That’s cool. I like discussing gear, too. But real talk: if you are, as you say, on the fence between buying an M8 or an OT, probably the worst way to make that decision is to hear how other people think about it.
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I wouldnt agree on that, i find its interesting to hear other thoughts
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What confuses my a little how many people don’t know online if they like trackers… When there are enough free trackers out there to get a first glimps and see if they like it, or even better: buying a teensy for 30-40 and trying to run it headless, and deciding if they like the workflow or just the form factor.
If it would be the same form factor but not as a tracker, but more tape style, I would already have one because I love the form factor.
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Advantages of Octatrack:
- Separate FX per track
- Hands on controls
- Shows up as USB drive on the PC
- No dongles/adapters
- Harder to forget where it is and sit on it
Advantages of M8:
- Built in synths
- More comprehensive sequencer
- Battery power
- Very simple interface
- It’s a real cutey
I don’t think they’re directly comparable. Having owned both, the M8 wins for making structured tracks, Octa wins for messing about with sound explorations.
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My two favourite machines!
I have and love both. M8 I think is much better for finishing songs. The song view and being able to sequence patterns per track is so good for me compared to Elektron arranger. Synths and sequencer and tables are amazing.
OT is heaps of fun with samples and live input and FX.
I’d say give the M8 a try, can always get an OT again in the future.
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M8 can act as an audio interface too.
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Yeah class compliant USB audio and midi is great on M8.
I use both and they’re both in the “never sell” category for me.
One big difference that jumps out to me is the recording buffer system on the Octatrack. The ability to sample, transform, and play back on the fly (times eight!) is unique to the Octatrack and that’s one of the situations where I grab the OT rather than the M8— sorry if I sound like a broken record, I know I’m always talking about this in Octatrack threads.
Just like @impbox mentioned, I find it better to complete full arrangements on the M8. For me, I think it’s because the song tracker is in the foreground, whereas on the OT using the arranger is optional. The OT arranger is quite capable and has some cool tricks up its sleeve too!
They are both excellent for absolute mayhem and sonic destruction. My kind of instruments.
It’s kind of hard to choose one for another person, honestly. For me, the clear answer is “both”.
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Big threads are my favorite!
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Yeah, I don’t have time for those tiny-ass little shitty threads
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That’s bush league shit!
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my m8 is probably the only piece of gear i own that cant be replaced with something else. without a doubt the machine ive gotten the most done on. potentially even more efficient on it thn i am w my daw/computer at this point. definitely the most FULL SONG friendly groovebox that ive ever used. and also the work flow of of easily dropping all of the stems (both audio and midi) into my daw for further tweaking has proven to be super valuable.
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Can’t really argue that 
I’ve owned (and sold) both. If your goal is to get away from the computer, I think the OT is actually the better bet here.
You really can’t do much of anything with the M8 unless you’re looking at the LCD screen. You’re totally dependent on a small, backlit display, which to me feels too much like being on a regular computer.
The OT, on the other hand, lets you forget about the screen for some use cases (ie samples are all set up and you’re playing with scenes and the crossfader, etc.).
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I have to agree with this. I struggled to go past the “loop trap” for 95% of what I was working on before I got (and learned) the M8, mostly because I didn’t find stacking blocks and adding transition effects immersive. For some reason it is on the M8. I believe it has to do with muscle memory. I can just forget about the operational stuff, rather focusing on listening and thinking about the composition. Also, my free time is rare and valuable to me. I do not want to spend it in a DAW. The M8 is just pick-up and go do whatever in any 5 min you have, but also is fun to use for long periods. My bad eyesight is the only caveat, but I can get by with the large font. I can’t wait to see the reviews of the model02, and most likely I’ll get it for the screen alone, even if not for the other stuff (USB-C, onboard mic and longer battery do not hurt at all).
Just to add on the Octatrack. I think it’s an amazing device. I had the mk1 for a while when i started my hardware journey. To be honest I found my way around it quickly, but didn’t go in depth. I am blown away with how people are using it though and have been eyeing it again for some time now, but even then from the start I remember not liking how anything I sampled into it sounded… could be I was not gainstaging properly. If there is an OT3 in the works, i’m almost certain I’ll try to get it.
One feature that is not mentioned a lot about the m8, is the ability to connect with usb to a computer and start a browser and go to https://m8.run and the display of the m8 is mirrored in the browser and you can use your computer keyboard to control and play the m8 tracker.
Setup some vst’s which are sequenced as external midi device in the m8, sample some loops, disconnect and jam on the couch. No extra cables needed, just a single usb cable.
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Yeah, I actually keep a teensy and run M8 headless to my living room pc for such occasions, it’s great! (- any external plugins of course)
this is what i like to hear!
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