Elektron has given its small, handy Digitakt sampler a new firmware 1.30 with a second LFO, new filters, external input mixer & more.
The Elektron Digitakt is one of the most successful hardware samplers. It is small and offers a lot of features. 8 mono sample tracks as well as 8 MIDI tracks, making it not only a sampler but also an 8-track MIDI sequencer at the same time.
I’ve had a Digitakt myself for a number of years. It’s a nice, well-engineered instrument, but I couldn’t cope with the workflow myself. So I sold it recently, but maybe too early because there is now a major update 1.30 that brings new features to it.
Elektron Digitakt Firmware 1.30
If you load firmware 1.30 onto your Digitakt, the small, compact sampler from Sweden gets a nice feature boost. It starts with an additional LFO that gives you more modulation options, opens up a bonus parameter to modulates. It also includes the ability to control the first LFO with the second. Doesn’t sound like much, but it can make your tracks livelier and more versatile. Especially on the sound design side.
Then, the developer has extended the initial pitch range of the Digitakt. You can now work with three extra octaves down for deep basses, and more. The filter section got a major upgrade. Firstly, they improved the multimode filter with an additional EQ-style filter type and an envelope delay. With this, you can highlight the transients of your kick or add lovely swelling effects to your pads.
Secondly, the Digitakt now has a base-width filter, a long-requested feature from the community. This additional filter gives you more control when it comes to finding space for your sounds, working in tandem with the Multimode filter. You can also access it via LFO destination to unlock even more modulation potential.
External Input Mixer & More
The new firmware also ships with a new external input mixer made for mastery of incoming audio. You can process your sound in stereo or split the mix and dual wield in two mono channels. Then send them through the reverb and delay effect processor, and finally add some extra-chain ducking action with the master compressor. Also new is a multi-track recording functionality in the step recording mode.
Lastly, the developers also added a global FX/MIX menu item making it possible to adjust the parameters on the delay, reverb, compressor, internal & external mixer globally. And of course, they fixed numerous bugs.
Don’t forget to check out the video from BoBeats about the new update. You can’t resist that smile.
I don’t have a Digitakt anymore, but I’m happy to see that it has received an update with interesting features.
The Elektron Digitakt Firmware 1.30 is available as a free update from the official website. Digitakt is out now for 749€.
More information here: Elektron
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What aspect of the workflow could you not cope with ?
especially the many sub-menus, sample import/limitations, and button combinations, etc. Not my favorite workflow.