Digitakt II is here: Featuring stereo samples, RAM and storage boosts, and tons more goodies

Elektron has lifted the veil on the highly-anticipated Digitakt II. As the follow-up to one of the most popular drum computers and samplers in the market, the Digitakt II faces some pretty high expectations.

Though certainly it looks poised to meet them, with a host of significant upgrades including support for stereo samples, increased ram and storage, an expanded sequencer, new filter machines and a ton more. Let’s dive into them below.

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For starters, Digitakt II might feature a highly similar layout and user interface to the original Digitakt, but it offers a whole lot more power under its hood. Users now get 400 MB of sample memory – “enough memory for a lifetime of samples”, says Elektron – and a whopping 20 GB of internal memory as opposed to the original’s 1 GB.

Secondly, Digitakt II now supports 16 audio tracks as opposed to the eight audio and eight MIDI tracks on the original. Support for stereo samples has also arrived (finally!), and Elektron has doubled the maximum number of steps per pattern to an impressive 128.

In addition its beefy spec upgrades, the Digitakt II features five SRC “machines” – a concept introduced in last year’s OS 1.5 update for the original Digitakt – for you to choose from (Oneshot, Werp, Stretch, Repitch, and the new Grid which lets you slice samples into precise fragments). There are also five FLTR machines in the filter section: Multi-Mode, Low pass 4, Comb, Equalizer and Legacy LP/HP.

Users also get a filter envelope and a separate amp envelope of ADSR — for more definition and control, and AHD — ideal for those short barks of percussion. And with three LFOs per track, here’s the chance for you to go wild in modulation land.

For those who are all about workflow improvements, Digitakt II now allows you to gather your favourite sounds into Kits for quick access. ‘Perform Kit’ mode, inspired by a dash of Machinedrum magic, gives you the freedom to experiment with your kit without overwriting its saved state.

At $999 (versus the original’s $849), the Digitakt II does not come cheap, though the sampling community’s response to the release so far does look to be overwhelmingly positive.

“The original Digitakt is already one of the best and most flexible samplers and sample players out there and the Digitakt II improves on it in almost every way possible,” says synth reviewer and content creator Loopop of the new machine.

The new Digitakt also scores a point with YouTuber Captain Pikant, who says the upgrade is worth it for users who, like him, “really like working with single machine setups”.

Learn more at Elektron.