Ableton with Digitakt

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

I want to start the transport in Ableton and have the DIGI be in time/sync over midi. When I start playback from Ableton the DIGI is always out of sync. The DIGI will link to the bpm but always out of time.

thanks!

#2

Please have a look at this topic. It’s quite the same with DT.

#3

ableton must always be master

#4

Ableton is the master… Hit spacebar and the DIGI starts. But, is never locked to ableton.

#5

yes, midi-start-stop always need some time to travel through your midi chain. And DAW clock is always troublesome.

Three Options:

  1. Wait until OB comes to DT

  2. Buy an ERM multiclock which uses a plugin to avoid DAW’s clock jitter.

  3. Bounce down USB audio and quantize the track.

2 Likes
#6

Ok so here might be midi jitter from a computer but if you have a delay to the sound it could be that you are monitoring though your DAW and that adds more or less latency.

If possible monitor your external gear through a mixer (perhaps your sound card has a mixer) or if your DAW supports asio direct monitoring or similar.

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#7

To clarify… it’s not a consistent amount of delay. Its the right BPM. It’s just when I start and stop ableton, the digi plays back at different spots in the pattern. I want it always to sync on the 1 when I’m at a downbeat in ableton’s timeline.

I’m doing this over midi not USB.

#8

I do this in performance it generally works:

  1. In Ableton’s MIDI preference panel, be sure MIDI Clock Type is set to Song:

    (Shown here for the IAC Driver, cause I’m out at a cafe w/o my DT, but you should do this for the Digitakt interface.)

  2. Besure the DT is stopped.

  3. Start the transport in Ableton.

I’ve very very very rarely (okay, exactly once) had a case where the DT just would not start at all like this… and fiddling with MIDI settings on the DT didn’t help. I power cycled the DT and all was well.

4 Likes
Sequencing Digitakt with Ableton
#9

Had the same problem but changed the MIDI clock type to ‘Pattern’ (was previously set to ‘Song’)

In Ableton prefs go to MIDI set up and click the little arrow next to “Output: Elektron Digitakt” to reveal the settings.

This now starts the Digitakt from the beginning of the pattern and will always play from downbeat of the bar in ableton.

5 Likes
#10

Is it possible to send clock to Ableton via the Digitakt USB-Midi ? I’m clocking the Digitakt via the modular and it’s a very tight sync. However I’d like to occasionally clock a DAW as well.

I can’t do it the other way with Ableton as master because then I would have no way to clock the modular (I don’t have a midi to cv/gate module).

Thanks !

#11

I think it can be done…Im doing it and it works well just set the midi sync to ON for the input and be sure to have the EXT button ON

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#12

Thank you ! I’ll give it a go later today. Do you have to set anything in a specific way in Ableton ? I’ve never dabbed in midi except for standard clocking duties between hardware.

#13

I dont think so mate, just set the output to usb + midi in the digitakt midi settings and then in ableton you should be fine with the settings that i mentioned in my post…i use some vsts and for that you need to set the i/o section for each track you want to control correctly- midi from- elektron digitakt and set the midi channel…that should be it…let me know if you ll have any issues…

2 Likes
#14

It works, thanks a lot for your help !

1 Like
#15

So instead of running through abelton mixer you think it’d be smoother to have the digitakt running through my focusrite straight to the monitors. I have the v6 and I am able to relocate the output of my channel 3 input (digitakt). Haven’t thought about just running the audio straight through the focusrite to my monitors

#16

This works for digitone as well!

1 Like
#17

Thank you!