Abusing a Track for Live Input (From Merlins Guide)

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#10

This morning before work I used this trick to set up a track as an aux send for reverb like I usually do, but this time I tried putting Spatializer in FX1 with M/S on and the mid turned down a bit, with dark reverb at 100% wet in FX2 like usual. Sounds way better than just Dark Reverb, or Dark Reverb after a subtle chorus.

I’ve messed with this before, but I couldn’t get a very big range of pitch shift out of it unless I nudged the microtiming enough that there was noticeable latency.

I wonder if, for a sequenced external synth, nudging the MIDI trigs back and the play trig on the audio track forward the same amount would let you mess with pitch but also keep the timing tight. One more thing to experiment with I guess.

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#11

really really confused on how to do this
+1/384 micro timing on record or playback trig
Can someone please spell it out with exact button press’s

#12

I use +1/384 micro timing on the playback trig and just leave the record trig exact. @d2ba That gives the buffer a tiny bit of space to play from and it’s barely (if at all) perceptible in the actual timing of the track playback.

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#13

Playback Trig or Record Trig…it’s up to you.

I prefer to put a forward shifted microtimed playback trig so recording starts as soon as you press Play.

To achieve microtiming I suggest you to read the relevant manual’s section since you can find also informations about Conditional Trigs which is a nice addition from the latest OS (unfortunately not available for Rec Trigs).

To pratically put a microtimed Rec trig do the following:

In Grid Recording Mode in the Recorder’s page (or Track Trig Edit page), put a trig on step 1 for the recorder.
While keep pressing the trig, press RIGHT arrow. The LCD will show the Micro Timing interface, press RIGHT another one time and you achieve +1/384 shift.

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#14

thanks to all of you who replied
the next thing i would like to do is mess with pitch adjustments in real time while sampling
Anyone found a workaround with the pitch control?
thanks David

#16

Interesting link and footage —i think Surgeon is using same "Abusing a track for Live Input’ method


Also a new trick in that thread oneshot/yes trick …
"looping on the OT is dead simple if you have sync:

  1. enter a oneshot recorder trig to a flex track assigned to capture your source, or arm an existing oneshot rec trig
  2. enter a playback trig on any flex track that reads the rec buffer of step 1. You can even do this prior to capturing into buffer of step 1

done

when you have set thing up this way, all you need to do is press YES to recapture a new loop to replace the old one… Good stuff! You can also use the pickup machines, but IMO they are way less flexible, "

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#17

Not really because it’s breaking the rules of sampling and the buffer doesn’t know what will happen if you push the Pitch higher…you can get some results slowing down though.
Otherwise use Oneshot trig and leave the length of recording to be done…

Pioneer DJS-1000
Pioneer DJS-1000
#18

hmm good to know that pitch down works on the tune control.
wish to pitch the incoming sample on the flex (in real time) to the other tracks so i can see if good match
we are speaking about vinyl sampling here (of course you can use the turntable pitch control as a workaround)

#19

You can reverse, pitch up after you’ve played the sample, as long as the play cursor is before the record one.
If you play the sample with lfo on start and other settings you can pitch up to 12, like a pitch shifter.

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#20

I can’t seem to get this technique to work, here’s what I’m doing.

Trk 1
Flex Trig Step 1
Record Trig Step 1

All pitch rate etc in default state.

All I can get is the expected - records 16 steps then plays the 16 steps. So I basically hear my Live input delayed by the 16 steps. I’ve never managed to hear the Live input?

Is there an explanation for dummies?

#21

Make sure your src3 setting is set to “-”, besides that there’s not much to it.

Maybe check lfo depths are at 0, they default to pitch…
Check on new project maybe…

  1. Open recorder menu on track 1, place rec trig on step one, hold trig and make sure only correct input source is selected in menu with inverted graphics… (and again make sure src3 is “-” )
  2. Exit from record to play track, load a flex machine and assign to it recording1, place trig on step one, …
  3. Press Play, the flex track should be playing what’s coming in from the inputs…
    :cowboy_hat_face:
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#22

OT has to be Master. If slaved, disable Timestretch, add +1 microtiming eventually…

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#23

Got this working,many thanks. My OT is always to Ableton, I just tried as the master and it worked fine.

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#24

Maybe I missed something you needed…
But I can confirm that what I wrote CAN be done with OT…otherwise in my unit should be there some kind of magic…and it’s a MK.I

As long as you keep that +1 microtimed trig on playback you listen the real time i/c audio and, with some wise programming you can chop and mangle that audio. period.

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#25

Does anyone else experienced glitches when selecting another track using this setup? It used to work fine but now unusable because the flex track reading the input sort of freeze when I select another track…

#26

What do you mean by selecting? Focusing on another track?

If that’s the case, not a glitch here. I can dive in menus or selecting whatever without getting differences in the sampling Flex

#27

what OS are you on? I am on 1.30C. I tried earlier with a friend who is on 1.25 and he didn’t have that problem while selecting tracks. I remember it working without any problem in the past

#28

I am on

1.30C MK.I

#29

like @sicijk says - iw owuld be good to clarify what you mean here.

I thought you meant changing the source while the buffer was in use - don’t think i have done that but wouldn’t be suprised if there’s some glitching.

Also how bad a ‘freeze’?

#30

MK1 as well. Thanks. I ll start a blank project and try again. If it works for you it should work for me :slight_smile: