Liam Killen’s Digitone II: More Tracks, More Chaos, More Techno

Liam Killen wastes no time making it clear: the Digitone II isn’t just a modest step up from the OG—it’s a monster leap. Gone are the days of cramming all your drums onto a single track and praying for polyphonic mercy. Now, with four times the channels and the luxury of picking different machines per channel, you’re looking at a groovebox that wants to be the entire band. If you ever felt boxed in by the original Digitone, this is like knocking through the walls and adding a sub-basement.

The interface gets a serious power-up with a six-page mixer and onboard effects that actually sound good—delay, reverb, chorus, plus that overdrive Liam singles out as his favourite. Assigning tracks to MIDI or stacking up internal mayhem is a breeze. It’s not just about adding more buttons; it’s about unlocking a workflow where you don’t have to choose between drums, bass, and synths. If you want to go full toaster-fight mode, the Digitone II is ready to brawl.

When it comes to building grooves, Killen shows how the Digitone II turns layering into an art form. He dives into hi-hat panning, trig conditions, and filter tweaks—flipping between clave-like percussion and open hats in no time. It’s all happening on a single page, which keeps things punchy and easy to mutate on the fly. The param-lock power here means you can get mathematical, musical, or just plain weird with your patterns. You’re not stuck with static loops; every step can be its own beast.

Liam doesn’t stop at drums. Synth layers get the same mad scientist treatment—LFOs, pan tricks, comb filters, and the almighty param-locks. He even admits to loving perks and drums so much, he almost forgets he has a dozen tracks still unused. If you want the nitty-gritty on how to turn basic FM synth lines into a snarling groove, you’ll want to see his hands in action. Words can’t capture the glitchy swing or the controlled chaos—this is Elektron sequencing at its best.

According to Killen, the Digitone II’s presets and workflow have a real Berlin techno flavour. Where the OG Digitone was always pushing you towards classic FM clang, the sequel has a darker, more industrial edge. Set the tempo to 137 BPM, dial in just a touch of swing, and suddenly you’re ready for a warehouse gig. The new sound engines and layering options mean you don’t have to shoehorn your beats; everything just falls into place for hard-hitting, rolling techno.

But it’s not just about presets—Liam’s approach is all about making the box your own. He nudges patterns, mutes and unmutes layers, and shows how a simple motif can drive a track. His workflow is relentless but never cluttered, and the groove just keeps building. If you’re after that Berlin vibe without getting lost in menu hell, Digitone II has the grit and the speed. As always, to really feel the stomp, you’ve got to listen—text can’t shake the floor.

Just when you think the groove can’t get any dirtier, Killen patches the Digitone II through the Meris Ottobit X and the gloves come off. With playable knobs for filtering, bit crushing, and sample rate demolition, the Ottobit X adds a new layer of chaos. Liam’s favourite trick is mangling the drums in real time—twisting the filter, crushing bits, and making everything pump with MIDI clocked precision.

He runs through multiple presets and shows how the pedal’s ambience and decay can flood your mix or just sprinkle in texture. The interplay between Digitone II’s sequencing and Ottobit X’s hands-on FX is pure performance gold. If you want your synths to sound like they’re fighting with a broken Game Boy in a Berlin basement, this is the move. There’s so much under the hood here, but honestly, you need to watch the video for full sensory overload.