Elektron Digitakt II

The original Digitakt was pretty good, so how about an updated version with more of... everything!

Elektron describe the Digitakt as a Drum Computer and Sampler, and for a few years after its launch in 2017 it became more‑or‑less the default drum machine in hardware synth rigs. It’s versatile, though, and despite being the darling of the DAWless, it features sophisticated computer integration with plug‑in‑based control and audio over USB.

For the Digitakt II, the word ‘stereo’ has slipped into the subtitle, but this is just one of many upgrades. This is the first outing for a new underlying hardware platform that pushes past some of the long‑standing spec limitations shared by Elektron’s instruments. So, does the Digitakt II do enough to stay on top in a crowded field? Should you upgrade if you have the MkI? And does it leapfrog flagship Elektron devices like the Octatrack II?

Drum Computer

The Digitakt II is a multitrack sampler built around the Elektron sequencing engine. It’s structured like a drum machine or beat workstation with 16 monophonic, stereo tracks. Tracks default to playing one‑shot samples, but can also be used for loop playback, grid‑based slicing or MIDI sequencing.

The Elektron instruments share an architecture and workflow that can take some time to get your head around, but once you’re over the hump you can work quickly, and get straight to work on any of the other devices. The Digitakt II conforms to the standard Elektron MO but, as we’ll see, extends it in a number of ways.

Work on the Digitakt II happens within self‑contained Patterns that store sound and mix parameters as well as note and automation sequences. You can build a beat in a single pattern using mutes, fills and conditional properties to create variations, or you can compose across a bank of patterns. Eight banks constitute a Project, whose other chief property is to store the bucket of live samples that are held in RAM.

Reboot

At a glance, the MkII Digitakt appears unchanged, with its pleasingly compact metal build evocative of high‑end field‑recorder hardware. There are some differences, such as the display now being white like on the Syntakt and the top tier Elektron devices. There’s one additional button providing direct access to keyboard play mode, a nod to the fact that with 16 tracks and stereo capability the MkII lends itself to more complete compositions than just drums. Likewise Song mode now gets a top‑level spot. Finally, there are eight sequence page LEDs instead of four, reflecting the newly doubled maximum pattern length.

The Digitakt II shares exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor, measuring 215 x 176 x 63mm.

Internally, as well as a more capable brain, RAM has increased from 64MB to 400MB, and the internal flash storage from 1GB to 20GB. With more RAM, direct sampling time increases to 66 seconds, and longer samples can be imported. More significantly, the RAM allows a Digitakt II project to keep eight times as many samples in its live sample pool. The pool now has eight banks of 128 samples available for playback and ‘sample locking’: the Digitakt’s ability to fire any sample or preset on any step.

The Digitakt II is a class‑compliant USB audio device, with stereo audio in and out to your computer or phone. Extended Overbridge functionality is still in beta testing, and should bring multitrack audio streaming and remote control directly in your DAW, as with the original Digitakt plug‑in.

Round the back, things are identical to the Digitakt I, with MIDI in, out and thru ports and stereo audio I/O and headphone output all on quarter‑inch sockets.

Basic Beatmaking

One of my chief complaints about the Digitakt was the lack of a real concept of Kits. Loading sounds could be confusing and time consuming to a new user. Things are more immediate and familiar now, with a clear workflow for browsing and auditioning Kits and Presets (previously called Sounds) without needing to understand and populate the sample pool first. A set of excellent factory kits and a couple of banks of inspiring example patterns show the results possible once you’ve mastered the sequencer.

With a kit in place, you can play sounds from all the tracks with the 16 non‑velocity‑sensitive ‘trig’ buttons. If keyboard mode is active, the selected track will be pitched across the keys for melodic playback. Digitakt II gains some additional trig modes. Velocity mode mirrors the 16‑level mode on an MPC: allowing one track to be played at different velocities with the keys. Retrig mode is a note repeat function, again playing a single track but with 16 retrigger rates. Finally Preset mode maps the project Preset pool across trigs in banks of 16, making it easy to play and record multiple sounds within a single track. This is a more powerful version of the Slot trig mode on the Octatrack.

Pattern sequences can be recorded in real time using the current trig mode, or entered X0X style one track at a time on the keys. There’s also a step record mode. Patterns can be up to 128 steps long — eight bars at the default speed — and tracks can be set to different lengths and speeds. Everything can be automated as part of the Pattern, either by capturing in real time, or by holding any step and dialling in parameters: a workflow innovated by Elektron and dubbed Parameter Locking.

Sample...