How do you actually get started on the Elektron Digitakt?

The answer, in full

Elektron Digitakt Tutorial and Tips

Digitakt first pattern with a sampled break

Getting your first beat going on the Digitakt is fast once you know the four moves: sample in, slice or chop across tracks, trig it out, then lock the fun stuff. Here's the quick path plus a couple of tricks to make that break sing.

Steps

1. Sample your drum break inFeed your source into INPUT L/R (1/4" mono TS, unbalanced). Go to the sampling screen, arm, and record the break. Or drag a break in over USB with Elektron Transfer if you already have a WAV.
2. Load a Sound / sample onto a trackHold [TRK] and pick a track. Assign your recorded sample as that track's Sound so it's ready to trig.
3. Program the pattern in grid modePress [PLAY] to run, then tap [TRIG 1-16] to place hits on the step grid. Use [PAGE] to add pattern length and [TRIG] keys to set step count. A 2X SCALE setting bumps resolution to 32nds; 3/4X gives you triplets against other gear at the same BPM.
4. Learn the core navigation[BANK] then [TRIG 9] picks bank A, [TRIG 1] picks the first pattern. [PTN] then a [TRIG] key queues the next pattern to switch at the end of the current one. That queued switching is how you chain patterns live.
5. Mute tracks to build arrangementsHold [FUNC] + [TRACK] keys for QUICK MUTE, or [FUNC] + [BANK] to enter/exit mute mode. Great for dropping the break in and out while the rest plays.
6. Try parameter locks (the Elektron magic)Hold a [TRIG] step and turn a knob to lock a different value just for that step. Lock Sample Select, Tune, or Bit Reduction per step to make one break morph across the bar.

Ideas to try

Chop the break across trigs — Instead of one long loop, slice the break and scatter the slices with per-step Sample Select locks. Now you can re-sequence the break into a totally different groove without any new audio. This is the whole reason to have a break in a sampler.

Bit Reduction for lo-fi grit — CC 18 / the Bit Reduction knob crushes the sample resolution. p-lock it high on the snare hits only for that gnarly SP-style bite while the kicks stay clean.

LFO the filter for movement — Route LFO 1 to Filter Frequency and set a slow multiplier. A static break suddenly breathes as the filter sweeps under it. Trig the LFO retrig per hit for a wah-per-note feel.

Retrig rolls — Set up a stutter on the last step of the pattern with a fast retrig for a fill going into the next bar. Cheap, effective, and very hip-hop.

Watch out

• INPUT L/R expects 1/4" mono TS unbalanced. Line-level gear is fine here, but watch your record level on the sampling screen so hot sources don't clip on the way in (unless you want that crunch).