Elektron Digitone - 2 The Digitone

2. THE DIGITONE
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2. THE DIGITONE
FM synthesis is a very powerful synthesis method, discovered and pioneered by John Chowning in the late
1960’s. The metallic, yet oddly natural sounds generated by this new method quickly became popular, and
just a little bit more than a decade after Chowning’s discovery, they could be heard all over the Billboard
charts. FM sounds elevated songs by Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, the Cure, Queen, too many to mention
really. It was the sound of the times.
The first all-digital Elektron products, Machinedrum and Monomachine, both featured simplified FM imple-
mentations. FM synthesis is known for being dicult to program, and we wanted to make it more acces-
sible. When we began designing Digitone, we had a similar mindset, but this time we wanted to go much
further. Our ambition was to oer the full depth of FM synthesis but modernize it, streamline it, make it more
elegant. In a sense, we wanted to expand the notion of what FM synthesis could be and mean. And so our
work began.
Using Digitone is somewhat of an adventure. Twist a knob and hear how the sound changes and becomes
animated. A crystal-like bell sound turns into a tense, crackling drone, which seconds later morphs into a
soothing pad. Digitone oers a unique approach to sound design and invites you to experiment. It is an end-
less source of both familiar and other-worldly sounds. A glorious theme park located in an uncanny valley.
Digitone is maybe the most unique synthesizer we have ever created. We hope you will enjoy it.
Sincerely,
The Elektron Team
Digitone User Manual. This manual is copyright © 2018 Elektron Music Machines MAV AB. All reproduction, digital or
printed, without written authorization is strictly prohibited. The information in this manual may change without notice.
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This manual for Digitone OS version 1.01 was last updated February 2, 2018.