Elektron Digitakt II Review: The Most Versatile Sampler and Sequencer

The archetypal Digitakt sampler and sequencer, contempt being 7 years old, remains an incredibly susceptible instrumentality beloved by galore successful the euphony world. So however does the latest model, which looks astir identical, clasp up to the instrumentality favorite?

Under the hood, the Digitakt II is simply a important upgrade successful astir each way. Unfortunately, it besides comes with a important terms summation to $999, from $799. With utilized Digitakts going for arsenic small arsenic $400, the prime betwixt the 2 isn’t arsenic wide chopped arsenic you’d expect.

I spent a fewer weeks putting the latest Digitakt done its paces and comparing it to the older model, and yet realized the caller mentation is astir apt not worthy the upgrade for my (and galore others') purposes. That said, if you're a powerfulness idiosyncratic who ever wants to effort the latest and greatest, it's a fantastic portion of gear.

Endless Possibilities

Physically, the differences betwixt the archetypal Elektron Digitakt and the caller Digitakt II are highly subtle. The monochrome surface is achromatic alternatively of yellow. The instrumentality circumstantial labels nether the keys are gone, determination are a mates of caller buttons, and immoderate labels person changed. Otherwise the 2 are astir indistinguishable.

I cannot perchance screen each diagnostic of the archetypal Digitakt. In fact, I’m going to person to gloss implicit adjacent immoderate of the changes to the newest model. It is an incredibly affluent instrumentality that would instrumentality tens of thousands of words to comprehensively explain. Instead I’ll beryllium focusing connected the astir important features and changes.

If determination were 2 large strikes against the archetypal Digitakt it was that it lone handled mono samples, and retention was beauteous paltry, adjacent by 2017 standards. Personally, I didn't find the 64 MB of RAM (equaling 14 minutes of mono samples) per task terribly restrictive, but the 1 GB of thrust retention did pb to a batch much clip wasted actively managing samples. By expanding the RAM to 400 MB (72 minutes of mono oregon 36 minutes of stereo samples) and the thrust to 20 GB connected the caller model, the retention contented is mostly solved.

While having enactment for stereo samples is nice, I really find the accrued retention to beryllium the main caller diagnostic I love. Part of that is down to however I chiefly usage the Digitakt II, which is arsenic a drum machine. Stereo is conscionable little of a necessity erstwhile you’re chiefly moving with percussion.

The Digitakt II is much than susceptible of handling melodic parts, and it adjacent comes preloaded with azygous rhythm waveforms truthful you tin play it similar a synth. But due to the fact that the 16 sequencer tracks are monophonic, playing chords requires either utilizing aggregate tracks and sequencing the notes individually, oregon conscionable sampling chords. And adjacent though determination are 5 antithetic “Machines” (Elektron’s word for however a illustration is handled, e.g. one-shot, stretch, repitch, etc.) your results volition alteration greatly depending connected the root material.