How many samples max in one project?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi all,

sorry for the thread, I didn’t find the original one…

So, I’m working on a liveset, the OT is just a playback machine here, but I have many samples.

At the moment, I have 8 samples that are assigned to their tracks and I use the plocks to change samples on the trigs. But after two or three different tracks, it’s a bit messy…

How many samples can I get in one project, and how could I use them ?

I think there’s something going on with the parts, but I’m not sure.

I would like to not have to p-lock the samples on trigs, or a minimum p-locks when I change one song to another: from A1 to A16 for example, can I have different samples assigned to the tracks, and not only 8 (without the abusive use of p-locks) ?

Hope i’m clear… :wink:

Thanks !

#2

You should probably look at Parts. Each Part can have different machine assignments, which means you can have different default samples for each track. A Project has 16 Banks, there are 4 Parts per Bank.

#3

You can load 128 samples for Static machines, and 128 for Flex machines (if i’m not mistaken, and you have enough RAM). You can then freely assign these to the 8 sample channels for each part. One bank (16 patterns) contains 4 parts. Each part has their own 8 sample channels. Each pattern can be assigned to a different part. So you can have a total of 8x4=32 samples assigned to tracks for each bank. All 16 banks share the same “sample pool”, these are project wide.

1 bank = 16 patterns and 4 parts.
1 project = 16 banks.

#4

Hooray, I got 2 cents to put in… (enjoy a long and fuzzy read that may involve some puzzeling)

I would not exactly count on the flex-slots… memory runs out quickly.
and its not fun to come up with a big plan… to find out you run out of it…

so you got 128 static slots left… and you got 16banks and 16 patterns. = 256 total patterns.

so if you want 1 sample in EVERY pattern available… you need to find a way to put 2 samples in 1 slot… (use either samplestart or slicing… I would probably go for slicing in this case)

If I make use of the part-system… I got 4 parts per bank… that means 4 * 16 spaces
thats 64 “parts to fill” … if I divide the 256 total patterns by the 64 total parts…
every part needs 4 samples… and every part is used on 4 patterns.

So I claim: If my part has 4 difrent slices in it
I can give each pattern its own slice. so after using 4 parts. i used
16 patterns… which each a sample (16 slices total used) comming from a bigger sample.

so for a bank… I would have to use atleast 1 sample with total 64 slices.
or 4 samples with total 16 slices or
2 samples with total of 32 slices…
For clarity I would use the 4 samples with total of 16 samples in it .

Lets fill it out:
Bank A
Pattern A01 = part1 StaticSample1::Slice1
Pattern A02 = part1 StaticSample1::Slice2
Pattern A03 = part1 StaticSample1::Slice3
Pattern A04 = part1 StaticSample1::Slice4
Pattern A05 = part2 StaticSample2::Slice1
Pattern A06 = part2 StaticSample2::Slice2
Pattern A07 = part2 StaticSample2::Slice3
Pattern A08 = part2 StaticSample2::Slice4
Pattern A09 = part3 StaticSample3::Slice1
Pattern A10 = part3 StaticSample3::Slice2
Pattern A11 = part3 StaticSample3::Slice3
Pattern A12 = part3 StaticSample3::Slice4
Pattern A13 = part4 StaticSample4::Slice1
Pattern A14 = part4 StaticSample4::Slice2
Pattern A15 = part4 StaticSample4::Slice3
Pattern A15 = part4 StaticSample4::Slice4

4StaticSlots used per bank.
4Parts used per bank
16 patterns used per bank.

u got 16 banks… so lets do those 4 samples times available banks
16 * 4 = 64 … Hooray… that should fit perfectly…
Better put, u would be able to use this scheme and fill up another track
with a sample per pattern… and you finally reach the 128staticslot limit.

But uncle dreammer… I want 8 tracks of samples!!! not 2!!

Well. do more calculation… in this scheme, we already filled up the 128static slots
to fill ALL patterns with 2 tracks of unique sounds… But… in the beginning we used 4 slices per part/per sample, for a total of 16 slices used… and there is where the key to our problem is… We got slices left over… if we used 64 slices per sample/part.
we would have enough space to fill up the rest of the tracks…

so you get more of this:

Bank A
Pattern A01 = part1 Track1 StaticSample1::Slice1
Pattern A01 = part1 Track2 StaticSample1::Slice2
Pattern A01 = part1 Track3 StaticSample1::Slice3
Pattern A01 = part1 Track4 StaticSample1::Slice4
Pattern A01 = part1 Track5 StaticSample1::Slice5
Pattern A01 = part1 Track6 StaticSample1::Slice6
Pattern A01 = part1 Track7 StaticSample1::Slice7
Pattern A01 = part1 Track8 StaticSample1::Slice8
Pattern A02 = part1 Track1 StaticSample1::Slice9
Pattern A02 = part1 Track2 StaticSample1::Slice10
Pattern A02 = part1 Track3 StaticSample1::Slice11
Pattern A02 = part1 Track4 StaticSample1::Slice12
Pattern A02 = part1 Track5 StaticSample1::Slice13
Pattern A02 = part1 Track6 StaticSample1::Slice14
Pattern A02 = part1 Track7 StaticSample1::Slice15
Pattern A02 = part1 Track8 StaticSample1::Slice16
Pattern A03 = part1 Track1 StaticSample1::Slice17
Pattern A03 = part1 Track2 StaticSample1::Slice18
Pattern A03 = part1 Track3 StaticSample1::Slice19
Pattern A03 = part1 Track4 StaticSample1::Slice20
Pattern A03 = part1 Track5 StaticSample1::Slice21
Pattern A03 = part1 Track6 StaticSample1::Slice22
Pattern A03 = part1 Track7 StaticSample1::Slice23
Pattern A03 = part1 Track8 StaticSample1::Slice24
Pattern A04 = part1 Track1 StaticSample1::Slice25
Pattern A04 = part1 Track2 StaticSample1::Slice26
Pattern A04 = part1 Track3 StaticSample1::Slice27
Pattern A04 = part1 Track4 StaticSample1::Slice28
Pattern A04 = part1 Track5 StaticSample1::Slice29
Pattern A04 = part1 Track6 StaticSample1::Slice30
Pattern A04 = part1 Track7 StaticSample1::Slice31
Pattern A04 = part1 Track8 StaticSample1::Slice32

Pattern A05 = part2 Track1 StaticSample2::Slice1
Pattern A05 = part2 Track2 StaticSample2::Slice2
Pattern A05 = part2 Track3 StaticSample2::Slice3
Pattern A05 = part2 Track4 StaticSample2::Slice4
Pattern A05 = part2 Track5 StaticSample2::Slice5
Pattern A05 = part2 Track6 StaticSample2::Slice6
Pattern A05 = part2 Track7 StaticSample2::Slice7
Pattern A05 = part2 Track8 StaticSample2::Slice8
Pattern A06 = part2 Track1 StaticSample2::Slice9
Pattern A06 = part2 Track2 StaticSample2::Slice10
Pattern A06 = part2 Track3 StaticSample2::Slice11
Pattern A06 = part2 Track4 StaticSample2::Slice12
Pattern A06 = part2 Track5 StaticSample2::Slice13
Pattern A06 = part2 Track6 StaticSample2::Slice14
Pattern A06 = part2 Track7 StaticSample2::Slice15
Pattern A06 = part2 Track8 StaticSample2::Slice16
Pattern A07 = part2 Track1 StaticSample2::Slice17
Pattern A07 = part2 Track2 StaticSample2::Slice18
Pattern A07 = part2 Track3 StaticSample2::Slice19
Pattern A07 = part2 Track4 StaticSample2::Slice20
Pattern A07 = part2 Track5 StaticSample2::Slice21
Pattern A07 = part2 Track6 StaticSample2::Slice22
Pattern A07 = part2 Track7 StaticSample2::Slice23
Pattern A07 = part2 Track8 StaticSample2::Slice24
Pattern A08 = part2 Track1 StaticSample2::Slice25
Pattern A08 = part2 Track2 StaticSample2::Slice26
Pattern A08 = part2 Track3 StaticSample2::Slice27
Pattern A08 = part2 Track4 StaticSample2::Slice28
Pattern A08 = part2 Track5 StaticSample2::Slice29
Pattern A08 = part2 Track6 StaticSample2::Slice30
Pattern A08 = part2 Track7 StaticSample2::Slice31
Pattern A08 = part2 Track8 StaticSample2::Slice32

Pattern A09 = part3 Track1 StaticSample3::Slice1
Pattern A09 = part3 Track2 StaticSample3::Slice2
Pattern A09 = part3 Track3 StaticSample3::Slice3
Pattern A09 = part3 Track4 StaticSample3::Slice4
Pattern A09 = part3 Track5 StaticSample3::Slice5
Pattern A09 = part3 Track6 StaticSample3::Slice6
Pattern A09 = part3 Track7 StaticSample3::Slice7
Pattern A09 = part3 Track8 StaticSample3::Slice8
Pattern A10 = part3 Track1 StaticSample3::Slice9
Pattern A10 = part3 Track2 StaticSample3::Slice10
Pattern A10 = part3 Track3 StaticSample3::Slice11
Pattern A10 = part3 Track4 StaticSample3::Slice12
Pattern A10 = part3 Track5 StaticSample3::Slice13
Pattern A10 = part3 Track6 StaticSample3::Slice14
Pattern A10 = part3 Track7 StaticSample3::Slice15
Pattern A10 = part3 Track8 StaticSample3::Slice16
Pattern A11 = part3 Track1 StaticSample3::Slice17
Pattern A11 = part3 Track2 StaticSample3::Slice18
Pattern A11 = part3 Track3 StaticSample3::Slice19
Pattern A11 = part3 Track4 StaticSample3::Slice20
Pattern A11 = part3 Track5 StaticSample3::Slice21
Pattern A11 = part3 Track6 StaticSample3::Slice22
Pattern A11 = part3 Track7 StaticSample3::Slice23
Pattern A11 = part3 Track8 StaticSample3::Slice24
Pattern A12 = part3 Track1 StaticSample3::Slice25
Pattern A12 = part3 Track2 StaticSample3::Slice26
Pattern A12 = part3 Track3 StaticSample3::Slice27
Pattern A12 = part3 Track4 StaticSample3::Slice28
Pattern A12 = part3 Track5 StaticSample3::Slice29
Pattern A12 = part3 Track6 StaticSample3::Slice30
Pattern A12 = part3 Track7 StaticSample3::Slice31
Pattern A12 = part3 Track8 StaticSample3::Slice32
Pattern A13 = part4 Track1 StaticSample4::Slice1
Pattern A13 = part4 Track2 StaticSample4::Slice2
Pattern A13 = part4 Track3 StaticSample4::Slice3
Pattern A13 = part4 Track4 StaticSample4::Slice4
Pattern A13 = part4 Track5 StaticSample4::Slice5
Pattern A13 = part4 Track6 StaticSample4::Slice6
Pattern A13 = part4 Track7 StaticSample4::Slice7
Pattern A13 = part4 Track8 StaticSample4::Slice8
Pattern A14 = part4 Track1 StaticSample4::Slice9
Pattern A14 = part4 Track2 StaticSample4::Slice10
Pattern A14 = part4 Track3 StaticSample4::Slice11
Pattern A14 = part4 Track4 StaticSample4::Slice12
Pattern A14 = part4 Track5 StaticSample4::Slice13
Pattern A14 = part4 Track6 StaticSample4::Slice14
Pattern A14 = part4 Track7 StaticSample4::Slice15
Pattern A14 = part4 Track8 StaticSample4::Slice16
Pattern A15 = part4 Track1 StaticSample4::Slice17
Pattern A15 = part4 Track2 StaticSample4::Slice18
Pattern A15 = part4 Track3 StaticSample4::Slice19
Pattern A15 = part4 Track4 StaticSample4::Slice20
Pattern A15 = part4 Track5 StaticSample4::Slice21
Pattern A15 = part4 Track6 StaticSample4::Slice22
Pattern A15 = part4 Track7 StaticSample4::Slice23
Pattern A15 = part4 Track8 StaticSample4::Slice24
Pattern A16 = part4 Track1 StaticSample4::Slice25
Pattern A16 = part4 Track2 StaticSample4::Slice26
Pattern A16 = part4 Track3 StaticSample4::Slice27
Pattern A16 = part4 Track4 StaticSample4::Slice28
Pattern A16 = part4 Track5 StaticSample4::Slice29
Pattern A16 = part4 Track6 StaticSample4::Slice30
Pattern A16 = part4 Track7 StaticSample4::Slice31
Pattern A16 = part4 Track8 StaticSample4::Slice32

And voila… 4 samples used per bank… 32 slices per sample
all patterns filled in bank… each part used, AND YOU STILL GOT ROOM FOR MORE STUFF !! cause you can go up to 64 slices ! we only used half in our example.

and yes, you can fill up your whole octatrack with this idea…
without using ANY flex-slot… so you could use that for whatever comes in your head… and in all fairness… you might not even want to use 8 tracks per pattern…
there is fun to be had with the mastertrack… and (what like even more)
just have 4 tracks of samples… and use 3 recorder tracks to grab loops, and use track 5,6 and 7 to playback my recorded loops in weird variations…
Sometimes I attach my machinedrum… use a thru and a neighboor to get it into the octatrack… use 2 sampletracks… and again track 5,6 and 7 to record those and get funky and down with those loops. (think of weird variations on transitioning trickery)

Anyways… I hope this helps… I just wrote out the complete scheme of things,
because in the past when i tried to explain this… nobody got it… and accused me of using mathmatics and all that type of evil, just to make some techno…

Enjoy your day…

1 Like
#5

Reading the_dreammer’s post while waiting for the delivery of my OT… what have I gotten myself into?! :slight_smile:

Nah but I love numbers, awesome post!

#6

Your welcome buddy… . Enjoy your machine… expect some weird learning-curve for some parts of the machine. but ultimatly its worth the effort.

#7

Wow impressive !! I’ll try this method !

Thank you all !!

#8

Finally, I’m ok with the parts and banks, it’s enough to work properly :slight_smile:

#9

:slight_smile: hooray…

#10

This is indeed a good way to maximize the use of the sample (and part) slots available. The only downside is that you have to remember to p-lock the slice for every trig in every pattern since the slice number (unlocked) is stored with the part not the pattern. Patterns store triggers and p-locks only (if I remember Merlin’s guide correctly).

#11

You are correct about that one… its a bunch of p-locking…
depends a bit on how you prefer to work… if you dont want a whole lot of songs in your project in 1 go.
you can work with slices very efficiently. and use a sample per track per pattern… but run out of room somewhere before you fill up a bank or 2 …
Or put allot of effort in it manually… and fill up the whole machine… with a max of 256complete songs!!
Parts can be given a name. so 4 songs each 4 patterns per bank… is probably the most ideal compromise between “a shitload of songs you can perform” versus “i wanna do less thinking and work quickly and effortless”

Also keep in mind… I just spread out the sample in my example… but you could have 8 samples with trackname.
and spread those out over a bank… didnt calculate it through… that approach might let you fill 8 banks max…
but 8 * 4 songs… hmm 64 songs in 1 box, which you can comfortly perform everywhere. thats not bad at all.

and dont forget the realtime sampling side of your machine… lets say you fill each track with a 2bar slice/sample… u can use the recorders to realtime sample fragments of this… and play those fragments with plocks in a flex machine… makes awesome variations of your original 2 bar loops…

Yesterday, I had trackrecorder 1 to 4 record a 4step fragment each…
Trackrecorder1 started recording on step01
Trackrecorder2 started recording on step05
Trackrecorder3 started recording on step09
Trackrecorder4 started recording on step13

The flex recorder on track7 played in reverse order:
step1 was recording3
step5 was recording4
step9 was recording1
step13 was recording2

Because all recordings where played AFTER getting filled up with data… I could repitch/stutter/reverse/filter/reverb whatever i wanted with my newly build audio
and because recorders kept on recording new stuff… my variation was always based on what i was hearing a few seconds ago. awesome stuff…
nothing stopping you from doing this on 2 tracks each difrent order… combined with transitioning-trickery…
very good voodoo…

So yeah :slight_smile: I say use 4 tracks for static sample-playing… A beat… Bass. Synthystuff and fillers/fx/vocals/risers (i dont know alternate shit for nice variations in your set)
and use 4 tracks for various realtime samplign techniques…