Anyone got the Octatrack?

[djd_oz]

Hydrogen, I'm the opposite of you ... I prefer knobs and buttons over mouse clicks. Sure, the OT is a complicated beast, but once you get to know it, it feels like an instrument. It has it's limitations compared to Ableton but that sometimes can make you work in a different way and push things to it's limits. Plus I spend 8+ hours a day looking at a computer screen at work, once I get home I'd rather not.

[satavarma]

With the OT you can load a drum loop for example and then slice it like ableton and on the one track you trigger whichever slice you want. You can only load one sample per track, you maybe able to get around this by stitching your one shots into one long sample but that would be a PITA to do and you can only play one slice per trigger (i.e. you won't be able to trigger a snare and a kick at the same time).

I just re-read this topic and noticed this. It is possible to have different samples per track by using sample select param lock. If I remember correctly the quickest way to do this is by holding the step and using the level knob to select the sample.

This way the only limitation is that it has to be the same kind of machine (flex or static). When using multiple samples per track it's good to use the gain parameter in sample attributes (audio editor) so you don't have to param lock volume per step to get the balance between different samples right.

[AK]

Why do they make something which is essentially so simple, so difficult?

This sort of thing really put me off the Octatrack. What were they thinking by leaving out this essential feature? It's not even a feature, it should just go without saying. So you can just have 8 samples on the go and that's it?

Say if I load a Rhodes sound or something in track 1 and I want to play some chords into the sequencer, how is it going to trigger more than 1 midi note at once if it will only play 1 sample per track?

[satavarma]

Why do they make something which is essentially so simple, so difficult?

This sort of thing really put me off the Octatrack. What were they thinking by leaving out this essential feature? It's not even a feature, it should just go without saying. So you can just have 8 samples on the go and that's it?

Say if I load a Rhodes sound or something in track 1 and I want to play some chords into the sequencer, how is it going to trigger more than 1 midi note at once if it will only play 1 sample per track?

The sample select trick I mentioned in previous post is actually really quick in action, not difficult.

Midi tracks are different than sampler tracks. Midi tracks can have four-note chords per step. Sampler tracks can be thought like stereo audio tracks in a daw with realtime timestretching and really easy detailed control and live improvisation possibilities. Sometimes it feels like it's a hybrid between a tracker (like Renoise etc) and Ableton.

As said, using an Octatrack is a different way of making music. If you have not already seen the Youtube videos from ElektronHQ and SecretMusicUK then watching them could make your mind if the workflow is for you.

[hydrogen]

I'm not saying I don't enjoy programming on the octatrack. its quite fun actually! I just think it can be just as fast on the computer and the same options are just as accessible.

I think what i find most with the octatrack is the friendly mistakes... where turning a knob or two there can lead to really cool results.

The only way you will really know if you like it if you try it.

[Pigeon Provider]

AK, I'm in the same boat as you, since I got my Elektrons, I've hardly used my DAW except for recording stuff.

Anyway, to answer your question, midi triggering of slices like you describe has not been implemented yet, not that I can see from the manual. At the moment, there is one MIDI CC to control which slice parameter and you can p-lock this value like the MD.

They updated all OS version recently, I am using elektron

[AK]

They updated all OS version recently, I am using elektron

What do you mean you're using Elektron? What the Octatrack? Elektron is obviously the companies name but then you said they updated all OS, do you mean there are updates for every Elektron product? I own a Machinedrum but since getting it, I have never even thought about updating the OS. How do I do this and how do I know what version mine currently is?

Also, do you lose any internal stuff if I found I needed to update the OS?

[djd_oz]

Switch off you MD and switch it back on and the OS version is on the bottom right of the opening screen. The latest version is on the Elektron website and the manual describers how to do this. I haven't done it myself as I'm only one version behind and the newer version has very minor changes so I couldn't be bothered.