Convert to Elektron

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Serious questions incoming, but first a little background.

Long time MPC 1000 user with JJos as main sequencer with various older MIDI gear who recently acquired the Analogue keys. I’m 100 % hardware setup recording into a Zoom r24.

I really enjoyed the parameter locks/electron way of working etc and this has turned my eye to the Octatrack as a MPC replacement because I personally view the mpc as a sample player but I want a sample mangler (plus my MPC q Links are broken)

  1. Are Octatrack MKI1’s as prone to hardware problems as I read on the tinterwebz?
  2. Is buying second hand a risk?
  3. Should I just wait for MK 2 and take the significantly more expensive plunge
  4. Are the outs of the Mk 1 so very bad? Hum etc….
#2
  1. No
  2. No
  3. I would, if you’re coming in new, the enhancements are nice, plus warranty
  4. No
11 Likes
#3

I would find brand new MK1.
3 years warranty and much cheaper.
In my opinion MK2 update isn’t worth $500 price difference.

1 Like
#4

Consider all the people who don’t post on the web because their OT is fine.

No more so than for any other instrument. If you inspect the instrument beforehand, or buy from a respected seller, then you can be more confident.

Do you need to buy before the Mk 2 is released? Do you value the Mk 2’s manufacturing improvements?

The outputs are no different between the Mk 1 and Mk 2. The Mk 2’s inputs are claimed to have slightly more headroom. The Mk 1 inputs are not a barrier to use for me; other people may differ.

7 Likes
#5

No No* No** & No
imho

’ * As long as you can test/see, warranty a plus
** Differential is high for the enhancements, although improved headroom on the inputs is nice, but still manageable, extra ui elements very welcome but that’s a big gap between a good s/h and a new MKii when they share 99% DNA

2 Likes
#6

Many thanks for the responses.

2 Likes
#7

All internet reviews are kind of a false economy of knowledge. And that leans towards people who are unhappy, for any reason, with a product. I’ve owned two MDs, a Monomachine and an A4. Some of the best made hardware out there, as far as durability, comes from Elektron.

I actually sold my old MD MKI to a friend some months ago and he got it sorted and working with a fuse replacement and re-soldering the power jack inside.

3 Likes
#8

I hate to say but it still will not be a very good replacement to a MPC. Only reason I say this is the was Octa’s slices work. there’s no real way (at the moment) to trigger the slices (per slice) without doing some midi manipulation with external equipment or software. This will probably be the biggest let down of the machine for you, I just want to put that out there.

Otherwise, it is a completely different beast with many different possibilities that you just don’t get with MPC. There are trade-offs to be made. If it was my decision, I would keep the MPC and save up for a little time for an Octa.

#9

I just want to add for clarification that it is possible to trigger them from the device itself…

3 Likes
#10

Yeah but he’s on MPC… So I’m sure he will be expecting velocity… Can trigger on the unit (wothout velocity), and plock them (can set velocity on each individual plock), but it’s still a world away from the MPC workflow.

2 Likes
#11

I’d pair up a volca sample or an SP202/404 with the OT if I wanted to switch from an MPC. You might indeed miss the polyphony and abundance of tracks/sounds. With the two you get 16 tracks (8 OT internal + 8 MIDI driven), out of which 8 tracks are 4-layer polyphonic (the MIDI tracks).

The OT loves being fed ext audio, so this approach will also give you some of that resampling food :panda:

The OT is a dope MIDI sequencer for drum duties, heck for many seq duties! The 4-note-chord interface is pretty usable for 4-part drum layering, you just need to mix the levels from the MIDI target since all four stacks will have an identical velocity goin out…

EDIT: Perhaps the SP would be a better companion, as it can store lot more sounds/kits

#12
  1. I’m coming from the mpc 200xl / 1000 / 60 and I have my OT setup with three sliced tracks of the same recorded loop.
    track 1 to control kick and snare from the break.
    track 2 to control the hats, cymbal, or percussion.
    track 3 for the melody of the loop i sampled.
    track 4 is another 3 second loop I sliced up and am blending with.

I set the OT to 95 BPM and start unleashing boom bap or house music patterns.

How does it swing? Microtiming can adjust things to make the track swing or just your playing does this.

  1. I bought mine second hand from someone in the forum. It looked factory fresh when I got it.

  2. The features on the MK II don’t excite me for the premium. The MK I is all I need to reloop and work samples.

  3. The outs are good. I didn’t notice any noise through my mixing desk.

  4. Will the OT replace any of my MPCs? Nope it’s a different beast. If anything when I write a pattern on the MPC I bounce the loop back as slices from Octaedit into the OT and make a whole different version.

Overall I like the build quality of the OT plus I have two years left of that warranty. I think it will last a long time.

1 Like
#13

I agree with all comments above I think.
I had an Mpc 1000 Blue, sold it, bought an Octatrack, missed midi polyphony and overdub, bought an Mpc 1000 Black jjos2xl, but I found it very boring compared to Octatrack.

You can use both, they can be very complementary. I was not totally dependent on Mpc 1000. I wanted to concentrate on my beloved Octatrack, so I sold it. Too big, to heavy, not very funny.
OT is for sure much better for mangling sounds.

I still think about an Mpc 500 (almost same width as Digitakt and Analog Heat).

4 Likes
#14

Personally I’d wait for the newer version since you don’t have one and don’t need one right this second.

Nothing wrong with 2nd hand one. But factory fresh new is always better in my book. Warranty and all.

#15

One major reason to get the mk2-
The sound!
Input enhancement, better sound spec sampling, maybe a better dac.

#16

Gain staging is a huge audio spectrum area of exploration.

I like to keep levels between -12db and -6db in the signal pathway from each of the 7 or 8 channels.

Then apply moderate volume gain at the master output stage to be perhaps just under orange, say around -3db.

The master volume output l.e.d. indicators on the mkII version are going to be incredibly useful, for such a seemingly minor improvement. It’s an immediate visual cue as to whether adequate volume gain is being applied at the Master Volume output stage, or if too much is.

There is a mixer screen, but that requires a key-press.

Another reason for the mkII: at least three more buttons are on the front panel, and these remove three double-key presses, and give immediate access to menus further reducing the already sparse menu-diving requirements. This simply means a quicker and more intuitive experience for studio or live use.

On a slightly more abstract level, the Octatrack was initially, and is currently, designed to be a totally enhanced version of the Machinedrum’s Record/Play machines, and the new styling enjoyably references the original flagship they sailed to fame and fortune upon.

As regards mkI hardware quality, mine was great until I spilled Iced Tea all over it, while it was on. I switched the unit off, turned it upside down, and hoped for the best. Unit worked for another 3 years, then i sold the OT as a test unit for an experimental filekeeping software-in-production, as i found it difficult to get all the Iced Tea out of the trig buttons making them slightly unwieldy. And yet it is a testament to the build quality the unit survived the involuntary liquid immersion.

Talking of buttons, the new OT’s Trig buttons look utterly gorgeous and a joy to use.

Also the new screen allows for less brightness with a blank background option.

4 Likes
#17

Haha I prefer to dip mine in coffee
Tastes like Oreo’s

2 Likes
#18

Wouldnt the Rytm MKii be a better replacement than the OT? Of course, the OT has more FX and mangling possibilities, but the ergonomics of the Rytm I imagine is more familiar to the MPC user. And who knows what the MKii update fully brings? Might be cool to wait and see…

#19

The rytm doesn not sequence MIDI, which is kinda big deal in MPC land (for me the biggest reason I own 3 MPCs)

3 Likes
#20

Hmm yes, the sensible option. Personally i thought perhaps a mixture of Vanilla Coke and Raspberry Fanta could be the most enticing blend for next time.