Beginner Octatrack Rituals

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

I recently got an Octatrack and I am using it compose beats. The workflow I have come up with is shoddy and I am making one project for every beat. I am using up all 8 tracks way too quickly as I am using it like a DAW.

Input AB - Sample Source
Input CD - Ableton/ Hardware Synths etc
Mix AB CD - Scene A max Scene B min (Input monitoring and mute)
Output - Analog Heat + FX
I setup a one shot rec trig for a length of 32 steps on T1 flex machine with step 1 enabled and copy this track to all 8 tracks with each of their respective recording buffers. Octatrack is master clock to ableton since I want to sample parts in time. I change the inputs accordingly.
First I sample a drum break into T1, chop up and run a drum line. Next I run random stuff on input AB and hit T*+Rec1 until I like something or works. Once the sample fits the drums, I play synths, sound effects, etc around the sample to embelish it. Once I have all the parts, I map some stuff to the cross fader and improvise. I keep saving all samples often using Func+Rec3 because I forget to press the disarm button and random stuff gets recorded. I have lost several beats like this.
Below are some examples I have uploaded to youtube. What is the best workflow to compose beats on Octatrack? Appreciate inputs and advice.

The Great Solitude

Heat Space Echoes

In search of the Golden Dog x1

In search of the Golden Dog x2

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2

You forgot to mention the step on day 1 where you wanted to cry :joy:

What you’re doing sounds good. The beauty of OT is its flexibility. Whatever works for you works.

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I kind of wept when I was losing beats continuously. I didn’t know that I had to disarm. I tried to read the manual and it’s dense AF… So I uploaded the manual to Notebook LM while making music so when I hit a roadblock, I ask a question and Notebook LM shows step by step instructions.

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4

that’s the problem with the octatrack. it’s not really meant to be used like that , you have clues like the +12 semitone pitch knob etccc.
you have to rely on samplechains and plock several samples on one track or the sample pool and resample if you want to make full songs with only 8 tracks. i spent so many hours on this machine to come to the conclusion i’d better mangle stems in it or other synth / drummachines in the inputs. thats my 2 cents

i’m totally ok with what stub said above [quote=“StuB, post:2, topic:244504”]
What you’re doing sounds good. The beauty of OT is its flexibility. Whatever works for you works.
[/quote]

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OT is a marathon not a sprint. Stick with it :fist:t2:

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6

you likely also record a clip one after another, which allows to keep the workflow simple.

When prepping a new bank (project) i usually start with PART1 providing all 8 TRACKS with FLEX machines, so i can let phantasy go crazy and actually focus on jamming with my synths. Usually such jam involves OT midi tracks or even external sequenced or manually played notes.

It is way easier to keep some sort of targeting in mind, meaning Kicks, PERC + HH + SN, Glitches belong to some tracks i will always use for that. So i record kicks into the track where i usually place kicks and so for all other elments.

then the actual recording. And its really simple.

a) prep the track pattern length,
b) set recording length for track,
c) set a record trig, arm/disarm…
d) start sequencer
e) leveling what comes back by looking at the input LED ab/cd and adjust the mixer or even the synths output.
f) When i am happy with it, hit REC_AB + TRACK button or (REC_CD + TRACK), which records onto that very track from that very source
g) because b) rec length was set, it also stops automatically.

And voilá the buffer contains the noise…

now set a trig with LEN INF on that track to hear it. And if it is keep-worthy hit TRACK + BANK to open the wave editor and save to flex or static…

That is way easier than thinking about what to keep in a slot list and what to let go before you even were creative. When you really manage to write enough clips to get in trouble you need a coffee break anyway and thats the moment for the boring stuff, managing the collection via USB mode…

The scene A/B hassle, progression, fx i come up with comes only after that.

The whole plot becomes even more simple if you have machinery that can recall, lets say drums, which spares your the whole recording process, then you can dive in OT sequencer love too. Which fortunately having enough toys in studio means i mostly only record stuff that i can’t reproduce on stage - like more complex bass line or keys, maybe specific poly’ish rhythm or fx on it.

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As a beginner, my ritual was starting a new project every day … often several. I was exploring different approaches to setting it up and learning the initial project process. That was great experience.

I don’t do that any longer. At some point I wiped the OT and created a new project, deciding to just live with that for a time.

My rituals now involve practicing aspects of the OT. I work a lot with always-recording buffers (ARB) and resampling those to other tracks. I think my current project has one ARB and it gets resampled to tracks 2-7, each of which play back at different rates, pitches, or whatever.

Since the OT does so many different things, I spend a lot of time exploring a capability to see if it fits into my sound aesthetic and workflow.

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