I thought much the same. But then I watched this :
And it really did help. It doesn’t cover everything, but it covers the basics and that’s what I needed.
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Same feelings. Same setup. OT+DN+DT were my first music hardware and it was a mistake to learn them at the same time. I agree with you that the UI/UX is sometimes very counter intuitive on the OT. That is a problem with Elektron in general - I would like more visual feedback. Why does the filter in the OT/DT/DN not move when I manipulate it with the LFO/envelope as one example.
I am forth and back on selling my OT as well. But! It‘s a damn good mixer! The FX I don‘t like at all but a lot of them are very useful like EQ and lots of other for some glitch. I just don‘t like to substitute my OT with a regular mixer - there is no mixer like the OT. And then you remember about all the awesome scene / part features which not only come in handy for live jamming / performing … if you work on your muscle memory a bit you can do stuff you cannot even imagine. This turns the OT into a music instrument.
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Its ok not to like stuff.
I didn’t like the model cycles.
If you dont like the OT, sell it.
Life is too short.
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I’ve only had mine a week too and found limited time to playthis week. I also have a Digitakt. But my view is a bit different - I really struggle with the Digitakt - I find it hard to get it to do what I want whereas I’ve found the octatrack a complete joy - I just love it! I really dont know why they feel so different, but on the octatrack everything feels free and more fun… or maybe I’m just weird… but sometimes different bits of kit resonate with you more than others for no good reason…
Don’t feel bad if the OT’s not for you. It took me owning 4 of them to make me realise 100% that I don’t ever want to use one again (in it’s current form) And not because it doesn’t do incredible things, but because I simply hate it’s way of doing those things. That’s it, pure and simple.
I think people can feel a little bit embarrassed if they admit to not understanding or liking the OT. Because it’s such a unique and legendary machine it can make you feel defeated or not “smart” enough if you’re not one of those that gels with it.
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That’s whats up.
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I’d say give it some time (a few month), read Merlin’s guide, take notes, use google and youtube a lot to answer some of your questions because answers are there. Identify the limits of the machines, the workarounds and the things that are straight up impossible. Remember that it is an instrument, it has to be learned, and this takes time.
However, after those few months, if you still don’t feel it, absolutely sell it, don’t get too attached to machines.
I was very dubitative at the beginning. It was my first Elektron. Coming from loopers, MPC/MCRoland stuff, with guitar as favorite instrument.
After 2 weeks learning it, I made a pause, then I found it amazing, recorders flexibility, fx sequences, huge power of the crossfader. Unique. The only machine / fx I’d keed, with a guitar !
That’s the way I use it.
True! For me the most advanced is the DN, appart from mutes (worse than OT), and some knobs choices (Level or EFGH for some pages). OT was inspired by Machinedrum RAM machines. MD is worse concerning interface / logic, imho.
It’s very logical. You have to understand the logic. 
Thru tracks, choose A/B/C/D
Yeah, that’s unfortunately the less intuitive part when you come from regular loopers. I use Recorders and FLEX, not Pickups.
Don’t hesitate to ask in appropriate “looper”“foot controller” threads.
Filters, comb filters, compressor are really good. The delay and Dark reverb, lofi are ok.
All fx can become much better combined, modulated by lfos, sequencer, crossfader.
Easy. MIDI > SYNC page. Don’t use AUTO channel!
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I really like the filter (it sounds very close to my Shruthi SMR4mk2 filter - which is my fav analog filter - I can sample the Shruthi with filter open and OTs filter can perfectly replace it.)
Compressor is very versatile, from kicks, to master bus.
Dark reverb and delay are also great imho, dark reverb just needs some fine-tuning. Delay can emulate tape wow and flutter (draw a semi random lfo shape with lfo designer max -3 to +3 and very little lfo depth dialed in.
Plate and spring reverbs can make percussion sparkle.
Especially the modulation fx feel kinda boring in comparison to what I usually use, but as @sezare56 suggested you can really bring them to live with some lfo modulation.
Try delay and depth modulation on chorus and flanger, CNTR and depth on phaser.
OT fx are so versatile, maybe that’s the reason why you have to really fine tune them.
They kinda feel like a blank canvas.
Just cranking up the mix control won’t work on most material.
Also gain staging is critical on OT. Bad gain staging can easily destroy the sound.
Aggreed. OT has an underlying logic. Ofc that won’t help someone that’s struggling with the way OT works, but it certainly has one.
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The OT can do all these jobs. (The quality of the effects is a matter of taste but you still have the effects in your DT and DN.)
Each job just requires a little study, perhaps not much more than has already been provided in this topic. You might find that if you just study one job at a time you will be able to master each in turn.
This forum has answers to all your problems with the OT except questions of taste and we will help you further if you’re willing to listen.
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It is true that OT is far less straightforward than Digi series.
This is partly due to some automated processes: for instance in OT you really have to take care of your samples gain layers, whereas in DT every sample gets normalized automatically.
There are almost 10 years between the two devices, we can see that Elektron managed to make their interface more usable with time, and it’s a good thing, you’re more focused on music than setting things up…
This said, OT can do much more, at the cost of a more complicated interface with more (and sometimes useless) controls, and thus more learning.
It is far from perfect, but once you know it from A to Z, it might become your favorite instrument. It is, at least, for many of us (including me).
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I dedicate the last eight banks in each project to ‘presets’ (each part a different setup) and experimentation.
AK and OT always function as a duo, so I only use banks a-h for my tracks anyway.
The ability to quickly load a setup (like different midi cc assignments for my synths or ‘OT as drummachine’, ‘OT ready to sample and mangle inputs a and b’ or ‘OT as a manglebox for drums’) is a great help
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great feed back and input y’all. i appreciate it. I knew it was a great deal which is why i pounced on it. Ill give it more time to see if it clicks. thanks for the advice.
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At least the Octa has nearly all the sequencer features the DT/DN have. Try using a MonoMachine for awhile, that is ancient history in terms of the sequencer! I would say the Octa is no where near as immediate as the DT/DN. Everything is more complicated. Maybe print out the manual and read it a couple times. It is sort of critical with that device. Also just realize that throwing another device into the mix, no matter how simple it is, will increase your time to get simple things done. This is why I really enjoy using 1 Elektron at a time, and not more than 2. But if you need all the things that 3 machines do together, then you have no choice.
Definitely check out Thavius Beck’s tutorials – they are what not only convinced me to keep my Octatrack, but sold me on an A4 and AR as well. He is great at breaking things down, and his courses are very well organized – totally worth it. He has videos on both the MK I and MK II, and all will be relevant to you.
I’m hoping to nail down the looper myself (also a guitar player). For a foot controller I am using a Source Audio Soleman. It’s great – very powerful and the configuration is pretty easy with the software. I’m still working on how best to use it with the OT, but looping was what I had in mind, too.
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a week is not enough, its got a steep learning curve, but trust me,
i hardly found anything this machine can´t do to a sample, mostly its the user making a mistake…
i found out the hard way several times, when playing live without rehearsal and totallyor being off it for a while…
but after some time you get the muscle memory as well as the deeper possibilities and thats so rewarding…
ten minutes with this thing and i got an inspiring idea , at least…
dont give up, its so worth it!
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Also everyone is different, if your progress on OT is rather slow, where’s the problem? We’re not in school anymore, there is no Octatrack test next week or so…
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Ah, now the ‘steep learning curve’ makes sense.
Steep learning curve actually means quick progress, but on OTs it’s so steep, you keep on falling back down. 
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This right here… the essence of Octatrack.
It makes perfect sense, unless it doesn’t make sense to you. 
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