Elektron Digitone II Review: Worthy Successor to a Classic

MT HANNACH
4 Min Read
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The original Digitone is one of my favorite synths. For some who could present themselves as a compliment in reverse because, well, Digitone is not only a synth. It is a powerful multicral groove box with one of the most versatile sequencers on the market. For me, his four tracks and eight polyphony voices could feel a little limiting. In addition, it is not exactly the best in battery. This led me to stick the Digitone on a medium where I simply treat it as an office synth controlled by a MIDI keyboard.

Digitone II, at least on paper, seems to solve some of these problems. He now has 16 votes on 16 tracks, in addition there are three completely new synth engines that widen his sound palette, including one entirely dedicated to percussion. All this is added to the same types of sequencing, modulation and improvements of filters that we have already seen on the Digitakt II (8/10, recommend wire), but just like his sample -based brother, Digitone II received an increase in significant prices at $ 999. With the original which now goes for as little as $ 350 on the market used, the choice between the two is not necessarily as cut and dry.

Aerial view of the Elektron Digitone II synthesizer a black rectangular audio device with a small digital screen ...

Photography: Terrence O’Brien

This is the new sound

Before anyone panicked, the FM engine with four original Digitone operators is still there. Although I saw some people suggest that it does not sound exactly the same thing and that the original has a little more grain and character, I think these people hallucinate. I loaded several presets designed for the original Digitone on Digitone II, and I cannot make the difference between them. It should be mentioned that, unfortunately, you cannot load Digitone II presets on the original Digitone, even if they use the original FM sound engine. There are apparently technical differences between them under the hood, but, at least in my ears, they do not seem to affect the sound.

Close -up of the small digital screen of the Elektron Digitone II synthesizer a black rectangular audio device showing ...

Photography: Terrence O’Brien

The other three synth engines are the place where Digitone II really separates from the original. In addition to the original FM engine (called Tone FM in the new model), there is FM Drum, which changes the original sound engine to better adapt the percussion. Wavetone is a little less vitreous and makes sounds similar to what you will find on phase distortion and synths in the waves. It’s always decidedly digital, but not as hard as FM. Then, there is Swarmer, which gives you super thickened sounds which are perfect for the tracks and the organs by stacking six oscillators offset above the main. Many of my new favorite presets make excellent use of the Wavetone machine, which is capable of convincingly reproducing the classic Electro and Krautrock sounds.

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