Is the Elektron Digitone II a Game-Changer? The 4 Coolest Features of the FM Synth
The original Elektron Digitone made waves as a hybrid synthesizer and drum machine that merged the power of FM synthesis with Elektron’s renowned intuitive workflow. Known for its ability to generate both complex melodic textures and percussive sounds, the Digitone became a favorite among electronic musicians for its versatility. Now, with the release of the Digitone II, Elektron builds on that foundation, enhancing its already powerful synthesis engine and sequencing capabilities. The new version is designed to make FM synthesis even more accessible while offering more creative possibilities for musicians, whether they’re crafting rhythms, melodies, or experimental soundscapes. For fans of sound design and experimental electronic music, the Digitone II isn’t just a tool—it’s a playground where tonal complexity, offering a fresh approach to crafting rhythms, textures, and melodies. This new release isn’t just a minor upgrade; it brings significant changes that reshape how users can approach sound design, rhythm creation, and sequencing. With its blend of FM synthesis, new filters, and sequencing improvements, the Digitone II is positioned as a must-have for those who want more than just another groovebox. So let’s break down what makes this new synth so enticing—and whether it’s the right fit for your creative setup.
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Core Strengths and Workflow Improvements
The Elektron Digitone II builds on the core strengths of its predecessor by keeping FM synthesis at the forefront, but with a much more user-friendly experience. One of the original Digitone’s most notable achievements was making FM synthesis, often seen as intimidating, intuitive and accessible. With the Digitone II, this experience is refined further, offering even deeper sound design possibilities without overwhelming the user. Whether you're crafting melodic sequences, percussive elements, or experimental soundscapes, the synth excels at making complex concepts simple.
Beyond its synthesis capabilities, the Digitone II shines in its versatility. It isn’t just a melodic synthesizer but a full-fledged groovebox, capable of handling both intricate rhythms and lush harmonies. Whether you're designing aggressive, rhythmic beats or evolving ambient textures, the machine easily handles multiple sonic roles, making it a highly flexible tool for any genre. This flexibility is one of its standout features, particularly for musicians who want to create entire compositions from a single device.
The workflow improvements make the experience even smoother. Elektron has managed to deepen the functionality without sacrificing ease of use. The interface remains familiar to Elektron users while introducing tighter integrations for new features, ensuring that your creative ideas flow naturally. Overall, the Digitone II manages to build on the success of the original, while offering expanded control over sound-shaping, sequencing, and voice management for musicians looking to explore new sonic frontiers.
FM Drum Synthesis: Redefining Percussion
FM synthesis is traditionally associated with melodic content, but with the Digitone II, Elektron has taken it a step further by applying it to drum sounds. FM drum synthesis is one of the most exciting new features in the Digitone II, offering a fresh approach to percussive sound design. This capability allows you to go beyond standard analog or sample-based drum sounds, giving your percussion a dynamic and evolving quality that adds complexity to your tracks. From sharp, metallic snares to deep, resonant kicks, the drum engine opens up creative possibilities that set it apart from other grooveboxes.
What’s especially powerful about the FM drum engine is the level of control it offers. You can tweak every aspect of your drum sounds, from harmonic content to modulation and operator interaction, allowing you to craft percussive tones that are truly unique. Whether you're working on industrial beats, glitchy rhythms, or delicate electronic textures, this feature empowers you to sculpt every hit into something distinct. It’s a drum machine for those who want more than just preset beats—it’s a creative playground.
And these FM drums are not simply tacked on as an extra feature—they’re deeply integrated into the Digitone II’s workflow. You can sequence, tweak, and automate them just as easily as melodic elements, making them a core part of your creative process. If you've ever felt limited by conventional drum machines, the Digitone II's FM drum engine will expand your rhythmic horizons, allowing for an experimental edge that other machines struggle to match.
Filters and Phase Distortion: Expanding Sound Design
One of the biggest enhancements in the Digitone II comes in the form of new filters and phase distortion, which offer even greater depth for sound designers. While the original Digitone provided plenty of room for creating complex, evolving sounds, these new tools take it to the next level. The comb filters allow you to add metallic, resonant qualities to your patches, making it easier than ever to craft sounds that feel alive and evolving. Whether you're after shimmering highs or biting mid-tones, the comb filters give you precise control over the textures in your soundscapes.
Phase distortion is another powerful addition, giving you the ability to warp and bend your tones in ways that feel fluid and organic. Unlike some distortion effects that feel harsh or forced, phase distortion allows for smooth transitions between timbres, creating evolving sounds that maintain their musicality. It’s ideal for sound designers looking to push the boundaries, whether you're working on pads, leads, or even more percussive elements. This feature can help you bring out the grit and texture in digital sounds, adding layers of complexity to your compositions.
Paired with the already powerful FM engine, these new sound design tools make the Digitone II a sound designer’s dream. Whether you're crafting delicate ambient textures or abrasive experimental sounds, the combination of comb filters and phase distortion opens up new possibilities for sculpting your patches. Elektron has clearly designed these additions to inspire deep creative exploration, encouraging users to push the limits of what a groovebox can offer.
Sequencing and Voice Management: Evolving Control
The sequencing capabilities of the Digitone II go beyond simple note entry—they allow you to shape how your tracks evolve and interact. Conditional trigs and probability-based sequencing give you nuanced control over when sounds trigger, creating dynamic and unpredictable patterns. This means that, for example, a snare can hit only 50% of the time or respond to another element, making your compositions feel organic and alive. These features are particularly useful for keeping your tracks engaging without repetitive loops.
A key part of this evolving control is the motion sequencing via Elektron’s signature parameter locking. This lets you automate nearly any parameter, ensuring that every step of your sequence can be unique. Whether it’s subtle changes in filter cutoff or dramatic shifts in timbre, parameter locking brings a level of depth and complexity to even simple loops. It allows your sequences to morph over time, keeping listeners intrigued with constantly evolving patterns.
The Digitone II’s voice management and polyphony work seamlessly with its advanced sequencing. With eight-note polyphony per track, you can create layered, complex sequences without worrying about important sounds getting cut off. Elektron’s voice allocation system ensures that you control which sounds take priority, so long-release pads or crucial melodic lines don’t get interrupted by other elements. This is especially valuable in live performances, where maintaining a cohesive sound is critical. The combination of dynamic sequencing and flexible voice management makes the Digitone II a powerful tool for both production and performance, ensuring your compositions stay rich and evolving.
Korg Opsix
The Korg Opsix reimagines FM synthesis by combining six-operator FM with subtractive synthesis elements like filters and effects, similar to the hybrid approach of the Digitone II. It offers more hands-on controls for FM parameters, making it more approachable for those intimidated by complex FM synths.
Key Strengths: Six operators with intuitive knobs for sound shaping, a wide range of sound design options (including virtual analog-style filters), and a more visual, performance-oriented workflow.
Arturia MicroFreak
While the MicroFreak isn’t strictly an FM synth, it’s a versatile hybrid synth with several synthesis engines, including FM, wavetable, and virtual analog. It’s a great budget-friendly option for those who want a wide array of sound design possibilities without being tied to one synthesis method.
Key Strengths: Multiple synthesis engines, small form factor, touch-sensitive keyboard, and a sequencer that offers similar step modulation capabilities as Elektron devices.
Elektron Syntakt
If you’re a fan of the Elektron workflow, the Syntakt might be another synth worth considering. While it focuses more on drum synthesis and groovebox functionality, it shares a lot of Elektron’s powerful sequencing and parameter-locking features. It’s also a hybrid drum machine and synth, offering digital and analog synthesis in one unit.
Key Strengths: Combines digital and analog synthesis engines, excellent for drum programming, familiar Elektron sequencer.
Novation Peak
The Novation Peak is a digital/analog hybrid synth that offers a lot of modulation and sound design possibilities. While it doesn’t specialize in FM, it offers other synthesis methods and a huge range of sound-sculpting tools, including three oscillators, multi-mode filters, and digital effects.
Key Strengths: Hybrid architecture, deep modulation matrix, eight-voice polyphony, and a powerful multi-effects section.
Is It Right for You?
The Elektron Digitone II is a deep, feature-packed machine that’s ideal for musicians who want to explore new sonic territories. If you’re already familiar with FM synthesis or are ready to dive into its world, this is the synth for you. The added features—like FM drums, phase distortion, and enhanced sequencing—make it a unique tool for creating both melodic and rhythmic elements that evolve and surprise. Whether in the studio or on stage, it’s designed to inspire and give you more control than ever over your sound.
But it’s not for everyone. If you’re looking for something simple and straightforward, the Digitone II might feel overwhelming. FM synthesis has a learning curve, and the depth of the sequencing features can be intimidating for beginners. However, if you’re excited about the prospect of creating rich, evolving sounds and rhythms that push beyond the ordinary, then the Digitone II is definitely worth considering.
Pros
FM Drums: Offers unique and complex drum sound design, setting it apart from other synths.
Advanced Sequencer: Features like conditional trigs and probability-based sequencing allow for dynamic, evolving patterns.
Comb Filters and Phase Distortion: Provides powerful tools for sound shaping and adding unique textures.
Flexible Polyphony and Voice Management: Allows precise control over voice allocation, ensuring smooth performance in complex compositions.
Cons
Steep Learning Curve: FM synthesis, especially combined with complex sequencing, may intimidate beginners.
Limited Polyphony: Though the voice management system is good, eight-note polyphony can feel limiting for more complex tracks.
No Direct Sampling: Unlike other Elektron boxes, it doesn’t have built-in sampling capabilities.
Price: Higher price point compared to some competitors, which may deter those on a budget.
Disclosure: This blog contains affiliate links, which means Internet Tattoo may receive a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you.