Like a lot of musicians I do love geeking out over new gear. But it’s rare to obtain something that creates a deep obsession to learn and try new and different things. That has really happened with one of my latest acquisitions, the Elektron Digitakt II. I’ve been so inspired by the hardware that when I’m not using it, I’m often thinking about it. I find myself learning more about it through videos during my lunch break. When the workday ends, I usually can’t wait to pick it up and play around with it.
Learning == fun.
As with many bedroom producers, I tend to suffer from a lack of finishing tracks. While that’s not ideal, I also don’t feel like my growth hinges on someone else’s definition of success. Right now, success to me means gaining more familiarity with the hardware, and being able to turn my ideas into specific, practical, hands-on actions on the Digitakt II. The more I can do that, the more being inspired by the hardware turns into the intentional creation of music. And through practicing that more often, I expect to be able to finish more tracks in the future.
What I’m saying is: the learning is fun, it’s not an obstacle. Being inspired by the hardware is something I haven’t really experienced that much before — even though I’ve accumulated a bit of hardware at this point. I’m definitely not saying that I get these things and then they sit on a shelf unused. But the experience of using them hasn’t always turned into the complete brain-reset that generates an endorphin rush of “OMG this is so cool!”
What sets Digitakt II apart.
I admit I’ve bought some gear because it seemed like it would do that. The Arturia KeyStep Pro is a great example. It’s not that the KSP isn’t a great piece of hardware. I truly love it — it’s incredibly functional, feature-rich, and I can do a lot of fun sequencing and performance stuff with it. It does some things the Digitakt II doesn’t. I can’t see myself selling it, for now. It could be that using the KSP efficiently also requires better keyboarding skills than I currently possess.
The Elektron sequencer workflow focuses less on the notes and more on the steps, if that makes sense. Simultaneously, the hardware also allows you to dive deeply into sound design of your samples. There’ is’s enough crossover with a traditional synthesizer that it feels like more than merely a drum machine or sampler/ROMpler. So for me, using the Digitakt II isn’t just sequencing and manipulating samples, it’s learning creative ways to make sounds. And that learning process is, again for me, a big part of what keeps me on the inspiration/endorphins cycle.
To put my money where my mouth is, I committed to taking my DT2 with me on travel recently. To that end I also added a battery and a USB to 12V step-up adapter to make it 100 percent portable. I spent a little time with it every day to do something crazy, and that helped a lot with my confidence. Being able to sit down with it on my lap, plug in a set of headphones, and make and record music anywhere is invigorating.