The Digitakt II released recently, and while it looks awesome with a ton of feature updates, there's a new $1,000 price tag. Because of the new version, original Digitakts are selling for $450-$600 on the Used Market. Today, we'll compare the Digitakt I and Digitakt II, highlighting what's new, what's the same and share 3 use cases for the original as examples of whether it's still relevant in a workflow. We'll also discuss how to make the most of your Digitakt (I or II) with sample machines, chord slice hacks, and using it as a MIDI brain. Let's find out if the original Digitakt still holds up.
A Quick Comparison Between the Two:
There's a lot of interesting additions, revisions and updates in the Digitakt II. You can now use any of the 16 pads for either Sample or MIDI tracks. The step sequencer has 128 steps instead of 64. Storage got a massive increase to accomodate stereo sampling & the effects/filters have gotten a buff as well.
What’s the Same
Workflow: Largely the same, with slight front-end changes in terms of buttons.
Sample Tracks: Still mono.
MIDI: Still 4 voices per track... in 2024 this is a serious bummer when gear like the SP404 MK2 has 32 voice polyphony and 16 minutes per pad sampling.
Why I’m Still Using the Original
First, I just want to say: There’s no right or wrong answer; both machines are amazing and can help you make great music. If I had all the money, I’d grab one for sure, but I don’t. For what I need, the original is still the same box I bought for a reason—my specific use case and setup. If what the Digitakt II offers is exactly what you need, then it’s the machine for you. But if you’re trying to save some money, that’s just it… do you need everything offered in the Digitakt II?
Here’s what I use the Digi for:
A MIDI Brain & Hub: It’s perfect for syncing & controlling all my external gear.
Unique Granular Slice Sound Design: The sampler can do some very unique granular slice sound design and treatment.
Idea Generator: With its easy-to-program sequencer and per-step automation, it’s an excellent idea generator.
All of that is present and accounted for on the original, and everything the II offers would merely enhance that. However, my external gear can already do some of those things.
For example, if you have machines that already can do stereo sampling, the original can MIDI sync and control those, adding stereo sampling after the Digitakt in your setup. All of the new features make Digitakt an even better option as a standalone box; however, as someone who usually pairs my Digitakt with the SP404 MKII, I already have most of these functions. I have 16 minutes per pad sample time, a massive amount of pads, and a 32GB SD card, as well as all of the awesome SP effects. When I need more space, longer samples, or additional voices, I can MIDI sync the SP with the awesome MIDI control of the Digitakt.
Beyond that, the limitations of the original have not stopped amazing music from being made on it. If anything, the limitations bring creativity and outside-the-box thinking into the workflow. I’ve created tracks on the Digitakt that I’d never make in a DAW simply by finding workarounds for the polyphony limits. My track "Chromaprism" is built around what sounds like a pluck synth, but it’s actually a chord progression loop I recorded into the Digitakt and used slice mode to play multiple chords on the same sample track. On that note, let’s talk about some of the best ways to make the most out of the Digitakt.
Making the Most of the Digitakt
Sample Machines Change the Game: You can create polyphony in sample tracks by recording a chord progression and creating slices of the chords. Slice & Werp machines are inspiration stations for taking sounds and discovering new ways to use them.
Pairing with an External Sampler: This setup can create far more sample size, sample length, and stereo sampling. MIDI sync is super easy, intuitive, and powerful. Best of all, you can use the Digi as a sort of MIDI hub brain, controlling multiple pieces of gear from one machine.
Overbridge: The integration with Overbridge (though not yet available on Digitakt II) further enhances its capabilities, allowing seamless integration with your DAW, with all 8 sample tracks as separate audio tracks in your DAW. This opens up a whole new world of potential & mixing possibilities. I'll be covering this more in a separate blog post so make sure you subscribe on Youtube and here to stay up to date.
So that's a budget conscious comparison between these two amazing machines. There's no wrong answer, but if you're looking to save some money, the original Digitakt is still a capable machine in 2024.
Sample Packs: https://soundsbysunwarper.bandcamp.com/
Donate: http://paypal.me/MichaelJakucs
If you want to truly master your gear and learn how to create, mix and master songs on hardware like the Digitakt email me at sunwarpermusic@gmail.com for one on one coaching.
留言