DigiPAD - Novation LaunchPad Pro Custom Firmware
Elektron Digitakt and Digitone specialty, also great for many grooveboxes and synths
Custom control
Digipad is custom firmware for Novation Launchpad Pro by Fenix Song, designed to be used for Elektron Digitakt, Digitone, and many other synths and grooveboxes.
Please note: Neither Novation or Elektron endorses this independent production.
Because this is an independent effort, there is a Patreon account where you can download this and power the future development of this project. You can even help sculpt the future features of it through your participation. Fenix Song Patreon
Learn it.
Installation Instructions are included in the download.
The octave selectors go way up and way down for a nice range of octaves. Almost all modes can utilize this, so it is always present.
The Digitakt has no session mode like Ableton Live or anything close. But I have designed something that can be utilized to give you quick access to your patterns.
The NOTE and DEVICES buttons give you 2 slots for assigning “instruments” or “control surfaces” for performance quick changes. I will use the terms Modes and Instruments interchangeably.
USER is very important for changing the Modes/Instruments, transposing the key in many modes, and more. SHIFT is used for various things.
SENDS allows you to alter the midi channel assigned to each “track”.
User Settings Mode
This is a super important
page/mode because its where almost everything is set-up for usage. It’s not going to play any music, just set things up. Please note, this has been updated: More Features are now added!
Hold Shift and any of these lettered options it will assign it to slot 2. Otherwise slot 1
ROW 1: Melodic
A: ScaleArp
B: Super Melodic
C: Blues Mode
D: Keyboard
E: Major Arp
G: Master Arp (Patron Only)
H: Dual ScaleArp (Patron Only)
ROW 2: DigitaktI: Sample Slot
J: Sliders
NEW ONE: Sample Slot but for the 8 Different Channels
M: Digitakt Control Mode
ROW 3: Experimental (these do cool things but are more likely to change because I think they could be better or different and free up some space)Q: Some Love for my Patrons!
R: Super Spiral
S: Super Square
Last 3 (3rd Row on the Right) 2 Digitone modes, 1 Octatrack
Velocity Curves are on USER screen on far right in the bottom 4 Play icons.
Bottom: Standard or Even Curve
2nd from Bottom: Light / Soft…a.k.a. gradual exponential
3rd from Bottom: Hard
4th from Bottom: no velocity a.k.a. Full 127 velocity all the time.
Below is an area to set the key of any of the modes that are diatonic, like the major scale – by default the Digipad starts in the key of C. With this you can change it to any key you like. The Keyboard mode, for example, is not affected by this.
Finally you can turn on and off the PolyFORK here on the bottom row. If PolyFORK is on it takes the first note you play and hold and assigns it to track 1, then the 2nd note goes to track 2, etc. This way you can get polyphony on the Digitakt if you assign multiple tracks to a melodic sample and set up the loop points correctly (just standard stuff, don’t need to describe it here). UniFork is the Red Button (default 4 channels) – this takes the monophonic line you play and sends it to multiple midi channels for THICK bass lines or leads.. The other 5 buttons set the number of channels for UniFork or PolyFork, going from 2 to 6.
ScaleArp
A favorite of mine because it allows melodic scale playing and arpeggio playing quickly and smoothly. Plus you get over 3 octaves in an intuitive layout. See below.
Super Melodic Mode
This one is actually better on a multi-timbral synth like the Waldorf Blofeld than the Digitakt. But it can work for some things on the Digitakt. Just try it on a multimode on multitimbral synth to fully unlock the advantages. You can control 6 different tones here. Track 2 should be a bass part. Track 3 could be a pad or keys…it harmonizes 3rds diatonically – super cool. Track 4 and 5 are the minor relative to the major and can be great for any lead parts or bells. Track 6 does the 3rds again but it holds the note until you hit another Track 6 button or the MUTE button at the bottom… very nice custom functionality!
Blues Mode
The Digipad was going so nice and melodic, but it was missing something… a way to play the blues. So I made this. 2 Tracks so you can play 2 tones of instruments in a blues scale.
It is in C minor Blues by default so changing the USER mode key will change the root note. The 8th column in yellow gives a sort of Mod Wheel with 8 different steps.
Keyboard Mode
Need to be able to have chromatic access to all notes some times so the keyboard mode gives you that in an easy to grasp format.
The red arrows left and right change it between normal 4 octave mode and a split G access mode so you can hold G thru B chords more naturally.
Dual Scale Arp (Patron Only)
I liked ScaleArp so much that it had a baby! The same concept applies but now there are 2 tracks (or tones) that you can use with it. Great for fully orchestrating a Dual performance. This one is pure magic!
Just to restate: There is a FREE version of this firmware on my Patreon page! But this feature is reserved for Patron’s only.
Digitakt Sample Slot
It allows you to change the sample assigned to any one track that is the selected one and trigger that sample. This gives you that cool Parameter Lock tweaking sound but controlled live!!!
Because there are 64 buttons, you will be able to change the sample slot to 1-64 from your Digitakt project…plan accordingly to get the most out of this
Digitakt Control Mode
A mode purely built for Digitakt control. See the notes in the image… this is an absolute performance control machine!! It can do things you’d regularly could only do on Rytm or Akai Force! On the Digitakt, it makes for an ideal compact performance combo.
Track/Midi Control
Assign midi channels to each “virtual instrument” or track. See over for details…
Hit SENDS button to go here!
Each of the Rows is one track and what midi channel to assign it to.
There are more modes for Digitone which I will cover on a separate page.
Also: there are LIVE FILLS modes which create “Drum Rolls” like on other devices, and even a RANDOM 16-STEP Sequencer built in!! Become a patron to experience all of these innovative features not found on many music devices.