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10.2 EDITING A PATTERN

10. THE SEQUENCER > 10.2 EDITING A PATTERN · PDF p. 41–44 · OS 1.15A

# 10.2 EDITING A PATTERN

10. THE SEQUENCER
You can create one chain and it can contain any pattern in bank A–H. The chain can consist of up to 64
patterns.
1.	 Press [PTN], and then press [FUNC] + [YES] to open the chain creator screen.
2.	 Use the [LEFT]/[RIGHT] keys to select a bank (if you want to select a pattern from another bank
than the current). Then press [TRIG 1–16] to select a pattern. Repeat until you have created the
desired chain.
3.	 (Optional) Press [FUNC] + [LEFT] to delete the last pattern from the chain.
4.	 Press [YES] to confirm the pattern chain and close the chain creator screen. Press [NO] if you
wish to cancel the pattern chain and close the chain creator screen.
5.	 Press [PLAY] to start the sequencer and play the chain. The chain will be looped once the final
pattern of the chain has played.
To exit chain mode, select a pattern or song using the normal selection process.
There is also a legacy procedure for how you create chains that also can be used.
1.	 Press and hold [PTN] and then press a [TRIG 1–16] key to select the first pattern in the chain.
2.	 Release the [PTN] key and then press [TRIG 1–16] keys in the same order as you want the chained
patterns to play. Keep a previous [TRIG] key pressed while you press the next one, the one after
that and so on. You can press the same [TRIG] key again if you wish to add the pattern multiple
times in a row. If you want to add a pattern from another bank, use the [LEFT]/[RIGHT] keys to
select a bank and then press [TRIG 1–16] to select pattern.
3.	 Press [PLAY] to start the sequencer and play the chain. The chain will be looped once the final
pattern of the chain has played.
Please note that the chain will be lost when you create a new chain or when you select a new
pattern/song. Chains cannot be saved and will be lost when you switch the Digitakt II off.
•	 Chains can be created while the sequencer is running.
•	 You can also use MIDI program change messages from an external device to change
patterns on the Digitakt II. For more information, please see “14.4.1 SYNC” on page 77.
10.2 EDITING A PATTERN
Digitakt II offers three main modes of input when creating or editing a pattern, GRID RECORDING mode,
LIVE RECORDING mode, and STEP RECORDING mode. In these modes, two types of trigs can be entered:
Note trigs and Lock trigs.
10.2.1 TRIG TYPES
A trig is a sequencer event that you can place when you want the sequencer to perform an action on the
Digitakt II. There are two types of trigs that you can use, note trigs and lock trigs.
•	 NOTE TRIGS trigger presets or MIDI notes.
•	 LOCK TRIGS trigger parameter locks (but does not trigger notes). For more information, please see
“10.8.1 PARAMETER LOCKS” on page 47.
Note trigs are indicated by red [TRIG] keys and lock trigs are indicated by yellow [TRIG] keys. Unlit
[TRIG] keys indicate steps that does not contain any trigs. Read more about parameter locks in section
“10.8.1 PARAMETER LOCKS” on page 47. Trigs are added differently in the sequencer, depending on
whether GRID RECORDING, LIVE RECORDING, or STEP RECORDING mode is active.

10. THE SEQUENCER
10.2.2 GRID RECORDING MODE
GRID RECORDING is a method of composing where you use the [TRIG] keys to add trigs.
1.	 Press [RECORD] to enter GRID RECORDING mode. The [RECORD] key lights up red to indicate
that GRID RECORDING mode is active.
2.	 Select the track to which you want to add trigs by pressing and holding [TRACK] and then one of
the [TRIG] keys. A red [TRIG] key indicates the active track.
3.	 Place note trigs on the sequencer using the sixteen [TRIG] keys. To add a lock trig, press [FUNC] +
[TRIG]. Quickly pressing the [TRIG] key of any of the trigs entered will remove the trig. Pressing a
[TRIG] key and holding it slightly longer will prepare the trig for editing, rather than removing it.
4.	 Select another track, and add note trigs. Repeat the procedure for all the tracks you want to use.
5.	 Press [PLAY] to listen to the sequence.
Add micro timing to a note trig by pressing and holding the [TRIG] key while pressing [LEFT]/[RIGHT].
For more information, please see “10.4 MICRO TIMING” on page 45.
Set the retrig speed by pressing and holding the [TRIG] key while pressing navigating to TRIG PAGE 2
keys where you can make various retrig settings. For more information, please see “10.5 RETRIGS” on
page 45, and “11.3 TRIG PAGE 2” on page 54.
If the pattern contains more than 16 steps, select the pattern page you want to edit by pressing the
[PAGE] key. A fully lit <PATTERN PAGE> LED shows the active pattern page.
Press [RECORD] to exit the GRID RECORDING mode.
•	 If your pattern has more than one page you can easily select which page you want to
edit. Press and hold [PAGE], and then press one of the [TRIG 1–8] keys that light up to
select the active page for editing. You can also cycle through the pages using [LEFT]
and [RIGHT]. For more information, please see “10.7 PAGE SETUP MENU” on page 45.
•	 You also have the possibility to select which pages of your pattern you want the se­
quencer to play and loop. The selected pages are then looped on playback.
In GRID RECORDING mode, press and hold [PAGE], and then press [TRIG 9–16] to
select which patterns pages you want to play and loop. Green [TRIG] keys shows the
selected pages. The [TRIG 9–16] keys corresponds to pattern page 1–8. For example,
you have an eight page pattern and you want to play and loop page 1, 2,5, and 7. To ac­
complish this, press and hold [PAGE] and then press [TRIG 9, 10, 13, 15]. On the top row,
[TRIG 1–8], the blinking [TRIG] key shows the master playback position. On the bottom
row, [TRIG 9–16], the blinking [TRIG] key shows the page currently playing. Press and
hold [PAGE] and then press [NO] to resume normal playback of all pages in the pattern.
•	 You can use an external MIDI controller such as a keyboard to input NOTE and TRIG
VELOCITY data when you are in GRID RECORDING mode Just press and hold a [TRIG]
key, and then play a note on the external keyboard. On MIDI tracks, you can add up to a
four note chord to every trig. The first note sets the TRIG VELOCITY value for all notes
on the trig.
•	 Press [TRIG] + [YES] to preview a specific trig. The preview includes any parameter
locks you have placed on that trig.
•	 Press [TRIG] + [PRESET/KIT] to save the sound of a trig as a preset, taking all parame­
ter locks in consideration.
•	 If you use an external MIDI controller to record to the Digitakt II MIDI tracks, the se­
quencer receives data on the Auto MIDI channel and records on the active track. For
more information, please see “14.4.3 CHANNELS” on page 79.
•	 All trigs of a track can be shifted forwards or backward on the sequencer. While in GRID
RECORDING mode, hold down [FUNC] while pressing the [LEFT] or [RIGHT] arrow
keys to perform the trig shift.
10.2.3 LIVE RECORDING MODE
LIVE RECORDING mode is the second method of adding trigs to the tracks. In this recording mode,
the [TRIG] keys are played in real time to input trigs to the tracks. You can also use KEYBOARD mode
to add note trigs chromatically. Additionally you can and add velocity, retrigs, play slices, and changing
presets using the TRIG modes. It is also possible to enter parameter locks in real time. Trigs input in LIVE
RECORDING mode can be automatically quantized or not. Non-quantized trigs can be quantized after
they are recorded, by using the QUANTIZE menu that is accessed by pressing [FUNC] + [TRIG]. For
more information, please see “10.6 QUANTIZE MENU” on page 45.

10. THE SEQUENCER
1.	 Press and hold [RECORD], then press [PLAY] to enter LIVE RECORDING mode. (Press [PLAY]
twice while keeping the [RECORD] key pressed to activate/deactivate automatic quantization.) The
sequencer starts to play, and the [RECORD] key starts to flash red.
2.	 Enter trigs in real time by pressing the [TRIG] keys. If KEYBOARD mode is active, the pitch value
of the note trig will be recorded according to which [TRIG] key is pressed for the active track. Any
changes to PARAMETER page settings, using the DATA ENTRY knobs, will be recorded as parame­
ter locks and add lock trigs where needed.
3.	 Press [PLAY] to exit LIVE RECORDING mode while keeping the sequencer playing. If LIVE RE­
CORDING mode is active and [RECORD] is pressed, GRID RECORDING mode will be activated.
4.	 Press [STOP] to stop both recording and playback of the sequencer.
To exit LIVE RECORDING mode while keeping the sequencer playing, press [PLAY].
You can use an external MIDI controller such as a keyboard to input NOTE, TRIG
VELOCITY, and TRIG LENGTH data in LIVE RECORDING mode. Just play the notes on the
external keyboard and they will be recorded by the sequencer. On MIDI tracks, you can
add up to a four note chord to every trig. The first note sets the TRIG VELOCITY value for
all notes on the trig. The last note that is released sets the TRIG LENGTH for all notes on
the trig.
10.2.4 STEP RECORDING MODE
STEP RECORDING is a quick and straightforward method of placing trigs on the sequencer. In this re­
cording mode, you insert notes by pressing the [TRIG] keys or an external MIDI controller. The sequenc­
er then captures the note and automatically advances to the next step. There are two different modes
available, STANDARD mode and JUMP mode.
STANDARD mode
1.	 Press [RECORD] + [STOP] to enter STEP RECORDING mode. The [RECORD] key starts to
double-blink red. (Press [STOP] twice while keeping the [RECORD] key pressed to toggle between
STANDARD and JUMP mode).
2.	 Press a [TRIG] key to select the active step to where you want to start to add note trigs. The active
step is shown with a green [TRIG] key that double-blinks. (If positioned on an earlier placed trig, it
inherits the light pattern of that trig). You can also use [LEFT]/[RIGHT] to select the active step or
skip steps.
3.	 Press and hold [FUNC] and then press [TRIG 1–16] key to add a note trig on the corresponding
track to the active step. The active step then automatically advances to the next step.

You also have the option to add note trigs chromatically on the selected active track.
4.	 Press [TRK] + [TRIG 1–16] to select the track to which you want to add trigs. A red [TRIG] key
indicates the active track.
5.	 Press [KEYBOARD] to toggle the chromatic mode keyboard on
6.	 Press and hold [KEYBOARD] and then press any lit [TRIG] key to add a note trig with the corre­
sponding note value to the selected step. The active step then automatically advances to the next
step. You can use [UP]/[DOWN] to transpose the chromatic keyboard on the [TRIG] keys up or
down in octaves.
7.	 To remove a trig or to add a rest (no trig), position the active step on the trig that you want to
remove or add a rest to, and then press [NO]. The active step then automatically advances to the
next step.
8.	To add a parameter lock to a trig, press and hold a [TRIG] key, and then turn the DATA ENTRY
knob that controls the parameter you want to lock and set it to the desired value. The graphics
become inverted for the locked parameter, and the locked parameter value is displayed. The [TRIG]
key of the locked trig blinks red (for note trigs) or yellow (for lock trigs) to indicate that the trig now
contains a parameter lock.
9.	 Press [RECORD] to exit STEP RECORDING mode.
JUMP mode
In JUMP mode, the LEN parameter setting on the TRIG PARAMETER page controls the note length of
the trigs you place, and advances the active step the same length. A LEN value of 1/16 adds a sixteenth
note and advances the sequencer one step. 1/8 adds an eighth note and advances the sequencer two
steps. 1/4 adds a quarter note and advances the sequencer four steps and so on. The LEN parameter is
also parameter locked on every trig you place.

10. THE SEQUENCER
•	 Press [PLAY] to listen to the sequence while you are programming it. Press [STOP] to
stop the sequencer and stay in STEP RECORDING mode.
•	 If you are in SLICES or PRESET POOL TRIG mode, you must press and hold [FUNC]
and then press the [TRIG] keys to be able to add trigs in STEP RECORDING mode. For
more information, please see “8.5.4 TRIG MODE” on page 27.
•	 If you use an external MIDI controller, you must set it to send MIDI data on the Digitakt
II’s defined AUTO CHANNEL. For more information, please see “14.4.3 CHANNELS” on
page 79.
•	 If you use an external MIDI controller, the trig’s VEL (velocity) value is determined by the
velocity sent from these and is parameter locked.
•	 If you press and hold [FUNC] while inputting notes from an external MIDI controller, the
velocity is fixed and determined by the VEL parameter setting.
•	 If you press and hold [YES] while you place a trig with [TRIG] keys or an external MIDI
controller, the trig length is locked to the time you press the [TRIG] keys or the external
MIDI controller.
•	 If you add a new note trig on a previously placed note trig, any parameter locks previ­
ously placed on that trig remain as they were.
•	 In STEP RECORDING mode, to avoid accidental key presses, [FUNC] + [NO] does not
reload the pattern. [FUNC] + [YES] does not save the pattern. Instead they work as
described above.
10.3 SEQUENCER MENU (EUCLIDEAN MODE)
The Euclidean sequencer mode uses two separate pulse generators to generate events (trigs) that are
placed as evenly spread out over the sequencer track as possible. In addition to this you can also set a
Boolean logic operator to combine or subtract the trigs from the two pulse generators in different ways.
When you turn on Euclidean mode for a track, the [REC] button will turn blue indicating the mode is active,
and the [TRIG] keys where the generated trigs are placed will also be blue. Any trigs placed on the se­
quencer before activating the Euclidean mode will be hidden and inactive while in this mode, but they’ll
reappear when you turn the mode off again. If you want to convert an Euclidean sequence into regular
sequencer trigs, just press and hold [FUNC] while turning the Euclidean mode off. Any earlier placed trigs,
while not in Euclidean mode, will be removed. While in Euclidean mode, it is not possible to add note trigs
manually to the sequencer. However, you can still do parameter locking on the already generated trigs.
Press [FUNC] + [AMP] open the SEQUENCER menu.
PL1 Pulse generator 1 sets the number of pulses (trigs) placed on the sequencer by this generator.
PL2 Pulse generator 2 sets the number of pulses (trigs) placed on the sequencer by this generator.
LEN Track length sets how many steps the track will have. This parameter is only available in PER
TRACK mode. For more information, please see “10.7 PAGE SETUP MENU” on page 45.
EUC Euclidean mode switches the Euclidean sequencer mode on/off.
R01 Rotation generator 1 rotates the trigs placed by generator 1 forward or backwards on the track.
R02 Rotation generator 2 rotates the trigs placed by generator 2 forward or backwards on the track.
TRO Track rotation rotates the trigs placed by both generator 1 and generator 2 forward or backwards
on the track.
OP Boolean operator lets you add or subtract the trigs generated from the two pulse generators in
different ways based on mathematical logical expressions.
OR all trigs from both generator 1 or 2 are placed on the track.
XOR trigs from both generator 1 or 2 are placed on the track unless they are added to the same

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