Settings & system · Digitone II guide

11.1BasicsManual §13 p.72, §13.1 p.72, §13.1.1 p.72, §13.1.2 p.72, §13.1.3 p.72

Projects: load, save and manage

A project holds your patterns, songs, presets in the pool and settings — see Projects, patterns, kits and presets. You load, save and organise projects from the SETTINGS menu, which also holds the SONG, PATTERN, MIDI CONFIG, SYSEX DUMP, AUDIO ROUTING, PERSONALIZE and SYSTEM menus covered in this chapter and in MIDI configuration: sync, ports and channels and SysEx send and receive.

Find the project options

Press SETTINGS to open the SETTINGS menu.
Scroll with UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA to PROJECT and press YES.
Choose LOAD PROJECT, SAVE PROJECT AS or MANAGE PROJECTS.

PROJECT menu

LOAD PROJECT: Lists the projects you can load. To start from scratch, pick CREATE NEW at the very bottom of the list — you get a completely blank project.
SAVE PROJECT AS: Lists the project slots so you can save the active project into one of them. To save over the current project in one go, press FUNC + SETTINGS instead.
MANAGE PROJECTS: Opens the PROJECT MANAGER. Highlight a project and press RIGHT to see what you can do with it.

PROJECT MANAGER commands

Command	What it does
`CLEAR`	Wipes the project slot so it starts fresh.
`DELETE`	Removes the project from its slot.
`RENAME`	Opens the naming screen so you can rename the project file. See Naming things.
`LOAD FROM`	Loads the selected project, replacing the active one.
`SAVE TO`	Saves the active project into the selected slot.
`TOGGLE`	Switches write protection on or off. A protected project can’t be overwritten, renamed or erased, and has a lock symbol in front of its name.
`INIT NEW`	Puts a fresh, clean project into an empty slot. Only offered for empty slots.
`PURGE ALL`	Clears out of RAM every preset in the pool that no pattern in the project uses. The presets stay in the +Drive library. Only offered for the project that is currently loaded — see Managing the preset pool.

Key combinations

SETTINGS: Opens the SETTINGS menu.
UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA: Scrolls the list.SETTINGS menu
YES: Opens the highlighted menu.SETTINGS menu
NO: Steps back a level each time you press it, until you are on the main screen again.SETTINGS menu and its sub-menus
FUNC + SETTINGS: Saves the active project, overwriting the current project.
RIGHT: Opens the list of commands for the highlighted project.PROJECT MANAGER

11.2BasicsManual §13.2 p.73, §13.2.1 p.73, §13.2.4 p.73

SONG settings menu

The SONG menu takes care of song housekeeping — naming, clearing, loading and saving the pattern arrangements you build in Song mode. The menu shows the active song’s number and name on the left.

Press SETTINGS to open the SETTINGS menu.
Highlight SONG and press YES.
Highlight one of the options below and press YES.

SONG menu options

Option	What it does
`RENAME`	Opens the naming screen so you can rename the active song. See Naming things.
`CLEAR`	Clears the active song.
`LOAD`	Opens a screen where you choose a song to load.
`SAVE TO PROJ`	Saves the active song to the project.

Key combinations

YES: Runs the highlighted option.SETTINGS > SONG

11.3IntermediateManual §13.3 p.73, §13.3.1 p.73, §13.3.3 p.73, §13.3.4 p.74

PATTERN settings menu

The PATTERN menu handles the active pattern: renaming it, clearing it, saving it to the project and going back to the saved version. Clearing, saving and reloading each let you pick a scope — the whole pattern, just its kit, or just its sequence — so you can, say, keep the beat and start the sounds over. The menu shows the active pattern and its name on the left.

Press SETTINGS to open the SETTINGS menu.
Highlight PATTERN and press YES.
Use UP/DOWN to choose an option and press YES.
For CLEAR, SAVE TO PROJ and RELOAD FROM PROJ, choose WHOLE PATTERN, KIT DATA or SEQUENCE DATA.
At the prompt, press YES to go ahead or NO to cancel.

PATTERN menu options

RENAME: Opens the naming screen so you can rename the active pattern. See Naming things.
CLEAR: Clears all or part of the active pattern.
SAVE TO PROJ: Saves all or part of the active pattern to the +Drive.
RELOAD FROM PROJ: Brings back all or part of the active pattern as it was last saved on the +Drive.

What each scope affects

Scope	CLEAR	SAVE TO PROJ	RELOAD FROM PROJ
`WHOLE PATTERN`	Sequencer data and kit	Sequence data and kit	Sequence data and kit
`KIT DATA`	The kit — sequencer data is left alone	The kit	The kit
`SEQUENCE DATA`	Sequence data — presets are left alone	Sequence data	All sequence data

The kit includes the pattern’s presets, track and pattern levels, compressor, send FX and other kit settings — see Projects, patterns, kits and presets.

Key combinations

UP/DOWN: Moves between the options.PATTERN menu
YES: Selects the highlighted option.PATTERN menu
NO: Leaves the menu.PATTERN menu
YES: Goes ahead with the clear, save or reload.PATTERN menu prompt
NO: Cancels the clear, save or reload.PATTERN menu prompt

11.4AdvancedManual §13.6 p.77, §13.6.1 p.77, §13.6.2 p.77, §13.6.3 p.78, §13.6.4 p.78, §13.6.5 p.78, §13.6.6 p.78, §13.6.7 p.78

Audio routing

AUDIO ROUTING decides where audio goes inside the Digitone II and over USB: which tracks, effects and inputs you hear from the main outputs, which of them feed the effects, and what travels to and from a computer or other class-compliant USB audio host (Class-compliant USB audio and MIDI). These settings are global — they apply to the whole instrument, not to one pattern.

Open AUDIO ROUTING

Press SETTINGS to open the SETTINGS menu.
Highlight AUDIO ROUTING and press YES.
Highlight the option you want: TO MAIN, TO SEND FX, USB IN, USB OUT, INT TO MAIN, USB TO MAIN [dB] or PRE/POST FADER.

Choose what reaches the main outputs (TO MAIN)

Highlight TO MAIN and press YES.
Use UP/DOWN to move between the setup pages.
Press a TRIG key to switch that track, effect or input on or off. Green keys send to MAIN OUT; unlit keys don’t.

TO MAIN covers all 16 tracks, the three send effects — delay, reverb and chorus — and the inputs. TO SEND FX works the same way for what feeds the effects. It covers the 16 tracks, the inputs and two of the effects, delay and chorus — the two that have sends of their own into other effects.

Choose what feeds the effects (TO SEND FX)

Highlight TO SEND FX and press YES.
Use UP/DOWN to move between the setup pages.
Press a TRIG key to switch that track, effect or input on or off. Green keys send to the effects; unlit keys don’t.

USB audio settings

USB IN: Where audio coming in from a class-compliant USB device goes. MAIN sends it to the Digitone II’s main outputs; OFF lets none of it in.Range MAIN, OFF
USB OUT: Which point in the signal path feeds the audio sent to a class-compliant USB device: MAIN takes the main out at the very end of the path, L:T1–16/R:T1–16 one or two tracks (see the steps below), EXT the IN L/R inputs passed straight through, and OFF sends nothing.Range MAIN, L:T1–16/R:T1–16, EXT, OFF
INT TO MAIN: Whether internal sound reaches MAIN OUT and HEADPHONES OUT while you use a class-compliant USB audio device. OFF never sends it, ON always does, and AUTO mutes it while USB audio is streaming and lets it through when it isn’t.Range OFF, ON, AUTO
USB TO MAIN [dB]: How much gain is added to audio streamed over USB on its way to the main out, with a class-compliant USB audio device.Range 0 dB–+18 dB
PRE/POST FADER: Whether the audio sent over USB is taken before or after the track level setting.

Send one or two tracks over USB

Set USB OUT to L:T1–16/R:T1–16.
For one track in stereo, press its TRIG key twice. The key lights white.
For two separate tracks, press one TRIG key and then another. The keys light blue for the left channel and red for the right; each track is summed to mono and sent on its own side.

Key combinations

YES: Opens the highlighted routing option.SETTINGS > AUDIO ROUTING
UP/DOWN: Moves between the setup pages.AUDIO ROUTING > TO MAIN or TO SEND FX
TRIG: Switches sending to the main outputs on or off for that track, effect or input.AUDIO ROUTING > TO MAIN
TRIG: Switches sending to the effects on or off for that track, effect or input.AUDIO ROUTING > TO SEND FX
TRIG twice: Selects that track as a single stereo source for USB OUT.USB OUT set to L:T1–16/R:T1–16
TRIG, then another TRIG: Selects two tracks as separate mono sources for the left and right USB channels.USB OUT set to L:T1–16/R:T1–16

Routing changes in the release notes

OS	Change
1.10	Small screen changes to the `TO MAIN` and `TO SEND FX` items.
1.10	Fixed `USB OUT` set to `EXT` not working as expected.
1.10A	Removing send effects from the main outputs no longer removes them from their individual outputs too.
1.12	Added the option to route the audio from the main outputs through an Outbox 8 — see Outbox 8.

From the community

Outbox 8 User Manual (OS 1.00E)Elektron — The Outbox 8’s own manual, for connections and setup on the Outbox side.

11.5IntermediateManual §13.7 p.78, §13.7.1 p.78, §13.7.2 p.78, §13.7.3 p.79, §13.7.11 p.79

The PERSONALIZE menu

PERSONALIZE collects the preferences that change how the Digitone II feels to use rather than how it sounds: how bright the lights are, what the arrow keys do, how the NOTE knob moves, how LIVE RECORDING treats existing trigs, what a TRIG key does when you switch tracks, and how the note editor behaves. OS 1.10 added five of its eleven options.

Open PERSONALIZE

Press SETTINGS.
Scroll to PERSONALIZE with UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA and press YES.
Highlight the option you want to change. Use LEFT/RIGHT to change LED INTENSITY, and YES to switch REMEMBER SUBPAGE on or off.

PERSONALIZE options

LED INTENSITY: How bright the key LEDs and the screen are. Change it with LEFT/RIGHT.
LED BACKLIGHT: Switches the backlight of the key LEDs on or off.
REMEMBER SUBPAGE: When on, pressing a PARAMETER key takes you back to the subpage of that page you used last. Toggle it with YES.Range ON, OFF
U/D KEY MODE: What UP/DOWN do. With KB OCT they shift the keyboard an octave in KEYBOARD mode and move between parameter pages everywhere else; with NAV they only ever move between parameter pages. See KEYBOARD mode.Range KB OCT, NAV
PAGE AUTOCOPY: When on, making a pattern longer copies the trigs already placed into the new pages: stretch a two-page pattern to four pages and pages 3–4 become copies of pages 1–2. See Pattern length, speed and page setup.
NOTE PARAM: How A edits NOTE on TRIG page 1 — chromatically or through the set scale, with pressing and turning giving you the other one (see the table below). See The TRIG pages and KEYBOARD SETUP: scales, folding and chords.Range CHRO, SCALE
LIVE REC OVERDUB: When ticked, the notes and locks you record in LIVE RECORDING mode are added to trigs already on the steps instead of replacing them. OS 1.10 added the overdub option — see LIVE RECORDING mode.
PARAM LIVE REC: Whether parameter locks recorded in LIVE RECORDING mode can land on every sequencer step, or only on steps that already hold a trig. Added in OS 1.10 — see Parameter locks.
TRK SELECT: What happens when you press a TRIG key to change tracks outside the recording modes: whether the track is selected, whether its sound plays, and what TRK + TRIG does instead. Added in OS 1.10, where the release notes call it TRACK SELECT.Range NORMAL, SILENT, MANUAL, INVERTED
NOTE PREVIEW: Whether you hear a note when you add it in the note editor: ALWAYS, only while the sequencer is paused or stopped (PAUSED), or NEVER. Added in OS 1.10 — see The NOTE EDIT menu.Range ALWAYS, PAUSED, NEVER
NOTE EDIT MENU: How you get into the NOTE EDIT menu. With ANY, NOTE EDIT always opens it; with REC, you press RECORD first, so playing notes and beats on the TRIG keys can’t open it by accident. Added in OS 1.10 — see The NOTE EDIT menu.Range ANY, REC

NOTE PARAM settings

Setting	Turn knob A	Press and turn knob A
`CHRO`	Chromatic steps	Steps that follow the set scale
`SCALE`	Steps that follow the set scale	Chromatic steps

TRK SELECT settings

Setting	Press a TRIG key	Press TRK + TRIG
`NORMAL`	Selects the track and plays its sound	Selects the track without a sound
`SILENT`	Selects the track without a sound	Selects the track without a sound
`MANUAL`	Plays the track’s sound but doesn’t select it	Selects the track without a sound
`INVERTED`	Selects the track without a sound	Plays the track’s sound but doesn’t select it

Key combinations

Hold SETTINGS for a second, then press TRIG 1–3: Sets the brightness of the key LEDs and screen.
Hold SETTINGS for a second, then press TRIG 9: Switches the key LED backlight on or off.
LEFT/RIGHT: Changes the brightness.PERSONALIZE > LED INTENSITY
YES: Switches REMEMBER SUBPAGE on or off.PERSONALIZE > REMEMBER SUBPAGE
UP/DOWN: Shifts the keyboard up or down an octave.KEYBOARD mode with U/D KEY MODE set to KB OCT
UP/DOWN: Moves between parameter pages.Outside KEYBOARD mode, or with U/D KEY MODE set to NAV
TRIG PARAMETERS, then turn A: Changes NOTE in chromatic steps.TRIG page 1, NOTE PARAM set to CHRO
TRIG PARAMETERS, then press and turn A: Changes NOTE in steps that follow the set scale.TRIG page 1, NOTE PARAM set to CHRO
TRIG PARAMETERS, then turn A: Changes NOTE in steps that follow the set scale.TRIG page 1, NOTE PARAM set to SCALE
TRIG PARAMETERS, then press and turn A: Changes NOTE in chromatic steps.TRIG page 1, NOTE PARAM set to SCALE
TRIG: Selects the track and plays its sound.TRK SELECT set to NORMAL, outside the recording modes
TRIG: Selects the track without playing its sound.TRK SELECT set to SILENT or INVERTED, outside the recording modes
TRIG: Plays the track’s sound without selecting it.TRK SELECT set to MANUAL, outside the recording modes
TRK + TRIG: Selects the track without playing its sound.TRK SELECT set to NORMAL, SILENT or MANUAL
TRK + TRIG: Plays the track’s sound without selecting it.TRK SELECT set to INVERTED
NOTE EDIT: Opens the NOTE EDIT menu.NOTE EDIT MENU set to ANY
RECORD, then NOTE EDIT: Opens the NOTE EDIT menu.NOTE EDIT MENU set to REC

11.6IntermediateManual §13.8 p.80, §13.8.1 p.80, §13.8.3 p.80, §13.8.4 p.80

The SYSTEM menu

The SYSTEM menu holds the settings that concern the instrument itself rather than your music: what the USB port carries, OS updates, erasing the +Drive and the master tuning.

Open the SYSTEM menu

Press SETTINGS.
Scroll to SYSTEM with UP/DOWN or LEVEL/DATA and press YES.
Highlight USB CONFIG, OS UPGRADE, FORMAT +DRIVE or MASTER TUNE.

USB CONFIG decides what the USB port is used for. It has three modes and only one can be active — choosing one switches the other two off.

USB CONFIG modes

Mode	What it does
`OVERBRIDGE`	Turns on Overbridge, so the Digitone II shows up as a plug-in in your DAW — see Overbridge.
`USB MIDI`	Sends and receives MIDI over USB.
`USB AUDIO/MIDI`	Sends and receives both audio and MIDI over USB. Choose it to use the Digitone II with a class-compliant USB audio host — see Class-compliant USB audio and MIDI.

OS UPGRADE is the standard way to update the Digitone II: you send the OS file from Elektron Transfer over USB and confirm on the Digitone II. The full procedure is in Updating the OS, and if this route doesn’t work, the The STARTUP menu has a fallback over MIDI.

FORMAT +DRIVE wipes content from the +Drive. Its option, PROJ+PST+KIT, erases every project, preset and kit stored there.

Format the +Drive

Back up everything you want to keep with Elektron Transfer — see Backing up with Elektron Transfer.
Press SETTINGS, open SYSTEM, then open FORMAT +DRIVE.
Make your choice with LEFT/RIGHT and press YES.
A prompt asks whether to go ahead. Press YES to format.

MASTER TUNE tunes the whole instrument. Highlight it and change the value with LEFT/RIGHT; the current value is shown next to the option.

Key combinations

YES: Opens the highlighted option.SETTINGS > SYSTEM
YES: Ticks the highlighted USB mode, which switches the other two off.SYSTEM > USB CONFIG
LEFT/RIGHT: Makes your choice of what to erase.SYSTEM > FORMAT +DRIVE
YES: Confirms your choice and brings up the format prompt.SYSTEM > FORMAT +DRIVE
YES: Starts formatting the +Drive.FORMAT +DRIVE prompt
LEFT/RIGHT: Changes the master tune.SYSTEM > MASTER TUNE

For the difference between project RAM and the +Drive, see The +Drive library and the pool.

11.7AdvancedManual §14 p.81, §14.1 p.81, §14.2 p.81, §14.3 p.81, §14.4 p.81, §14.5 p.81

The STARTUP menu is a maintenance menu you can only reach while the Digitone II boots. Use it to check the hardware, to start over with an empty or factory-fresh machine, or to install an OS over MIDI when the normal update from the SYSTEM menu doesn’t work.

Open the STARTUP menu

Switch the Digitone II off.
Hold FUNC while you switch it on with the POWER switch on the back panel.
Press the TRIG key for the option you want — see the table below.

STARTUP menu options

Key	Option	What it does
`TRIG 1`	`TEST MODE`	Runs a hardware self-test and shows a test log.
`TRIG 2`	`EMPTY RESET`	Erases all patterns and presets. The data on the +Drive is left intact.
`TRIG 3`	`FACTORY RESET`	Re-initialises the active project and +Drive project slot 1 with the factory content, and puts the factory presets back in preset banks A and B.
`TRIG 4`	`OS UPGRADE`	Waits for a new OS to arrive over MIDI from Elektron Transfer — see Updating the OS.
`TRIG 5`	`EXIT`	Leaves the STARTUP menu.

Key combinations

Hold FUNC while powering on: Opens the STARTUP menu.
TRIG 1: Enters TEST MODE.STARTUP menu
UP/DOWN: Scrolls through the test log.STARTUP menu > TEST MODE
TRIG 2: Performs an empty reset.STARTUP menu
TRIG 3: Performs a factory reset.STARTUP menu
TRIG 4: Enters OS UPGRADE mode.STARTUP menu
TRIG 5: Exits the STARTUP menu.STARTUP menu

Run the hardware self-test

Open the STARTUP menu and press TRIG 1 to enter TEST MODE.
Expect a short test sound — it plays through all of the outputs.
Scroll through the test log with UP/DOWN.
Check for errors. A fully working unit reports none; if yours reports one, contact Elektron support or the shop you bought it from.

Factory reset without losing your project

Save the active project to a +Drive project slot higher than 1 — see Projects: load, save and manage.
If you keep your own presets in preset banks A or B, back them up with Transfer first (Backing up with Elektron Transfer), since those banks are overwritten.
Hold FUNC while you switch the Digitone II on.
Press TRIG 3.

11.8IntermediateManual §13.8.2 p.80, §14.4 p.81

Updating the OS

New OS versions bring new features and bug fixes. You install one by downloading the Digitone II OS file from the Elektron website and sending it to the instrument with Elektron Transfer, Elektron’s free app. There are two routes: over USB while the Digitone II is running normally, or over MIDI from the The STARTUP menu if the first one doesn’t work.

Update over USB, from the running OS

Download the Digitone II OS file from the Elektron website.
Connect the Digitone II to your computer over USB and switch it on.
Open Transfer on your computer.
On Transfer’s CONNECTION page, set the MIDI IN and MIDI OUT ports to the Digitone II.
Drag and drop the OS file onto Transfer’s DROP page. It’s sent to the Digitone II automatically and a progress bar appears on its screen.
Press YES on the Digitone II to confirm the update.
Wait — the Digitone II restarts by itself when the update is done.

Update over MIDI, from the STARTUP menu

Download the Digitone II OS file from the Elektron website.
Connect the MIDI OUT of your computer’s MIDI interface to the Digitone II’s MIDI IN. The USB port can’t be used for this route.
Hold FUNC while you switch the Digitone II on to open the STARTUP menu.
Press TRIG 4 to enter OS UPGRADE mode.
Open Transfer on your computer and, from its CONNECTION page, go to the OS upgrade for the device startup menu (see the note below for what it’s called).
Select the OS file and your MIDI interface, start the upgrade and follow Transfer’s instructions. A progress bar appears on the Digitone II’s screen as the OS arrives.
Wait — the Digitone II restarts by itself when the update is done.

Key combinations

YES: Confirms the OS update.After dropping an OS file on Transfer’s DROP page
Hold FUNC while powering on, then press TRIG 4: Enters OS UPGRADE mode, ready to receive an OS over MIDI.

From the community