Advice on general workflow and audio cable choice

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi all,

I am now the proud owner of The AR mk2, the A4 mk2 and the octatrack mk 2. I have the AR and A4 working perfectly with overbridge and live 10. Now I realize I can not use the very elegant Elektron sequencer and it has me thinking about the workflow I want to use.
I have had the machinedrum mk1 for a long time and love the use of parameter locks etc. My workflow has been to just use the main stereo out of MD going to UCX interface. I get a pattern going, and then record each separate track, (using mutes) into Live.
I am considering the thought of leaving overbridge alone for the time being and using the AR, A4’s sequencer, but I am not too familiar with hardware setup and have some questions that hopefully someone can help me with.

  1. Is it best/necessary to use all available outputs of AR and A4, Octatrack? If so, is it correct in thinking that is a total of 30 1/4" jack to jack cables?

  2. My interface is the RME UCX and only has 4 Stereo I/O’s. would I need something like ADA 8200?

  3. What would be the best audio cables to use?
    I have spent the day scouring this forum for this and am still a little confused. which is better, balanced or unbalanced? I know both can be used.
    Do I need 2 stereo cables for the main stereo out of each unit?
    The rest will be mono cables?

Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

#2

…ur oldschool way of recording one by one is only needed for the ot…
the rest can still be handled via ob…
not firm wth mk2 versions of rytm and a4…but their inputs should be working pretty much like the tones external ins…
if so…that’s all it needs…yes, we’re talking standard 1/4 mono jack cables here, no matter what…
forget about balanced unbalanced…makes only a difference in longer distances or phnatom power micing/levels anyways…also no stereo cables need to be involved…

so best choice i’d say…let ob work out the ob machines…and connect ur ot with all it’s outs to ur interface, the way it is…4 cables needed…

let ur daw give out a masterclock…if ur midi options can handle a single clock signal to each machine individually, do that…if not…daisy chain them…meaning one clock signal from ur computer to one hardware after the other…

and of course ur still able to use the step sequencers and all the plocking…

#3

Thanks for the reply reeloy!

I’m sorry but do you mind explaining this further?

I could of sworn I read a message when installing overbridge that it was important to sequence notes via DAW and not from the AR or A4 themselves .The midi ports Track, Sync and remote in Live 10 must all be off. Am I wrong on this?
Do i just input notes as normal via the AR and A4’s sequencer and then record to audio in DAW? So no midi in DAW?
Am I correct in thinking the main out of both the AR and A4 go to the 2 Inputs of the OT? Then 2 Outputs of OT go to interface?
Do I just need to route DAW output to OT input and then back into DAW?

How do I check if my midi options can handle a single clock signal to each machine?
At the moment I have the AR and A4 connected via usb using the elektron overhub.

sorry for all these questions. I feel a bit silly but just can not seem to get my head around how to set this up.

#4

I have the same mk2 set up. You can still sequence from the hardware and record it into overbridge and just multitrack record each track…
though fx tracks are sends so all fx are recorded onto a separate track

If you plan on using a computer with ableton just use overbridge
Set up a send track in ableton that goes into Octatracks inputs so you can sample into it…

I also run the audio from the Octatrack main into the A4 input
And the cue into the AR input so everything can be recorded via overbridge…
Then you have 2 stereo channels to record into ableton using studio mode
And you will still have your soundcard free for other things

There are many ways to set it up depending on yours need best to experiment till you find how you like it

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#5

Just my 2 cent …

“balanced” is useful for noise reduction of the audio signal.

Example: If a cable is long enough and/or other electronic equipment is emitting strong electro-magnetic noise, the cable will work as an antenna, receive all this noise and add it to the audio signal. Every gear generating high frequencies of electro-magnetic pollution can be a source of this noise, like computer technology, power supplies, amps, a broken circuit etc.

Balanced cables help to “extinguish” the noise. Imagine that one line is “plus” one is “minus”, both receive the same noise but at the end both lines of noise sum up to “zero”.

In a small studio the cables might be short and well shielded enough to “ignore” the electro-magnetic environment and balanced cables are not needed. But if you want to stay safe, or if your audio suffers from noise, use balanced cables.

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#6

Thanks for the help DanJamesAUS, SoundRider,

So from what you’re saying, I need 6 mono (preferably balanced but not essential with a small studio) jack to jack leads:

2 from OT to AR input,
2 from OT cue, to A4 input
2 from interface to OT input.

Also, do I still need 3 midi cables to daisy chain AR, A4 and OT?

#7

I can only underline that. With my unbalanced cables I could hear my mouse movements in my monitors :nerd_face:

#8

Thanks AriHaf.

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#9

I use 3 stereo black/red trs cables or you can use 6 mono if you want…
but stereo might be better less cord mess

I just use clock from overbridge for A4 and AR just from the USB…
then a midi cord from my AR to send clock and transport to the Octatrack…

I also have a Midi to USB chord from Octatrack into computer
so I can send midi from Octatrack into the computer and can be routed to anything from there. If your soundcard has midi interface you could just run a normal midi cord into that
So if your audio interface has midi you would just need 2 midi cables

I literally have a full create of different trs and midi cords of different lengths I’ve collected

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#10

This is extremally helpful!

Thank you.

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#11

I have my studio set up so I can have multiple aux sends coming from the mixer, 4 inputs at all times to the octa, as well as a bunch of different cables. I think I have over 100 right now. That would have been $$$ to do and I needed a bunch of different sizes so I just made my own cable. It’s tricky at first but you get the hang of it and soldering is a great skill to have. (It was my first introduction to soldering)

There’s a ton of youtube tutorials on it. Just go to https://www.redco.com (if you’re in the US at least, if you’re elsewhere there might be a similar / cheaper option) and get their generic redco cable (you can get 100 ft cheap) and connectors. I went Balanced TRS which means you’ll be making 6 solder connections instead of 4 but… like I said you get the hang of it.

Obviously it takes some time but you’ll save a ton of money, learn a new skill, and it feels pretty gratifying to look at everything hooked up and know you did it.

#12

Thanks spssky,

I’ve looked into making up your own cables and it definitely looks doable and like you say, I bet it feels quite satisfying. :ok_hand:

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#13

I’ve had good luck with about fourty of these for about five months now. I’ve made me own as well, but these saved allot of time.

https://www.mycablemart.com/store/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=7973

#14

Just strip the shielding off speaker wire and kind of bunch the strands up to make a ball-like shape that you can stuff tightly into the 1/8th inch outputs, or you can kind of do the same thing with some old chicken wire or whatever too!

Or I guess you can take the other really good advice people have given you here :unamused:

#15

Thanks.

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