Chapter 2

Panel & controls

Every key, knob and mode — and how they combine.

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In this chapter · 12

2.1Front panel tour
2.2Navigating the screen
2.3Editing parameters
2.4Quick scrolling
2.5Copy, clear and paste
2.6Naming things
2.7Trig keys, knobs and key behaviour
2.8KEYBOARD mode
2.9KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords
2.10Keyboard scales
2.11MUTE mode
2.12TRIG mode

2.1BasicsManual §3.1 p.12, §3.1 p.13, §16 p.85

Front panel tour

The manual numbers 26 controls on the front panel. Most keys do two jobs: the one printed on the key, and a secondary function printed in turquoise beneath it, which you reach by holding FUNC. Click any control on the panel below to see what it does.

Tap any key or knob. Press FUNC to light up the secondary functions.

Pick a control to see what it does.

All 26 numbered controls from the manual. The caption under a key is what it does while FUNC is held.

Redrawn from the manual’s panel diagram (§3.1) · not to exact scale

Finding your way around

Top left: MAIN VOLUME for the outputs and headphones, LEVEL/DATA for the active track’s level (and for scrolling lists), and the screen.
Top right: the eight DATA ENTRY knobs A–H, with the six PARAMETER keys beneath them.
Under the screen: FUNC; the menu keys PRESET/KIT, SETTINGS, VOICE SETUP and TEMPO; and a second row with KEYBOARD and the transport keys RECORD, PLAY and STOP.
Centre right: YES and NO, the ARROW keys, PAGE and the PATTERN PAGE LEDs.
Left edge: TRK, PTN and SONG, which pick tracks, patterns and songs together with the trig keys.
Bottom: the 16 TRIG keys, in two rows of eight.
Right edge: ARPEGGIATOR and NOTE EDIT, and the transpose keys + and -.
The sockets themselves are on the rear panel — see Rear panel and connections.

Secondary functions (hold FUNC, then press)

FUNC + PRESET/KIT: Toggles PERFORM KIT mode on or off.
FUNC + SETTINGS: Saves the current project.
FUNC + VOICE SETUP: Turns unison on or off for the active track.
FUNC + TEMPO: Taps the tempo; tap at least four times in a steady rhythm.
FUNC + NO: Reloads the active pattern from its temporary save.
FUNC + YES: Temporarily saves the active pattern.
FUNC + TRIG PARAMETERS: Opens the QUANTIZE menu.
FUNC + SYN: Opens the MACHINE menu.
FUNC + FLTR: Opens the SETUP menu.
FUNC + AMP: Opens the SEQUENCER menu with the Euclidean sequencer settings.
FUNC + FX: Opens the SEND FX pages.
FUNC + MOD: Opens the MIXER pages.
FUNC + LEFT/RIGHT: Moves all trigs a whole step left or right.GRID RECORDING mode
FUNC + PAGE: Opens the PAGE SETUP menu.
FUNC + ARPEGGIATOR: Turns the active track’s arpeggiator on or off.
FUNC + +/-: Transposes the active track up or down a semitone.
FUNC + SONG: Opens the SONG EDIT screen.
FUNC + PTN: Opens bank selection.
Hold FUNC + turn LEVEL/DATA: Opens a preset list — see the note below.

The remaining secondary functions have sections of their own: FUNC + TRK and FUNC + TRIG in MUTE mode, FUNC + UP/DOWN in TRIG mode, FUNC + KEYBOARD in KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords, and FUNC + RECORD, FUNC + STOP and FUNC + PLAY in Copy, clear and paste.

2.2BasicsManual §6 p.18, §6.1 p.18, §6.2.3 p.19

The screen shows everything you need while you play and edit. Learn its layout and the handful of keys that move through menus, and every other part of the Digitone II works the same way.

What the main screen shows

The active bank and pattern, and the pattern’s name, along the top.
The TRIG mode in use — see TRIG mode.
The current tempo.
Eight track parameters and their values. They sit in the same layout as the DATA ENTRY knobs A–H and change with what you’re doing.
A page indicator showing how many pages the current parameter group has and which one you’re on.
The active track’s main level, which you change with LEVEL/DATA.
The active track, and its type: SYN for an audio track or MID for a MIDI track.

Moving around menus

ARROW: Moves through menus and sub-menus.
YES: Confirms or selects, opens a sub-menu, or ticks and unticks a box.
NO: Cancels or deselects and steps back a level; keep pressing it and you end up back on the main screen.
Hold FUNC + press a key: Runs that key’s secondary function.

Turn LEVEL/DATA to scroll quickly through long menus and lists — see Quick scrolling. On the parameter pages, the DATA ENTRY knobs do the editing — see Editing parameters.

2.3BasicsManual §6.2 p.18, §6.2.1 p.19, §6.2.2 p.19, §6.2.3 p.19, §11.1 p.57, §16 p.85, §16 p.86

Editing parameters

The eight DATA ENTRY knobs A–H change the track parameters shown on the screen, and each parameter sits in the same position on the screen as its knob on the panel. A few modifiers let you move faster, go back to defaults or to the saved sound, roll the dice, or push one change across every audio track at once.

The basics

Turn a knob for normal steps; press it down while you turn to move in bigger steps and sweep the whole range quickly.
Some screens print the knob letter next to a parameter — for example (E) in the PAGE SETUP menu — so you know which knob to reach for.
Each PARAMETER key opens a group of pages. Press UP/DOWN, or press the PARAMETER key again, to move through the group; the page indicator shows where you are.
Hold a PARAMETER key to see the values of every parameter on that page at once.
Want each PARAMETER key to return to the page you last used? Turn on REMEMBER SUBPAGE in The PERSONALIZE menu.

Key combinations

Press a DATA ENTRY knob + NO: Resets that parameter to its default value.
PARAMETER + PLAY: Resets every parameter on the selected page to its default value.
PARAMETER + NO: Reloads every parameter on that page from its last saved state.
PARAMETER + YES: Randomises the parameters on that page — differently every time you press it.Audio tracks
TRK + TRIG 1–16 + NO: Reloads that track’s preset from its last saved state.
Hold PARAMETER: Shows the values of all parameters on that page.
PARAMETER, pressed repeatedly: Cycles through the pages in that parameter group.
UP/DOWN: Moves between the pages of the open parameter group.Parameter pages
Hold FUNC + turn a DATA ENTRY knob: Makes supported parameters jump between musically useful values (parameter value jump).
Hold TRK + turn a DATA ENTRY knob: Changes that parameter on all the audio tracks in the pattern (control all).
Hold TRK + NO: Reverts the control all change — press NO before you release TRK.While using control all

Reset: Back to the parameter’s default value — for one knob (knob + NO) or a whole page (PARAMETER + PLAY).
Reload: Back to the preset’s last saved state — for one page (PARAMETER + NO) or the whole preset (TRK + TRIG 1–16 + NO).
Randomise: New random values for the relevant parameters on one page of an audio track (PARAMETER + YES). Each press gives a different result.
Parameter value jump: Hold FUNC while you edit certain parameters and the value leaps to sensible positions instead of moving one step: NOTE jumps in octaves, and the delay time jumps between BPM-related settings.
Control all: Hold TRK and change a parameter to set it on all the audio tracks in the pattern at once. Changed your mind? Press NO while you’re still holding TRK.

2.4BasicsManual §6.3 p.19

Quick scrolling

Preset lists, project lists and settings menus can get long. Rather than stepping one line at a time with the arrow keys, spin a knob or jump a whole page at once.

Turn LEVEL/DATA to scroll through a menu or list.
Hold FUNC and press UP or DOWN to move the cursor a full menu page in that direction.

Key combinations

FUNC + UP/DOWN: Moves the cursor one menu page up or down.In menus and lists

2.5BasicsManual §6.4 p.19, §10.12.5 p.52, §16 p.84

Copy, clear and paste

Copying saves you rebuilding the same thing twice, and clearing gives you a fresh start. The same three keys — RECORD to copy, STOP to paste, PLAY to clear — work in many places. What they act on depends on which key you hold with them and which mode you’re in.

The basic three

FUNC + RECORD: Copies the selected item.
FUNC + STOP: Pastes the copied item.
FUNC + PLAY: Clears the selected item.
FUNC + STOP: Undoes the paste.Pressed again after pasting
FUNC + PLAY: Undoes the clear.Pressed again after clearing

What gets copied where

What	Copy	Paste	Clear	Where it works
Active pattern	`FUNC` + `RECORD`	`FUNC` + `STOP`	`FUNC` + `PLAY`	With GRID RECORDING mode off. Select the destination pattern before pasting; clearing removes all the pattern’s trigs.
Another pattern, without leaving the active one	`PTN`, then `TRIG` + `RECORD`	`PTN`, then `TRIG` + `STOP`	`PTN`, then `TRIG` + `PLAY`	Pattern selection — see Copy, paste and clear in the sequencer
Active track’s sequence (all its trigs)	`FUNC` + `RECORD`	`FUNC` + `STOP`	`FUNC` + `PLAY`	GRID RECORDING mode
Sequencer page	`PAGE` + `RECORD`	`PAGE` + `STOP`	`PAGE` + `PLAY`	GRID RECORDING mode; choose the page with `PAGE` first
Trig, with its parameter locks	`TRIG` + `RECORD`	`TRIG` + `STOP`	`TRIG` + `PLAY`	GRID RECORDING mode; hold several `TRIG` keys to copy more than one
Selected track’s preset	`TRK` + `RECORD`	`TRK` + `STOP`	`TRK` + `PLAY`	—
Parameter page	`PARAMETER` + `RECORD`	`PARAMETER` + `STOP`	`PARAMETER` + `PLAY`	Select another track before pasting; clearing resets the page to its defaults
Song row	`FUNC` + `RECORD`	`FUNC` + `STOP`	`FUNC` + `PLAY` resets the row	SONG EDIT screen — see Song mode
Name	`FUNC` + `RECORD`	`FUNC` + `STOP`	`FUNC` + `PLAY`	NAMING screen — see Naming things

Every copy, paste and clear combination

FUNC + RECORD: Copies the active pattern.GRID RECORDING mode off
FUNC + STOP: Pastes the copied pattern over the active pattern.GRID RECORDING mode off
FUNC + PLAY: Clears the active pattern.GRID RECORDING mode off
FUNC + RECORD: Copies the active track’s sequence — all the trigs on the track.GRID RECORDING mode
FUNC + STOP: Pastes the copied sequence to the active track.GRID RECORDING mode
FUNC + PLAY: Clears the active track’s sequence.GRID RECORDING mode
TRIG + RECORD: Copies the held trig, or several held trigs, with their parameter locks.GRID RECORDING mode
TRIG + STOP: Pastes the copied trig or trigs, starting at the held TRIG key and keeping their spacing.GRID RECORDING mode
TRIG + PLAY: Clears the held trig — the manual also describes this as clearing the trig’s locks.GRID RECORDING mode
PAGE + RECORD: Copies the active sequencer page.GRID RECORDING mode
PAGE + STOP: Pastes the copied page to the active page.GRID RECORDING mode
PAGE + PLAY: Clears the active page.GRID RECORDING mode
TRK + RECORD: Copies the selected track’s preset.
TRK + STOP: Pastes the copied preset to the selected track.
TRK + PLAY: Clears the selected track’s preset.
PARAMETER + RECORD: Copies that parameter page with all its settings.
PARAMETER + STOP: Pastes the copied page — select a different track first.

The sequencer versions — patterns, tracks, pages and trigs — are covered in more depth in Copy, paste and clear in the sequencer.

2.6BasicsManual §6.5 p.19, §6.5.1 p.19, §6.5.1 p.20, §16 p.84

Naming things

Whenever you save a preset, a project or anything else that needs a name, the same NAMING screen appears. It works identically everywhere, so a couple of shortcuts make naming quick.

Type a name

Press LEFT or RIGHT to move to the character you want to change.
Turn LEVEL/DATA or press UP/DOWN to choose the character.
Repeat for each position you want to change.
Press YES to confirm the name.

Pick characters from the pop-up

On the NAMING screen, press and hold FUNC. A pop-up shows every available letter, digit and symbol.
Keep holding FUNC and use the ARROW keys to highlight the character you want.
Release FUNC to add it to the name.

Key combinations

LEFT/RIGHT: Moves between characters.NAMING screen
UP/DOWN: Changes the selected character.NAMING screen
FUNC + NO: Erases characters.NAMING screen
FUNC + YES: Inserts a space.NAMING screen
SETTINGS: Creates a random name.NAMING screen
Hold FUNC: Opens the pop-up naming menu.NAMING screen
Hold FUNC + ARROW: Highlights a character; release FUNC to insert it.Pop-up naming menu
FUNC + RECORD: Copies the name.NAMING screen
FUNC + STOP: Pastes a copied name.NAMING screen
FUNC + PLAY: Clears the name.NAMING screen
YES: Confirms the name and carries on.NAMING screen

2.7BasicsManual §8.1 p.24, §8.2 p.24, §8.3 p.24, §3.1 p.13, §13.7.9 p.79

Trig keys, knobs and key behaviour

The 16 TRIG keys are the busiest controls on the Digitone II: they play tracks, place steps, pick tracks, patterns and songs, and their lights tell you what’s going on. The knobs come in two kinds that behave differently, and some key groups only ever let one key be active.

What the TRIG keys do

Play the matching track from the active pattern when you aren’t recording into the sequencer.
Place and remove trigs in the recording modes (GRID RECORDING mode, STEP RECORDING mode), and, held down while you turn a knob, add parameter locks (Parameter locks).
Select a track, pattern or song together with TRK, PTN or SONG.
Become a keyboard in KEYBOARD mode (KEYBOARD mode), mute switches in MUTE mode (MUTE mode), or velocity, retrig and preset pads in the other TRIG modes (TRIG mode).
Light up to show placed trigs and the selected bank and track.

Key combinations

TRIG: Plays the corresponding track.When not recording
TRIG: Places or removes a trig on that step.GRID RECORDING mode
TRK + TRIG 1–16: Selects the active track.
PTN + TRIG 1–16: Selects a pattern in the current bank.
SONG + TRIG 1–16: Selects song 1–16 and enters SONG mode.
TRK + TRIG: Plays that track’s sound without selecting it.TRK SELECT set to INVERTED

TRK SELECT: what a TRIG key press does outside the recording modes

Setting	Selects the track?	Plays its sound?
`NORMAL`	Yes	Yes
`SILENT`	Yes	No
`MANUAL`	No	Yes
`INVERTED`	Yes	No — `TRK` + `TRIG` plays it without selecting it

TRK SELECT lives in the PERSONALIZE menu (The PERSONALIZE menu) and arrived in OS 1.10. In NORMAL, SILENT and MANUAL, TRK + TRIG selects a track without playing it.

What the TRIG key lights mean

Light	When	Meaning
Red	GRID and STEP RECORDING	A note trig on that step.
Yellow	GRID and STEP RECORDING	A lock trig on that step — it sends parameter locks but plays no note.
Flashing red or yellow	GRID and STEP RECORDING	The trig has parameter locks.
A light running along the keys	Playback or LIVE RECORDING	The playhead moving through the 16 steps, across all pattern pages (up to eight), at the set tempo.
Red	Holding `TRK`	The active track.
White	Pattern selection	Pattern slots that contain data; the active pattern is red and empty slots are unlit.
Green	GRID RECORDING, holding `PAGE`	Pattern pages selected to play and loop (GRID RECORDING mode).
Double-blinking green	STEP RECORDING	The active step (STEP RECORDING mode).
Blue	Euclidean mode	Trigs generated by the Euclidean sequencer (Euclidean sequencer mode).
Lit like a piano octave	KEYBOARD mode, `SCALE` on `CHROMATIC`, `MODE` on `NORMAL`	Only the lit keys play a note.
Blue	KEYBOARD mode, `MODE` on `FOLDED`	Keys whose notes are one or more octaves apart.
Unlit	KEYBOARD mode, chord modes	Each key plays several notes, so none light up.
Green	GLOBAL MUTE mode	Unmuted track; unlit keys are muted.
Blinking green	GLOBAL MUTE mode	A muted track that has trigs, while the pattern plays.
Magenta	PATTERN MUTE mode	Unmuted track; unlit keys are muted.
Blinking magenta	PATTERN MUTE mode	A muted track that has trigs, while the pattern plays. Also shown in both modes when a track is muted in both.

Two kinds of knob

MAIN VOLUME: An absolute control that travels roughly 320 degrees between its left and right extremes.
LEVEL/DATA and DATA ENTRY A–H: Relative encoders that keep turning in either direction for as many turns as you like. Press them while turning to change values faster.

2.8BasicsManual §8.5 p.24, §8.5.1 p.24, §13.7.4 p.79

KEYBOARD mode

KEYBOARD mode turns the TRIG keys into a small keyboard for the active track. On an audio track you play its preset at different pitches; on a MIDI track you send MIDI notes. It’s one of several modes that decide what the TRIG keys do — the others are MUTE mode (MUTE mode) and the TRIG modes (TRIG mode).

Play a track from the TRIG keys

Press TRK + one of TRIG 1–16 to choose the track you want to play.
Press KEYBOARD. With SCALE set to CHROMATIC and MODE set to NORMAL, the keys light up like one octave of a piano; only the lit keys play.
Play the TRIG keys. TRIG 9 to TRIG 16 span one octave.
Press + or - to shift the keyboard an octave at a time.
Press KEYBOARD again to leave KEYBOARD mode.

Good to know

The full playable range is C0–G10, a little over ten octaves. You can transpose up to 4 octaves above and 5 octaves below the middle octave.
Set U/D KEY MODE to KB OCT (The PERSONALIZE menu) and plain UP/DOWN also transposes while you’re in KEYBOARD mode. Outside KEYBOARD mode they still move between parameter pages.
Notes you play can be recorded in LIVE RECORDING mode (LIVE RECORDING mode), and in STEP RECORDING mode you hold KEYBOARD and press a lit key to enter a note (STEP RECORDING mode).
Scale, root note and the chord modes are set in the KEYBOARD SETUP menu — see KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords.

Key combinations

KEYBOARD: Turns KEYBOARD mode on or off.
TRK + TRIG 1–16: Chooses which track the keyboard plays.KEYBOARD mode
TRIG: Plays the active track at that key’s pitch, or sends that note from a MIDI track.KEYBOARD mode
+/-, or UP/DOWN with U/D KEY MODE set to KB OCT: Transposes the keyboard up or down one octave.KEYBOARD mode

The colour of + and - shows the octave

Colour	Octave shift
White	1 octave up or down
Yellow	2 octaves up or down
Orange	3 octaves up or down
Red	4 octaves up or down
Dark red	5 octaves down

2.9IntermediateOS 1.10+Manual §8.5.2 p.25, §8.5.2 p.26, §16 p.85

KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords

The KEYBOARD SETUP menu decides which notes the TRIG keys play in KEYBOARD mode. Lock them to a scale so every key fits the music, fold the scale across all 16 keys, or switch to a chord mode so each key plays a full chord. The same settings shape the notes and chords you enter in LIVE and STEP RECORDING modes and in the NOTE EDIT menu.

Open and use the menu

Press FUNC + KEYBOARD. A graphic shows which notes the TRIG keys play.
Turn the DATA ENTRY knobs to change the settings below.
Press +/- or UP/DOWN to shift the keyboard up or down an octave.
Press NO to close the menu. Press KEYBOARD when you want to leave KEYBOARD mode.

KEYBOARD SETUP menu

MODEKeyboard mode: How the TRIG keys handle notes: NORMAL, FOLDED, or one of the chord modes (see the table below).Knob E
ROOTRoot note: The root note of the chosen scale.Knob F
SCALEScale: Only notes in this scale can be played on the TRIG keys. Parts of the manual call it KB SCALE. All the scales are listed in Keyboard scales.Knob G
TYPE/SHAPEChord type or shape: Which chord a key plays in the chord modes. With SCALE on CHROMATIC you choose a chord type such as MAJ, MIN, 7TH, MIN7, MAJ7 or DIM; with any other scale you get chords built from the scale, and this picks which scale notes they use, such as 1-3-5.Knob H
BASS OCTBass octave: Adds a root bass note one, two or three octaves below the chord. If the chord has more than three notes, the bass note replaces the root. Only available in CHORD ROOT, CHORD CENTER and CHORD SPREAD.Knob D

MODE options

Mode	What the `TRIG` keys do
`NORMAL`	Play only the notes of the chosen scale, laid out like one piano octave. Only the lit keys play.
`FOLDED`	Every key plays a scale note. `TRIG 9` plays the lowest note for the octave, root and scale; the scale climbs to `TRIG 16` and carries on across `TRIG 1–8`.
`CHORD ROOT`	Each key plays a chord built from `SCALE` and `ROOT`, chosen by `TYPE/SHAPE`, stacked up from its lowest root note.
`CHORD CENTER`	Like `CHORD ROOT`, but the chord notes gather around a centre position — like a player keeping their hand in one place while changing chords. A small arrow under the on-screen keyboard marks the centre.
`CHORD SPREAD`	Like `CHORD CENTER`, but every second note is raised an octave for a more open voicing.
`CHORD MEMORY`	Plays back up to 16 chords per pattern that you recorded with CHORD MEMORY LEARN.

How FOLDED lays out the notes

If the scale has fewer than eight notes per octave, the leftover keys at the end of the lower row play the same notes as the first keys of the upper row.
Blue TRIG keys mark notes that are one or more octaves apart.
Example: with the whole tone scale, TRIG 15–16 play the same notes as TRIG 1–2. TRIG 1 and TRIG 15 both sound one octave above TRIG 9, and TRIG 7 two octaves above it.

Chord examples from the manual

Settings	You play	You hear
`ROOT` C, `SCALE` `ION`, `SHAPE` `1-3-5`	C	C, E, G — C major
`ROOT` C, `SCALE` `ION`, `SHAPE` `1-3-5`	D	D, F, A — D minor
`ROOT` C, `SCALE` `ION`, `SHAPE` `1-3-5-7`	C	C, E, G, B — C major 7th
`SHAPE` `1-3-5`, `BASS OCT` -1	C3	C2, C3, E3, G3
`SHAPE` `1-3-5-7`, `BASS OCT` -1	C3	C2, E3, G3, B3 — the bass note replaces the root

Record chords with CHORD MEMORY LEARN

In the KEYBOARD SETUP menu, press FUNC + YES to open CHORD MEMORY LEARN. It works whichever MODE is selected.
Play your chord on the TRIG keys or on an external MIDI controller. Press FUNC + NO to start again, or FUNC + YES to hear what you’ve recorded.
Press YES, then press a TRIG key to choose the memory slot.
Press YES to save the chord to that slot.
Repeat for more chords, then set MODE to CHORD MEMORY to play them back.

Key combinations

FUNC + KEYBOARD: Opens the KEYBOARD SETUP menu.
+/- or UP/DOWN: Transposes the keyboard up or down one octave.KEYBOARD SETUP menu
NO: Closes the KEYBOARD SETUP menu.KEYBOARD SETUP menu
Hold FUNC: Opens the CONFIG menu, where you choose whether MODE, ROOT and SCALE are set per pattern or per track.KEYBOARD SETUP menu
FUNC + YES: Opens CHORD MEMORY LEARN.KEYBOARD SETUP menu
TRIG: Plays and records the notes of your chord.CHORD MEMORY LEARN
FUNC + NO: Clears what you’ve recorded.CHORD MEMORY LEARN
FUNC + YES: Previews the recorded chord.CHORD MEMORY LEARN
YES, then TRIG: Moves on to saving, and picks the memory slot.CHORD MEMORY LEARN
YES: Saves the chord to the selected slot.CHORD MEMORY LEARN, slot selected
NO: Quits CHORD MEMORY LEARN.CHORD MEMORY LEARN
Hold KEYBOARD + +/-: Moves the chord centre position up or down a semitone.CHORD CENTER and CHORD SPREAD
+/- without holding KEYBOARD: Moves the centre position to the next inversion of the chord, up or down.CHORD CENTER and CHORD SPREAD
TRIG 1–8: Selects the chord TYPE/SHAPE — quick access when you play the keys by hand.Chord modes

From the community

Layer two tracks: a slow-attack pad with a chord mode on, and a short, plucky sound with the arpeggiator on. Every chord you play then sounds as a pad and an arpeggio at once. via Elektronauts: Digitone II Tips & Tricks
Need a scale the SCALE list doesn’t have, such as a handpan tuning? Store single notes instead of chords in CHORD MEMORY mode, and the TRIG keys play exactly the notes you chose, in your order. via Elektronauts: Digitone II Tips & Tricks

Digitone II OS 1.10 Video Guide
Elektron
Elektron’s video tour of what OS 1.10 added to the Digitone II.

Elektron Digitone II - Lessons For Complete Beginners - Video 15 - Chord Mode & Note Edit
Daddy Long Les
Every keyboard mode in turn, from Normal and Folded through the chord modes to Chord Memory.

Digitone 2 firmware 1.10 update: CHORD MODE is amazing!
Sineway
Puts the OS 1.10 chord modes to work in a real songwriting session.

Digitone II OS 1.10 is here! // Deep Dive
Dave Mech
A chaptered deep dive into OS 1.10: chord modes, arp and note edit additions, track swap and PERSONALIZE.

Digitakt II & Digitone II OS 1.10Elektronauts — Elektron’s OS 1.10 announcement, and owners’ first reactions to chord modes and the rest of the update.

2.10BasicsManual §E p.119, §8.5.2 p.26, §13.7.6 p.79, §11.2 p.57, §10.3.1 p.44

Keyboard scales

A keyboard scale limits the TRIG keys to the notes of one scale, so you can play melodies and chords — or send them from a MIDI track — without hitting a wrong note. Choose it with SCALE and set its key with ROOT in the KEYBOARD SETUP menu (KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords).

SCALE options, in the order the manual lists them

#	Scale
1	CHROMATIC
2	IONIAN (MAJOR)
3	DORIAN
4	PHRYGIAN
5	LYDIAN
6	MIXOLYDIAN
7	AEOLIAN (MINOR)
8	LOCRIAN
9	PENTATONIC MINOR
10	PENTATONIC MAJOR
11	MELODIC MINOR
12	HARMONIC MINOR
13	WHOLE TONE
14	BLUES
15	COMBO MINOR
16	PERSIAN
17	IWATO
18	IN-SEN
19	HIRAJOSHI
20	PELOG
21	PHRYGIAN DOMINANT
22	WHOLE-HALF DIMINISHED
23	HALF-WHOLE DIMINISHED
24	SPANISH
25	MAJOR LOCRIAN
26	SUPER LOCRIAN
27	DORIAN b2
28	LYDIAN AUGMENTED
29	LYDIAN DOMINANT
30	DOUBLE HARMONIC MAJOR
31	LYDIAN #2 #6
32	ULTRAPHRYGIAN
33	HUNGARIAN MINOR
34	ORIENTAL
35	IONIAN #2 #5
36	LOCRIAN bb3 bb7

How the scale is used

On screen the names are shortened — for example DOR for DORIAN and ION for IONIAN.
With CHROMATIC and MODE on NORMAL, the keys light up like one piano octave. Any other scale leaves only its own notes playable; FOLDED spreads them across all 16 keys.
In the chord modes the scale decides which chords you get: CHROMATIC offers chord types, while any other scale builds chords from its own notes.
The scale is saved with the pattern, or with each track if you choose that in the KEYBOARD SETUP CONFIG menu.
In the LOAD (PRESET) list, press KEYBOARD and play the TRIG keys to hear a preset in the selected scale (The PRESET/KIT menu).

NOTE on TRIG page 1 can follow the scale too. The NOTE PARAM setting in The PERSONALIZE menu decides which way round A works:

NOTE PARAM and the NOTE knob

NOTE PARAM	Turn A	Press and turn A
`CHRO`	Chromatic steps	Only notes in the scale
`SCALE`	Only notes in the scale	Chromatic steps

2.11IntermediateManual §8.5.3 p.27, §16 p.85

MUTE mode

MUTE mode lets you drop tracks in and out while a pattern plays — the core move for building up and breaking down a live arrangement. Unlike KEYBOARD mode, it doesn’t matter which track is active: all 16 tracks are on the TRIG keys at once.

Mute and unmute tracks

Press FUNC + TRK to enter MUTE mode.
Press a TRIG key to mute its track. Press it again to unmute. Lit keys are playing; unlit keys are muted.
Press FUNC + TRK to leave MUTE mode.

GLOBAL MUTE vs PATTERN MUTE

	GLOBAL MUTE mode	PATTERN MUTE mode
Mutes apply to	Every pattern	The active pattern only
Enter with	`FUNC` + `TRK`	`FUNC` + double-press `TRK`
Exit with	`FUNC` + `TRK`	`FUNC` + `TRK`
Unmuted `TRIG` keys	Lit green	Lit magenta
Muted track with trigs, while playing	Blinks green	Blinks magenta
Saved with	The project	The pattern

Key combinations

FUNC + TRK: Enters GLOBAL MUTE mode, or whichever MUTE mode you used last.Outside MUTE mode
FUNC + double-press TRK: Enters PATTERN MUTE mode.
FUNC + TRK: Exits MUTE mode.MUTE mode
TRIG: Mutes or unmutes that track.MUTE mode
Hold FUNC + TRIG: Prepares that track to be muted or unmuted when you release FUNC.MUTE mode
Hold FUNC + TRIG: Mutes or unmutes that track straight away (QUICK MUTE).Outside MUTE mode

Prepare several mutes to land together

In either MUTE mode, press and hold FUNC.
Press the TRIG keys of the tracks you want to mute or unmute.
Release FUNC — the prepared tracks mute and unmute together.

Mute overview at the top of the screen

Symbol	Meaning
Square	Unmuted track
Horizontal line	Muted track
Plus sign	Track prepared to be unmuted
X	Track prepared to be muted

For a two-minute walkthrough, see Mute and unmute tracks. Songs can store mutes per row too — see Song mode.

From the community

Tips for playing a Live Set entirely with the Digitone 2 onlyElektronauts — Ideas for transitions, build-ups and per-pattern mutes when the Digitone II is the only instrument on stage.

2.12IntermediateManual §8.5.4 p.27, §8.5.4 p.28, §16 p.85

TRIG mode

TRIG mode decides what TRIG 1–16 play when you press them. As well as firing the 16 tracks, they can become velocity pads, retrig-rate pads or a bank of pool presets — handy for expressive playing and live variations. The mode you choose applies to all tracks, and everything you play can be captured in LIVE RECORDING mode (LIVE RECORDING mode).

Press FUNC + UP or FUNC + DOWN. The TRIG MODE menu appears, listing the four modes.
Choose a mode. The one in use is shown at the top of the main screen.
Play the TRIG keys.

Key combinations

FUNC + UP/DOWN: Opens the TRIG mode menu and selects the TRIG mode.
TRIG: Plays the active track at that key’s velocity.VELOCITIES TRIG mode
TRIG: Plays the active track at that key’s retrig rate.RETRIGS TRIG mode
TRIG: Plays the preset in that pool slot.PRESET POOL TRIG mode
PAGE: Moves on to the next 16 pool slots.PRESET POOL TRIG mode

The TRIG modes

Mode	What `TRIG 1–16` do	Works on
`TRACKS` (default)	Trigger the corresponding audio or MIDI tracks 1–16.	Audio and MIDI tracks
`VELOCITIES`	Play the active track at 16 different velocities.	Audio and MIDI tracks
`RETRIGS`	Play the active track at 16 different retrig rates.	Audio tracks only
`PRESET POOL`	Play presets from the project’s pool, 16 slots at a time.	Audio tracks only

VELOCITIES and RETRIGS key map

Key	VELOCITIES	RETRIGS
`TRIG 1`	8	1/1
`TRIG 2`	16	1/2
`TRIG 3`	24	1/3
`TRIG 4`	32	1/4
`TRIG 5`	40	1/5
`TRIG 6`	48	1/6
`TRIG 7`	56	1/8
`TRIG 8`	64	1/12
`TRIG 9`	72	1/16
`TRIG 10`	80	1/20
`TRIG 11`	88	1/24
`TRIG 12`	96	1/32
`TRIG 13`	104	1/40
`TRIG 14`	112	1/48
`TRIG 15`	120	1/64
`TRIG 16`	127	1/80

PRESET POOL mode

The first page plays pool slots 1–16. Press PAGE for slots 17–32, and keep pressing for each following group of 16.
Only presets in the project’s pool are available — add them first (Managing the preset pool). MIDI presets can’t be added to the pool.