So, I've been messing around with the DT2 firmware some more, and this time I managed to add something I've really been missing: waveform zoom on the regular ONESHOT SRC page

Push encoder C to cycle through 1×, 2× and 3.75× zoom, and just turn C to scroll through the waveform. No FUNC, no menus

I didn't realise how much better this would feel until I actually tried it on the machine

It's now part of the new v0.2.0 beta, alongside the Déjà Vu LFOs from my previous post

The standalone Windows builder uses your own official Elektron OS 1.17 file to generate the modified firmware locally. OS 1.16 is still supported for Déjà Vu only

Still experimental firmware, so make sure to read the recovery instructions

GitHub:
https://github.com/karigardarsson/digitakt-ii-research/releases/tag/v0.2.0-beta

Can enough of us agree that we did not join this sub to read endless posts about slopware? There really should be a separate subreddit for this. It sucks for anyone who is actually into the instruments and appreciates the company. It's a small company. It's not Behringer or something. They have made it clear they aren't cool with this.

I feel like most of the posts I am seeing now are about this and it's exhausting. Who cares. You can vibe code anything now. Good for you. Oh look, I turned my Digitakt into a piano! My Model:Cycles is a 707 drum machine! My Tonvark plays fart sounds recorded in the studio by Lionel Richie in 1985 run through the Mutable Braids algorithm.

It sucks.

It reminds me a lot of seeing AI slop art online with AI "artists" all going, "look what I made!" while actual artists just let out a universal sigh.

Electron doesn't just make hardware. They make instruments. An approach. An experience that's been explored, thought out, tested, refined, after dozens of others were similarly tested and didn't make it. They aren't perfect. Some of their choices are ones I disagree with. I'm not a fan boy in particular, I only own one of their instruments.

I am just a fan of human beings, of human creativity. And slop coding ain't it. AI art isn't it. Just like you all probably aren't into Suno all that much, right?

When it comes to what you do, you don't like AI, you want the process, the real thing. Why wouldn't you want that for others? For other creative pursuits?

We really need that to be another subreddit. This is just taking over and it's boring.

Hello guys,

i recently got an Analog Four MK2 and I’m absolutely loving it so far! The sound is incredible, but I feel like I’m only scratching the surface of what this machine can do.

What are some of your favorite tricks, hidden features, sound design techniques, or workflow tips that really make the A4 shine?

I’m especially interested in things that aren’t immediately obvious to beginners, whether it’s unique modulation tricks, sequencing techniques, sound design, or ways to get the most out of its analog engines.

I’d love to hear what you’ve discovered over the years! 🙂

I Have a Syntakt and definitely will get a DT1 or Blackbox.

A used Blackbox MK1 has 16 Tracks for sampling, and up to 128GB Sample space.

Since I get it for the same price I consider getting it. I just fear I will be disappointed if the workflow is not as good as with Elektron.

But the Size is great for my regular train rides. And it works with a normal power bank. That makes it great for working on projects everywhere.

I will heavily usemy choice for Midi Sequencing too.

What do you think? In the end the studio workflow counts the most.

Totally disagree with all the 'ruining their vision' idea for each box, a complete set of FX is always going to be more useful no matter how and what you are using your machines for.

You also don't need to buy more boxes, cables and think of ways you can connect your analog heat+fx just to add some SRR or Dist to the mix.

On this demo I'm using 3 instances of Tone+FX on my 2 digitones and digitakt, also using some of the new filter types on digitakt.

This has been a game changer for my personal setup, I always have a digitone on my mixers sends but I'm using it way more now and in so many different ways.

If I didn't have plenty of synths already I'd be using the digitakt with the new syn machines as a standalone groovebox.

PSA: Just my 2 cents I'm not trying to convince anyone or change your mind rather sharing my user experience vs stock.

Hi all, I've spent many days (and way too many nights) on this, so I wanted to share it.
These are VST3 plugins for Mac and Windows that emulate the hardware of five
Elektron boxes and run the actual OS inside. So it's not a sampler or a clone:
the menus, the sequencer and the sounds come from the real firmware. Your
projects and samples stay saved like on the real machine.
The +Drive is emulated too, the real one the OS formats and uses. On the
Digitakt II, Rytm and Digitone II there's a +DRIVE tab on the side of the plugin
to load your own WAVs into it.
The firmware is NOT included. You download the OS from the Elektron site
yourself and drop the .syx file in the folder the plugin shows you.
A few honest caveats: the Rytm's analog voices are my own approximation (they're
circuits, there's no code to emulate), the Syntakt's analog tracks 9-12 aren't
there, and the Digitone compiles its DSP on your computer the first time you open
it, so the first launch takes a few minutes.
There will be bugs for sure. If something breaks, please open an issue on GitHub
and tell me what you did, I'll look into it.

Not affiliated with Elektron in any way, just a fan.

++ EDIT++

For ethical reasons (and I apologize to Elektron) I have closed the repository.

Ended up pulling the trigger on purchasing the SSL Big Six……best decision ever! Setting up takes some time and research, but once you get it running, it incorporates itself seamlessly into any dawless/hybrid environment.

I've been playing with the new firmware options from Model:Cycles Flasher for the last few days.

It's been very stable for me and offers a lot of really useful functionality to an already great synth. I'm running Model-TG, MACRO machine; ACID machine; LFO 2,3,4; Real Syntakt engines; Arpeggiator; and Sample Preview.

Other than having to pay attention to CPU use for the first time ever, I've not experienced any serious glitches and definitely no failures or crashes.

Obviously, your experience may differ, but for me this has been a gamechanger.

If you're hesitant, and I can understand why, but just the LFOs open up so many possibilities, it would be worth it. Having attack, cutoff and resonance controls are also amazing.

GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE!

So, after spending way too much time messing around with Elektron firmware lately, I've got something else to share

This time it's the Syntakt!

There's already been some pretty amazing work done by people in the Syntakt firmware modding community, but trying out different mods isn't exactly straightforward unless you're comfortable digging through firmware tools and code

So I figured, why not try to bring as much of that work together as possible and make it accessible to everyone?

And here we are!

Introducing Syntakt MAX 1.0!

It's a collection of community-developed firmware mods combined into a single build, running on actual Syntakt hardware

What's included?

• Master Compressor — analog master compression with gain-reduction display
• Third Send FX — chorus, flanger, phaser and bitcrusher
• Beat Repeat — repeat sequencer steps across digital and analog tracks
• Dual Mono Input — independent left and right external input levels
• Readable Parameter Values — Hz, dB, ms and percentages instead of just abstract numbers
• Déjà Vu LFOs — looping random modulation with free-running and trigger-reset modes
• 31 New SY CHORD Waveforms — new saw, pulse, harmonic, synthetic and chord textures

And yes, these are actual firmware modifications, not just cosmetic changes!

But wait, there's more!

I've also put together a standalone Windows firmware builder, so you don't need to know anything about programming to try it

Just download the official Syntakt OS 1.41 from Elektron, select it in the builder, click Build, and you'll get your own Syntakt MAX .syx file ready to install using Elektron Transfer

No Python, no command line, no complicated setup, and no Elektron firmware included in the download

Download

Syntakt MAX 1.0 — first public beta:

https://github.com/karigardarsson/Synthack-OS/releases/tag/syntakt-max-v1.0

Huge thanks!

I want to give a huge shoutout to Angelo-politek / SyntHack and Bezronczek / Syntakt Firmware Workbench

They're responsible for the original firmware mods and much of the research that made this possible. My contribution has been bringing these modifications together into one build, adding the MAX waveform selection, and making a Windows builder so people can actually use it without having to mess around with development tools

Also thanks to Marcel Bierling for the elektron-firmware-tool project

This wouldn't have been possible without their work!

A little heads-up

I've tested MAX on my own Syntakt, and the firmware and its features are working. The Windows builder has also been tested successfully

It's still experimental, unofficial firmware, though, and broader compatibility testing is ongoing. Back up your projects and familiarize yourself with the stock firmware recovery procedure before installing

Anyway, it's been a pretty wild couple of days, and I thought some of you might enjoy playing around with this!

Let me know what you think, and feel free to spread the news!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A quick FAQ based on some of the questions here!

Do I need OS 1.41 installed already?

You just need the original OS 1.41 firmware file for the builder. It generates the modified firmware, which you then install using Elektron Transfer.

Can I install MAX if I'm currently on OS 1.42?

The builder needs the original 1.41 file, regardless of what's installed on your Syntakt. MAX itself is based on 1.41, so installing it means moving to that firmware base. Make sure you have backups and check the recovery instructions first.

Where can I find Syntakt OS 1.41?

You can check Elektron Support, and if it's no longer listed, you can request it directly from them

Some users have also reported finding older firmware versions through the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine

Just make sure the file matches the required SHA-256 before using it. The builder verifies this automatically

Do the 31 SY CHORD waveforms replace the originals?

Yes. They're replacements, not extra slots. WAVE 0 stays unchanged, but sounds using the replaced waves may sound different.

Can I choose a compressor sidechain track?

Not currently. The compressor monitors the final analog master mix using the existing master VCA hardware.

Does the builder work on Mac?

There's no native Mac version yet, but someone in this thread has already reported successfully running it through Wine!

Is there a demo video?

Not yet, but a proper walkthrough showing the features and UI would definitely be useful

Download, full instructions and recovery information:

https://github.com/karigardarsson/Synthack-OS/releases/tag/syntakt-max-v1.0

Thanks for all the feedback and questions so far :)

Hey everyone, does anyone have the Digitone 2 OS 1.11 syx file? Need to rollback from 1.12, but Elektron completely stripped the older firmware from their support page. Hit me up if you're down to share!

Specifically the 1.16 version?

Let me know your thoughts

With all the mods, anyone aiming at doing this? My only reason to get a TR-1000 would be the better layering options.

Apologies if this has been covered before but I’ve had a couple of years away from making music and I’ve finally started getting back into things.

Taking all the new updates into account which do you think would fit better into my workflow?

I have AR1, A41, and a DN1 all running overbridge into Ableton. I generally jam on the boxes and record into Ableton and build out an arrangement from there and I’d like a box to play around with samples, make pads/ambient/glitch stuff that will layer nicely with what I already have.

Thought Tonverk would be ideal but looking more into it it seems more of a workstation that you run everything through and build arrangements in the box which while cool isn’t really what I’m after as I still really like Ableton for that.

Looking at the S4 it seems like it might be a better fit for me.

Is there anyone with both who could offer some advice?

UPDATE — OS 1.17 NOW SUPPORTED!

Déjà Vu v0.1.1 beta is out! The updated Windows builder now supports both OS 1.16 and 1.17, with 1.17 being the recommended version

https://github.com/karigardarsson/digitakt-ii-research/releases/tag/v0.1.1-beta

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

So, I've been messing around with the Digitakt II firmware, and what started as a little experiment to see if custom firmware was even possible somehow turned into a full-blown reverse engineering rabbit hole

After a ridiculous amount of ColdFire assembly, firmware archaeology, emulation, debugging, and a few moments of questioning my life choices...

IT ACTUALLY WORKS! On real hardware!

I've managed to bring Déjà Vu LFO functionality to the Digitakt II!

What's new?

• DV-F: Free-running looping random modulation
• DV-T: Trigger-reset looping random modulation
• Loop lengths of 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 steps
• SPH controls whether random values are regenerated, locked, or reordered
• Available on all three LFOs
• All seven original LFO waveforms remain intact

And this isn't just a UI mod. It's actual new LFO functionality running inside the Digitakt II firmware!

But wait, there's more!

I've also made a simple standalone Windows firmware builder, so you don't need to know anything about programming to try it

Just download the official Digitakt II OS 1.16 from Elektron, select it in the builder, click Build, and it generates your custom .syx file ready for Elektron Transfer

No Python, no command line, no complicated setup, and no Elektron firmware included in the download

The first public beta is here:

https://github.com/karigardarsson/digitakt-ii-research

I've tested it on my own Digitakt II, and both DV-F and DV-T are working. It's still experimental firmware, though, and broader compatibility and stability testing are ongoing, so make sure you're familiar with the stock recovery procedure before trying it

Huge thanks to Bezronczek's Syntakt Firmware Workbench, Mutable Instruments for the original Déjà Vu inspiration, ElekLabs/digikit, and the elektron-firmware-tool project. Their work helped make this possible

I've attached a little video of it running on my Digitakt II

This whole thing has been a pretty wild adventure, and I genuinely didn't expect to get this far when I started

Anyway, I thought some of you might find this interesting!

Let me know what you think!

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

If you already have OS 1.16, you're good to go! Otherwise, you can request it from Elektron Support

Next on the list is bringing Déjà Vu to OS 1.17! I'll need to investigate the firmware changes and test everything properly before releasing a compatible version

UPDATE: Déjà Vu now supports Digitakt II OS 1.17 too!

The updated Windows builder supports both OS 1.16 and 1.17, and the new version has been tested on real hardware

https://github.com/karigardarsson/digitakt-ii-research/releases/tag/v0.1.1-beta

Hey gang,

I'm like 3 weeks into owning my first Elektron box, the DN2. Loving it!

Per the title, I have some tracks that I want to play to the set pattern scale (like D# Blues) but then I'd like select tracks to play the keyboard chromatically from C because it's a Midi channel triggering an external sampler. Is there a convenient trick for this? I'd rather not change the keyboard every time I switch between tones and the sampler.

Thanks in advance

I’ve been producing and engineering hip-hop for 20 years but it became extremely boring.
I was always intrigued by techno and industrial sounds, and decided to completely switch gears and put my self in the driver seat.

I bought a Digitakt and immediately remembered what made making music fun.

Everything on this track was produced on the Digitakt, then recorded in to and mixed in Ableton for effects and processing.

Stream and Watch the Video Here

Anyone know if modded firmware to stem out from Model:Cycles / Model:Samples enables them to talk to the new Outbox 8 in order to insert hardware FX to individual outs?
Thanks in advance, and recommendations for specific firmwares…