Does anyone know if you can set the scale and key of the pads? Also can you set them up to trigger chords, and will the chords be send to MIDI out? I thought this machine could be used as a pad controller
no it doesnt
That’s a shame, maybe this will be added?
Chords and scales are missing from all Elektron products afaik… get with the program, Elektron!
You can set the arp to major and minor scales on the octatrack, I saw a post from @Open_Mike maybe? that explained how to set it to get more scales out of it. I’ll look for the post now. I would very much like it if elektron added scales, I don’t think it’s that it would be hard to implement at all, I think it’s more to do with encouraging use of the boxes as a musical instrument. kind of forces people to learn. Still though it would be nice for an ease of use thing, I just use maschine to fill that gap but it’s missing some exotic scales. Other alternatives are MPC live/X and if you’ve got an iPad beatmaker 3 has a more extensive 64 pad scales mode, it has a great chord mode too but it doesn’t send the chords out over midi unless you press all the pads MPC 1000 has chord mode but no scales. I wonder why this feature never seems to be implemented fully
Edit: found it
I guess the companies assume that people will be making simple dance tunes with monosynths and using sampled chord stabs. Even Maschine’s step sequencer is missing a chord input when it would be easy to implement as you say…
It would be very nice to have scales as with scales you can have 2 octaves on the trigs in “chromatic” mode instead of one. But none of the Elektron boxes I have used have scales or keys. Your best bet for now would be something like Navichord or something similar on an iPhone or iPad.
For the op: The note each pad triggers on the audio tracks can be set on the trg Page. The midi tracks can do up to 4 note chords as does other Elektron midi sequencers. The box can be used as a midi controller.
There really should not be a worry about what scales the digitakt does cause it doesn’t arp. all notes need to be put in by the user. I’ve found that learning the scale I want to use is generally helpful.
This is one of the few areas where toraiz sp16 surpasses OT/DT
Lots of scales available for the pads. Works well with AS1
At the bottom of my reply you referenced I added a link to a scale chart I posted…
The chart shows how to set the arp to play any of the seven modes which are a fundemental part of music theory.
-Ionian -Dorian -Phrygian -Lydian -Mixolydian -Aeolian -Locrian
Works perfectly…
(This is for OT, A4/AK, MnM)
Another option: Launchpad Pro in stand-alone mode: You get tons of scales to choose from, very flexible layout options - and you can have up to 8 octaves at your finger tips!
The grid layout is isomorphic: When set chromatically, it allows easy key transposition. When set to a scale mode, it also transposition by degree (remaining in the scale), which is musically often more useful than chromatic transposition.
You can also hook up a Novation Circuit to the MIDI in and set the auto channel to 1 or 2 and use its 32 pads in its scale modes.
I don’t understand the point of having scale mode without velocity sensitive pads…
Would a beatstep achieve the same thing as a circuit for a cheap pad controller?
half as many pads will limit you, but if it plays in scale mode then it will get you some of the way there.
so you can enter note values and timing and then tweak velocities later?
Did this ever get implemented on a Digitakt? My Digitone can set scales,
I’m wanting to control an external synth using the Digitakt or Digitone and ideally wanted to set the scale of the outgoing midi if possible.
Can I do this with either the Digitakt or the Digitone?
I do find it odd that they implemented this in the Digitone but not Digitakt
Digitone is a poly synth as it’s primary design function the other is a drum sampler. while they both can flex beyond those roles I think it’s pretty easy to see why the focused the scope on each.