Digitakt Jam with MIDI Triggered WS2812 Neon Strips

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digitakt & roland JP-08 CCs and MIDI setup

 Some patch notes for my live setup.

My setup at the moment uses a OT, digitakt and Syntakt.

the digitakt sends MIDI CCs to both the 

Korg Volca FM (channel 1)

The patch notes are here: https://djjondent.blogspot.com/2023/03/digitakt-korg-volca-fm-patch-notes.html

and the

Roland JP-08 (channel 2)

program change works well.

as does PB (Pitch bend) & MW (mod wheel)

The LEDs on the two touch strips light up when you adjust this. (PB & MW)

Here are the JP-08 factory patches.

Patches 1-1 to 3-8 are from the original jupiter 8 patch sheet.

4-1 to 8-8 are new patches

Paolo of Synth Mania: Why do I think these patches are important? They have been used in so much great music of the 1980s.

Patch 31 LO STRINGS and 35 LO BRASS, in particular, are the classic - now become standard – “JP Strings” and “JP Brass” that we find in all modern-day synthesizers and samplers. 

Many of the others are also classic, evergreen sounds.

https://www.synthmania.com/jupiter-8.htm

The CCs ive chosen are:

1. CC = 26 (HP filter cut off)

2. CC= 74 (VCF cutoff)

3. CC= 71 VCF resonance)

4. CC= 28 VCF Env mod)

5. CC= 47 Env-1 attack

6. CC= 52 Env-1 decay

7. CC= 53 Env-1 Sustain

8. CC= 54 Env-1 Release

Elektron - Program Changes

Generally, Program Change messages are used to specify the type of instrument which should be used to play sounds on a given Channel. 

This message needs only one data byte which specifies the new program number. 

MIDI Control Change messages in comparison  are used to control a wide variety of functions in a synthesizer.

In Elektron terms “program change” means pattern change. 

So, for example, an Digitakt and a Digitone can step in sync to the next pattern.

This is how I set up Program Changes on a Octatrack-Digitakt-Syntrakt system.

Many thanks to EZBOT for his great sync video.

https://youtu.be/i69tj48vfxM

The OT is the master.

Its sending Program Changes on channel 10

Both the Digitakt & Syntrak are slaves.

Make sure they both are also receiving clock, transport & Program messages.

They receive Program changes on channel 10 in this example

Now when you change a pattern on the OT, the ST & DT should change in sync.

Digitakt & Korg Volca FM - patch notes

Current Live Rig

I'm using a Volca FM 1 with Unofficial Firmware 1.09

The new firmware is excellent

https://drolez.com/blog/music/korg-volca-fm-firmware-update.php

I'm sending CC values from the digitakt to the FM

Possible CCs

TRANSPOSE 40*_Val 1

VELOCITY 41*_Val 2

ALGORITHM 48*_Val 3

CC 88: Load patch, value 0-4: patch 1, 5-8: patch 2 etc up to 127_Val 4

MODULATOR ATTACK 42*_Val 5

MODULATOR DECAY 43*_Val 6

CARRIER ATTACK 44*_Val 7

CARRIER DECAY 45*_Val 8

ARP TYPE 49

ARP DIV 50

CC 1 : (Mod wheel) assignable via CC 91, defaults to Pitch Mod Depth

CC 85: Chorus on/off. value < 64 off, value >= 64 on_Val 1.

CC 86: Chorus stereo width, 64 is default_Val 2

CC 87: Chorus speed, 64 is default_Val 3

LFO PITCH DEPTH 47*_Val 5

LFO RATE 46_Val 6

CC 89: Load pattern, value 0-8: pattern 1, 9-16: pattern 2 etc up to 127

CC 90: Tempo divisor, value 0-31: 1/1, 32-63: 1/2, 64-95: 1/4, 96-127: 1/8 (!)

CC 91: Mod wheel mapping: decides what MIDI CC mod wheel should map to. Example: value 42 sent on CC 91 -> Mod wheel now controls Modulator Attack

Remember that the Digitakt has 8 MIDI channels (A-H)

Of course you can have multiple channels running at the same time sequencing

the one Volca.

These different channels can have different CC sends.

The CCs I picked for MIDI channel A are labeled with Val 1-8

The CCs I picked for MIDI Channel B are labeled with Val 1-8

You will notice that once you have mapped a CC

to the Volca it's LED will light up everytime it receives a CC from the digitakt

(apart from transpose & velocity)

Once you have done this you can also map it to the Digtakt's LFO

This CC is useful:

CC 88: Load patch, value 0-4: patch 1, 5-8: patch 2 etc up to 127_Val 4

You can load a different patch / preset with each pattern.

Or you can control this with a LFO / randomse to change patches on the fly