Can Octatrack record incoming MIDI

Obsolete · 2014-08-30T23:10:10.000Z

Hello

Recently got an Octatrack and as far as audio goes it’s living up to my expectations. Deep machine!

One question - and I think the answer is no but let’s see - can it record an incoming MIDI performance like the way an MPC can? So plug a keyboard into the MIDI in port, set up a four bar loop, hit record and play Chopsticks or a Bach fugue or whatever takes your fancy and the MIDI data is recorded, for example.

No biggie if not … I’ll just have to buy some more gear, win-win!

Thanks
Jim

the_dreammer · 2014-08-30T23:33:14.000Z

Hello,

As far as i could find out with my finger-keyboard minikeys testing.
Yes it records your keyboard play, but:

I dont think you can have more then 4 keys pressed at the same time.
as the sequencer have no way to “show it” . Thats good enough for me.
but i doubt it, its good enough for my piano playing niece, i saw her use 10 fingers at the same time.
If you want to record CC’s using the knobs on your other machines, you have to teach the octatrack to listen to that CC… else it will not record it. (that means, setup a CC to a controller) .

I dont think, you can have difrent-length notes… as in do a chord, hold 1 key, but release the others… (not 100% sure on this one, didnt really test myself, just what i remember from manual and forum)

I think velocity recording came in an update, but not 100% on that one… more like 90%

If I am wrong in the above things, I hope somebody says so… this is more theoretic knowledge than used practically everyday kinda thing for me…

Obsolete · 2014-08-30T23:44:20.000Z

Some people use more than four fingers?!!!

Sounds promising what your saying. Don’t have my MIDI keyboard here at the mo to test.

Seen an MPC60 for good price … could be nice combo? Octatrack plus 12-bit sampler and MIDI sequencer

the_dreammer · 2014-08-31T00:19:33.000Z

""Obsolete"":

Some people use more than four fingers?!!!

Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes!! else i would not have believed such a myth…
i mean, even the pinky-finger was used… i was amazed, i only use that one when i drink my afternoon tea

""Obsolete"":

Sounds promising what your saying. Don’t have my MIDI keyboard here at the mo to test.
Seen an MPC60 for good price … could be nice combo? Octatrack plus 12-bit sampler and MIDI sequencer

I play my monomachine via the sequencer of the octatrack, no keyboard either.
mpc60 can be fun if your into that typo machine’s… if its a good combo for you? that i dont know.
personal i think… had fun with an mpc2000 from a friend, but thats about it with my mpc experiences.

personaly, i like simplicity… the monomachine itself is a fun machine… but i cant really get it to be friends with my octatrack yet. funny enough, i cant even really get it to be friends with the machinedrum… it just makes things 1 step to complicated for me… the machinedrum and the octatrack are happy friends here…

G0n35y · 2014-08-31T12:50:21.000Z

I use a keyboard with midi into the OT and then on to my A4 and ipad.

Works fine. Yes you can set up,a loop and play over the top but the OT lacks an overdub feature so you may find this limiting and annoying. You can get round it by using multiple midi tracks set to the same channel though so you could sequence up to 32 notes on one midi channel spread over 8 tracks if you liked. Not ideal but it works!

What I can’t remember is if more than 4 notes could transmit to the ipad. I want to say it could but not 100% and my new studio set up kind makes that need redundant as I use able ton.