Setting up the Digitakt, Digitone, with a Keystep, and other hardware.

[@fiercelaststand]

This was such a helpful video - thanks so much for taking the time to make it

[@NickCapron]

I'm glad it was useful for you! Thx for dropping by =)

[@mactamhaismusic]

I wanna second that cheers for the great walkthrough talk through video

[@harukalynnsakurai1714]

This video is exactly what I was looking for!!!! Thank you very much !!

[@NickCapron]

No problem, when I got my Digitakt I was looking for help for this and couldn't find much, hence I shot this video, glad to hear it was useful for you.

[@HPSHTofficial]

Thank you very much, It helped me a lot with my set up

[@NickCapron]

Awesome, yeah once you figure out how the MIDI settings work, they gel excellently together. Don't sleep on the new Digitone update that just came out either. With the new update, you don't have to set up the audio in settings for each new pattern

[@HPSHTofficial]

@@NickCapron I only got 1 question,I cannot use the sequencer for the Vermona Kick Lancet (cc#84 1,2 or 3 and cc#85 0 or 1) tried the #CC and the value assignment. How can I trigger that? (With the keystep it works on key C1 and on digitakt also,except on the digitone)

[@Tom_Heller]

Thank you for this extremly accurate review ! But I don’t understand why you undo the Transport receive on the Digitakt

[@404OG]

Thanks for the vid btw. Can you tell me why I can input mad unquantized rhythms on the keys on the DT itself but when I try to rift on the keystep and record it, it records it mad quantized... 🤔

[@gregmarshall1959]

This video is really helpful for anyone using Elektrons as master device. I’m About to add a Digitakt to my Digitone and Analog4 set up. (I use the A4 as master). I use almost identical process to use a Keystep via Auto Channel on the CV track on the A4. I also have a Novation Nova set up from the Digitone Midi tracks. I set up master blank templates with a single pattern in each on both Elektrons with all the irritating little midi niggles that get overlooked in the chain of devices.

[@bluescreentobsen]

nice. but how do you tempo sync the keysteps arp and sequenzer to the digitakt and vice versa?

[@asbestbau]

honestly dont think he uses it at all, or at least not syncd up

[@agentjohnnyred6945]

Thanks so much! Will use this soon

[@NickCapron]

No problem, thx for the comment!

[@bowcraft8120]

This was helpful, thanks.

[@graysonelliott5649]

I know I'm kind of off topic but do anyone know a good place to watch new movies online?

[@israelshiloh6335]

@Grayson Elliott Try Flixzone. You can find it by googling :)

[@jasetitan2959]

@Israel Shiloh Yup, been watching on Flixzone for since march myself =)

[@graysonelliott5649]

@Israel Shiloh Thanks, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D Appreciate it!

[@israelshiloh6335]

@Grayson Elliott You are welcome xD

[@CercleBruggeFan]

This help me a lot, thank you very much. Now the big question. How to make works Digitone's mod wheel, the pitch bend wheel and the sustain pedal from the midi keyboard in this setup? Thanks in advance.

[@NickCapron]

Hey Antonio, I've been running into the exact same issue, I'm thinking it can be fixed with midi cc settings under the midi tracks, but will look into it.

[@CercleBruggeFan]

@@NickCapron Thank you Nick!!!

[@NickCapron]

Ugh... Sitting down with this right now trying to figure out... Not looking good www.elektronauts.com/t/live-record-mod-wheel-pb-data-from-external-keyboard/42715/84 Seems like it is a built in limitation on these boxes that they can't send either the pitch wheel or mod wheel data via midi to other devices. I'm trying to see on the keystep, to at least getting the mod wheel to pass through the midi tracks via its cc# If I reverse the hookup and use the Digitone as the master I can at least get the modwheel and pitch wheel working with the 4 tracks on there, but it doesn't pass through to other hardware via midi either. Will probably put a video together on this once I figure it all out.

[@wtvdonot1135]

ModWheel and pitch are working if you plug the keystep directly on the digitone.

[@CercleBruggeFan]

@@wtvdonot1135 Yes, but the problem is to record mod and pitch.

[@jean-francoisduguay7592]

thanks for this very useful video! How about i want to control the digitone parameter from the external keyboard. Is it possible?

[@NickCapron]

It should be, midi.user.camp/d/elektron/digitone/ For example, because the MIDI tracks on the digitone and digitakt don't send pitch or mod wheel msg, I adjusted my keystep to send the mod wheel messages to cc 72 or something like that, which allowed it to adjust one of the midi parameters under a midi track so a lot of options should be possible

[@jean-francoisduguay7592]

@@NickCapron Thanks a lot for your time!

[@thedeepblueskys]

Learning midi routing is pretty new to me even though I’ve owned synths for 20 plus years. I guess I just never understood it fully until recently. This resulted in me avoiding it all. That’s now starting to change, as I got this Keystep Pro (KP). So now I’m trying to use a Keystep Pro to control all my gear. I have both the Digitakt & Tone and I wanna possibly use the Keystep pro to sequence the sample tracks on the Digitakt. I realize that can be an option. Not to say that I will stick with that workflow, but I wanna try it and see if it gets things moving sequencing the drums and samples on the same platform as my other synths. The Digitone however I wanna use its internal sequencer but at the same time play the notes on the Keyboard of the KP. I have set it up but I can only play what midi track the KP is set to, rather then switch between the track buttons on the DIgitone. Like what I mean is I cant switch between the 4 tracks on the Digitone by simply pressing the 4 track buttons. I can only switch the 4 tracks on the Digitone by changing the midi channel on the KP. So I see that what I wanna do is being done in this video, and I’m guessing that setting up Auto Midi channel of the Digitone is what will allow me to do this instead of my current setup. I would rather do it that way, as it would be smoother in using the Digitones internal sequencer. Plus the option to quickly press the 4 buttons to switch the track would be awesome. I gotta make this happen. Thanks for the video, it helps.

[@NickCapron]

Awesome, sorry I didn't back to you sooner, but yeah, I find using the autochannel works best for me with the keystep and the digis! Good luck with your project, I'm still working through it myself to configure these machines best to my workflow. As I'm enjoying working with Reaper a lot these days, I think I need to start to dip my toes into overbridge next

[@thedeepblueskys]

@@NickCapron OverBridge is amazing but it won’t work on my computer. Which is a 2010 MacBook Pro with 1Tb SSD & 16g ram running High Sierra as it’s max OS. The computer still works great for most music applications I use, but I’m gonna have to get a new computer if I wanna take advantage of OverBridge and the USB C audio/midi communication of my JX-08, JD-08, and SP 404MKii. As of now, I’ve figured out how to make the midi work out great in auto channel on the Digitone, but haven’t implemented it with the Digitakt yet. For some weird reason I can play the Digitone with the Keystep pro but can’t record a sequence on the Digitone. I have to use the Digitone’s key bed to record a sequence in it. This is my next hurdle. That and using it with the Digitakt. All in due time. But for now I can play the DTone with the Keystep Pro and switch tracks on the 4 track buttons of the Digitone, if that makes sense. I love that feature instead of switching midi channels on the KSP. Hard to explain in text but I’d love to play and record sequences into the Digitone with the KSP. BTW, Reaper is totally new to me. I just searched it, looks pretty good. But yes, can’t wait to get a new computer to get into OB as well. PS: no worries on replying late. No reply, late, or current, it’s always a pleasure 🙌🏼

[@DopamineOverload]

Thanks for this helpful video! The Keystep can record live midi melodies and chords, right (in real-time, like Keystep Pro)? You don't need to use the step trigs to input melodies? It seems like this isn't common knowledge, even a few years after the Digitakt was released.

[@goodnoyz]

Hi, at 2:33 you say that you have to create the midi settings each time you start a new project. Is it not possible to create settings to your choice and save as a template?

[@NickCapron]

Hey Martin, that's a good Idea. I think you can copy projects(need to check) but yeah, I could just create an empty template, with the MIDI settings good to go, and just copy that whenever I need to kick off a new project =) I do the same for my patterns with my projects, to keep the sound settings the same for handling the incoming audio from the Digitakt. Thx again!

[@tripplethrendo]

This might be a really dumb question, but why aren't you using MIDI Thru instead of the MIDI Splitter device?

[@NickCapron]

Not a dumb question at all! In my case here, I liked (I've simplified my setup since I shot this) to swap synths in and out, which the thru box helps make a bit easier to do. Also I was using volcas, which don't have midi thru, so if I wanted to use 2 of them, I would be out of luck. If I just wanted to use one, I could stick it at the end of the midi thru chain I guess =) Anyway I find it convenient vs having to route midi thru everything

[@gruenerwirdsnich3526]

Thank you for this information now i can better handle this thing :) and not selling it

[@NickCapron]

No problem, thanks for your comment!

[@pedrojoseriveraperez7962]

Grat video! Thanks a lot, you help all the community with this, only one question, I have other devices, I want play with my keystep on others synths with this config but I dont have midi hub, I put channel 5 “for example” on my other synth and I connect midi in to midi output of the digitone, I can sequence my other synth but I cant play from digitakt, how I can do this?

[@NickCapron]

Assuming you want to use the KEYSTEP keyboard to play the other Synth Keystep into Digitakt MIDI IN Hook up a MIDI Cable from the Digitakt MIDI THRU to the MIDI IN of the other syth If you set the keystep to CH 5, it SHOULD play on your other synth and bypass your Digitakt Let me know if that is what you are looking for or if I missed the mark! BUT If your other synth only has one MIDI IN, and you are sequencing it via the MIDI OUT from the Digitakt, the only other way I can think of doing it is via a MIDI track on the digitakt You just need to set that MIDI track to go out on CH5, and have that MIDI track listen for incoming notes from CH 5(or whatever channel on the keystep you want to use for playing that synth) that can be set up via the MIDI menu on the digitakt. Hope that helps!

[@willibooy]

Thanks for this!! I’m wondering- what mode is your keystep set to? Internal? How can i use the keystep’s sequencer and arp with this kind of set up? Cause if i set mine to midi, it plays my external gear through digitakt’s midi channels, but then the internal sequencer doesn’t start, and if i set it to internal it won’t play midi notes through digitakts midi channels, so it essentially just becomes a standard midi keyboard without the additional features! Hope you can help me with this one, thanks

[@NickCapron]

Hey William, just for Reference, my Keystep is set to Internal. (I think I have MIDI Clock in on the Digitakt disabled, so when I push the play button on the keystep, it won't mess with the tempo on the Digitakt) I have nothing connected to the MIDI IN or anything on the keystep, just the MIDI out cable to the MIDI IN on the digitakt I'm using the auto channel function on the Digitakt(Set to CH 10 I THINK?) and then sending out midi from the keystep on the chanel, which will play whatever active track I have selected on the Digitakt(Including the MIDI tracks when I key them up on the screen) Hope that helps a bit, hit me up with more questions if you need further clarification or want me to dig into anything with my setup that could help you out.

[@willibooy]

Nick Capron thank you! I’ll give this another go

[@nanotechreviews3064]

I had this problem with the digitone keys no video about this thank

[@NickCapron]

Woot! Glad to hear it was handy

[@Lo-fi_Hi-brow]

Thanks for the video. Question: @12:00(approx) you hit keys on the Keystep and it plays the trig on track 1 of the DT. I followed all of the settings in your vid....and my Keystep doesn't make any sound. Any ideas why? Did you set the Keystep up in any way? (What about the little switches on the back: Internal, USB, MIDI, Sync IN)?

[@NickCapron]

Hey Scott, check what MIDI channel the keystep is set to. Going from memory, I think I set the channel on the keystep needs to be set to either 9 or 10. If you don't know how to switch MIDI channels on the keystep, hold down shift and push the key with the blue 9 or 10 above it. Also, I have my keystep connected directly to the digitakt, so make sure the keystep is working with whatever device you have it plugged into first, if that is picking up notes from the keystep, your issue is between the digitone/digitakt MIDI connection/settings

[@Lo-fi_Hi-brow]

@@NickCapron I'm actually not sure what I did...but I got it to work. I think it was an unchecked box in MIDI settings that wasn't mentioned.

[@NickCapron]

@@Lo-fi_Hi-brow awesome, glad it worked out for you!

[@VangelisK]

dear Nick i would like to ask you in case like mine i only have digitone and keystep 37 what sync and port config settings do i have to follow to work together?

[@NickCapron]

Hey, no problem. If I was to use a Keystep or K37 directly with the Digitone(which I did in the past before I got a Digitakt, I would set it up as follows MIDI OUT on Keystep to MIDI IN on Digitone Digitone PART 1 MIDI CH 1 Digitone PART 2 MIDI CH 2 same for 3/4 Auto Ch 10 Now if you want to control tempo on your Keystep, you would want to enable clock receive on the DT, BUT I WOULD NOT. as at least for how I have my Keystep currently configured, it bugs me when I hit play on the keystep, that it takes over the clock on the Digitone, I'm ok with controlling the tempo via the Digitone or takt Same for transpose, I would have it set to off, so the play button on the keystep doesn't stop trigger the sequencer, as at least on my keystep, I need to hit play to enable the Keystep Arp or Sequencer, and I don't want it starting/stopping the Sequencer. If you plan on using the keystep sequencer, and you want it synced to the tempo on the Digitone, you may need to feed MIDI into the keystep, for it to get the same clock from the Digitone, and to do so, make sure you are sending the clock out from the digitone. Hope that helps! NC

[@noizareth]

@@NickCapron My situation is very similar, so I hope I can find some help here. I have digitakt, keystep, thru box and a few hardware synths. I route keystep out into digitakt in, digitakt out to thru box into my synths. I want to keep the functionalities of Arp/sequencer on KS, but run digitakt as a master clock. Should I feed midi to KS going thru box out to keystep in and set keystep switches to 'midi'? I assume Arp/sequencer only works with 'internal', no?