Can’t you use the Cue output to redirect the Tempest track once muted ?
from the manual:
[ul]
[li]DIR sound won’t be affected by any of the dual FX blocks, but will be affected by the master track effects if a master track is used. Use Thru machines for affecting incoming audio with the FX blocks. [/li]
[li]If track 8 has been turned into a master track it won’t be affected by mutes. [/li]
[/ul]
Many thanks for your advise, guys.
I think I just have to live with this.
Instead of seeing it as a problem, now that I know how it works (with great help from you all), I’ll work it into the track instead of trying to figure out a way around it.
It’s not like the Tempest isn’t without its limitations as well, and I have no problem with those. So it’s all about what the tools can do, not what they can’t do.
Goddam this forum is great.
Sending the Tempest to cue outputs (via a Thru track) is the solution.
I think JSZ might have the answer there, also check this other thread out: http://www.elektronauts.com/t/sidechain-effect-on-ot/6372. I have yet to try this myself. But this might allow to to do what you’re looking for. If I follow it right, you would end up with a more configurable master track.
unless i’m missing something, why would you use two inputs and a thru track to route the audio back out two other physical outs - i’m not able to try this, so it may sound like i completely missed the point – i’m guessing though that the thru is also merged at the mains (but unaffected by fx) ! - if so then handy #OTtip 
, otherwise it’s an odd solution for a shortage(sorta) of mixer channels !
To make full use of effects and scenes of course.
I think the only way to do this would be to create a thru channel with the input from A&B then create a scene that effects all of the channels except the thru channel
That’s great for sure generally, but is it merged, haven’t tried (actually curious) and may not help as OP has shortage of channels to monitor
I’m pretty sure you can send tracks out the cue and not have them on the main output.
For example on Dataline’s “What it does” video, the kick drum and bass sound are not affected by the master delay. Them being routed out the cue is the most obvious reason for this.
didn’t know cue’d tracks dont get the master FX.
I learned something today
blimey, of course, that wasn’t the point made, the point was whether an unaffected cue (bypassing T8 master fx) appears at the main outs !
i’m gonna try soon to put this one to bed !
blimey, of course, that wasn’t the point made, the point was whether an unaffected cue (bypassing T8 master fx) appears at the main outs !
i’m gonna try soon to put this one to bed !
[/quote]
Oh sorry. That I don’t know. The headphone out can mix cue and main at least.
okay - cue does not route through the main outs or the master fx
so for the OP this doesn’t help as he was short of inputs (and maybe a bit of fx, but that wasn’t the main thing)
Using the headphone out would work. Or getting a small mixer.
True & Truer 
Thanks, lots of good stuff to try here now. I should mention that I’m recording directly from the OT:s main outs, so whatever approach I’ll take, audio goes out through those. I have a small mixer so if this really start to hurt, I’ll just use that.
I’m not sure that dedicating a thru channel will do the trick, since I think the Master FX track still affects what’s coming in. It’s like layering fx, but I’ll try that and see if it works.
But now that I’ve realized there’s no obvious easy fix for this, I’ve come to terms with it and instead structured which instrument plays what and shifted some performance ideas from one instrument to the other to not get around this, but make something else out of it instead.
Still, you’d think that there’s an off-switch for the Master track affecting audio in. If I remember correctly, the A4 and AKeys (though newer machines, so the comparison is perhaps not entirely fair) only applies effects to audio input if you want them to. On the other hand, I think it’s forced on the ARytm, so perhaps it’s a feature that requires much development headroom with little obvious gain.
I should mention that I’m obsessed with the idea of slimming down my rig to the equivalent of the divine proportion.
Adding a mixer would solve the problem and give me other nice options as well, but it would hurt my psyche. I would suffer, knowing that I had to throw in another device to compensate for my inability to compose amazingly genius music with only a lightbulb and a first generation iPhone.
But seriously, I’m thinking one sampler (the Octatrack) and one instrument (Tempest, for now - though it’s threatened on and off by other options) and I’d like to keep it at that.
So yes, that’s what’s sending me off on these trips to find options to make the instruments work for me in ways they weren’t intended.