Trying to understand "disconnected tracks"

[slicetwo]

“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?

[PeterHanes]

awesomeness

Yes!

[slicetwo]

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).

[Anfim]

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.

You got it ambient playground. Lots of cool vids on youtube exploring different techniques on this, just search Octatrack plays free.

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.

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!

[slicetwo]

Another non-obvious use of this is for sequencing FX on a THRU track to mess with incoming audio at will!

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.

[Anfim]

hahah happy to help, yes the OT is bonkers. my responsibilities just now are far fewer so should probably go fire mine up. Enjoy!

[kisielk]

Wow, I didn’t know any of this stuff. Mind = blown.

[slicetwo]

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.

[PeterHanes]

It’s late here but I believe that this is a known problem:

MIDI Plays Free tracks won't play 'Direct'

I'm trying to mess around with Plays Free and I haven't in a while but I'm having trouble getting it working on the MIDI tracks. I've got them set up to play Direct (no quantize), Oneshot Track off, with ONE2 Trig Mode, I've tried all 3 settings for Start Silent and they seem to have no effect. When I have that track selected, the first trig of the sequence lights up yellow just like it does in audio Plays Free tracks but unlike there, it never gets past the first trig. That first trig res…

[slicetwo]

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.

[slicetwo]

That seems to be the Elektron way of things!

[slicetwo]

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.

[PeterHanes]

complicated

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?

[slicetwo]

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.

[PeterHanes]

hitting

For your Plays Free tracks on pattern 2, what values have you set for Trig Mode and Trig Quant?

[slicetwo]

Mode is one2 and Quant is 12/16 (track is in 3/4)

[soundxplorer]

Apologies for the bump, but I’m reading the manual before I buy an OT and I had the exact same question. I think I understand it now, buttons 1-8 seem to be geared toward live performance maybe? Let me know if I’m off base here in my example here.

Let’s say I have 3 samples in Flex Machines:
T1 - Kick
T2 - Snare
T3 - HiHat

Then I have entered Trigs using Grid Record mode on those three tracks for a simple techno drum beat at 120 BPM, 64 steps.

Now I exit Grid Record mode, so the 16 buttons along the bottom are now just going to trigger sounds when I press them.
Buttons 9-16 seem obvious - if I press 9, I would hear my Kick sample played once. I press 10, hear the snare, etc.

So…now I’m trying to imagine what happens when I press buttons 1, 2, or 3.

If I’m understanding this thread correctly, if I press button “1” it would immediately start playing my Kick sample as sequenced by the Trigs I have placed in the sequence, and at 120 BPM. Let’s say it’s just a 4-on-the-floor beat. Does it stop playing after 64 steps? Or does it continue to loop the sequence?
And if I happened to hit the “3” button, which is full of 16th note HiHat Trigs, but I press the button off-beat in relation to what I’m hearing from the Kick track, do the sounds automatically line up with the beat, or will my HiHats be “off” and I have to try to press the button exactly on time?

I’m just trying to understand as much as I can before making a big purchase.
Thanks.

[Open_Mike]

If the tracks are disconnected they don’t start with the play button. Trigs 1-8 will launch tracks only if they are disconnected, you can quantize the launch, Trigs 9-16 will trig the machines so play the samples.

Plays free tracks can loop or not, and you can have them carry through to the next pattern if the same track # is plays free, and it won’t stop until you launch the new track…
(Edit: I think this is only good for looping samples but not sequences… See pages 73 and 74: https://www.musicbycatabolic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/ElektronNextLevel2016.pdf)

[soundxplorer]

If the tracks are disconnected they don’t start with the play button. Trigs 1-8 will launch tracks only if they are disconnected, you can quantize the launch

Ahh, so it’s an “either/or” type setting. Connected or Disconnected (Plays Free setting off/on). If all 8 of my tracks are connected to the sequencer, buttons 1-8 won’t do anything when I leave Grid Record mode I guess.

Thanks for helping me understand.

[Open_Mike]

Correct… All 256 patterns have their own pattern settings menu where you can configure each track to be plays free or not amongst other settings… And yeah, the buttons won’t do anything if tracks aren’t plays free…