Is the Elektron Digitakt II about to be announced? According to a leak that surfaced on the internet today, Elektron’s first new hardware in two years will come with a big memory boost, stereo samples, 16 flexible tracks, and more.
Elektron Digitakt II
Ever since the Syntakt came out two years ago, fans have been waiting for new hardware from the Swedish manufacturer. While Elektron has been busy keeping the current models up to date with several important software updates, the machines themselves stayed the same. Until now: It looks like the Elektron Digitakt II is coming soon – the first major hardware refresh for a Digi-series machine.
According to the leak, the basic concept of a sampling drum machine that can also run your external MIDI gear remains unchanged. Apart from a couple of new buttons and labels, the Elektron Digitakt II closely resembles its predecessor. But the manufacturer has reportedly implemented a bunch of important upgrades under the hood.
First and foremost, the Digitakt II boasts 400 MB of sample memory, as opposed to the predecessor’s 64 MB. The internal storage has also been increased to a whopping 20 GB, firmly establishing the Digitakt II in MPC territory.
16 Tracks for Audio or MIDI
The other big news concerns the audio and MIDI tracks. While the original Digitakt offered eight audio and MIDI tracks each, the new version has 16 tracks that you can freely assign to the internal sampling engine or external MIDI. Moreover, each audio track is now apparently capable of playing back stereo or mono samples – finally! From 16 stereo audio tracks to 16 pure MIDI tracks, it looks like any combination is possible. This should make the Elektron Digitakt II much more flexible when it comes to adapting the machine to your workflow and setup. Consequently, the track labels (Kick, Snare, Tom, etc.) are now history.
Apart from the track button labeling, you really have to squint to discover any major changes to the user interface. If you look closely, though, you’ll notice two new buttons. The row of buttons beneath the encoders has been expanded with a new FX button, and there’s a new keyboard button on the left. What exactly they do remains to be seen.
With a big memory boost, stereo sampling, and much more flexibility in the handling of audio and MIDI tracks, it looks like the Elektron Digitakt II addresses many of the predecessor’s shortcomings. Does the upgrade live up to the expectations? That’s for you to decide.
Price and availability
Elektron has yet to announce the Digitakt II. But the leak states a price of €949. We’ll keep you posted!
More information about the Elektron Digitakt II
Image Sources:
- Elektron Digitakt II: audiosolutions.fr
