Elektron Digitone II

The Digitone II is a multitimbral polyphonic synthesizer offered by the Elektron brand.

Its 16 tracks can be used for any of its synth machines or for MIDI, with 16 voices available across those selectable synth machines. On top of this versatility, there’s also a wide range of filters, an upgraded Elektron Sequencer, enhanced playability, a powerful note editor, and much more. The creative depth is more extensive and impressive than ever imagined.

The synth machines are your tools for generating sound with Digitone II. There are four synth machines to explore, each with its own unique character and plenty of tweakability. Start with Wavetone, a fresh spin on the classic 2-oscillator synthesizer. Morph between oscillator shapes, add phase distortion and oscillator modulation, or fine-tune the noise characteristics. Take your sound to the next level with Swarmer, a super saw-based cluster with extensive waveform control. Pick your shape, adjust detune and noise modulation, and craft rich, complex textures. FM Tone is the original Digitone FM synthesis engine, still capable of bending your sound in all kinds of exciting ways. Unleash FM Drum, offering a vast range of percussive possibilities and fine-tuning options to create everything from deep booms to crisp smacks—and even melodic magic despite its name.

This is a machine built around modularity, packed with modulation potential. Its flexible workflow, with interchangeable synth machines and various filter options, allows you to sculpt your soundscapes to match your creative vision.

Digitone II’s expanded filters highlight its depth. Try out Comb and Comb+, or experiment with Multi-mode, EQ, Lowpass 4, and Legacy LP/HP filters. The base width filter is more adaptable than ever, letting you place it before other filters or at the end of the audio chain. Each voice comes with its own amp envelope—ADSR for enhanced control and clarity, or AHD for punchier, more percussive sounds. The three LFOs, with numerous destinations and controls, can push your sounds into unpredictable yet inspiring territory.

There’s even more to refine your sound in the FX section. Bathe your audio in rich delay and reverb, add shimmering or dissonant chorus, or dial in brutal bit and sample rate reduction. Overdrive can be applied before or after the filter, depending on what works best for your mix. Combine all these effects to craft the perfect sound.

Leverage the master compressor via the mixer page, with sidechaining and other parameters, along with the master overdrive for additional distortion control.

At the heart of the instrument is the Elektron sequencer. With 128 steps, it offers endless possibilities for Parameter Lock, letting every step take you to a different sonic space. You can also live record your tweaks. Switch to Euclidean sequencer mode to combine two pulse generators and create mathematically-driven sequences, opening up fresh creative pathways. Per-step conditions, settable probabilities, and retrigger options give you even more control. Use page loops when composing or performing for extra refinement.

Digitone II is filled with tools designed to enhance performance and playability. Note edit gives you precise control over each note in your chords. Adjust pitch, length, velocity, and even micro-timing for every note. The arpeggiator opens up rhythmic and melodic possibilities. Further push your sounds with a customizable modulation setup for aftertouch, pitch bend, mod wheel, velocity, breath control, and the new key tracking, with four assignable parameter destinations and independent depth control for each. Connect an external MIDI controller for even more possibilities.

With an array of inspiring preset sounds ready to go, Digitone II is designed to spark creativity right out of the box. Or, twist them into something entirely your own. Save groups of special sounds into kits, capturing all your track settings, synth parameters, modulation destinations, and more for quick recall when working on your next project. Perform Kits let you experiment wildly without worrying about overwriting your saved settings.

Control All provides global control over parameters, allowing you to adjust settings across all tracks or individual ones. Four trig modes enable the 16 trig keys to perform different functions, from adjusting velocity levels and retrig speeds to selecting multiple preset sounds to record on a single track. Song Mode is also available, making it easy to create playlists of your patterns and edit them as they play.