Anyone using an Octatrack with live vocal input?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi there–
I’m considering buying an Octatrack. One reason why I’m interested is the potential for use as a live mixer of sorts (as well as all the sampler capabilities obviously), and I’m curious to know if anyone’s used it for performing with one track dedicated to live vocal input being treated thru the master fx track. Vox are a big part of what I do.

The main reason I ask is that when I’ve worked with a laptop/interface setup, running vox through the interface to be processed by the laptop always resulted in hideous feedback problems. Would this be a problem with the OT?

Cheers

#2

Vocals need a mic. If your speakers are too loud, there will be feedback with any gear.
Ot is a great recorder looper, no problem to use it for vocals, you’ll need a preamp, better with eq to free internal fx.

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#3

Yes, I used thru tracks as vox processors initially with SM58s and PR20s.
And if you can, send that vox track to front of house separately through your cue outs.
Mics and OT work fine if you crank the gain, but you will have more control if you use a mixer / preamp.
Feedback is mostly a matter of proper mic positioning and attenuating venue-critical frequencies on the vox channel.

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#4

Also OT’s gate input must be set correctly…I’ve been playin a lot with this with great success…No preamps or feedback issues…

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#6

I do it all the time…
A few things, the master track will apply effects to all audio tracks so for individual effects you can use a pickup machine which makes for (relatively) easy looping and monitoring with fx, or a thru track for fx that can also be sequenced. If you want you can have multiple tracks set up with different fx ready to go, and switch between them, and get more crazy by live sampling and having another track ready to bend the fresh sample around…
It is recommended to use a preamp for a healthy signal and would be required if your mic uses what’s called “phantom power” where the mic is powered from the audio cable. Some have gotten away without a preamp but I don’t think it would sound quite as nice. I use either the preamp on my audio interface when recording or from my mixer for live.
Feedback trouble isn’t inherent to labtop/interface or the OT, so if it happens with either you need to troubleshoot your gain staging and mic proximity to speakers, it’s usually the mic gain is set to high and sound is coming back into the mic from the speakers and making a feedback loop…
:monkey_face:

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#7

What @Open_Mike said about the potential cause of feedback. :wink:

I also use the OT by running live instruments (including a live vocal mic/mixer) into it and monitor via pickup machines. There’s a few ways to add a live instrument input to the OT as one can tell from previous posts. One thing I’m keen on adding to my vocal signal chain (and would suggest to anyone in a similar situation) is a good compressor after the mixer/mic pre. Should help even out the sound before it hits the OT’s inputs and should be helpful in taming feedback should it occur.

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#8

thanks all.
I do have a mic preamp, but I hadn’t considered it as a feedback-preventer. I guess anything that helps get the gainstaging just right would help.
I guess a mic with very tight proximity might help too?

Part of the problem is that I play mostly at small venues and house parties where the PA setup isn’t ideal and there isn’t necessarily a good sound engineer on hand – certainly no one ‘tuning the room’.

waiting and saving here…

#9

Yes a dynamic microphone, like Shure Sm58…
Headphones…in ear monitors…

#10

Sorry for the necropost, but if I wanted a vocal mic that I could plug directly into the OT without a mixer, what should I look for?

#11

… a bunch of other, more recent topic on the same subject:
https://www.elektronauts.com/search?q=microphone%20Octatrack

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#12

Naturally before I posted I did use the search feature :slight_smile:

Those threads rightly suggest that if you have an SM57/8 then any preamp will do.

I am looking for a mic that does not require a separate pre and can be plugged directly into the OT what terms should I search for.

#13

but

#14

Oh I missed the tip about stacking thu machines. That’s definitely worth a try. :+1: I just thought there might be a specialized mic that makes my life easier.