clearly have their own strengths and weaknesses. But if anyone has both, or has used both extensively, I’d like to hear why you chose one over the other – or if you find enough differences that it’s worth keeping both around.
OP-Z is a great instrument let down by build quality and fiddly operation, although since the last update which allows latching of mixer button etc a bit better.
VS DT I prefer it based on the music I made with both, it is a bit more immediate to get something happening, perhaps at the cost of flexibility.
The sampling seems a bit of a hack to me, compared to OP-1, DT is obviously a much better sampler than Z.
I no longer have DT, but I kept the OP-Z, although I do very much feel that I am only borrowing it as the build quality seems like it definitely won’t last long. I am on my 3rd one, the previous 2 had the falling out encoders, warped chassis and switch bounce issues.
My experience:
They both have some things in common. Great sequencer, both immediate, inspiring tools to come up with ideas
Pro OP-z:
Polyphonic sampler and synth.
Different synth engines. DT only has single cylcle waveforms for traditional synth sounds.
Step components and punch in effects are great fun and very smart implemented
Most portable
Pro DT:
Sounds better
Much better build quality
deeper sample mangling
More sample storage. Which is quite limited on the OPz
Display: Can be pro or con. I loved that the OPz had no display. I could memorize everything quickly and it’s great that you can use it outside in the sunlight… But many people seem to get very confused without the ipad app
I sold both… but for me. OPz slightly ahead in terms of fun and innovative design.
But, DT feels to last forever, sounds production ready.
From the OPz only few synth engines sound good. And I’m finishing tracks from the OPz at the moment in ableton and have to say I drown pretty much everything in valhalla reverb to get rid of the OPz-ish sound. Drum samples sounded very punchy though…
I use the DT a lot for live recording in, sampling, and resampling. I don’t use it as a drum machine usually. OT would probably be better, but I’m just so fast on the DT. Generally still not feeling like I’ve reached it’s limit.
I really tried to get the OP-Z as I really wanted a light weight piece, but everything just bothered me. The annoying sampling, no screen, what felt like tons of left out features on the synth engines, and the build quality - once the top pieces started hovering out, I listed it and sold it.
I personally didn’t like the sequencer either. I wanted to see things more clearly as on Elektron gear.
That said. I have friends using, loving it, and producing awesome stuff with the OP-Z.
Funny that many times I thought that something would be replacing the Digitakt, nothing ever does.
Going 3 years strong, the digitakt might outlive the op-z in my studio.
But the op-z is hours of fun, mostly on the move though, long bus rides, planes, anytime you dont feel like packing a heavier kit (powerbank + decksaver + etc.)
But so far it is the most portable fun I’ve come across…
I guess I’m very lucky to not have had any hardware problems with the op-z yet. I think it’s unbeatable as a portable device and I like its capabilities as a drum machine more than the DT. The low storage space is really a bummer. I loved the DT, but I sold it to get an octatrack. All in all, even though it’s more limited, the higher fun factor and portability would still make me prefer it over the DT.
What do you find to be better in this regard? For me, the lack of any way to chop up a sample chain limits the DT for me. The OP-Z seems to match it for most FX.
Opz is literally a remote control from radio shack in terms of build quality. If you have single cycle wave forms on your digitakt it does pretty much everything the opz does. I sold my opz within a week of having it because it has such bad build quality.
I have both and I use both. The Digitakt is a proper professional machine. The OP-Z is not.
Personally, I focus a lot on live jam sessions, and the OP-Z just doesn’t cut it for that. It is way too unreliable, too small, and the build quality is horrible. The OP-Z would sometimes lose its mind halfway through my live recording sessions, causing me to have to shoot another take. Very frustrating and caused me to actually stop using my OP-Z for a bit. I did hear that the newest firmware has ‘greatly’ increased the MIDI communication reliability, but the fact that the update was even necessary is an issue.
That being said, I still love my OP-Z as long as I don’t ask too much of it. I will still probably use it as the brains of more jam sessions, especially if the reliability has increased with the newer firmware, but I would never, ever consider using it in an actual live performance. That is straight up asking for trouble and frustration.
I really do love the OP-Z though, and I basically bought the Digitakt as a proper ‘studio quality’ replacement for the OP-Z. In that regard, it has met and exceeded my expectations of it except for 2 things. I wish I had mute groups and I wish I was able to change patterns without waiting for the current pattern to cycle all the way through to the end.
Actually I’m not really sure. I used the OPz more for synth stuff, I found the sampling a bit tedious… or I just hadn’t memorized the process enough. I thought the sample editing parameters were pretty basic. But true, it does slice your sample automatically.
But I didn’t think it’s too bad adjusting the start parameter on the DT…
You can take a sample chain on the DT and modify the start, end, and loop points as well as every other parameter and register each version of that as a “Sound” and there you go, you’ve taken a sample chain and chopped it up into discrete sounds from the chain which can be placed on any step independently while retaining the original chain within each “Sound” for all kinds of sequencing madness. Do you use the sound pool on your DT? You’ve got 128 sounds per project in the sound pool so that’s a lot of chopping, and it’s extremely easy to assign them to individual steps.
This is a massively useful feature of the Elektron sequencers that I feel is overlooked by some people. A good example of this is using one of the Digitone tracks for drums. Load up a kick, snare, hat, etc. and use parameter locks to change the sounds on each step. Bam. You have a full drum beat using just 1 single track on the Digitone.
On the Digitakt, this is really useful for sneaking in some simple stabs or one-shot effects that don’t warrant taking up an entire track. The full spectrum of sample mangling is available to these steps as well via the parameter locking. The ‘sample source’ is simply just an option when editing the step/trig.
And yeah, like Hawk mentioned, this is also very useful for chopping up a long sample and being able to play the individual slices. You won’t be able to ‘live’ play the individual slices unless you put each of them on their own track, but you can at least sequence them this way. A very useful and a very underrated feature that I don’t see mentioned all that often.
On the OPz you can play slices however.
Sound slots on the elektrons are great. Not sure if overlooked. On the OPz drumtracks you have access to 24 sounds at once. considerable less than 128 sounds but it‘s possible to make a full drum beat on one track as well
I don’t have experience with the OP-Z but from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t give up a Digitakt for it. The DT has an excellent build quality, an inspiring interface that begs to be played and a sound quality that seems to improve the quality of samples.
as a Brain for Sequencing and Drums and Synths the OP-Z is extremely powerful.
let alone the unquantized recording of notes which wasn‘t possible with a Digitakt or Rytm and I hated everything about that.
midi CC sequencing and the punchy sound of the Drum samples are also a big plus.
i should mention that iam using it with a Qunexus and it makes a huge difference to play the Op-Z, I couldn‘t stand the clickyness of the Digitakt Buttons I remember, especially the resonance of the case
