Convince me on why I should *NOT* buy an Octatrack

There should be as much parts as patterns. That was the deal breaker for me.

buy an Octatrack already, fellow human.

Spend that OT money on a new banjo. You know you want that.

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Unless you get a MKII unit.

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Just not true, even with OT MKI you can record with only 1 key press (Rec in Quick Mode or Yes to arm a rec trig). :stuck_out_tongue:
You can even arm up to 8 quantized recorders at the same time with YES, and play / mangle recordings instantly.

DT sampling specs are totally ridiculous compared to OT. Even some old dictaphones have better specs ! THAT is true, and the real hilarious thing. :joy:

Sorry, I can’t really criticize OT, especially when I read such things.

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It hasn’t got direct outs for each part :wink:

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Why don’t you get a cardboard box the same size and draw an octatrack on it, you know so it looks like one. Then give it a space amongst the rest of your gear, maybe even ram some cables into the back of it for added realism. Then just make music as usual, and if your able to once again move on to the next bit of gear after a doodle on it, as in you don’t get stuck thinking fucksake this isn’t even real how can I progress, don’t get one. If the cardboard version does suffice, then make another.

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When i had the OT, there was no such thing as quick record, young padawan.
And the DT is a very mighty sword in experienced hands, so dont underestimate the Power of Digitakt.

Even faster than on the DT :wink:

Thanks everyone for posting.
I’m in the same boat as the OP and found myself gassing for an OT after having had a DT for about 6 months. I’m starting to hit the limitations of this wondrous box and seeing how it is often an ‘OT-lite’, I thought it prudent to upgrade.
But the idea of learning how to play the instrument putting people off their creativity is less than appealing to me.

From my experience with the DT, I like the Elektron workflow, the ominous legend of which put me off buying an OT in the first place. But now, I’m looking to upgrade to the DT’s older/ more mature sibling and might even revel in the complication (depth?).

What is ‘jamming from init. state’ like on the OT?
Relatively simple on the DT, as is saving progress.
Thanks for any responses.

I’ve said it before, and as usual many may disagree, at the base of it, I found the OT to be very simple and straight forward for the most part.
It has some quirks, like parts, and understanding the different ways to sample, etc.
However, if you’ve learned any kind of DAW software, then the OT should seem very simple just on it limitations alone.

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@plusn, are you OT1 Kenobi ? :grinning:
You were an OT master before the force awoke unfortunately…:wink:
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Its really not that difficult - the OT is as complicated as you want it to be.

“Jamming from Init”: load a drum loop on any track, place 1 trigger and hit play. Time taken = < 5 seconds.

Enter audio editor, autoslice to 8-16 steps or your hearts content… randomise. Set linear or random and place a few trigs and hit play… instant mash. Time taken = 15 seconds…

Repeat process as you like… instant jamming.

Assign crossfade to scenes… and tweak some parameters… etc etc etc etc…

Its really easy peasy japanezy…

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Octatrack has been relatively easy to learn for me too. I think having a strong understanding of music technology and some experience with a DAW is really helpful. It’s not that it’s a difficult machine it’s just does a lot of different things and has a particular UI. Most people I see on here really struggling don’t really understand music technology in general. If you are confused about the difference between a midi cable and an audio cable the Octatrack is going to suck for you.

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:heart:

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That sounds like me :expressionless:

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While I can’t disagree with anything said, man, what a smug way of putting it! Some folks instantly ‘get’ MPC’s while others find them baffling, same for Ableton, Elektron boxes, etc. Peoples brains work differently and the fact that you ‘got’ a certain box quicker than someone else doesn’t make you automatically smarter.
The beauty of the Octatrack is it can be as easy or difficult as you want it to be. So far it’s my favorite hardware box I’ve ever owned, but it took a couple weeks to come to terms with the UI. Now, 3-4 months later I’m still not exactly a ninja on it, but I use it almost everyday and learn something new. It’s a blast and the centerpiece of my rig

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Never said I was smarter. I said having experience with music tech prior to the OT is beneficial and that not knowing basic music tech will make the OT overwhelming. Sorry you read it as smug. I was just being matter of fact. It’s not a good first box. And the confusing audio and midi came from multiple real life people on here complaining about the octatrack…

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I hear you and it’s all good!

I’m just thinking back to my first couple weeks with the OT. I was really frustrated until a couple key things became clear and I came here asking some truly idiotic questions because I just wasn’t getting a couple critical steps in the setup process. Most people were patient and suppprtive and a couple were a tad condescending. I didn’t need any help feeling dumber than I already felt :slight_smile:

But to your point, the OT could be too much to take on as a first hardware box. My Elektron introduction was the DT and that was a nice primer.

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That’s good to know, thanks.

A what now?

Bought a Keystep today and saw an OT Mk2 in the shop for the first time :heart_eyes:

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