Chaining Patterns with One Shot Samples for Backing Track

mbillz · 2014-07-06T18:30:23.000Z

I’m trying to setup backing tracks for my band. We ideally want to be able to hit play in arranger mode and have the Octatrack play a full song but we also want the ability to manipulate samples individually so instead of exporting everything as a single stereo file, I have each sample (pad1, pad2, lead1) on separate tracks. Some tracks contain loops that can be easily sequenced, but others contain a sample longer than the pattern length (for example a bass track that needs to be triggered after 64 bars and then plays throughout the entire song). I’ve been messing with one shot samples all morning, but I don’t think I’ve got them working properly. I also think I am just not understanding fundamental concepts of how the Octatrack can work. What I ideally want to do is set it up something like this:

In Arranger mode
Step 1) Launch Pattern A which triggers Track 1 as a one shot sample that doesn’t retrigger while the pattern loops
Step 2) Launch Pattern B which triggers Track 2 as a one shot sample that plays throughout the entire song and thus doesn’t retrigger while the pattern loops.

Basically this idea repeats every time I want to change patterns. I have other short samples on each pattern that can be looped within the pattern so they aren’t the issue, it’s just setting up and automating samples to trigger once that is driving me mad.

Thanks in advance for your help, and sorry if this explanation is convoluted.

zeropoint · 2014-07-06T20:26:57.000Z

Have you seen this thread ?

http://www.elektronauts.com/t/using-ot-for-backing-tracks/5244

If so can you be a little bit more specific about what is not working for you ?

With your set up ( the second pattern’s one shot being trigged on a separate track ), you shouldn’t have to perform any re-arming on pattern change. As far as I know you can’t program re-arming into the arranger but have to do it manually. …but as I say it looks like you’re already attempting to work round that limitation

So where are you getting stuck ?

mbillz · 2014-07-07T01:50:22.000Z

Well the issue I was having was getting a one-shot trig to even show up on the sequencer. I was hitting function+the trig button in grid record mode for hours this morning with no luck, but now it’s working great. Not sure what I’m doing differently, but this works. Sorry for the waste of a thread, but hopefully this helps someone else.

zeropoint · 2014-07-07T10:20:11.000Z

Maybe earlier you were pressing FUNC + Trig without first entering a sample trig on that step ?

Anyway glad you got it sorted…

mbillz · 2014-07-07T18:20:26.000Z

Perhaps!

gerg_stoddard · 2018-04-25T12:51:56.740Z

Hi, this thread helped me a lot. To take the scenario further I want to add midi sequences to the backing track that start at midway through a song. The one shot trig solution above will work if there isn’t any additional midi sequencing.

In theory I would need to slice the backing track to 4 bar files and arrange these to play one after the other.

Has anyone else done this?

Clancy · 2018-04-25T13:05:41.796Z

maybe simplest would be to mute the midi tracks until you need them

Open_Mike · 2018-04-25T18:37:57.492Z

By default unless you enable the silence tracks option globally or per pattern/track, tracks will carry through to other patterns. If you have a long backing track going on track 1 for example, you can switch patterns and as long as there’s not trigs on track 1 the backing track will still play on that track…

Open_Mike · 2018-04-25T18:39:29.011Z

Also quantized launch plays free midi tracks, probably other solutions too…

gerg_stoddard · 2018-04-30T15:21:13.094Z

Thanks for the heads up that’s great to know