So my understanding of the OT is that the 8 audio tracks are each tied to a particular sample (unless you’ve Plocked slots). What I don’t understand, even after reading the manual a few times, is what the disconnected tracks are. Are they other samples/stems/whatever that aren’t assigned to any machines that you can somehow trigger oneshots? For example, could I trigger, using the disconnected trigs, a 5 minute long backing track that isn’t effected by the play button or other 8 audio tracks? I even searched the manual for the word “disconnected” but it still doesn’t really explain it.
I think you might be thinking of ‘plays free’ tracks. Basically they’re normal tracks that work the same as any other track except that instead of obeying the start/stop transport they’re disconnected from the sequencer, so you can trigger and stop them at will and unquantised (if you wish). For a familiar analogy, setting a track to plays free essentially makes it behave like an Ableton Live clip.
´plays free´in the manual for more info!
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They are tracks that are disconnected from control by the sequencer, so that the track’s sample triggers or just the sample assigned to the track can be triggered manually.
So if you don’t want the sequencer to start a track or its assigned sample, select PLAYS FREE in the Pattern Settings menu, and you can launch the track or sample manually with settings for instantaneous start or quantised start (pages 91-92).
This is the basis for the “Track” TRIG MODE behaviour when not recording, described on pages 82-83.
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Thank you, gentlemen. I don’t use Ableton so I’m not familiar with that, but I did reread those pages.
So to clarify. Let’s say I want to do a live set with stereo files. I could assign the first song to track 1 PLAY FREE, then the second song to track 2 PLAY FREE. I trigger track one, then can hit play and stop whenever I want to start and stop my sequenced patterns that will go over the track. Then near the end, I could trigger track 2 and do the same thing, while at some point using the sample browser to load up the 3rd track back on track 1. Does that make sense? Does that work?
Also, this is where I’m getting confused (from the manual pg 82): This is the default TRIG mode. When not in any RECORDING mode, [TRIG] keys 1-8 trig any disconnected audio tracks and [TRIG] 9-16 trig the machines of the eight tracks.
This makes it seem like there are 16 audio tracks in some way. Don’t the disconnected audio tracks live in the T1-T8 machines?
I also don’t understand how you could disconnect a MIDI track. Does that just mean that you can trigger the sequence to play at any point in time?
My brain is hurting trying to totally understand all this.
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Yes to what you said about the stereo tracks, it seems like you have a handle on the plays free idea, but for that sort of task I would potentially use a one shot trig to trigger the backing tracks because that way you can be certain that they’ll be in time.
As for trigging audio tracks vs machines - audio track refers to your 16 step sequence that lives on that track, including plocks. If you choose to trig only the machine assigned to a track (trigs 9-16 in plays free mode) then you’re essentially just trigging the sample that’s loaded to that track, as a one-shot. It’ll play through the 2 fx slots but not through all your plocks or the trigs on the sequence. Potentially better for finger drumming type purposes.
MIDI tracks are disconnected in the same way, it means all 8 tracks can be fired off independently at the time of your choosing. Normally all 8 start as soon as you hit play and keep playing in sync until you press stop. Plays free detaches them from the sequencer.
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“As for trigging audio tracks vs machines - audio track refers to your 16 step sequence that lives on that track, including plocks. If you choose to trig only the machine assigned to a track (trigs 9-16 in plays free mode) then you’re essentially just trigging the sample that’s loaded to that track, as a one-shot. It’ll play through the 2 fx slots but not through all your plocks or the trigs on the sequence. Potentially better for finger drumming type purposes.”
So wait, are you saying I can trigger full sequences independent of the play button?
For the MIDI one, does that mean that I can trigger the MIDI sequences independently, as well? If so, this opens up a whole new world of awesomeness.
I’m assuming that (if I can trigger the tracks/sequences independently) they will only play once and not loop? Or do the sequences keep going until I hit the track button again or STOP.
Are there any good videos that show this in action?
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Yes! 
Well holy crap on a popsicle stick. And I’m assuming I can set them to loop until I hit the trig again to stop it? This opens up a whole new way that I will be performing my show in April. I assume the scenes will still work, as well?
Goddamn. The OT is quickly becoming my 2nd favorite part of my studio (my 0Coast takes the cake).
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You got it 
ambient playground. Lots of cool vids on youtube exploring different techniques on this, just search Octatrack plays free.
You can choose whether it loops till you stop it or just plays once. check manual but it’s similar to your options when doing manual recording (one, one2, hold etc). more clues here Plays Free mode loops don’t stop immediately in ONE2 mode?
yes the xfader still works as usual
Another non-obvious use of this is for sequencing FX on a THRU track to mess with incoming audio at will!
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WHAT WHAT?!?!?!!??! Ok. Seriously. Goddamn. I swear all I wanna do is play with this thing all day long, but instead, I gotta teach 7th graders math and then go home and spend time with my wife. Stupid responsibilities.
I’ll be looking at all this stuff this weekend. You’ve changed my life.
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hahah happy to help, yes the OT is bonkers. my responsibilities just now are far fewer so should probably go fire mine up. Enjoy!
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Wow, I didn’t know any of this stuff. Mind = blown.
Just tested this out. Super awesome. Couldn’t get the midi track to work, though. I set it to play free but when I hit the trig it only plays one note of the sequence.
It’s late here but I believe that this is a known problem:
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Gotcha. I’ll read up more on that at home. It was late but I couldn’t stop thinking about trying this all out so I got out of bed and tested it all. Haha.
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That seems to be the Elektron way of things!
Xok. I’ve spent the past few days messing with this, and besides the midi tracks, have it mostly working. Now onto something a bit more complicated. I have 2 patterns that use the same part. All the tracks are play free so I can arrange live. When I switch patterns, is there a way to trigger tracks right at the switch? I tried hitting the pattern and A02 them hitting the track trigs, but it doesn’t work. I can’t believe there isn’t a way to do this.
I’m not quite sure what your setup is. Are you saying that you have set all the tracks in pattern 1 and all the tracks in pattern 2 to Plays Free?
Yes. I’ve considered a workaround being that I set the drums and bass in pattern 2 to not play free at first, then trigger pattern 2, then while it’s playing reassign them as play free. Seems a pain in the ass, though.
For your Plays Free tracks on pattern 2, what values have you set for Trig Mode and Trig Quant?