Friend(s) for Octatrack

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

I have had my OT now for about a month and I love it!
So far I have downloaded a lot of samples I bought from various websites, hooked it up to my computer and played around with VSTs in Logic, paired it with my Bass Station 2 and with my iPad (mainly tried Nave).

Playing around with pre-made samples is quite cool, and even though it feels a lot like cheating you can make up some really interesting stuff when you slice things and play around with it. Its a good way to learn i think. But in the end it does feel like cheating and I’m reluctant to create anything “serious” when using bought samples.

Hooking it up with the computer works quite good! But I feel like its defeating the main purpose of having such a powerful thing as an Octatrack. Also I work 8-9 hours in front of a computer screen while playing games and watching tv shows at home. I would still want to use my computer for creating samples for my OT, I just don’t want it to be reliant on it. (i.e. if i don’t make samples on my computer, there will be no sounds i made myself on my OT). I also like knobs, and don’t really enjoy making patches with a mouse. I found that I make things happen a lot faster on the OT than on my computer.

I would like to explore the iPad som more, I like the form factor and nave seems to be able to do some great things once I learn how to use it. Its a bit fiddly to use with the touchscreen though, same here… no knobs. If anyone knows a good midi controller I’m listening.

The Bass Station 2 works really nice, although I wouldn’t mind if it was desktop. It takes up a lot of space on my desk.

At the moment I enjoy Psytrance/GOA but versatility is key since my taste in music is usually all over the place.

I find that heavy menu diving breaks workflow. I don’t mind menus, OT is handling it really well.

Multitimbral and good computer integration is a plus. (Analog Four and Virus are high on the list right now)

Here are some synths I have been keeping my eyes at:
Analog Four
Virus TI/Snow (desktop)
Nord Lead 2/2x/4 (desktop)
Nord Drum 2
TR-8
Analog Rytm
x0xb0x/TT-303/TB-3
Blofeld Desktop (afraid of the menu diving)
System-1 (like the idea of plug outs, heard keys suck, big?)

TL;DR
I have:

  • Octatrack
  • Bass Station II
  • Macbook with Logic, Reason, Komplete 10, Serum, u-he Bazille
  • iPad

I want more desktop knobby hardware to pair with the Octatrack.
At the moment I enjoy Psytrance/GOA but versatility is key since my taste in music is usually all over the place. Multitimbral and good computer integration is a plus.

2

fwiw: i’m on the edge about maybe selling my Nord Rack 2 (w expansion card), the hands on aspect is a no-brainer but i get more mileage from my G1 and a similar sound of course - uk only, even if i elect to let it go, if it was of interest of course ! my blofeld will always be a keeper due to the distinctive wavetables and mod matrix fun

3

I would really look more at the iPad/OT connection. You can have an amazingly powerful soundset at your fingertips there, for peanuts. If you’ve mostly just been experimenting with Nave, look at getting Animoog, Mitosynth, Egoist, iMS-20 and iPolysix, as well as anything else that tickles your fancy. The Korg apps have really surprised me with how well they can work as an accompaniment to the OT. I resisted them for a while, because I didn’t like the hardwired midi implementation, but they work quite nicely for making full tracks using the OT’s sequencer and sampling the parts into the OT.

You’ve got some fine choices in your potential buy list, but if I had to sell everything tomorrow I would keep the OT and iPad because of the limitless potential.

4

sounds like u already have everything u need dude. An not just to get by, u got some sweet equipment, a sampler an a badass analog synth. Plus the near limitless ipad. Be aware of GAS(Gear Acquisition Syndrome). An don’t worry about feeling like its cheating using samples. Imagine makin a picture collage full of awesome pics you’ve cut out of magazines. U didn’t take the photos but with all the layering of pics its now something new. Hope this made sense an maybe helped a little.

5

You are booth right of course… I probably have enough stuff.
The GAS has been strong these past weeks, I think the OT sparked it real good.

I am going to explore the possibilities of the iPad some more. I have a few synths on there. Korg Gadget is one of them but haven’t tried it yet. Did’nt manage to find where to set midi channels on rebirth, but I’m sure its possible.

I have an iPad mini, perhaps selling/trading it for an iPad Air will improve workflow with a bigger screen.

7

+1 @ OT+iPad combo!

My primary choices of all those apps are (decreasingly sorted by priority):
iMPC, Egoist (to create slice chains from chaotic field recordings), iSEM, Gadget, BassLine, Sunrizer, Magellan, Thor, and that app where you can do some finger drumming right on the table (forgot the name).

It’s unbelievable how much synth power you can get for, say, 5 euros (Magellan)!!

Unfortunately, some Midi implementations are incomplete (e.g., Gadget), but there are workarounds.

Maybe add 1-2 high quality hardware controllers for your need of knobs.

9

Hey,
not sure what you need and don’t need, but I can confirm that the menu diving on the Blofeld is horrible. So much so that I ended up selling mine since I didn’t use it.

Good luck and have fun!

10

I’ve got mine hooked up to a virus TI desktop, a rytm & a BS2. It’s freaking awesome!!

Thought about the analog 4, but it seemed a little pointless paying for another sequencer when I could use the OT’s. And the BS2 & virus sounds contrast quite nicely.

(Also, if you decide to rack things & whatnot, the virus and BS2 are nearly the same width.)

11

That setup sounds real neat! kind of what i had in mind (give, take or keep a drum machine). I must say that this => "the virus and BS2 are nearly the same width" is a very compelling argument, OCD approved! :wink:

12

+another 1. Assuming you get along with creation on a touchscreen, you’ve got a portable source of very high-quality sounds combined with inexpensive apps. For me it’s unbeatable.

Lately I’ve been creating stems on iOS and using the OT to structure and mangle them. The results have been going over very well at gigs.

13

+another 1. Assuming you get along with creation on a touchscreen, you’ve got a portable source of very high-quality sounds combined with inexpensive apps. For me it’s unbeatable.

Lately I’ve been creating stems on iOS and using the OT to structure and mangle them. The results have been going over very well at gigs.
[/quote]
Hi Dubathonic,

Could you tell a little about the apps you’re using? I’m interested in getting into some iOS stuff but don’t really know much about it.
btw, I’ve had plans to catch your set a couple of times at Dr. Clock’s, but stuff has fallen through; hopefully soon as I’m looking forward to it :slight_smile:

14

@ehrek

personally i find the all-in-one apps to be the most useful at the outset. that way you can learn and create without immediately having to muck about with Interapp Audio or Audiobus compatibility (a whole topic in itself.)

with this in mind, have a look at Gadget, Nanostudio and iMPC. they are quite different in feel, but they all get some good reviews from a segment of the crowd on the Audiobus forum. i recommend browsing some threads, such as this one.

outside of that, there are ridiculous numbers of apps that can create high-quality sounds … it’s admittedly a big world and is constantly evolving.

swing by tomorrow night if you ain’t busy. :wink:

15

Audiobus really took some of my apps off of the back shelf. Some apps do everything reasonably well, but a fair amount of good ones don’t. Audiobus and GarageBand to the rescue.

16

I have quite a few apps for my ipad but i just cant seem to take it seriously, when I have my other gear there, maybe I need more travel time with work, so that I am forced into digging into the ipad!

But on that Thor is a great synth too, had some great pads out of it.

Disclaimer: I have bought many apps, written patterns and musical phrases in many apps, created patches in many apps, recorded virtually nothing from any of them. :frowning:

17

thanks @dubathonic,
I’m gonna check these out.
Sorry I couldn’t make it out last night I’m fighting some kind of cold/flu thing.
I’ll show up soon one of these nights,
Thanks :slight_smile:

18

Been fooling around with the iPad today plugged in to the OT, so far I’m finding it just frustrating to work with. :frowning: Eventually i switch out the iPad for the Bass Station II and had a lot more fun.

Will try some more, perhaps if i sit down with just the ipad in bed or sofa to create patches it will feel better. Build up some sounds that I can use later with the OT, map essential controls to the OT and have a go.

19

interesting sound sources for me…

  • teenage engineering op-1/monome aleph & grid
  • modular synth
  • elektron analog rytm
  • max msp + various monome apps (the party van, mlrv & meadow physics)
  • mic’d glockenspiels, xylophones & singing bowls (metal and glass/crystal)
  • various mic’d household objects and found sound sources (random locks and lfo’s on different parameters will give you some quirky results)
20

latest ipads - great. Ive got an Ipad3 and my experiemnts to intergrate it havent been great - I got an Iconnectmidi4 and its the Ipad - animoogs ok but nave and all the great ones - glitchy.

I founf the Op-1 for sure the best OT food - its got a sampe too, 4 track tape, plus amazing sequencers you can use (with the iconnect) - I love it like nothing else

21

I think the Teenage pocket operator line is a good idea !

I use everything to feed the OT, mostly a field record that i carry everywhere :+1:

22

[quote=“” MK7""]
+1 @ OT+iPad combo!

My primary choices of all those apps are (decreasingly sorted by priority):
iMPC, Egoist (to create slice chains from chaotic field recordings),
[/quote]

Hello, I’ve only had my OT for a month now and am still figuring out how to get my sounds into the OT in a way that works for me. I’ve been on the fence about Egoist for a little while now but it’s a bit spendy for an ipad app that I may never end up using. I’ve got enough of those already…
Can you elaborate on how you use Egoist to make your sample chains?