3 Awesome Features of the Digitone's LFOs (and some tips for using them)
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- čas přidán 8. 09. 2018
- It's no secret that I'm a big fan of the Elektron Digitone. Although a big part of the appeal is its excellent sequencer, we shouldn't understate how amazing the synthesis engine actually is. In this video I focus on 3 features of the Digitone's incredibly flexible LFOs and make some suggestions as to how to make use of them.
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Harmonics Envelope=Instant Wavetable Timbres. Also by setting the LFO to a very high speed and modulating the pitch of the operators you get fixed ratio atonal FM, great for percussive sounds. The last patxh u showed can be p-locked into a kick-snare-hat sequence, by having all kick trigs on the X side, all the snare ones on the Y side and for the hihat trigs you use the Y side with a short amp decay time and a higher pitch (instant beatboxing without using sound-locks)
spr30
That's dope
sick comment ｡⑉₍₍⇀◇↼⁾⁾⑇゜⋆♡
Thank you, one of the best tutorials i’ve ever seen on a deep topic that kind be complicated to approach. Simple, efficient, inspiring!
I’ve been using the Digitakt for a couple years now and just got the Digitone. What I love about these machines is they go exactly as deep as I need them to. Just scratching the surface: great. Ready to dig deeper: they’re just waiting for it. Beginner through advanced, these deliver on every level.
I’m a bit late to the party on this video, but wanted to thank you once again for bringing fantastic educational content to the Elektron community. I particularly love the bit @ 6:34 where you showcased a kind of sound I haven’t heard in a very long time. It’s very similar to one of the first patches I played on a wave station a very long time ago. Cheers, Osc.
Not too late! Glad you took something useful away from it!
Like you, I love this synth engine. Such a perfect balance of flexibility; enough tonal and modulation options not to limit creativity. But not so many that overwhelms. Onboard FX are brilliant too. Just perfect. Good tutorial on the LFOs. Love that sound at the end - on some LFO settings it is like hammering a nail into a frying pan ! Only FM could generate this so easily !
Phenomenal discussion of Digitone, I appreciate the enthusiasm for the gear, seriousness and especially the lack of pizza jokes and bad puns.😂
Thank you for this detailed demo! I am excited to get my Digitone someday!
Great demo of the digitone wizardry! Like watching david attenborough on Digitone in it's natural habitat. So soothing.
Haha thank you! Big compliment!
Thanks for the in-depth information. Loved the sound at 6:38.
To infinity and beyond! Marvellous insights to this box of many wonders. Thanks!
Thanks for watching!
I'll be trying these out. Thanks for the video packed with useful information.
Great video, very easy to understand the DT and FM.... I hope you keep posting videos on DT and DG
What a great look into the LFOs here! I learned so much, thank you!
So glad you got something out of it! Thanks for watching!
Alex! haha great Video man. Been eyeing this puppy up for a while! Great video!
This demo was so informative!
Thank you for your inspirational videos, you've given me so much to play with 👍
So manh great ideas in this video. Thanks for making this. Love my Digitone!
Thank you - enjoy your Digitone!
Amazing video. Just covered the LFOs which can by itself get endless permutations with surprising results. 👍
Cheers!
Thanks for sharing the knowledge!
I love this synth so much, for me its the best synth sequencer combo ever made.
Future classic status in my eyes.
Wow. I am legitimately addicted to this device. Such an amazing instrument.
It really is!
You have a very soothing voice.... great vid thanks
I was really confused by the DN displaying the LFO mode up top until I realised they're pattern names you input yourself. Great tips though, I'm used to the OT so having a hold LFO that can affect each individual note is a big revelation.
OK, It's now official, I must get the Digitone....sounds so beautiful and versatile.
It really is.
Great tips man! Thank you!
Good stuff sir, thanks for sharing
Thanks for this. Can never have enough LFOs. Got a digitone keys last Friday. It will be great once I get the MIDI set up right, splitting keyboard and controlling external gear is a bit confusing. Did get it to work with KorgMS2000r, FM and VA sound great together.
Aggressively subscribed. Thanks!
Helpful tips - will def put these to use - Thanks!
Excellent! Have fun with them!
Brilliant! Thank you.
nice! thanks for the thorough upload
Thanks for watching!
Another awesome educational video! I (and half of our geeky club) have learned so much from your videos...although it's a bit like err....because well counting the days now till I get digitone, then have idea to make the bank manager and maybe others smile😉
The FM based nirvana is nearly within your grasp friend! Glad you enjoyed the video!
@@OscillatorSink I have a idea for fun😉😂 think unboxing with SANTA...ahh thanks for all you've taught us...and please don't stop!
Just watched your video for the third time. I'd forgotten some of the cool things a Digitone can do
never gets old this vid
❤️
I've made sounds on this machine that sound like bit rate reduced samples from a busy city street. The feedback parameter helps in that regard, plus the lfos can take you to worlds unknown.
I really LOVE how close it can get to vowely gibbering, especially when programming in a quiet, dark room.
Thanks for another excellent tutorial! I finally picked up the Digitone over the weekend and really appreciate videos like these to dig deeper into all it’s possibilities
You're welcome, and have fun with your new synth!
Great video ! Just welcomed the Digitone to my studio
Oh, you're going to enjoy it. Such a fantastic synth. Probably my favourite thing I own.
Ace video this! Thank you
Thanks a lot for this video, i learned some good things, love "enveloppe" lfo trick at 18 min ! I was asking myself how to accomplish that ! :D
Glad you learned some new tricks; thanks for watching!
Fantastic video, thank you! Nobody covered this. I was looking to see if Digitone had assignable envelopes for things like feedback...et voila!
Yeah, the LFOs are super powerful, I'm glad you found it useful!
Good demo ty
Very useful, thank you
Glad you liked enjoyed it!
Nice one mate! ;)
Amazing!
what an excellent video, thank you !
Thanks for checking it out, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I got a Digitone last week and this was by far the most useful / inspiring video I've seen about it. It would be great if you'd consider making more similar videos! Maybe awesome features and tips for the synth engines since it's quite unique for the Digitone :)
I hope to do this soon, I already have some ideas that I think are cool, time is just a little tight right at the moment (see my most recent video!).
I hope you're enjoying your new Digitone!
extrem useful thank you
Cheers and you're welcome!
Fantastic tutorial . The digitone is such a deep bit of gear and it can create amazing sounds . Ya its on my list of "must get soon as possible oh dear here's another bill , F sake " list :-)
I love that moment of adrenalin when you make the purchase! "I'm gonna be in so much trouble and I don't care!"
Ha ha ya i know that feeling !!
Thanks for your inspirational video!
And thank you for watching!
Awesome, getting my second hand soon =) cant wait to take the trip into elektron land
You're going to have a lot of fun! Take the time to really get to know the sequencer - that's where so much of the power lies. It's a bit of a learning curve, but less than people seem to think and very very worth it!
I was GASsing for the Analog 4. Now I'm not... a nice compliment to my Summit. Thank you for helping my mind get made up!
hey hola que buen video saludos desde Baja California
Super helpful, just got a digitone, could you do a video on the synth section and what cool stuff you've found there?
Glad you liked this video.
I hope to do a bunch of Digitone videos - just learning to balance work and the channel with a newborn in in the house, but keep an eye on the channel because I'll get there!
@@OscillatorSink congrats man! I'm subbed so look forward to more stuff
Thank you for the detailed presentation on LFOs, a powerful Digitone tool! I wonder if there's a way to automate an continuous random selection of sound presets, i.e. from a predefined custom pool.
You don't have sound selection as a mod destination unfortunately (unlike on the Digitakt where sample slot is a LFO destination), but modulating the algorithm can result in some very different sounds, so there is mileage there I think.
helpful video !
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Nice vid man coving this bad boy. . Apparently there’s no portmento in the current os. That’s never bothered me as the lfo pitch which works near enough the same especially for dnb sliding basslines is just as effective. for some it may be a letdown but I guess electron has some os goodies up their sleeves no doubt. Especially now the keys have arrived there’ll be a few os updates in prep now.. 👍.
very great vid. new to this, have digitone keys. thanks!!!!
I hope you're enjoying it!
@@OscillatorSink I most certainly am enjoying it. The Digitone is my first synth purchase along with the Deluge, both very formidable units. Ive had them barely a month. With great interest and patience I am learning both bit by bit. The learning curve is definitely there, and there is quite a path to anything remotely resembling proficiency (and mastery? who knows). Also, I'm literally setting up my little music playpen from the ground up so there's that too. Everything is new.
So much great content on CZcams, Id be lost without it. I very much enjoy your delivery and energy (and music!) and will be delving into your catalog over time.
I am sitting alone watching this but when the S+H panning sequence played I actually said the words 'oh yeah!' aloud
RIGHT?! I love that trick, probably to the point of overusing it.
Oscillator Sink i feel like an idiot for not using it, to be honest
Hey - there's a lot in the synth engine to explore, always fun to find something new!
I did too
Yeah buddy!
Hey man, Great video! Nice cool things I can start configure on my Digitone. There is only one thing I'm still confused about. Do you know what kind of effect the Depth of the LFO has on the destination Ratio B. Becaus i figured out that the Ratio B has 361 parameters. But the Depth of the LFO is less than 0.01 for 1 paramater on the Ratio B.. It feels like a huge bug on the Digitone part, because there is no way you can figure out the sweet spot in this. Keep up the great video's man!
Yeah some of the depths are a little funny! I think the Ratio B will do the top operator first which gives a kinda staggered sound. Sorry I can't offer any precise details!
Oscillator Sink no problem. I have the question filled to elektron and waiting for a answer. Thnx man.
Loop back here with their info if you can :) interesting case here
midinerd unfortunately Elektron does not see this as a bug. The Ratio B’s are mapped. Therefor the Modulation does not do what you expect it to do. But they can’t tell me what I can expect off it or how it does work.
@8:00 it sounds like the Bloodsport soundtrack! XD
Really helpful video, thanks ... so using the HOLD mode of the LFO makes the whole sound more alive, less static, since each note becomes a little different ... and sending a normal (repeating) LFO to drive makes the instrument more old school Rhodes or DX7, more thickness/grit. btw, I just ordered a DT, so now I have to decide how to pronounce it ... “DIG gy tone”? “DIH jih tone”? diggy diggy higgy higgy... Jesus ... Anyway, have a good night...
Enjoy your new synth! However you choose to pronounce it!
Oscillator Sink - Thanks!!!! Will keep watching here for more knowledge...
This is so helpful. Thanks so much.
Do you know possibly how to use the velocity modulation feature? In that menu, my device responds to the velocity played, however the chosen parameters don't seem to react much to the varying velocities.
I'm actually planning a video on that subject, but finding time to make it is a struggle. Hopefully sometime in the next few weeks...
But essentially you need to choose the Mod destination and an amount. The amount adds/subtracts from the parameter's current value, so set the parameter to a starting point for zero velocity.
@@OscillatorSink I see! That already explains the issue. But very excited to see your next video. Thanks
So, so useful for the beginning Digitone user! Thank you sir.
Thanks for watching!
It would be nice for the Digitakt to also have 2 LFOs, with the same UI as the Digitone. Of course the extra LFO is much more important in the Digitone.
It definitely would be a bonus!
And now u have it!!! :D
That HLD function is really cool. Can you do this on each track independet of each other? 🤔That nice minimal delay is nice too
"Can you do this on each track independent of each other?"
Each track has its own LFOs, if that's what you're asking.
Wishing we had one or two more LFOs. I would consider that a win even if it had limited functionality.
You can loop back with the midi channels - just plug in the midi out to midi in, work out the cc number of the parameters you want to control and assign the lfo to that cc number.
Hello friend, I wanted to ask you about the Lfo setting for synth level. It doesn’t seem to show up in my options for the lfo destination. Any ideas?
You're looking for "Amp Level" I think?
Hi, so there are two LFOSs per track. How many destinations can be assigned to one LFO at the same time? Thanks everyone. Great channel!
Only one. But the destination *can* be parameter locked per step (as can everything about the LFO).
@@OscillatorSink Thanks!
I kind of wish there was a mod matrix for ALL the LFOs and multitude of envelopes across all the 4 parts.
midi track lfo to 4 tracks
Yeah, good point - you get extra flexibility if you loop back the Midi tracks.
@@OscillatorSink but you use up your midi ports doing this, right?
Correct, sadly.
@@robertsyrett1992 get another midi splitter and or midi merger
Thx for the vid👍🏼 Can you help me understand the polartity of the speed and depth. I get the positve increments but confused on the negative, especially with speed.
Negative polarity on the depth flips the shape of the waveform around the x-axis - turns it upside down. For bipolar waves (most of them) this won't make a huge difference - unless you're in "once" or "half" LFO modes. The unipolar waves like the "exp" you'll hear it "go down" rather than up.
Negative speeds run the LFO wave backwards. Again for symmetrical waves you won't hear anything, normally, but for asymmetric waves like exp, ramp, saw you'll hear things swoop the other way.
Yooo thx so much for replying! Expains why im not hearing much difference on certain settings. I wasnt a big elektron fan until now. Digitone is a GREAT synth!!
No problem!
Oscillator Sink One more question. What LFO settings (polarity, wave) would u use to modulate the Hamonics knob but only to effect the “C” operator? Example Harmonic is set at 0.00 and you want to go to -15 (and back n forth obviously).
Gives a nice wave table effect manually in real time, but im having trouble dialing that in with lfo.
-thx
Set the harmonics at 7.5. LFO depth of 7.5 on a bipolor wave like triangle or sine should do it off the top of my head!
Hey im finding the speed and depth of the lfo seetings a bit unpredictable. An example would be how sensitive the speed can be to small amounts or sometimes when setting the depth and not geeting the expected/desired effect.
Anytips or advice?
-thx
For the speed, you should start on the second LFO page and set the Mult parameter first. There are settings both expressed in terms of beat length (so it'll be tempo synced) and as a straight multiplier (independent of tempo). Use that control to set the 'ballpark' speed and then you'll have a more sensible range on the actual speed control.
In terms of the depth, you need to think about it in terms of the parameter you're controlling. For example, with pitch a value of 1 is a whole semi-tone, which is already way too wide for most pitch wobble purposes, so most of the time you're making very tiny adjustments. On the other hand, if you're controlling Harmonics and you want it to sweep between two values you like, say 12 and 16, you want to put your harmonics setting at 14 and your depth at 2, so it goes up 2 to 16 and down 2 to 12 (this is assuming that you're using one of the bipolar waves, which is most of them).
Hope that's useful?
Very helpful! Thx again for responding👍🏼
the during of the time setting destinations is too short ! this could be set in the general menu ... or choosing dest , listen end hit enter to confirm the choice.
Is there a phaser setting on the chorus page? Can the Digitone also approximate an 80’s flanger sound?
No phaser unfortunately, and the chorus lacks a feedback / regen control to get into flanging territory really (although you could try running the chorus into the delay set to a very short time to approximate it maybe).
@@OscillatorSink cheers man. I have a Digitone Keys arriving tomorrow. I’m pretty excited!
Well don't forget that the Digitone Keys has individual outs, so you could always just send a track out to a Phaser or Flanger pedal - enjoy your new synth!
What patch is that bass sound? Or is it from scratch?
It'll have just been something banged together for the video (so yeah, from scratch).
Hi , will you make a new video with the latest LFO 1.40A version?
About the LFOs? I don't think so, on the Digitone it's only the graphics that have changed I believe, the functionality remains the same.
@@OscillatorSink I am not comfortable with the modulation of the dep , you have not updated to the latest version?
I'm running 1.40A yes. LFO 2 modulating the depth, speed, etc. of LFO 1? That's always been there, I just didn't show it in this video. Is that what you're referring to?
How does it compare to the Fingersonic Synset FM?
I have no direct experience with the Fingersonic, but it looks like that is designed to be a much more classic, DX7 inspired, 6 operator style of FM where the Digitone is a more hybrid approach. It looks pretty interesting, but I'd suspect the Digitone's sequencer is rather more advanced, but that's a guess based on reading the Fingersonic marketing materials.
So does this mean the 2 LFOs can become 2 extra operators, turning the Digitone from a 4 to a 6 operator?
Hmm, no not really because there's no way to scale them to the keys played or have them only modulate the frequency of certain other operators, so you can't use them as operators in the traditional sense.
Looks like you listened to BoBeats! :)
When Bo speaks, I listen!
Oscillator Sink lol yep
Great video 🤙🤙
Thanks friend!
Elektron should just pay you!
They just need to keep putting out good stuff and I'll buy it and talk about it for free!
It’s too bad you can route each LFO to only one destination at the same time. More LFOs or multiple destinations would be so great.
No argument there! Give me a mod matrix and I'll be happy forever!
Maybe the very high number of maximal parameter locks (80 x step number) or the highest LFO frecuency could be reduced when activating multiple LFO destinations or even a third or fourth LFO. This way the CPU won’t be overloaded. It should be doable in software.
needs more lfo's per track 2 isnt enough
Rusty, there are 2 CV inputs as well, there are technically 2 more of any modulator.
Index are there CV inputs on Digitone?
the diggy tone?
I pronounce it like Cenk pronounces it. I know its probably "did-jee" in English, but I kinda like saying it the way Elektron themselves say it.
hmm OK, but do you say mooog or moag?
I used to mooog, but now I mogue.
Why do so many people call this a 'diggy tone'? When you ask for someone's phone number, do you ask for their diggits? Do you have a diggytal watch? Or do you ask for digits and have a digital clock? It's digitone because it's digital. FFS. And this isn't the only place I've heard it mispronounced.
Because that's how elektron, who are Swedish pronounce it. People pronounce it that way because it's correct to do so.
Also, on the Digitakt - Takt is beat in Swedish. It's a Swedish word so it's pronounced that way - the same say you don't pronounce "cafe" as "kaef".
@@OscillatorSink Digi is referencing 'digital' which is not 'diggy' in english. As for cafe, that's been adopted into english lexicon. I find this pronunciation fiasco to be in the same realm as gif/jif. If, say, Japan released a piece of gear such as 'Lens Keys' and they pronounce it 'rens keys', I'm not going to do that because it's spelled lens and their language differences wouldn't direct me to pronounce lens as 'rens'.
@@heavysystemsinc. absolute travesty! 🤣
@@tubeMonger Even the box itself tells you 'digi' is short for digital as it says, and I quote, "Digitone: Master of the Digital Sound". I mean seriously, we don't call a raggatone horn a 'rage-a-tone' horn.
It's surely a great machine. BUT reality is most people just don't go deep into fm synthesis like you do. They're just not going to do it. For these people (which is mayority) this is not a very good choice of a machine cause they are going to be flipping through presets. Like I would do hahaha... In that case better get a digitakt and at least you'll get deeper into it. But for people like you is just a gift design
I dunno - the way FM is implemented on the Digitone is by far the most accessible implementation. It's much more like subtractive synth with FM oscillators (on a basic level). There's obviously loads more under the bonnet but this is a million miles away from, say, a DX7 in terms of programming. I'll do some patch design videos soon - maybe I can change your opinion 😉
Ooh yeah, i mean, ive been fiddling with operator for some years and get cool stuff with it but all times ive been fiddling this one at stores, it ends up playing with the presets. Cool piece of kit, but you hve a point there. Great techno basses though imo