Are slices saved in a part, or a pattern

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi! First post from a new Octatrack user.

If I slice a sample, are those slices saved with the pattern, or with the part? Example:

Pattern 1 track 1 has a long Rhodes sample in its Flex slot. Trig 1 plays the whole sample.

Pattern 2 track 1 uses the same Flex slot. I auto-slice the Rhodes sample, and assign slices to several trigs.

Then, when I return to pattern 1, trig 1 only plays a single slice, not the entire sample.

Is this expected behavior? If so, do I need to use parts to get around it? Or should I duplicate the Rhodes sample, so I have a sliced and a non-sliced version?

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#2

It’s saved with the sample in the project sound pool. And accessed equally from all patterns and parts.

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#3

I think your problem is that both patterns use the same part (the default one). So you use one and only one (the same) Flex machine in both patterns. Modifying it in one pattern changes it therefore in the other pattern, too.

Try to use different tracks for this in pattern 1 and 2 and it should work.

Or use different parts.

3 Likes
#4

Excellent, thanks. That makes things clearer.

The solution, then, is duplicate the sample and p-lock the different versions, or use parts to load a different slot into the track, right?

#5

Hi,

and what if I pre-slice (and p-lock) a slot without a sample in it? How do I save that?

#6

You can use the same sample in different slots with different Trim / Slices / Attributes settings.

These settings can be saved with the sample. It creates an .ot file on the CF card, associated with the sample :
sample.wav
sample.ot
When you load that sample, settings are recalled. If you change the settings, they are stored with the slot.

You can’t slice an empty sample slot. You can use a silent sample and slice it, save its settings, load it in any recording slot, and record over it, but it needs to be the same length / tempo to work properly.

You can use start points instead of slices, and plock them previously, without length / tempo problems. Same behaviour, except length / loop behavior. In slice mode, the length / loop is the slice, in normal mode it’s the whole sample.
Edit : loop points are also different in slice mode (per slice).

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#7

Simple way to achieve this, with 1 sample slot, slice mode, length mode = slices.
Pattern 1, plock LENgth to 128, it will play all slice, hence the whole sample.

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#8

That did it!

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#9

After further experimentation, I found that @sezare56’s method is by far the easiest. The Parts method also seems to work.

But the oddest thing is this:

Create a slice grid, then live-record some slices onto trigs using the Slices Trig Mode (playing the slices on the trig keys like a little keyboard).

Then, open up the slice editor again, and “Delete All Slices.”

The slices are removed from the sample, but your recorded pattern remains. You can even watch it if you hit the AED button again to watch the sample waveform while the pattern plays back. The play head jumps around the waveform. And because you removed the slices, it behaves like an unsliced sample in the rest of your patterns.

This could be handy to use the same sample in different patterns, and also to slice it into different lengths — 64 slices in one pattern, 12 in another for example.

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#10

“The Sezare56 method” is always the best an Octatrack can get :wink:

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#11

Well, I just open a recording buffer, make sure it’s empty, then I set the amount of slices I wish the recording buffer to be divided into, then I create the corresponding linear trigs , which I then mangle like setting pitch shift for each, then I record into the buffer and that works fine. So where is this setup then saved? In the part? Until now I just jam live and record the mains so I didn’t really bother to save anything yet, but maybe one day I come up with a very cool live-mangling set of params and would like to be able to recall that…

#12

Sure it was empty ? I couldn’t find slices after creating slice grid.
These setting can be saved with the sample, you can reload it in any project.
Did you try start points I mentioned ?
@Open_Mike used them too IIRC…

#13

regarding the initial request, why wouldn’t you just save a sample copy so you use unsliced on Pattern 1 and rhodes_copy_sliced.wav on Pattern 2?
i wonder if i’m missing something here myself

#14

That’s what I did initially. I just wondered if there was a way to do it using the same sample.

3 Likes
#15

No need to copy. You can use the same sample in several slots and use different Trim / Slices / Attributes settings. :wink:

Using 1 slot saves RAM (if FLEX), and slots obviously. I avoid part changes too.

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#16

thank you for that clarifications @sezare56 and @Mistercharlie
i think i was confused by “Save Sample Settings” menu item. looks like i can easily override those in new sample slot(s)
:raised_hand:

yeah, i like having some spare parts too, but never had shortage of slots

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#17

SAVE SAMPLES SETTINGS option create or modify the sample.ot file associated with the sample.wav file. It contains TRIM / SLICES / ATTRIBUTES parameters. Loading a sample in a slot loads these settings. You can modify them, and they’ll be still active and memorized in the slot.

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#18

exactly how i got it this time. thank you!

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#19

You’re correct, I restarted the OT and the slices were gone, I think I had filled up the buffer with a silent recording. So yes, I’ll save the part with a silent, sliced sample, that’s how it should be done

#20

I don’t think saving part change anything in that case. Saving silent sample with it’s slices, yes.
Maybe you should save different lengths / tempi.
If your recording is shorter, by pressing stop fir example, slices are messed up. You have to reload sample settings.

I much prefer rec trigs method, eventually start points…