Considering yet another return to the OT - Mk1 maybe?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
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My first OT was the MK1. I got it for a good price, and it served its purpose for me, but it’s been years since I had it. I have had a few Mk2s, and I typically sold them because I had too many samplers or was using software.

I refined my setup since and it’s been pretty stable - I have a few drum machines and use one of those. 1 synth, a Rev2 or a Virus, a mixer and a sequencer (Hapax). I live perform and record that.

I have been using the MPC sample as my stereo sampler and what I notice is the sampler just plays such a huge role in my music. What I typically do is trigger some texture sounds to run in the background, I chop up some vocals to be the main hook and I trigger all that stuff on the hapax. I will also trigger chord samples on another track and would very much prefer to modulate them with LFOs so they don’t sound static, but I can’t do that on the MPC Sample. Then I have one bank of sounds on the MPC that just has FX and random sounds, and I live play those from the MPC pads while I record, just hitting pads when I feel like it. Most of my performance is done on the mixer, but the OT of course has the cross fader that opens up possibilities.

MPC Sample is pretty limited for this type of work. No MIDI CC’s besides triggering pads, no LFOs, Only 1 pair of stereo outs and you have to resample a lot. It’s actually an awesome workflow for standalone, but using it as my sampler connected to a bigger system, I am missing a lot of the stuff I listed above.

It’s been a few years so I am just making this post to see if I am missing anything here. The Octatrack can time stretch beats and slice like the Sample. It gives me the extra pair of outs so I can separate some sounds into a mixer channel. It can do a ton of filter modulation to a chord sample, which is a big part of the sound I like. It can chop vocals, pitch, timestretch breaks. It can be controlled by the Hapax, while also letting me live trigger some sounds at the same time (Pretty sure at least?). What I want to do there is make some chains with FX samples, send them through the effects and mess with them, and then just trigger them in the moment as ear candy type sounds.

The Mk1 form factor is awesome. Obviously older and they go for ~200USD more than they used to. I prefer the mk2, but would like to save 4-500 dollars and I believe the main difference is there are more buttons on the Mk2, so its a little easier to navigate. Correct me if I am wrong. I am pretty comfortable on the OT, so I feel like the muscle memory could kick in for me.

I don’t want to sell my Sample, but that could get me the difference in cost for the Mk2, so just weighing the pros and cons there and making sure everything I listed above can be done. Appreciate any advice. It’s crazy to me that this sampler is still the top tier after so long. I’d consider the digitakt 2, but I really want to have multiple outs and not mess with overbridge.

Edit - it’s crazy how after I made this thread that an offer I made on a mk2 got accepted. So maybe the dirtywave m8 mk2 will be my sacrifice here, but I was able to get an OT mk2 again.

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Perhaps youve heard about the guy that bought and sold octatrack 7 times?

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What about a MPC live? That might do all the things? Only two inputs, but looks like 6 outs…Yeah, OT is now an old school, fully featured commodity. 4in-4out, CF card streaming, cross fade havin beast that no-one really has tried to compete with. Not sure why. I suppose most newer producer’s would rather have usb audio and skip the physical ins and outs.

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Nah I don’t like mpc envelopes or modulations. I think the OT is still the king there for dub style chords.

I love the Sample as a nice portable beat machine. It’s a blast to use. But it’s not really cut out for the type of modulations I want to do. It doesn’t have any midi control. Whereas I’m still wrapping my head around the OT manual and how many ways I can connect it to hapax.

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I’m getting close to it. Give me some time, haha.

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get the mk1 or mk2 - i had been down the rabbit hole many many time mk1 mk2 etc but i settled on a bargain mk1 and i love it - just go fo rit its nots tha hard if you have elektron experience in general

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So my main question before it arrives is what’s the best way to set this up for midi control? I want to trigger one shots and also slices from the hapax. And then while performing I want to be on a track where I can trigger sounds by hand. Should all be very doable but there are a lot of midi modes and options to parse through.

I can also send it more LFOs from hapax which is pretty awesome.

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For a second I thought this was another post from him :joy:

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Read manual Appendix C !

Possible set it for external control of slots or slices with FOLLOW TM or MAP TRACK modes.

Possible to trigger slots or slices on a track using Slots or Slices trig modes.

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I run hapax with Octatrack , Syntakt, Prophet 12. The 8 audio tracks would eat up 8 tracks on the hapax (i use 12 tracks for the syntakt already, you will probably use a lot for your virus TI.) - therefore i stick with internal sequencing. I have one track that sends out program change to the octatrack, to forward the pattern.
The rest is sliced tracks, or through tracks where i sample the prophet , or play background static samples, or have random triggers for pre sliced material, which would be a hassle on the live instrument. (fm sequences , percussions, atmospheres.) Octatrack is in my opinion far more convient than a MPC (i tried the MPC one, but its always to much menu divey, with octatrack its pressing a track, and having some movements in the fader, to either blend in a background or remove a background (i mostly mapped volume to the fader, and ofc you can use its 3 internal LFO for some filter movement, where you dont have to babysit it all the time. ) Essentially i can do most stuff with the fader only, for a more complex setup this is imho the way to approach it. (prepare stuff, you can show /hide, then let it do its thing.)

I spend some time preplanning, and writing it down, what each track should do, and then created scenes for that. Sticking to a plan, was very helpful.

Having more time for the actual sequencing /and playing is a win in my book. Also its better to learn the hapax inside out.

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Depends on how much control you want of course, but It is possible to trigger the 8 tracks samples, 8 Plays Free tracks, 8 Plays Free midi tracks, 1 track chromatically using only 1 midi channel.

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Hmmm, actually a good idea. You mean - i could trigger the ot sequence with a note start ?

Hmm, actually it behaves like a additonal clip matrix, when the sequencer isnt running, and can also be quantized, or put to hold mode. So if i send a 32 bar long note, it will let the track repeat for 32 bars. Such a flexible companion.

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You can trigger Plays Free (Audio Track 1-8 Play) with a trig with plocked values) and track samples 1-8 with their track parameters. Hence potentially 16 different samples with different settings…

Screenshot_20220502-200408_Adobe Acrobat
Screenshot_20220502-200408_Adobe Acrobat1080×1015 245 KB

@Sternenlicht I’ll add Plays Free Tracks can be used as sequence or one shot trig with plocks

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Yeah this is a good option. So in the standard default MIDI mode on OT, it looks like I could trigger track 1- 8 using notes 24-31. I could put that into a Drum rack on the hapax and have it all right in front of me. Does it need to be a long trigger for it to play the entire sequence length or does a 1 beat trigger of the note set the sequence in motion?

I really like the idea of using the OT sequencer, even though I could go either way there. What I see myself doing on the OT - triggering a long loop that plays the entire time as a sound bed or pad. Chopping and resequencing a vocal sample. Triggering one shots like chords that have been sequenced. And then live triggering by hand a sliced chain of sound FX.

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I think default is trigger, then it loops the sequence, you need to set in options when free run is enabled that you use hold mode. Hold will probably play it from the start, for the duration of the note.

If read the manual correctly you need to send a stop if you want to stop looping of the track. I think with hold ot could be a small arrangement in the hapax clip for the octatrack.

Not sure if i want this level of detail, but its cool that it is possible. My scene approach is a litte bit simpler, but yoi need to change fader scenes now and then, controlling from the hapax also removes that aspect.

Both approaches have their advantages.

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Yeah I’ll have to figure it out once it arrives. Love that there are so many midi options. This is what I needed coming from the Sample, which is extremely bare bones. I only have 2 hands so I need to have some remote control and lfos.

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Stop is ambiguous.
Concerning Plays Free tracks, it can be a note on to start it, note off to stop it if you’re in Hold mode, or another note if you’re in One2 mode…
Not sure it there is stop possibility in One Shot mode…didn’t try.

With an external sequencer I rather use Hold, with a note duration on master sequencer…

I’m biased, I mostly used OT midi tracks to control its Plays Free tracks ! And once controlled one shot trigs from Plays Free midi tracks, sending CCs ! I don’t recommend it unless you are already mentally sick like me.

Not obvious mess I know. If anybody interested I triggered audio tracks from midi tracks in Plays Free mode. I found it very interesting to trigger OT plocks on one shot trigs, on the fly…

The main interest seems to trigger OT one shot trigs on the fly via CCs, kinda midi FILL…
Hoping someone want to try it !

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10 fingers and 2 feet !
(Personally I can’t use my feet fingers individually)

So yes, midi implementation is pretty good, can be awkward using FOLLOW TM and MAP TRACK because settings aren’t maintained after reboot…

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12th times a charm.

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Other thing id like to do is route it so the hapax is master clock and sending midi, but the octatrack can also send midi and clock to external devices so I can record synced loops from drum machines and my virus.

I have a mioxl so this should be pretty straightforward. Just want to make sure I avoid any midi loop gotchas.