Beginner Octatrack Question

jderringer · 2022-10-29T16:56:18.313Z

Hi - I love my new Octatrack but I have a foundational question I can’t quite figure out on my own.

I have an Analog RYTM, an Analog 4 and a Digitakt. On each of these devices, I can have a different kit/set of sounds on each pattern. Is this not the case with Octatrack?

I’d like to have different samples in my eight tracks for each pattern I make. This seems elemental to performing with the Octa.

Am I missing something? Please help. I appreciate it!

jD

vasidudu · 2022-10-29T16:58:16.085Z

You can use Parts or sample p-locks (like on your DT). Third option is to use different banks.
Parts were confusing at first but I am now using them extensively.

jderringer · 2022-10-29T17:01:06.429Z

OK so I need to look into Parts and Banks…? I can have different samples in different Banks and Parts, but not on different patterns in the same Bank. Do I have that right…? I really appreciate the help.

Kultschar · 2022-10-29T17:09:43.451Z

Believe you can have diff Part per Pattern if I remember rightly

Stickhit · 2022-10-29T17:18:43.030Z

Parts are the OT’s equivalent to kits found on other Elektron machines with the addition that they store scenes.

However, although the OT has twice the number of patterns (256) compared to the others it only has half the number of parts (64).

Also 4 parts are exclusive to each bank so as a result every pattern cannot have a different part and nor can every pattern have rhe same part.

blaize · 2022-10-29T17:25:47.064Z

Yeah it’s not work like the DT, be careful if you change a setting on a pattern, it will change it on every pattern.
To make things like on DT, use Parts. But you have only 4 parts per banks so you can’t have 16 totally different patterns on the same bank.

bodymechanics · 2022-10-29T17:47:28.220Z

I’d say understand sample locks over Parts.
Only use parts if absolutely necessary.

Sample locks are easier to keep track of

JoyrexJ9 · 2022-10-29T17:53:20.379Z

Parts and banks, confusing the #!$! out of Octatrack owners since 2011

bodymechanics · 2022-10-29T17:59:20.299Z

Parts are definitely OTs version of “KITS”
The manual doesn’t make this easy to comprehend.
Only 4 per bank making it more complex.

Sample Locks are and elegant way of doing what most people want in this situation.
Parts should be used if you want to change EVERYTHING about that track.

lowph · 2022-10-29T18:02:01.964Z

These questions are why I think it’s important to understand parts from the beginning. Especially if coming from something like the DT, and you patterns are expected to behave somewhat like parts.

To simplify, it might be helpful to think of it this way:

sequencer data is in the pattern
machine “configurations” (most of what you see on the screen) are in parts
patterns have parts assigned to them

There are other details, like scene behavior for example, but if you just start with the basics it might help understand how parts are an important structure on the instrument.

Andreas_R · 2022-10-29T18:03:25.998Z

And remember: if you use a sample on slot 1 in any pattern and then change the assigned sample it will change across all patterns it was used in.

Banks can be considered songs, and each bank has 4 parts which you can assign as you like over the 16 patterns of each bank.

Parts are like sets of parameters for all your tracks. They hold information about all parameters of your tracks like which sample, envelopes, fx all that stuff.
They can e compared to kits.

Flymo · 2022-10-29T19:14:17.922Z

Make a chain of drum sounds using octachainer, use that, slice mode on, then swap sample chains for sonic variation.

This is the sort of infuriatingly incomprehensible thing people say to you when you’re learning octatrack but it’s reasonably good advice.

jderringer · 2022-10-29T20:25:47.189Z

Thank you everyone this was extremely helpful. I took to YouTube and watched a video about Parts & Banks and understand it now. A little bit of a more convoluted workflow than RYTM or Digitakt but at least I have my head around it. Thanks again!

thoughtstarZ · 2022-10-29T20:51:33.328Z

I think someone said above- if you want to skip parts, you can sample lock any step to any sample. That simple. Maybe a little more work, but very effective.
Edit: You can also sample lock Samplechains, which will give you hundreds of choices of which sample to lock on each step.

jderringer · 2022-11-03T16:49:14.577Z

Update: I think I’m going to follow the advice of many of you - locking samples to steps in patterns. I’m finding that moving from part-to-part isn’t working well because patterns and parts are not differentiated from one another. So I think the move is to load tons of samples and loops into the project, and then lock the samples I want to the particular steps of each pattern. Might be a little bit more work but seems to be more conducive to playing live, at least in the workflow I prefer (using the Octa as more of a looper than a drum machine).