[decided - I will keep it!] OT mk II, thinking about returning it (why I decided to keep it is now in the main article)

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hey All,

Why i’m keeping with it:

  1. When asked by a good friend: What else would you buy?
    Honestly, at this time, I had less than no good answer for the workflow and what I want to do.
    For me, I really like the Elektron workflow - it just makes sense to me and really lets me just go with the flow and see what cool stuff comes out… I really dig that
  2. After continuing to play with the instrument for a while I continue to enjoy it more and more
  3. In reading through all the info below, it really helped me focus on what the possibilities are with the device.
  • a great comment on adding some effect before you pull in the file, great point
  • the numerous call outs to, hey just add effect if that is the only downfall you have
  • Just the number of ideas posted below are super cool to know about and work on
  • I love that is full stereo samples and playback
  • I like the integration options from my DT to my computer, to my modular
  1. Its just fun to play and goof around with and make cool stuff
  2. I like that the instrument has a much depth as you want to go
  3. Fun… did I mention it seems fun?

Thank you to all who have posted and given me plenty think about.
It is cool to have such a good range of feedback in here and that speaks well of the group of people and the product… I really appreciate all the insights.

So… now i’m off to make some more good stuff.

Thanks,
Brett

Original post bellow:

I’ve been piling on learning my OT mk II the last week (plus a day or two) and I have to say that I may return it and here is why… I’m stating this here because i’m wondering if i’m not patient enough.

To give you a quick bit of background:

  1. picked up a Digitakt about two months ago - loving it!!!
    I found the Digitakt to be great for a huge pile of my samples.
    I also found it a bit limiting to get a full song for me going and…
    I really wanted more effects per track… and then I started looking at the OT mk II
  2. once I was looking at the OT mk II I was very interested in it for the following core reasons:
    a) Multiple effects per track - yeah! love this idea
    b) More LFOs - yup, wanted more of those for my Digitakt
    c) Slicing - already using it and love that feature
    d) The scenes for performance with the slider
    e) Thru tracks with recording the thru track with effects to use that to splice and other cool performance things…
    f) more added tracks to compliment the Digitakt and have the Digitakt be all about the drums (and may one or two other things)

All of the above items really had me taking a hard look at the OT mk II.

Here is the #1 area it feels only “OK” at…
That is the quality of the effects…
I was stoked for the effects but when I started using the different reverbs well they only sound OK…
I think this is because I came from the Digitakt where frankly those are some great sounding delay and reverb effects.

Even though on the Digitakt they are only send effects… I feel like I get a much better set of effects and overall i’m thinking about taking back the OT mk II and just getting another Digitakt and maybe something else to join it.

For those of you who love our OT…
Am I missing a good way to dial in the effects or, are they just a limitation of the older hardware and they may never really get better… even though most all of the other mk II effects seems to have gotten better…
… or … will the other aspects of the OT outweigh this over time as I use it???

Any and all feedback is welcome here…
Because i’m still only feeling OK about that purchase even through it does some may cool things…
I just don’t feel that same delight with the sound as I do with the Digitakt.

Thoughts?
Feedback?

Thank you all in advance for you thoughts and feedback.
Brett

3 Likes
#2

Why not get the Digitone and Digitakt?

3 Likes
#3

This is just my opinion of course but I see its real time sound manipulation capabilities as the primary reason for owning an OT. However, if there is one thing that is true about the OT, that is a user’s approach to this instrument will vary wildly from one user to the next.

No all in one box is going to be amazing at everything so I just accept this and get on with using it for what it does really well. I could list any number of curious limitations and cost cutting measures that were taken with other hardware samplers but I don’t think it would accomplish anything. Absolutely nothing out there can warp audio real time like this gem so I am happy with it.

Don’t hold on to it if you aren’t happy but do consider using it long enough to determine if the audio mangling capabilities are important enough for you. I’m sure you’d miss scenes. :wink:

9 Likes
#4

I agree the effects are a little lacklustre - and if you’re buying it for the effects alone then you are going to be disappointed - but the real strengths of the machine lie in its sample manipulation capabilities, and it is unparalleled in this regard. I love my OT, it is the most powerful, inspiring and creative piece of kit I have ever owned. Give it some time and you will find yourself doing things with audio that you didn’t even realise was possible.

If effects are so important to you, why not buy a dedicated FX unit and run that on the cue out of the OT? That way you get the best of both worlds; the immense power of the OT as a sampler along with high quality effects that can be applied to any combination of OT tracks via the cue out?

6 Likes
#6

Pairing up the Elektron Analog Heat with OT is pretty amazing. To me, the power of the OT is how to chop up and mangle samples. I can get lost for hours doing this with boring vocal samples.

1 Like
#7

Hey SocialDreamer,

The synth sounds great to me for the Digitone… and I have thought about that but I have a number of synths for sure so not sure it is my first item… but heck yeah it is on my short list for sure. Plus, I could also use it’s global effects as well for an overall feel.

Thanks,
Brett

1 Like
#8

It kind of depends on what type of music you play, do you need two samplers? If not, get rid of one and get a synth (A4 MK2) or a drum machine (Rytm). My guess is the A4 would have song mode as well.

Yeah, the effects aren’t the best but I’d do what the previous poster said and geta dedicated FX unit, that’s the best way to go IMO.

1 Like
#9

True enough there… for some reason I love good sound effects and they are only ok…
I also, made a possible very incorrect thought, that if the Digitakt had such great effects that the OT mk II (being an update from the mk I) would have also had equally (or reasonably close effects)… but not quite the case…

And I do agree… all about the playing of the instrument for sure.

1 Like
#10

Correct I can use a dedicated external FX unit.
I can do that with the Digitakt as well, but I was looking to have some different effects per track and then having a global effect external as well. So with the Que out and the Main out I could do different levels of sends and that may be sufficient.

It does come back to how and what i’m playing.

3 Likes
#11

This is a great question… here is how I WAS thinking about the music I am dong:

  1. the Digitakt would be one of my main drum machines with samples
  2. the OT would be my stems, recording, do some of the cool live performance things it does today

As for say, using the Digitakt as my sampler and the Rytma as a drum machine…
Maybe that is the better swap… I still can play stems (less of them and only mono)…
So maybe two samplers is not the way to go… it just seemed like a good way to go…
I’ll have to give that some thought…

Overall - thought - it sounds like - hey the effects are not great - that really a deal breaker vs. everything else the machine does — that is exactly the question i’m struggling with.

Maybe a better way to ask this:
What are the top two/three things you all love about your OT that I should be taking a closer look at…
Especially for playing a live gig.

1 Like
#13

I absolutely love the Octatrack. I find the Dark Reverb especially but pretty much all the rest of the effects to be more than adequate for live use. To be fair though, I was (and still am) listening to a bunch of Dataline’s music and so the sounds were already sounding tasty to my ears.

What I love about the OT? A lot!!! But the top things at the list are:

Scenes - seriously, get to know and use scenes and the cross fader a lot, you can take a simple, boring part of a song and go nuts on it for awhile and if you’ve built some good scenes and know how/when to use them, you can dazzle. To me, this is where you can really pull some extra life out of the effects as well.

Workflow - once you get really comfy with everything (most everything for me, I don’t really use Pickup machines much in my stuff right now, just don’t need to as I’m mainly using the “dark trinity” setup and focusing on being somewhat minimal), the workflow on the OT is quite rewarding. Happy accidents happen often but now I can imagine something and get a pretty close if not spot on reproduction on it. I play lots of different music/styles and lots of different instruments so a DAW is still very much a staple but honestly I would kill for OT workflow and Logic X to have a baby somehow.

Sample manipulation - yeah, it’s an obvious one but this is where the OT reigns king for me of any box I’ve every used. Inspired by many folks online doing it, I have fallen in love with taking one or maybe up to three samples and creating whole songs out of them. It’s really just a blast!

I could go on much more…seriously I could, but I won’t. Except I will say, there is nothing else in the world I know of that is like an OT and I will never ever part with mine. Not even if they make a true OT2 with more of everything. I’ll just buy that and use them both.

6 Likes
#14

Sleep on it. I would just add effect units, like mentioned before. Especially live, let the music play. Gear is replaceable after all.
Good luck,:four_leaf_clover:

3 Likes
#15

Thank you, will do!

Brett

#16

Well, good question:
For the short time I’ve had it:

  1. the flexability of the machines for sure
  • I’ve already got a thru track recording my external gear into slices to I can mangle at will - love that idea and that was a big reason I picked I tup
  1. The A/B scene adjuster
  • just was playing with that with the effects…
  • need to see if I can also use that with MIDI out - I could control external gear that way for effects as well…
  1. The possibilities of the system all up seem very high
  2. The integration end-to-end feel sweet

So that is where i’m at tonight as I go to bed and sleep on it.

Have a good night all and thank you for the insights thus far.
I greatly appreciate all of your time and thoughts.

Brett

#17

Return it ( assimings it’s brand new and you get money back )
Buy mk2 second hand , none are old , likely to be in v.good condition , under warranty
Spend difference on nice fx box , multiple 90’s fx boxes , ice cream , complimentary sampler/fx box like kaos pad / 440sx , mpc.

Old fx like quadraverb , se50/se70 , can be £80 or cheaper , each.

4 Likes
#18

^ Needs to be stressed more.

Having the OT just for a few weeks is nothing. Take your time with it and reconsider after two years if you can let it go.

7 Likes
#19

No due to the lack of a cue out.
On the OT you could send a specific amount of the signal of a given track to the cue.

3 Likes
#20

I’m no professional musician and i haven’t really released anything for the public. I also own the OT MKII only since january this year, i’m no OT veteran, so maybe my opinion is worth nothing…but…i know the OT is a keeper for me.

It is powerful enough for me to create nearly full tracks with it (i guess the OT is very suited for “electronic” genres if you want to use it as more then a sampler/recorder). It is “snappy” and a joy to work with, no lags and nearly no interrupts in creative workflow (except for the loading and saving time of big projects :slight_smile: ). The OT is also awesome to use as MIDI controller for other hardware and software. It is “somewhat” portable, so i can create stuff while chill on the sofa…awesome for audio mangling…of course as recorder…

…i forgot, the effects. Are they really that bad? Could you provide a sample that was processed with the Digitakt reverb and or delay and the source file? I would like to test if there really is so much difference. This is not about exposing anything, it really interest me personally.

2 Likes
#21

The OT takes time. For me, I bought a sold the OT 3 times before finally clicking with it on a 4th attempt haha.

I’ve owned a DT so I do totally get where you’re coming from. The DT has tremendous immediacy. You can take a sample in all sorts of directions a little more quickly and intuitively than you can with an OT but there is a glass ceiling with the DT. You’ll find yourself on more than one occasion lamenting the lack of scenes/crosfader/FX/etc. I’d “force” myself to crack on with the OT for a while longer before calling it.

Having said that, music shouldn’t be all hard work should it?! If the DT gives you that special feeling then maybe that is the way to go!

I get bouts of gas for a few bits of gear just now. The DT and OT combo is one that tempts me too actually.

5 Likes
#22

11 posts were merged into an existing topic: OT vs MPC workflows