As someone just getting into Elektron gear, your channel is so awesome! I've watched a tonne of your videos and love the vibe. Thanks for all your work!
Great video! Instant sub. I Bought both about six months ago. So much fun. No regrets at all. Got them running in to my octatrack and the octatrack loops what I’m playing on the takt and tone
A cool extra thing about the digitone is you can use it as an effects processor for external gear. You can add reverb, digital delay, chorus, AND overdrive. All the effects are very customizable, and sound really really good. Additionally, it can work as an audio interface, which can record any external audio you have going through it (effects included) into any DAW very easily. And, yeah, paired with a digitakt, it turns into a whole new, extremely rich instrument. Have midi clock going out the digitakt, into the digitone, with the audio from digitakt going through the (now clocked) digitone effects and yeah, you can make some really cool stuff. Plus, if you run out of tracks on the digitone, you can sample them onto one of the 8 digitakt tracks 🤯 It’s a powerful combo
Great video. I looked into both, and decided to go with Digitakt as a drum-heavy component. Although I wanted a synth as well, it didn't occur to me HOW fm-ey it was until you pointed it out. I'm a bit glad I went the way I did, as I am quite limited using the OP-1 as my synthesizer. I have seen incredible complete tracks and performances done solo on the Digitone and it is quite capable of amazing things, but I think I want a little bit of a different sound. Interestingly, there are oscillators on the Digitakt that can be modulated with LFOs to great effect, check that out of you get a chance. Great video, looking forward to Elektron workflow content! It is new, unusual, and awesome in my limited experience.
I'm still figuring out how it works within my own workflow TBH- still not sure what I think about it 100% yet. REALLY enjoying myself though and can't wait to get my hands onto a Digitakt.
The Digitone can definitely do stuff outside of the FM sphere since it has a filter and overdrive. For instance, this machine does nasty acid. I'm also amazed at how lifelike accoustic drums with velocity modulation options can get to sounding like real drums. I don't have a video to point to as it appears I might be the only one coming into the digitone with decades of FM synth programming experience, but other than the fact that I personally don't like how they laid out the FM options themselves (for instance, the TX81Z has multiple waveforms which each of the 4 operators can be assigned, the digitone calls this 'harmonics' and can only affect one of 2 predetermined voices at a time). Furthermore, it's got a 'mix' output which taps off from the routing at various places, which in traditional fm this is 'built into' the routing itself. And lastly, the envelopes in traditional FM are assigned to each operator...4OP FM has 4 envelopes. Not so with the digitone. So even in the FM department, they janked a little with how it works, but the dual filter (there's a secondary filter which is, more or less, a parametric EQ since FM often can get a little hectic on both the low and high end) which is nice, but throwing a filter on any FMey sound instantly gives it a non fm characteristic, in my humble opinion. But yes, this machine can even make a supersaw sound...I guess the best way to describe it is that it 'starts' in FM territory, but you can move it into non fm sounds quite quickly and easily. It is a machine you invest time into learning. I've had mine for about 3 months and I'm quite convinced I'm never going to run into a dead in with regards to what kind of sounds I can get if I really want them, except maybe vocals since there's not a formant filter.
You can use 1 track to sequence a different sound per step and create really complex and interesting arrangements. And don't forget the dgt has a 4 track midi sequencer. If you connect another drum machine and 3 synths you have a pretty powerful set. Thank for the video!!
I also layer a lot of drums, but what I tend to do on the digitone is to use LFO or arpaggiator for some stuff like hats. You then just use it for one step and then you have all the other steps for layering. You can pretty much do this for any sound, really, by using the arp editor...i.e. if you want to use one 'note' for kicks, then just set the arp up to trigger on the 4/4. Also, you can trigger two sounds on one step by using the step next to it on a different note and then time shift it left completely. It must be a different note, though, to trigger both...i.e. kick + hat, trigger kick with C5, and the hat with c#5. It's quite possible to max out the voices on one track if you want to, but there's definitely lots of options for creative layering. It's more or less about whether you feel like doing all the extra work or not. :) I personally like getting lost in those technical details, but when I want to just 'express myself', I definitely have other gear...say with a keyboard for instance for just jamming. :) Peace!
@@LiamKillen I saw recently a 'digitone drum tips' video posted. It doesn't get too deep into any specifics, but it does a great job of running down every single obscure parameter for making sounds on the machine. I recommend it just for that fact alone! I learned a little watching it even having been using it a while, such as the phase reset options for the operators and what to use it for. That said, I think just as a drum machine, the digitone is worth the price of admission. I personally like making 'full tracks' with it for a challenge and my personal enjoyment, but using it as an 8 voice drum synth...I don't think you'll find a more versatile drum synth with these kinds of polyrhythmic sequencing options, to be honest. Anyway, here's a link to that tricks video. Definitely a great watch for any user! ruclips.net/video/eq3_2DcYB6g/видео.html
Nice - were you able to sync the digitone to the OP-1? Also, don't forget the Digitone is class compliant now, so one cable will pass audio and midi back and forwards from an iphone or ipad. Have you checked out Drambo on ios? It has parameter locks and trig conditions like Elektron boxes. In combination with the Digitone, it could solve your drum layering issues.
Interesting that the workflow resembles the one in the OP-Z (or I guess vice versa)! Really liked the explanation at ~4min, I've always been a bit befuddled by the look of the Elektron boxes so that was super helpful ^_^
Didn't quite get on with the Digitakt so went back to the Octatrack; much more possibilities there if you need more than a drum/groove machine. Regarding the Digitone, well, I finally decided to invest after watching your (and other's) video as it seems to be fitting the ambient/experimental genre quite well! That will be a nice addition to the Analog Four as well! Setup complete! :-) Keep on with the videos!
There can only be one answer: yes. 😎 Honestly great video mate, you're definitely right regarding limitations when it comes to layering sounds. But there are some workarounds to get more sounds per trig going, Ivar Tryti has some amazing tutorials on the Digitone where he shows that
The sound design is wayyy deeper - it has a mixer as well. I find that it also just sounds better and I like the Elektron box workflows over the cycles / samples workflow to name a few reasons! :-)
Hello Liam, first of all thank you so much for the inspiration for all this years I started with my sp 404 and then got the mk2 and kept going with the music production… I have a question that maybe you can help me, I’m thinking on buying a digitone 2 or a used op1, im an artist that produces ambient music for shows and videos for this shows, I travel a lot so portability is a strong point. Between this 2 options what would you recommend? Would you recommend better the Digitakt 2 even having the sp404 mk2? Thanks a lot again hope this message don’t bother you. Keep doing what you are doing, it’s helping a lot of people.🫶🏼
D2 has that FMey sound - if you'e down with it, then do it ! OP-1 has a much larger sound pallette but is very much NOT integratabtle with other gear by today's standards.
Hahahahahahahaha. Good video! Fun and informative. 'Buy both'. That's the phrase I'll remember. Oh wait, I'll try NOT to remember. Too bad they don't have a digitonetaktatrack
did you really kind of criticise the SYNTH for not being able to sample? ok so you’d find it weird that a guitar wouldn’t be able to play a full drum kit? they’re all different instruments with different engines. come on man. other than that, nice vid.
It’s a relevant criticism seeing as there are many instruments that CAN sample and also have legit synthesis- aka the OP-1 and many other instruments. Thx for watching
the digitone has no engine that would even support samples, i think you're confusing groovebox(ish) and algorithmic synthesisers with straight up synths, which are designed to be just that, specific synthesis methods. using your argument a juno, a 303 or the DX7 should be samplers as well which makes no sense at all. i would suggest a deeper dive in synthesis before making these statements, comes off as seriously uninformed.
How is the Digitone's hole "sampling"? It's an FM synth, why would you expect it to sample? A sampler is a legit instrument, not a missing component of FM. It's like saying a drum kit is the missing part of a piano, capitalism making you buy both!
Yup! That's where they get ya. But if you compare to something like the OP-1 that has it all...synth, sampler, drum machine, video game...it's notable these days because the competition is fierce.
Join me on Discord: ►discord.gg/hkZf4h
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As someone just getting into Elektron gear, your channel is so awesome! I've watched a tonne of your videos and love the vibe. Thanks for all your work!
Thanks for watching Jordan- glad to help out where I can-
Great video! Instant sub. I Bought both about six months ago. So much fun. No regrets at all. Got them running in to my octatrack and the octatrack loops what I’m playing on the takt and tone
Jealous of your set up!
A cool extra thing about the digitone is you can use it as an effects processor for external gear. You can add reverb, digital delay, chorus, AND overdrive. All the effects are very customizable, and sound really really good. Additionally, it can work as an audio interface, which can record any external audio you have going through it (effects included) into any DAW very easily. And, yeah, paired with a digitakt, it turns into a whole new, extremely rich instrument. Have midi clock going out the digitakt, into the digitone, with the audio from digitakt going through the (now clocked) digitone effects and yeah, you can make some really cool stuff. Plus, if you run out of tracks on the digitone, you can sample them onto one of the 8 digitakt tracks 🤯 It’s a powerful combo
Endless possibilities! Can’t wait to continue exploring
Wait whaaaaaa? I didn’t know you could use it as an effect processor!!! I’m so getting this!
!!!! 🙂
@@pieslice surprise micro pedal board!
🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
Great video. I looked into both, and decided to go with Digitakt as a drum-heavy component. Although I wanted a synth as well, it didn't occur to me HOW fm-ey it was until you pointed it out. I'm a bit glad I went the way I did, as I am quite limited using the OP-1 as my synthesizer. I have seen incredible complete tracks and performances done solo on the Digitone and it is quite capable of amazing things, but I think I want a little bit of a different sound.
Interestingly, there are oscillators on the Digitakt that can be modulated with LFOs to great effect, check that out of you get a chance.
Great video, looking forward to Elektron workflow content! It is new, unusual, and awesome in my limited experience.
I'm still figuring out how it works within my own workflow TBH- still not sure what I think about it 100% yet. REALLY enjoying myself though and can't wait to get my hands onto a Digitakt.
The Digitone can definitely do stuff outside of the FM sphere since it has a filter and overdrive. For instance, this machine does nasty acid. I'm also amazed at how lifelike accoustic drums with velocity modulation options can get to sounding like real drums. I don't have a video to point to as it appears I might be the only one coming into the digitone with decades of FM synth programming experience, but other than the fact that I personally don't like how they laid out the FM options themselves (for instance, the TX81Z has multiple waveforms which each of the 4 operators can be assigned, the digitone calls this 'harmonics' and can only affect one of 2 predetermined voices at a time). Furthermore, it's got a 'mix' output which taps off from the routing at various places, which in traditional fm this is 'built into' the routing itself. And lastly, the envelopes in traditional FM are assigned to each operator...4OP FM has 4 envelopes. Not so with the digitone. So even in the FM department, they janked a little with how it works, but the dual filter (there's a secondary filter which is, more or less, a parametric EQ since FM often can get a little hectic on both the low and high end) which is nice, but throwing a filter on any FMey sound instantly gives it a non fm characteristic, in my humble opinion.
But yes, this machine can even make a supersaw sound...I guess the best way to describe it is that it 'starts' in FM territory, but you can move it into non fm sounds quite quickly and easily. It is a machine you invest time into learning. I've had mine for about 3 months and I'm quite convinced I'm never going to run into a dead in with regards to what kind of sounds I can get if I really want them, except maybe vocals since there's not a formant filter.
@@heavysystemsinc. thanks for the input!
It’s my pleasure
You know your Digitone!
Liam Killen, thank you. Great review. Best options for new users to buy commercial or professional free sound packs and explore. It helps to start.
Cheers! My pleasure
I got one of these last week. You were one of my decision influencers (I’m going to trademark that).
Haha really i’m honoured! ❤️
Its pretty funking good!
right!?
i came here to check if the digitone would be a good addition to my digitakt.
well, that conclusion was satisfying 🔥
subscribed!
I so want a digitakt. And thank you!! 👾
You can use 1 track to sequence a different sound per step and create really complex and interesting arrangements. And don't forget the dgt has a 4 track midi sequencer. If you connect another drum machine and 3 synths you have a pretty powerful set. Thank for the video!!
I still have some exploring to do! Thanks so much for watching :-)
I also layer a lot of drums, but what I tend to do on the digitone is to use LFO or arpaggiator for some stuff like hats. You then just use it for one step and then you have all the other steps for layering. You can pretty much do this for any sound, really, by using the arp editor...i.e. if you want to use one 'note' for kicks, then just set the arp up to trigger on the 4/4.
Also, you can trigger two sounds on one step by using the step next to it on a different note and then time shift it left completely. It must be a different note, though, to trigger both...i.e. kick + hat, trigger kick with C5, and the hat with c#5. It's quite possible to max out the voices on one track if you want to, but there's definitely lots of options for creative layering. It's more or less about whether you feel like doing all the extra work or not. :) I personally like getting lost in those technical details, but when I want to just 'express myself', I definitely have other gear...say with a keyboard for instance for just jamming. :) Peace!
I have some more homework to do for shizzle! I’ll be looking into all of this. Thanks!
@@LiamKillen I saw recently a 'digitone drum tips' video posted. It doesn't get too deep into any specifics, but it does a great job of running down every single obscure parameter for making sounds on the machine. I recommend it just for that fact alone! I learned a little watching it even having been using it a while, such as the phase reset options for the operators and what to use it for. That said, I think just as a drum machine, the digitone is worth the price of admission. I personally like making 'full tracks' with it for a challenge and my personal enjoyment, but using it as an 8 voice drum synth...I don't think you'll find a more versatile drum synth with these kinds of polyrhythmic sequencing options, to be honest. Anyway, here's a link to that tricks video. Definitely a great watch for any user!
ruclips.net/video/eq3_2DcYB6g/видео.html
Do you also have a digitakt?
Love this little box
Me too man...me too
that digitone groove is one of the best i’ve seen on a video. 🎉
Hey I appreciate that!
Liam your humour is frickin hilarious dude 🤣😂🤣 this is the main reason I’ve subscribed 🙌🏻🖤😉👍🏻
Mission accomplished! Thank you! 🙂
I had no idea. New to this channel.
Warm welcome!
Great content my friend. Sub. I am now in the ecosystem of elektron, just bought myself a syntakt, and now this..
Welcome :-) You will not be disappointed.
Loved this!
Working on another right freggin now! Cheers
Nice - were you able to sync the digitone to the OP-1? Also, don't forget the Digitone is class compliant now, so one cable will pass audio and midi back and forwards from an iphone or ipad. Have you checked out Drambo on ios? It has parameter locks and trig conditions like Elektron boxes. In combination with the Digitone, it could solve your drum layering issues.
I’ve been notified about using the arpeggiator for drums as well which is the first thing i’ll be looking into! 🙂 Thanks for your advice!
Ooooh I’m thinking of a Digitone Keys at the moment 🥰🤩
Ayooo you know what to do!
Interesting that the workflow resembles the one in the OP-Z (or I guess vice versa)! Really liked the explanation at ~4min, I've always been a bit befuddled by the look of the Elektron boxes so that was super helpful ^_^
My pleasure! It is similar to the opz- more so than the op1 that’s for sure.
Didn't quite get on with the Digitakt so went back to the Octatrack; much more possibilities there if you need more than a drum/groove machine.
Regarding the Digitone, well, I finally decided to invest after watching your (and other's) video as it seems to be fitting the ambient/experimental genre quite well! That will be a nice addition to the Analog Four as well! Setup complete! :-)
Keep on with the videos!
Absolutely! That’s exciting! Have fun 😊
subbed! good examples!
Cheers! Thank u! 🙏🏻
Ok I subscribed. Did I see Human Traffic influences in the movements?
Maybe indirectly! Is that a band?
@@LiamKillen It´s a somewhat cult movie ruclips.net/video/-BjfJlCDisY/видео.html . Not really sure why it reminded me of it.
I would like a Digitakt and Digitone in a single product please.
They won’t do it lol. They want us to buy BOTH!
I want the whole lineup in one product... back from the world of dreams!
Nice. And I think the answer most definitely is "yes".
Oh absolutely lol
You use the MPC one in a lot of your videos. How would this pair with the Digitone?
That’s a good question- haven’t tried yet!
There can only be one answer: yes. 😎
Honestly great video mate, you're definitely right regarding limitations when it comes to layering sounds. But there are some workarounds to get more sounds per trig going, Ivar Tryti has some amazing tutorials on the Digitone where he shows that
I’ll be looking into those! Having to do with the arpeggiator right?
@@LiamKillen yes exactly. Saving sounds in Arp mode makes the Arp available when using these as additional trigs in your tracks
Interesting
Digitone or Digitakt Liam if you could have only one?
Good question. I would say Digitakt (at least now).
Please excuse my ignorance but why would I choose the Digitone (4 track) over the Model Cycles (6 tracks) ?
The sound design is wayyy deeper - it has a mixer as well. I find that it also just sounds better and I like the Elektron box workflows over the cycles / samples workflow to name a few reasons! :-)
Does it make sense to use digitone with tr-6s and launchpad pro together?? or is it too much? :D
I’m sure you can make it work!
Great sounds indeed .. sweet .... . great walkthrough ... .. monster yeah ... in the best ways ... hit that subscribe button out there .... cheers !!
Yiieeaahhh!!! ☀️
I like the skittles in the bottom right hand corner. Oh, those are buttons…
😏😏😏
They are sweet like skittlez
Ohhhh so that's the reason why it's called "Jerry bass"...
Cool vid ;)
It’s just so Seinfeld lol
Stretching out one product into several products is exactly the reason I don't like electron gear anymore.
I dunno I beg to differ on that one.
If you’re talking in Modular terms then yeah but the Digitone is one of my fav FM synths
limitations limit my creativity
Depends on the situation i guess!
Yeah…a Jerry Bass!❤️✌️
I’ve been re watching seinfeld lol- bubble boy is the best
@@LiamKillen Yeah Dude! Second Place: The Soup Nazi…😁😁😁 Best Show ever!
Haha yesssss
1:52 hahahahahahahaha
lololol
Digitone for days.
All day urrday
Hello Liam, first of all thank you so much for the inspiration for all this years I started with my sp 404 and then got the mk2 and kept going with the music production… I have a question that maybe you can help me, I’m thinking on buying a digitone 2 or a used op1, im an artist that produces ambient music for shows and videos for this shows, I travel a lot so portability is a strong point. Between this 2 options what would you recommend? Would you recommend better the Digitakt 2 even having the sp404 mk2? Thanks a lot again hope this message don’t bother you. Keep doing what you are doing, it’s helping a lot of people.🫶🏼
D2 has that FMey sound - if you'e down with it, then do it !
OP-1 has a much larger sound pallette but is very much NOT integratabtle with other gear by today's standards.
@ thank you a lot :)
Just bought this. Not a clue how to use it haha
So much to explore right? Just take it one video at a time
Liam Killen I just need to be patient, I have the digitakt too though and still have a lot to learn with that!
@@mattayre7746So much solid content out there too!
@@mattayre7746 same here 😁
lolol
Hahahahahahahaha.
Good video! Fun and informative.
'Buy both'.
That's the phrase I'll remember. Oh wait, I'll try NOT to remember.
Too bad they don't have a digitonetaktatrack
That phrase can be hard on your wallet 😅
copy-pasty is wat we want
Lol
I’ll never sell mine. It’s way better and way cheaper than an OP-1.
Yeah just a totally different thing
Digitone s the best
It’s pretty damn solid! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Kewl
I know right?
did you really kind of criticise the SYNTH for not being able to sample? ok so you’d find it weird that a guitar wouldn’t be able to play a full drum kit? they’re all different instruments with different engines. come on man. other than that, nice vid.
It’s a relevant criticism seeing as there are many instruments that CAN sample and also have legit synthesis- aka the OP-1 and many other instruments.
Thx for watching
the digitone has no engine that would even support samples, i think you're confusing groovebox(ish) and algorithmic synthesisers with straight up synths, which are designed to be just that, specific synthesis methods. using your argument a juno, a 303 or the DX7 should be samplers as well which makes no sense at all. i would suggest a deeper dive in synthesis before making these statements, comes off as seriously uninformed.
How is the Digitone's hole "sampling"? It's an FM synth, why would you expect it to sample? A sampler is a legit instrument, not a missing component of FM. It's like saying a drum kit is the missing part of a piano, capitalism making you buy both!
Yup! That's where they get ya. But if you compare to something like the OP-1 that has it all...synth, sampler, drum machine, video game...it's notable these days because the competition is fierce.
Not everyone is familiar with these devices and mentioning it doesn’t sample could be useful info for some ppl.
Usually when someone says hit subscribe etc i wont do it.
You and 80% of my audience ⚔️
Digitone doesn't have any sampling.. Is a synth!! That didn't seem a fair critique.. Of course it doesn't sample good..
You’re right!