Digitone Keys - what's new? Review, tutorial and comparison to Digitone

What's new in Digitone Keys? Here's a detailed review, tutorial and comparison between Digitone Keys and the original Digitone from Elektron

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TIMELINE:

0:00 Intro
1:20 The hardware
2:10 Connectivity
2:45 The keybed
3:05 New controls
4:20 Five new buttons
6:25 Eight new encoders
8:50 FM synth overview
11:00 Modulation
12:25 Other FM params
15:00 Filters
16:00 Effects
17:10 LFOs
17:45 Input control
18:05 Managing voices
19:00 Sequencing
20:30 Param locks
21:15 Sound locks
22:50 Trig conditions
24:00 MIDI sequencing
24:30 Control all, chains
25:15 Overbridge
26:35 Pros and cons

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NOTE: Occasionally I’ll try out affiliate marketing and include affiliate links. This means that I may earn a commission when you click on or make purchases via affiliate links. The content of this clip is entirely my opinion, and was not paid for or dictated in any way by the company creating the gear. Without addressing the particulars of products shown here as they might be under NDA, gear shown on this channel may be either sent by the manufacturer, on loan for review or bought at a discount.

Here's link to my multimap tutorial

[bociomarghe]

Beautiful video, you have the great ability of explaining hard stuff in an easy and very comprehensive way, keep it up man!

[dvamateur]

Beautiful instrument. Reminds me of the synthesizer market shakeup when the Nord Lead hit in 1995. Those Swedes are truly ingenious! I am generally not an Elektron fan, but this is beautiful.

[CaidicusProductions]

What a weird looking device. It looks intriguing, but seriously weird at the same time.

Thanks for sharing this video, Loopop. Top quality, as always.

[Hamuelin]

So. Should everyone just save the money and buy the original, getting a nice 3rd party controller if they don’t already own one?

How much would really be missed out on?

[pablodados]

The electric piano preset at the start of this video is the best sound I've heard from the Digitone yet. Really makes me interested in getting one. Could you load/dial in the same patch on a regular Digitone and use a midi keyboard with pressure sensitive keys, aftertouch and pitch bend to get the same effect?

[vestarecords]

double the price of our normal digitone, ugly like f***k and double the price.... hit and miss. but this is a miss

[elissitdesign]

I was playing my Analog Keys and loving it then I thought to myself if Elektron would make another Keys. Here we are I guess question answered. Bummer they didn’t make it with a X-Y joystick 🕹

[pirateradio]

it looks fantastic and is probably the best FM synth ever sold -- unless you are super hardcore geeky into programming and need more controls. All the people whining because it doesn't look like a run of the mill synth -- buy a run of the mill synth. Seriously, the level of ignorance in many of the comments is astounding -- "it's not as good as a Virus" -- a Virus isn't an FM synth, and it sucks and is 15 years out of date as a VA, and doesn't have a sequencer. It's like crying because your Porsche doesn't also work as a vacuum cleaner.... smh.

[strongocho]

I think I am the only one who actually likes this...

[tubeMonger]

A bit late to the game but definitely getting this. I need a decent keyboard with a synth and a sequencer. As a Digitakt user, I've been admiring Digitone from far but now I'm ready for it - with the Keys.

Thanks for the review @loopop!

[AllenAndersonTaylor]

I like your explanation of Modulation. I was a Ground Radio Technician in the Air Force... it is very interesting the overlap between Radio Communications and Synthesizers!

[SlashnKashmir]

When I saw this design first time in the synth group I thought it was a joke until this video

[wendelynmusic]

I just bought one and I've been acoustic for a few years and just getting back into it. This helps a lot. I grew up on West coast in college and FM and vst with Kurzweil after college. But it's been 15 years since I've played synthesis. I'm already having fun and this is the first day. BTW you sound just like cgp Grey

[tedpedersen]

Great overview. I recently found a DK discounted and it has become the centerpiece of my setup. Just finished a EP and used it on every track. Thanks for making this, fantastic guide to its features.✌️🎶🎹

[LamontStigler]

I am so impressed. I love the digitone, and this is the most logical evolution. Incredible.

[jmzorko]

I just picked up one of these and, so far, think it's really cool. One big reason I got it, though, was Overbridge. If you've ever played with a Virus TI or TI2, the way Access integrated the VST / AU with the DAW was amazing at the time, and still is. One can make changes on the Virus, and they reflect in the plugin, and vice versa, and it does it completely independently of whatever audio interface you're using (a big plus for me because my Apollo x8 is already full). This is what I'm really hoping Overbridge will allow me to do with the Digitone Keys. So far, I've gotten almost all of that to work. I'm hopeful I'll get the final bits working soon.

[MayenMusic]

it looks interesting. I wonder if with this update you will get all the new sounds for the regular Digitone?

[mikedurden]

I prefer pairing my Digitone with my Novation SL MkIII. You could get a regular Digitone and a 49 key SL MkIII for about the same price ( maybe less since they both are also sometimes on sale), and the SL MkIII has all the same added features of this keyboard PLUS a lot more features. This Digitone Keys kind of just seems like they wanted to have a new release for Superbooth and didn't have any better ideas. In my opinion, instead of spending their resources on this "new" product, they should focus on improving the issues with their current products (e.g. getting Overbridge out of beta after years keep passing).

[AlekseiDroganov]

Hello Mr. Loopop. ✋Could you help me please and tell how many sounds(patches) I will have from both Digitone and Digitone keys from the box! Thank you.

[MeshMachine]

As a master control keyboard the digitone sequencer is awesome and better than a keystep, it should be for the price though. This could easily be the centre of a fully hardware setup. I already have a digitone and a master keyboard so this isn't for me, but I can see its value.