Sampling · Digitakt II guide

9.1BasicsManual §13 p.68, §13.1 p.68, §13.1.8 p.69

The Digitakt II can record its own samples from three kinds of source: gear plugged into the external inputs, its own internal audio (the main channels or a single track, which makes resampling easy), and audio coming in over USB when it’s connected to a computer as a soundcard. Every recorder setting lives in the SAMPLING menu — press SAMPLING to open it and turn the DATA ENTRY knobs to change values.

One recording can last up to 66 seconds. That recording time is always available, even when the project’s 400 MB of sample RAM is completely full. For the full recording workflow, see Recording a sample.

Recorder settings

SRCSource: Chooses what the recorder listens to — the internal main channels, USB audio, one internal track or the external inputs. Details in the table below.Knob ARange MAIN, USB, TRK1–16, IN
CHAN: Picks which channels of the source are recorded, and whether both sides are summed to mono. The mono options arrived in OS 1.10.Range STEREO L R, MONO L, MONO R, MONO L+R
RECORD NOW: An instant start rather than a value: press YES to begin recording straight away and YES again to stop. It ignores the THRES and ARM settings.
THRESThreshold: The input level that sets off an armed recording when R.STRT is set to THRES. Put it above the background noise, but low enough that the whole sound gets captured.Knob D
MON: POST MIX lets you hear the incoming audio through the Digitakt II’s mixer and effect settings on the EXTERNAL MIXER page; PRE MIX bypasses them. Only offered when SRC is set to the external inputs (IN L R).Range POST MIX, PRE MIX
R.LENRecord Length: With a step value, the recording lasts as long as the sequencer takes to move that many steps at the current BPM. MAX keeps going until you press YES or the 66-second limit is reached.Range 1–128 steps, MAX
R.STRTRecord Start: Sets what starts the recording: pressing PLAY, or the input rising above THRES while ARM is ON. Choose THRES for threshold-triggered recording.
ARM: Set to ON to arm the recorder; it then waits and starts as soon as the incoming audio crosses THRES. SAMPLING + YES arms it too, and SAMPLING + NO cancels.

SRC options

Setting	Records from
`MAIN`	The Digitakt II’s internal main audio channel(s).
`USB`	Audio arriving over USB — via Overbridge or from a connected class compliant audio host. See Overbridge and Class-compliant USB audio and MIDI.
`TRK1–16`	One of the Digitakt II’s internal tracks, so you can resample a single track on its own.
`IN`	The external inputs, INPUT L and/or R, for sampling outside sources. Elsewhere the manual shows this setting as `IN L R`.

CHAN options

Setting	What gets recorded
`STEREO L R`	Both the left and right channels of the source, in stereo.
`MONO L`	Only the left channel.
`MONO R`	Only the right channel.
`MONO L+R`	Both channels, summed to a single mono signal.

Key combinations

SAMPLING: Opens the SAMPLING menu.
YES: Starts recording immediately (RECORD NOW), ignoring THRES and ARM; press again to stop.SAMPLING menu
SAMPLING + YES: Arms the recorder so it starts when the input crosses THRES.
SAMPLING + NO: Cancels the armed recorder.
YES: Stops a recording in progress — the only way to end one before 66 seconds when R.LEN is MAX.While recording

From the community

Digitakt II OS 1.10 Video Guide
Elektron
Walks through the OS 1.10 additions on the Digitakt II one feature at a time.

Elektron update Digitakt II & Digitone IISound On Sound — A news summary of OS 1.10: Comb+, routable overdrive and base-width filter, and mono sampling.

9.2BasicsManual §13.2 p.69

Recording a sample

Every recording follows the same path: pick a source, get a strong, clean level, decide what starts the recording, then trim, name and save the result. As soon as a recording stops, the Digitakt II normalises it automatically. The settings used below are explained in The SAMPLING menu; for a shorter walkthrough, see Sample something in a minute.

Three ways to start recording

Threshold (armed): Set R.STRT to THRES and ARM to ON. The recorder waits and starts the moment the input rises above THRES, so the sample begins right on the sound.
Start on PLAY: Set R.STRT to start when you press PLAY. With a step count in R.LEN, you capture exactly that many sequencer steps at the current tempo.
RECORD NOW: Press YES in the SAMPLING menu to start at once, and YES again to stop. THRES and ARM are ignored.

Set up and record (threshold method)

If you’re sampling outside gear, connect it to the Digitakt II’s inputs.
Press SAMPLING to open the SAMPLING menu.
Turn A to set SRC to the source you want to record.
If you want a mono recording, set CHAN to one of the mono options.
Play the source while watching the input level meter, and set the source’s volume as high as it will go without clipping or distorting.
When sampling an external source, set MON to POST MIX if you want to hear it through the Digitakt II.
Stop the source, then turn D to set THRES just above the background noise shown on the meter.
Set R.LEN to the length you want to record.
Set R.STRT to THRES.
Set ARM to ON, then play the source — recording starts as soon as the signal crosses the threshold.
Press YES to stop. With R.LEN at 1–128 steps the recording stops by itself, and it always stops at the 66-second maximum.

Trim, save and assign

Turn E and H to set TRIM START and TRIM END around the part you want to keep.
Turn F to zoom in or out, and G to move the zoomed area along the waveform.
Make sure an audio track is the active track, then press FUNC + YES to preview the sample.
Turn D to choose how the preview plays.
Press YES to trim and save the sample — or press FUNC + NO to discard it.
Name the sample on the naming screen and press YES to confirm the save.
Press TRIG 1–16 to assign the sample to that track, or press NO to keep it without assigning it.

Trim screen

TRIM START: Where the saved sample begins.Knob E
TRIM END: Where the saved sample ends.Knob H

Preview modes — turn D on the trim screen

One shot — plays once while you hold the preview shortcut.
Looping — repeats while you hold the preview shortcut.
One shot, without having to keep holding the shortcut.
Looping, without having to keep holding the shortcut.

Key combinations

Hold FUNC + turn F: Zooms the waveform vertically.Trim screen, after recording
Hold FUNC + turn G: Moves the whole trim selection left or right.Trim screen, after recording
LEFT: Jumps to the START trim point.Trim screen, when zoomed
RIGHT: Jumps to the END trim point.Trim screen, when zoomed
FUNC + YES: Previews the sample through the active track’s voice.Trim screen, after recording
YES: Trims and saves the sample, then confirms its name.Trim screen, after recording
FUNC + NO: Discards the new recording.Trim screen, after recording
TRIG 1–16: Assigns the just-saved sample to that track.After saving a recording
NO: Skips assigning the just-saved sample to a track.After saving a recording

From the community

Resample a few bars of your own pattern, then play the result back with random slice selection. It gives instant, ever-changing variations of your own material. via EZBOT: A Guide To Generative Sample Chains On Digitakt 2

Digitakt 2 Live Lesson: Sampling and Sequencing Your Synthesizers
EZBOT
A beginner-friendly live lesson: sample an external synth, save presets and build a pattern from scratch.

A Guide To Generative Sample Chains On Digitakt 2
EZBOT
Presets in keyboard mode, step-record jumps, resampling and random slicing in one compact video.

Exploring My Favorite New Features // Sample & Jam With Digitakt II
YouTube
A sample-and-jam session built around favourite new Digitakt II features.

Elektron Digitakt II ReviewPerfect Circuit Signal — A long-form review that notes Digitakt I owners will feel instantly at home with the layout.

9.3BasicsOS 1.10+Manual §13.3 p.69

Loading a sample from the +Drive onto a track

When you already know which sample you want on a track, you can pick it straight from the +Drive storage and load it onto the active track from the SAMPLES menu. This direct route was added in OS 1.10.

Make the track you want to load into the active track.
Press FUNC + SAMPLING to open the SAMPLES menu.
Select +DRIVE and press YES.
Browse to the sample and press YES to select it.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Select LOAD TO TRK and press YES — the sample loads onto the active track.

9.4BasicsManual §13.4 p.70, §11.4 p.55

Sample playback: tune, play mode, start, length and loop

Once a sample is assigned to a track, the sequencer plays it, or you can trigger it by hand with a TRIG key. The SRC page decides how it sounds when it plays: its pitch, whether it runs forwards, backwards or in a loop, and which portion of the waveform you hear. Full SRC page details are in The SRC page.

Press SRC to open the SRC page.
Set TUNE to pitch the sample.
Choose a PLAY MODE.
Turn E, F and G to set STRT, LEN and LOOP.
Press SRC twice to open SRC page 2, where you can see these settings against the sample’s waveform.

Parameters

TUNETune: Sets the pitch of the sample.
PLAY MODE: Sets the playback direction and whether the sample loops. See the table below.Range FORWARD, REVERSE, FORWARD LOOP, REVERSE LOOP
STRTStart: The point in the sample where playback begins.Knob E
LENLength: How much of the sample plays. STRT plus LEN marks the end of the portion you hear.Knob F
LOOPLoop Position: In FORWARD LOOP and REVERSE LOOP, the point playback returns to after reaching the end (STRT + LEN). The sample then loops between that end point and LOOP.Knob G

PLAY MODE options

Mode	Behaviour
`FORWARD`	Plays once, forwards, each time it’s triggered.
`REVERSE`	Plays once, backwards, each time it’s triggered.
`FORWARD LOOP`	Plays from the start position, then loops continuously between the loop position and the length position.
`REVERSE LOOP`	Loops continuously in reverse between the loop position and the length position.

Key combinations

SRC: Opens the SRC page of the active track.
SRC twice: Opens SRC page 2, showing the start, length and loop settings on the sample waveform.

9.5IntermediateManual §13.6 p.70, §13.6.1 p.71, §13.6.2 p.72, §13.6.3 p.72, §13.6.4 p.72, §13.6.5 p.72, §13.6.6 p.73, §17 p.89

The SAMPLES menu is where you look after your samples. It has two storage areas: the +DRIVE, which holds your sample library in folders, and the PROJECT RAM, the 1016 sample slots of the active project. Press FUNC + SAMPLING to open it, use UP/DOWN to choose a storage area and press YES to go in. Most jobs run through the SAMPLE ACTION menu, which opens when you press RIGHT.

Folders on the +Drive

FACTORY: A large set of factory samples. The folder is write protected.
INCOMING: Where samples sent to the +Drive by SDS transfer software land by default. See Transferring samples to and from a computer.
RECORDED: Holds the samples you record on the Digitakt II. It appears after your first recording.

Load samples into the project

Press FUNC + SAMPLING to open the SAMPLES menu.
Use UP/DOWN to select +DRIVE and press YES.
Open a folder such as FACTORY and browse to the samples you want.
Highlight each sample and press YES to tick it. Press YES on a ticked sample to untick it.
To audition a sample first, highlight it and press FUNC + YES.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Select LOAD TO PROJECT and press YES. The ticked samples fill the first empty slots of the project’s 1016.

Unload samples from the project

Press FUNC + SAMPLING, use UP/DOWN to select PROJECT RAM and press YES.
Scroll the slot list with UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA.
Highlight each sample to remove and press YES to tick it — or press RIGHT and choose SELECT ALL to tick every sample.
In the SAMPLE ACTION menu, select UNLOAD and press YES to empty the slots of the ticked samples.

Replace the sample in a slot

In PROJECT RAM, highlight the slot holding the sample you want to replace. Don’t tick any samples.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Select REPLACE and press YES.
Browse the +Drive folders to the new sample and press YES to put it in the highlighted slot.

Rename a sample

Go to the folder that contains the sample.
Highlight the sample and press YES to select it.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu, select RENAME and press YES.
Enter the new name on the naming screen and press YES. See Naming things.

Move samples to another folder

Go to the folder that contains the samples.
Highlight each sample to move and press YES to select it.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Select MOVE SELECTED and press YES.
Go to the folder you want to move the samples into.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu and highlight MOVE HERE.
Press YES to move the samples.

Remove unused samples from RAM

Press FUNC + SAMPLING, use UP/DOWN to select PROJECT RAM and press YES.
Press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Select SELECT UNUSED and press YES.
Select UNLOAD. A pop-up asks “UNLOAD X SAMPLES? CONFIRM? Y/N”.
Press YES to remove all the unused samples.

SAMPLE ACTION menu commands mentioned in the manual

Command	Where	What it does
`LOAD TO TRK`	+Drive	Loads the selected sample onto the active track. See Loading a sample from the +Drive onto a track.
`LOAD TO PROJECT`	+Drive	Loads the ticked samples into the project’s RAM slots.
`SELECT ALL`	Project RAM	Ticks every sample in the list.
`SELECT UNUSED`	Project RAM	Ticks the samples not used by any pattern in the project.
`UNLOAD`	Project RAM	Empties the slots of the ticked samples.
`REPLACE`	Project RAM	Swaps the sample in the highlighted slot for one you pick from the +Drive.
`RENAME`	Sample folders	Renames the selected sample.
`MOVE SELECTED`	Sample folders	Picks up the selected samples so you can move them.
`MOVE HERE`	Sample folders	Drops the picked-up samples into the current folder.
`CREATE DIR`	+Drive	Creates a new folder. See Transferring samples to and from a computer.
`UPLOAD HERE`	A +Drive folder	Used when setting up a destination folder for SDS transfers.

Key combinations

FUNC + SAMPLING: Opens the SAMPLES menu.
UP/DOWN: Chooses +DRIVE or PROJECT RAM, and moves through folders and samples.SAMPLES menu
UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA: Scrolls the list of sample slots.SAMPLES menu, PROJECT RAM
YES: Opens the highlighted storage area or folder.SAMPLES menu
YES: Selects (ticks) the highlighted sample, or deselects it.SAMPLES menu, sample list
NO: Goes back up one folder level.SAMPLES menu
Hold NO: Jumps to the top level of the SAMPLES menu.SAMPLES menu
FUNC + RIGHT: Opens the highlighted directory.SAMPLES menu
FUNC + LEFT: Leaves the current directory, going one step up the folder hierarchy.SAMPLES menu
RIGHT: Opens the SAMPLE ACTION menu.SAMPLES menu
FUNC + YES: Previews about ten seconds of the highlighted sample through the active track’s voice.SAMPLES menu, +Drive
FUNC + YES: Loads the ticked samples to a RAM bank you choose.SAMPLE ACTION menu, on LOAD TO PROJECT
LEFT/RIGHT, LEVEL/DATA or TRIG 9–16: Selects the RAM bank to load into.RAM bank selection

9.6IntermediateManual §13.6.7 p.73, §13.6.8 p.73, §13.6.9 p.73

Transferring samples to and from a computer

Elektron Transfer, a free app from the Elektron website, moves samples between your computer and the Digitakt II’s +Drive over USB. On the way in it converts every audio file to the Digitakt II’s native format — 16-bit, 48 kHz — and it accepts both mono and stereo files.

From your computer to the Digitakt II

Connect the Digitakt II to your computer over USB.
Open Transfer on your computer.
On Transfer’s CONNECTIONS page, set the MIDI IN and OUT ports to your Digitakt II.
Click the EXPLORE tab to open the EXPLORE page.
In the drop-down menu at the top right, select “Samples”.
In the drop-down menu at the top left, make sure “My Computer” is selected.
Under “My Computer”, browse to the files or folders you want to send.
Drag and drop them to where you want them on the Digitakt II.

From the Digitakt II to your computer

Connect the Digitakt II to your computer over USB.
Open Transfer on your computer.
On Transfer’s CONNECTIONS page, set the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports to your Digitakt II.
Click EXPLORE to open the EXPLORE page.
On the right-hand side, under DIGITAKT II, browse to the samples you want to copy.
Drag and drop them into a folder under MY COMPUTER.

The Digitakt II can also still receive samples over MIDI Sample Dump Standard (SDS) and Extended SDS from third-party transfer software. Turn on SDS Handshake to keep transfers reliable over fast connections such as USB MIDI, and turn on sending of the Extended SDS header if you want each sample’s name to arrive with it. SDS uploads go to the INCOMING folder by default; to send them somewhere else, create a new destination folder first.

Create a destination folder for SDS transfers

Press FUNC + SAMPLING to open the SAMPLES menu.
Use UP/DOWN to select +DRIVE and press YES.
Press RIGHT, select CREATE DIR and press YES.
Give the new folder a name on the naming screen.
Press YES to open the new folder.
In the empty folder, press RIGHT to open the SAMPLE ACTION menu.
Highlight UPLOAD HERE and press YES.

From the community

TransferElektron — Download Elektron Transfer for Mac or Windows to move samples and back up projects over USB.