Octatrack mk1 v mk2

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hello,

Feel free to point me in the direction of other threads, but searching for a few minutes didn’t turn up much (maybe I’m not searching for the right terms?).

Anyway, I’ve come into some money and while I never was going to upgrade to the OT mk 2, this makes it a bit appealing primarily due to the increased encoder resolution for some more fine tuned control I’d like over a few elements.

I guess I’m curious if there are any thoughts on how they compare? I guess I see QC/build quality issues shared on here, and I’m not sure if that’s a loud minority or if it’s a legitimate concern with the newer Elektrons. I’ve never had a single issue with my OT mk 1 in 6 years or so of having it.

What are the biggest differences? Is build quality a legitimate concern that some of you would warn about?

Thanks,
Connor

Is the Octatrack mki worth it?
#2

Biggest diff for me is how the input stage sounds. I prefer the mk II input sound.

The encoders OTOH are subjective… I think I liked the mk I encoders more? Mk II encoders can seem a bit too sensitive at times, like when you want to change a param value by one.

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#3

No, but I would warn you about that loud minority. The OT MKII feels very solid and reliable, I used it a lot since I got it and it still feels like new.

I can’t compare because I never owned an MKI, but I can confirm this, it’s sometimes a bit hard to get the value right on the first try. Never been a big issue for me, though, I usually manage to get the value right quickly enough.

#4

Could you list all buttons combinations differences ? :slight_smile:

1 Like
#5

huh?
All I know is, muscle memory has settled in pretty well with the mk II, and I can now find the menu I wanted much faster than with the mk I. So yeah, the mk II layout certainly helps!

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#6

it’s running the same OS, so the parameters (resolution) are all the same, you don’t get (DT style) ‘extra’ resolution between values - you just get a different ‘gear’ under the hood, in some regards I find the mk1 takes too much twiddling and in others it’s all fine - the difference I believe is that the new encoders have more points per circumference where a rotational change can be detected - what the developers do with it is another matter - but you don’t get fine tuned control imho but you may require finer tuned motorics to get it right (as testified by mk2 users’ experience)

seems to me that the most significant change would be the i/o levels as discussed along with the UI stuff of course

4 Likes
#7

Weird, I could swear I saw a still or something that showed the knobs going from x.x to x.xx precision.

Well, shoot. Never mind. No point in even considering the OT2.

2 Likes
#8

I have an mki. While I’d take the new button shortcuts if they could be magically added to my mki, I think learning a few button combo’s on the mki makes all the difference.

The problem may be that the octa is easy enough that you can do most simple beat making (mpc, roland xox style) without really reading the manual. This lead me to spending a lot of time able to make beats but never 100% sure on the remaining 90% of the octa’s power. When I’d need those features I’d sorta of stumble around until I got what I needed then forget it all.

Once I learned a few things (track + edit/bank for the audio editor for example) things opened up even more. The new buttons would be nice but I really don’t need them.

At times I’ve thought of making a quasi-joking video of Octatrack “exercises” where we press various combo’s over and over while we say the function aloud. I feel like once I committed a few things to memory things where even better on an already great machine.

My #1 tip - realize that the bank button is really the edit button. pressing it with other buttons usually does something helpful.

9 Likes
#9

I have mk1 and find it pretty simple to move around to get what I need to. I have been considering a second one and find myself debating on a second mk1 or getting a mk2. My fear is that I may confuse my mind from the way I’ve remembered how to use the key presses to get to menues vs the way the mk2 goes about getting to the same menues.

I’m glad that the mk2 has the digitakt style look but the looks of the machine doesn’t give off the dark pro look but more of an electribe 2 'esqe appearance. This is just my opinion, I always loved the dark Trinity look. I don’t know why they didn’t at least make the new Trinity cases match better. Oh well, they’re all still bad ass machines!

#10

You can get much finer resolution on many parameters with either OT by assigning close parameter settings to two scenes and using the crossfader between them.

2 Likes
#11

has the crossfader of MK1 have the same loose feel as with MK2?

#12

that’s by design on both - the new one is apparently similar but fractionally shorter by a few mm

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#13

feels same for me, since i had a mkI over years with a 1.5 years break inbetween.

personally i like to have the additional buttons. more welcome than thought upfront

#14

what´s the difference with the input stage ?
i read in the specs its better, but what exactly ?
how do you perceive it as different in real live use ?

and whats your gainstaging vs. the LEDs.
do you go as close to red as possible or even slightly into red as i did in the past with my mkI ?

#15

Drive hot and listen closely.
And always 24 bits so you have enough headroom to crank up later without issues.

3 Likes
#16

I think overall the mkII is better if like me you forget some of the button combos on the mkI, I think the encoders are a little less precise than the mkI but they are much faster, I think a firmware tweak would solve the fine control and then they would be much better.

Can’t say I have noticed much difference in sound quality, but to be honest I never compared them properly and I no longer have my mkI.

If you are happy with your mkI and don’t mind all the button combos, then I’d say stick with mkI, the screen, slightly better inputs and encoders are nice, but not for me, deal sealers.

2 Likes
#17

build quality of my mk2 is perfect. no issues. screen is key for me, have had 5 of the dark trinity and yes you learn to get past the screen,…but it’s horrible imo. the new screen is great, even way past the mk1’s viewing angles. also like the new buttons much more.

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#18

I like the new look better. I really enjoy the buttons of digitone and takt. And the screen also looks much better. But it’s hard for me to justify the upgrade only based on that.
I don’t care for the additional buttons

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#19

The encoders being harder to control on Mkii sounds like a problem. With the Mki changes of just +/- 1 make a real difference on many parameters, so being able to land on a figure quickly and easily is key

Like: pitch bend and transpose on the midi side - there is unfortunately no FUNC-click back to neutral value so you have to dial it back in. And as this is supposed to be a performance sampler that should be a quick move.

But maybe the fiddlyness of the mkii has been overstated. Idk Never tried one, but in cases like that the Mki is already fiddly enough

Really though electron should put an auto return to PB 64 - there’s a reason it’s there on controller keyboards - performance

#20

Have the led brightness issues been solved on MKII? I had a chance to try out an MKII (I had to return it because of sticky fader), and I also realized problems what other people had mentioned: the active pattern page led is not bright enough as well as the other scene green led isn’t brighter enough to highlight it among the available scenes. No such issues on MKI :slight_smile: