Awesome. Thanks for all the info!
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What’s your basic concern, though? What is it that you’re afraid you won’t be able to do, that keeps you from getting the Octatrack?
It’s an amazing piece of gear. If you’re into samples, what it can and can’t do doesn’t matter as much as its truly unique character. You will create grand things with it, if you put in the time.
I’m really just looking for a new piece of gear that will let me get creative with a hands-on tactile interface. Tired of mangling shit in the computer all the time.
I hear you. Don’t worry. It’s all that, and more. Just go for it. You will love it, I’m sure.
Put aside any conceptions you might have on sampling, sequencing and recording and take the plunge.
“Would I be able to play slices chromatically if I had one of Adventure Kids long 64 wav tracks that I’ve seen in some videos? Will I only be able to play an octave down and an octave up (24 notes)?”
You can use a single-cycle wave as a looped sample (turn AMP Release down so it’s no longer infinite). Set all tracks to the same MIDI channel. In this way you can play notes via MIDI keyboard. Only 2 octaves.
You then have an 8-osc monosynth with each osc (track) having its own amp envelope, panning, 3 LFOs and two effects. I like to do a 7-osc synth with the 8th track running master effects. Each step can have a different waveform (via sample locking) to create cool temp-synced wave-sequenced-like effects. Connect the OT’s MIDI In to MIDI Out and set Audio Note in and Audio Note Out to INT+EXT to play the synth via the trig keys, without a keyboard.
Another favorite of mine: Call up a mono phrase that has no bass (such as a string ensemble passage) then use the audio editor to select the first 169 samples. It’s your own single-cycle wave. Turn on looping, turn AMP release down and play. While you’re playing use the E knob to scan through the sample phrase. Live-record your playing.
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Perhaps not “official” polyrhythmic, but I believe you can accomplish something like say a 5:4 polyrhythm (or similar ratio) with the OT via careful placement of trigs (microtiming function is essential) over the span of the larger number of the ratio. I haven’t tried it, though, so I could be mistaken.
Edit: I’m really keen to try this now. And just found this:
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You can have up to 6 or 7 octaves lower with Rate parameter. It is possible to map notes to Rate CC with a midi processor.
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Well, so shoot me (again, I’m taking a lot of bullets these days), but I picked up an Octatrack now. Got a good deal, a couple of euros below market price. It’s been way too long since I parted with it, and all this DigiTakt talk kept reminding me how awesome the Octatrack is. It was just time to bring it back home.
And the irony, all the MPC Live talk reminded me just how much I prefer buttons and clicks and tiny crap screens, before them flashy touch-stuff bright lights.
Fossil fuel powered vintage sampling, here I come.
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Aha just sent mine to Gothenburg for encoder repair… I miss it so much already !
Glad you pulled the trigger… What’s this thing about bullets ?
(ahem I moved our posts to a more appropriate topic) 
I won’t shoot you !
Bullets for Esx1 comparison ?
My boat’s name is Sea Bullet (Ciboulette) so I like bullets.
I thought you wanted A4, OT and Digitakt…
Woo! I bought an OT and it will be here by next Monday. Thanks for all the input on this!
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Haha, nothing 
it’s just something I say sometimes, and if you keep saying it, there’s gonna be a few bullets, eventually
i like your boat already.
I’ve restrained myself, for different reasons, to one instrument and one recording environment. The Octa will be my recording environment, and I’m thinking that when the DigiTakt launches, it’ll be my instrument. The A4 is nice, but I just think the DigiTakt will appeal to me more.
I’ve been eagerly waiting for delivery of an octatrack since last october 15… Wonder when it will be delivered… Delivery time is being postponed every time the proposed dealer deadline comes close.
Seen already a lot of tutorials and read the manual a few times, and although i feel intimidated, i can’t wait to put my hands on it. I’m totally new to this but also totally excited. I hope i can cope the machine once it’s there.
Ha! I spotted a comment of yours on another thread and though “he hasn’t gone and got himself an OT after all that has he?!” haha. Gave me a chuckle. Funny thing is I’ve been feeling the pull of the OT again. I think I have enough to resist for now.
In truth, the AR’s abilities might be enough for me or MPC Live more suitable but I think I’ll always have a soft spot for what was my first proper serious musical instrument purchase some years back.
Good luck on this OT journey!
I sure did it was a good deal, and I felt it was about time. Can’t keep saluting this piece of gear and yet not having touched on myself for about a year. It’s just not credible
After having spent about a day with this fine piece of gear now, getting to know it again, it strikes me that I remember everything. The muscle memory’s intact and I’m finding everything exactly where my fingers want to go. I know it’s popular to slam the OT for its interface, but I wonder. If a year’s absence still means I’m back in the flow right from the start again, Elektron must’ve done something right here.
Except for swing. Can’t find it not for lack of trying I’ve made it a point not to google it, or look in the manual. If I can sample, p-lock, add trigless stuff, copy pages, create and copy scenes, build polyrythmic patterns and whatnot as if time never passed, then goddamit I should be able to find the swing.
Haven’t yet, though
Maybe it’s me just not being funky enough yet.
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Heres a hint; remember things are sometimes different in record mode.
Now we’re talking.
A thing of nightmares.