Audio track pitch bend

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hey guys, girls.

Considering how much I’ve used the OT I’m surprised this is the first time I’ve thought about it but I expect it’s due to the way I’m increasing my thinking for live sets that I’ve only just come across the requirement for this.

I’m looking for midi pitch bend which unfortunately we don’t have on the OT (unless I’m missing something), the only way I can see to get properly small increments on pitch mod in either direction is to use a designer lfo with a straight line at max and using the depth knob from zero to climb the pitch, any other method is clunky and jumps in 0.2 parts of a semitone as with the pitch knob which is daft, I don’t wish for a semitone to be split into 5 pieces a so want smooth changes so I have to use the lfo it appears.

Now if I want to pitch up AND down it seems I need to assign a second lfo to pitch with a setting of maximum but in the negative thus I lose an lfo which isn’t the end of the world but I’d like to avoid if possible.

Surely there’s a better way to achieve this? Anybody have the solution on how to utilise the pitch wheel of a keyboard? Ideally we could use midi learn but can’t.

Thanks for any help or ideas

#2

It works pretty well for me with Event Processor Plus.
With Ep+ I map my keyboard pitchbend messages to CC16, corresponding to Ot’s pitch.

#3

Thanks for that bud but I’m not interested in adding a box just to create / translate cc, I should have typed that and I’d rather lose an lfo and stay my way than part with more money.

Nobody figured a way to do this without a translator ?

#4

Even then don’t you get the pitch jumps I speak of? The pitch parameter jumps in 0.2 of a semitone even under midi control and I’ve been down that road with my controller, that’s why I use the lfo as you get much smaller increments that allow very smooth pitch transitions which is especially useful for the music being shown.

#5

You can use scenes on the crossfader if you have it free. Just tried a +0.2 pitch on crossfader compared to pitch knob and it is a smooth rise vs. a sharp step

3 Likes
#6

Hadn’t considered the fader thanks Clancy, blinded by the trees and I can’t see the forest, what an excellent way and I will certainly give this a whirl and see if I can use it predictably although I doubt it as its so easy to knock the fader mid flow and I am already seeing potential issues as I use scenes heavily for the obvious processing.

I suppose my main problem is the midi keyboard being used is a blofeld and I can’t program the pitch wheel to send the CC number I desire, I’m not buying a programmable anything else to achieve this goal though, not a box nor keyboard, not when I can just use the lfo and my maschine controller. I just wish I could use a pitch wheel as there’s nothing like it really due to the way they spring back to zero, I’ve tried pressure as a CC being sent from pads on my controller which is kind of ok but very hard to do exact and still has me using 2lfo.

#7

Yes off course it works well with the crossfader, smooth, but no return to zero pitch position if you want to pitch up and down. With 2 scenes maybe, one up and one down.
Use the Blofeld sampler for that ! (I have a Desktop SL Blo) :wink:

#8

Want do you mean use the blofeld sampler?

#9

I mean you can load samples in the Blofeld and use its pitchbend internally. + or - 2 octaves if I remember well. (I loaded a really nice Rhodes set). 60 MB max.

With my Ep+ I can control OT’s pitch with pitchbend, and map notes to slices. :thup:

#10

Aaaah, yes I’ve got the keys blofeld so I get samples anyway, I did wonder what you meant then lol , it’s a shame I’ve not got a way to change blofeld pitch wheel oh well looks like I’m stuck with my existing solution