Cross-posting from Elektron Reddit since this forum may be more active! I have some questions about what encoder dest, trig key dest, and output ch actually do based on the manual.
“OUTPUT CH selects whether the knobs will send data on the auto channel or the track channel.” I always think of the auto channel as controlling incoming data, not outgoing data. The manual makes it sound like setting OUTPUT CH to auto will send MIDI out via the auto channel, regardless of how you set up a MIDI track. In my experience, this is not the case: no matter how I set OUTPUT CH, Digitakt always seems to send MIDI only the way a track is setup (ie, if my auto channel is 6 and I’m using a MIDI track set to output on 2, it outputs on 2 even if I set OUTPUT CH to auto). It seems like this setting doesn’t do anything — what am I missing?
ENCODER DEST AND TRIG KEY DEST: basically the same question. Whether I have these set to INT or INT+EXT, behavior is basically the same. Encoders and trigs affect the current track. If it’s a MIDI track, they send MIDI data as expected. If it’s a sample track, they don’t send MIDI data.
Ultimately, Digitakt is behaving the way I want it to, but it’s driving me crazy that changing these settings doesn’t seem to change anything. Thoughts?
I don’t know if i am fully understand your question but my advice is to split your visual representation of what’s going on by dividing the DT into 2 separate units sharing the same case, projects, tempo’s etc:
One is the 8 track sampler with 8 encoders that can send and recieve midi CC’s. Those CC’s are non user configurable and part of the instrument.
The same as most hardware synths or drummachines handle midi
The other is a 8 part midi sequencer where every note and midi data is user configurable.
So depending on your setup you have lot’s of possibilities. If your digitakt is the heart of your setup you probably don’t need any midi settings on t1-8.
If you want to control T1-8 with a external controller it doesn’t need to send midi on T1-8 but only recieve. Your controller have to be set to the DT factory’s CC’s according to the chart in the manual.
Simply put:
There simply aren’t many use cases where you want to have the encoders on the DT send midi from the sampler side of it, because using those from T1-8 will adjust the internal controls too and mess up your pattern while trying to control other gear.
A used case for midi out from
Buttons is in conjunction with another Takt to mute parts remotely.
THANK YOU. So basically these settings are for the sampler tracks, not the MIDI tracks. In my setup, it sounds like I can have trig and encoder dest both set to INT. This explains why changing to INT+EXT doesn’t really do anything; none of my external gear has the same or even very similar controls (the closest being my Digitone).
I am assuming OUTPUT CH controls only this behavior. ie, if trig dest is set to EXT, output ch determines whether a sample track’s trig will send via that track’s MIDI channel or the auto channel? If so, I think my confusion has been cleared up.
Yes. For default use set encoder and trigger destination to INT only. CC Assigned encoders on T9-16 will not be affected by this setting.
Autochannel = the midi channel you like to respond your DT’s current selected and active track to (from a external keyboard or whatever).
This comes in handy when using a keyboard or controller that has not the ability to switch output midi channels with the press of a button.
Thank you, this is super helpful. I do use the auto channel with my external MIDI keyboard, which is part of why OUTPUT CH having an option for “auto” was a little confusing to me — I don’t think of auto as ever sending MIDI, just receiving it. But it sounds like that OUTPUT CH setting helps determine the behavior when trig and/or encoder dest are set to EXT, where it might make sense to send MIDI on the auto channel too. At least, I think haha
Hello not trying to necrobump, but I didnt quite understand what were this options for. But after playing a while with them I understood so I’m leaving this message to future readers. It is a simple experiment for the Digitakt.
In Options-> Midi → Channel set Track B to 10. On the other hand set MIDI TRACK B → SRC PAGE → Enc A → Ch. 2. Last, but not least you set Options → Midi → Port Config → Output Ch → Trk Ch.
Soooooo, supose that in Midi track B, through AMP PAGE in Enc A you set CC 10, so in FLTR PAGE when you activate ENC A two things can happen
If Encoder Dest is set to INT+EXT, when you move Encoder A in FLTR PAGE you will receive two midi CC. CC10 via MIDI Ch 2 and CC70 via Ch 10 (CC70 is Digitakt Attack Time, i.e. Enc A in FLTR PAGE. Page 88 of DT 1.51 manual)
If Encoder Dest is set to INT, when you move Encoder A in FLTR PAGE you receive only midi CC10 via MIDI Ch 2.
Works the same with Trig Key Dest. If set to EXT the trig key only sends the note hardwired into the DT to that trig via the MIDI Ch set in Midi config → Channels, doesnt trigger sample. if set to EXT+INT you trigger the sample (or note if MIDI TRACK) and sends note via MIDI Ch. If INT, midi note is not send, only the sample is triggered.
If Output Ch is set to AutoChannel, the midi messages & notes are sent through auto channel.