Controlling the Digitakt from a Sub37

Elektron Gear Digitakt
#1

Fellow Elektronauts.

For reasons quite unexpected, but welcome all the same, I’ve ended up with a Digitakt. I loved it the first time around I had it, and now that it’s back, I remember why.

I’m hooking it up to my Moog Sub37 and noticed that when I twist and turn those Sub37 knobs, I can tweak the sample parameters quite a bit. Though it’s totally out of control, cause the Sub37 Cutoff tweaks the Digi’s bit distortion rate on the sample, the Resonance on the Moog tweaks the end point of the sample and so on. So it’s not really useable as is.

The question that comes here, of course, is this, then -

Does anyone have any experience of mapping the Sub37’s hardware interface to the Digitakt, and for example using it to tweak the Digi’s sample settings? The cutoff on the Moog adjusting the cutoff on the currently selected Digitakt sample, the resonance on the Moog adjusting the Digitakt sample resonance, and so on?

I’ve RTFM, I’ve googled, but when it comes to midi, I’m a bit lost. I might’ve stumbled upon the answer without realising it.

So, anyone knows if this is possible, how to go about it, or not? I’ve figured out how to work the midi tracks on the Digi from the Moog, that was pretty easy. But using the Moog to tweak the samples, well I’m lost there.

Appreciate the advise and the potential tolerance needed for my midi rookie question.

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#2

I checked the sub manual for “pot mapping” and it doesn’t seem to have it. This is a feature on the little phatty that allows you to assign external cc’s to the knobs…

Both the Sub and the DT have a fixed midi cc implementation. You can find the cc’s that the sub sends for each parameter in the back of the manual, and likewise in the DT manual you can find the cc’s the DT will respond to. Whatever number attached to a sub parameter is going to control whatever parameter the DT has that number attached, if there is one…

You don’t really have any control over this without a midi device that can do cc remapping. You can get a device that you program so for example the cc sent from the subs cutoff contol will be converted to the correct cc for the DT’s cutoff, and you “remap”’ the cc’s…

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#3

Thanks.

I think perhaps I can remap the Sub37’s midi cc transmits from the software editor, to correspond to the DT’s fixed CC mappings.

If that works, that’d be awesome, wouldn’t it? :blush:

#4

If it can do that it’s just what you need… :slight_smile:

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#5

This, more specifically.

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#6

Oh yeah, it looks like your good!
I had checked the manual but didn’t know there was an editor with its own manual that would have more functions…

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#7

I had heard about it, and something about it unlocking parts of the Moog you couldn’t reach from the hardware, much like the Minitaur. I hope this works, gonna try it tonight😊

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#8

It looks like that’s exactly what you need and I imagine it’ll work just fine…
Be aware thought that it might not change only the cc number that the parameter sends but also the one the parameter responds to, so if you have DT midi tracks controlling sub cc’s you may have to update those tracks to match the new cc’s…

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#9

Fortunately, I don’t😊

#10

Ok, so it doesn’t work. You can remap what the specific CC message will respond to within the Sub37, but you can’t remap what each control on the Sub37 will send out. So if I’d done it the other way around, I would’ve been fine. But telling the Sub37 that the filter cutoff knob will now send CC 15 instead of whatever it sends now, doesn’t work.

That’s too bad. I was kind of looking forward to controlling my Digitakt from the Sub37 board. Pretty neat setup.

Though it’s still possible. I just have to decide if it’s worth learning what each knob does from the Sub37 to the Digitakt, and accept that there won’t be any kind of logic as to which button goes where :slight_smile:

#11

And to think the Deluge had a midi learn feature. It took me about a minute to set this up on the Deluge.

Pay attention, Elektrons. Midi learn is a good feature. It makes the world a better place.

#13

Really, that’s a bummer, I would of thought it would change both input and output…

Most of the time instruments have fixed cc’s as they are generally controlled by sequencers or controllers and those are the devices that allow you to select what cc they send…

If the DT got midi learn it would probably just be on the midi side, usually it’s a midi sequencer or controller that would have that feature, the audio side of the DT is more like an instrument that would usually have fixed cc’s…

I don’t think it’s to common to find instruments with non fixed assignable cc’s or midi learn… Did the Deluge have midi learn for its own audio parameters? Or was it to set up the sub on a midi track to control the sub?
If it has midi learn for audio parameters that’s pretty cool…

If it’s something you really want to do you can get a midi device that can remap cc’s and put it in between the sub and the DT…

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#14

Yep, it’s a luxury issue for sure. I won’t let go of the Digitakt this time. I had them crashes as I had it the first time around, but as it runs on 1.04 now, I’ve yet to experience a single crash. This time around, I’m good.

If I get me one of them warped midi cables out there, I can play the Digi polyphonically as well, from the Sub37, so I won’t be needing a poly either. I’m covered.

I feel pretty good about this setup.

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#15

Yeah, thanks. I won’t be getting one of those. I’m good on the gear front.

The Deluge had midi learn. Sweet jesus, what a great feature. I had the Sub37 mapped up to the Deluge in no time and man, does the Deluge come alive with a velocity sensitive keyboard with aftertouch. The Deluge synth part, being slammed here and there, don’t deserve all the crap it’s getting. It sounds great! But you gotta hook it up to a board, to make the most of it. True for many instruments, but particuarly for the Deluge.

#16

I’m not sure why, but I haven’t given up on this yet… :no_mouth:

This post here has someone saying that they’ve used the editor to map cc’s from the sub to control the A4…


Changing the receiving cc’s of the sub wouldn’t do anything to control an A4, so they must have changed the cc out…

@midilifestyle, can the sub 37 editor remap cc’s for midi output from the knobs?

#17

Yup! When you change the cc numbers for the knobs in the editor, it definitely sends out the number you input, and I’m pretty sure it also receives that same CC as well.

I was a beta tester for the firmware, and this was actually something that I caught and had them work out some bugs on. Make sure that your firmware and editor are updated to the most current, etc.

Proof! (from when I was troubleshooting with Gil; this has since been fixed): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C86db6XDdyA&feature=youtu.be

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#18

You could look into a https://www.bome.com/products/bomebox# I think some very minimal programming might be needed but it should let you translate any midi cc into any other midi cc… you might even be able to fake control all type functions using it, lots of possibilities. That or put a laptop in the middle of them.

#19

I’m feeling a lot of love for you now @Open_Mike and @midilifestyle - it works! I did a time warp, and thought about this the wrong way when I should’ve thought about it the right way. Always easier.

Thanks a bunch, guys :slight_smile:

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#20

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Behold, my analogue Digitakt post-it overlay over my analogue Sub37.

4 Likes
#21

@andreasroman

Hi!

I’m trying to map midi and cc settings from a sub37 to control a Digitakt and vice versa. Should I use the sub37’s editor software to do this ?

Any advice from anyone would be appreciated .

Thanks !