save sound : FUNC + (SONG MODE)

‘s

DESIGN & LAYOUT:

save project : FUNC + (SETTINGS)

ACTITECT.COM

SAVES
temp save : FUNC + YES
ELEKTRON DIGITAKT revert to saved state : FUNC + NO
CHEATSHEET
revert parameter page : [ PARAM ] + NO
v 1.01 F I ND MO R E A T D A V EM E CH . LI V E
revert sound : TRK + TRACK + NO

delay page : FUNC + [ FLTR ]

grid recording mode : REC reverb page : FUNC + [ AMP ]

PAG.
live recording mode : REC + PLAY master pages : FUNC + [ LFO ], [ LFO ]
MODES

step recording mode : REC + STOP scale menu : FUNC + PAGE

toggle step rec mode type : REC + STOP, STOP
quick mute mode : FUNC fill : HOLD PAGE
mute mode : FUNC + BANK cue fill : YES + PAGE
toggle mute mode type : FUNC + BANK, BANK

OTHER
latch fill : HOLD PAGE + YES **
chromatic mode: FUNC + TRK control all : TRK + PARAMS
GRID RECORDING MODE revert to pre-control all : NO ( WHILE STILL HOLDING TRK )
nudge tempo : LEFT / RIGHT
parameter lock : TRIG + PARAMS
change octave range * : UP / DOWN
add lock trig : FUNC + TRIG
keyboard menu : FUNC + TRK {HOLD}
select a different audio/midi track : TRK + TRACK
randomize page parameters : [ PARAM ] + YES
shift sequence left/right : FUNC + LEFT / RIGHT
* ( IN CHROMATIC MODE ) ** ( RELEASE PAGE BEFORE YES )
clear trig’s parameter locks : TRIG + PLAY
retrig menu : TRIG + UP / DOWN TO CALCULATE SYNCED LFO SPEEDS IN NOTE LENGTH: 20 16 Hz
30 33 Hz
microtime trig : TRIG + LEFT / RIGHT multiply SPEED by MULT. if the product is > 128, divide
40 66 Hz
it by 128. this results in note lengths below a whole

FILTER CUTOFF
LFO
preview trig : TRIG + YES 50 132 Hz
note. if the product is < 128, divide 128 by the product. 60 264 Hz

FREQUENCY
sound lock: TRIG + LEVEL this results in note lengths above a whole note.

ESTIMATES
70 528 Hz
80 1056 Hz
EXAMPLE 1 : EXAMPLE 2:
LIVE RECORDING MODE MULT 64 * SPEED 32 = MULT 2 * SPEED 4 =
90 2112 Hz
2048 / 128 = 16. 8. 128 / 8 = 16.
100 4224 Hz
a single LFO cycle a single LFO cycle 110 8448 Hz
erase locks on playhead position : HOLD NO + PRESS ENCODER takes 1/16th note. takes 16 whole notes. 120 16896 Hz
WHILE SEQUENCER PLAYS
exit live recording mode : PLAY PLOCKS parameter locks SOUND a sample plus all
TRACK audio/midi track buttons parameter settings
from the [src], [fltr],
STEP RECORDING MODE TRIG an actual trigger [amp], and [lfo] pages
LEGEND

you enter into

the sequencer [ PARAM ] the [trig], [src], [fltr],
add rest : NO [amp] and [lfo] pages
NOTE TRIG red trig that
change active step : LEFT / RIGHT triggers sounds PARAMS the encoders
controlling
show keyboard : FUNC LOCK TRIG yellow trig that the parameters
only triggers
enter trig with hold length : FUNC + YES + NOTE TRIG plocks, not sounds
 © DAVE MECH’S ELEKTRON DIGITAKT CHEATSHEET — WWW.DAVEMECH.LIVE — DESIGN & LAYOUT: ACTITECT.COM
you can copy and paste basically anything. FUNC + REC = copy, slice trick: fake slices by plocking the STRT parameter on different
FUNC + STOP = paste. holding certain buttons, like a [ PARAM ] page, positions within the sample.
or TRIGS in the sequencer plus REC / STOP works as well. frequency modulation: Set LFO MULT to high settings like 512 or even 2k
TIPS & TRICKS

SAMPLING
holding TRK in GRID RECORDING mode makes it possible to do things you’d and modulate parameters to get FM sounds. Great for percussive sounds
normally do outside of GRID RECORDING mode: quick muting, going into and if combined with the LFO FADE parameter.
toggling mute mode, FILL (also latch and cue) and copy/clear/paste pattern. granular synthesis: set PLAY mode to loop. modulate sample STRT with
in scale mode pressing PAGE adds pages to the sequence length. an LFO. make sure the sample LEN is not too long. optional: modulate LEN
pressing a TRIG sets the sequence length within an active page. with another LFO with low depth.
sample the internet: set sample source to USB to sample directly from
On the [ SRC ] page select an empty sample slot with SAMP then press
sources like youtube. make sure you destroy samples enough so that they
YES to quickly browse and assign a sample from +DRIVE to that slot.
are unrecognizable because of copyright reasons (and because it’s fun).
Use FUNC + YES to replace a sample in a slot.
create new layered percussion: assign a different sample to every audio
to copy/paste a track’s sound + sequence to another track
TRACK. enter a TRIG on the first step of each track’s sequence and press
you need to copy/paste both separately. play. use CONTROL ALL on parameters, starting with AMP volume to lower
you can copy basically anything from one project to another (except samples). the volume a bit. then use AMP decay to shorten it into a percussive sound
and take it from there. after you find a nice starting point, start editing the
pattern mutes ( purple ) are saved with a pattern.
WORKFLOW

individual track’s sounds. when you’re done: resample.

change LOCK TRIGS to NOTE TRIGS by pressing them. change NOTE
create chords: load a single cycle waveform onto multiple tracks and
TRIGS to LOCK TRIGS by FUNC + pressing them.
set PLAY mode on the [ SRC ] page to loop. on the [ TRIG ] page set each
[ PLOCKS are kept in both cases. ]
audio track to different notes to create a chord. add a trig on the first step
you can perform most sequencer actions on multiple trigs simultaneously. of each track’s sequence. go to the SAMPLING menu and set source to
MAIN L+R. sample the chord and load it into a new sample slot to further
process it with filtering and modulation.
randomize [ PARAM ] pages.
CONTROL ALL probability: PROB parameter on the [ TRIG ] page.
ENHANCING KICK SAMPLES: LFO: dest: tune — wave: exponential
CONTROL ALL SAMP on the [ SRC ] page.
mode: one — depth: 1-25 ( depending on sample and lfo speed )
shift track’s sequence to left or right. FILTER: mode: hp ( situational: eq2 / eq3 ) — freq: 15-40

SOUND DESIGN
LFO to SRC: SAMP reso: 5-64 ( don’t overdo it ) — env depth: 1-35 — attack: 0 — decay: 1-20
HUMANIZED PERCUSSION: AMP: decay: 5-20 — LFO: dest: AMP decay or
WRITERS

copy/paste a pattern’s sequence to a pattern with different sounds.

attack — wave: random — mode: hold — depth: 0.10-4
BLOCK

use field recording. get a recorder or use your smartphone to record

sounds around you and outside. import the recordings into DT, then edit, LOW FREQUENCY BREATHING ROOM: BASE/WIDTH FILTER: remove low freq
on non-bass sounds wherever possible — DELAY & REVERB: use fb/input hp
process, and layer them further to create your own unique sample pack.
filter to carve away lows to prevent muddiness — LFO: PSEUDO SIDECHAIN
COMPRESSION: speed: = fine tune to fit into groove — mult: 8 or 16 (bpm) —
resampling: use sampling source MSTR or TRK 1-8 to sample any SOUND dest: amp — vol or base of B/W filter — wave: exp — mode: one depth: -20 to
or combination of SOUNDs into a new sample. this way you can re-use all -127 — on trig page turn LFO.T off. now lock it to on in the sequencer on the
sound design options. same steps where the kick is triggered. use lock trigs for this if a step doesn’t
contain a note trig. PARAMETER LOCKS: in case the LFO’s are already in use.
SAMPLING

digitakt as a synth: use single cycle waveforms (on +DRIVE factory/ lock amp vol or base of B/W filter on the steps where the kick is triggered.
toolbox). Set PLAY mode to loop. Do this before browsing so you can UNLIKELY RHYTHMS: record or find samples of moving objects, machines
preview waveforms with FUNC + YES. etc. and set play mode to loop. use sample start and length to find a nice
sample chains: in a DAW, space out samples evenly across the timeline: loop rhythm within the sample. now add a trig on the first step of this track’s
take the longest sample as the space that’s needed between the starting sequencer and set the length to something logical that you feel when
point of each sample and until the end of the chain. 6 samples per chain listening to the loop. use another track and add a kick rhythm. now go into
I DEAS & TIPS

is a nice number as it is efficient when it comes to a project’s maximum the tempo menu and change the bpm while playing the sequence until the
sample length / sample slots ratio. it also makes it easy to scroll through kick and the sample loop fit into each other. alternatively (or additionally)
the samples in the chain: press and hold the encoder when changing the change the pitch of the sampled rhythm to fit into the pattern’s tempo.
sample start parameter. this will change the value in increments of 4, with DOWN-PITCH & RESTORE: when down pitching a sample by a lot we lose
a maximum parameter value of 120, this means you will find the sample a great deal of high frequencies. use the bit reduction parameter on low
starts of the six samples easily at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100. settings to add nice harmonics so the sample sounds a bit brighter.