Help me decide: Octatrack or Akai MPC One?

The Lounge General Discussion
#42

On Elektronauts, OT has quite the legendary status, it’s nearly untouchable. Yet, let’s be real, it doesn’t fit everyone or every workflow.

I’m a big sampling head, I currently have an OT but know classic MPC workflow pretty well… and there are some big differences!

Let’s say you have sampled a breakbeat from a record. You want a filter and a distortion on the kick, and you want to tune down the snare and put it thru delay and reverb… On OT, that’s 3 tracks out of 8 (you can resample later, though…) which is a big sacrifice. On an MPC, doing this is… trivial, and won’t stop you from keep on piling up samples.

Now, you play live and wanna completely change the structure of that breakbeat, while having random burst of retriggers and bitreduction slowly ramping up? OT is your boy.

See, that’s the kind of things you have to consider.

To me, if you like writing songs, getting into the details, being sure that it will play exactly how you want it everytime… that’s MPC. If you like performing your songs live, Octatrack is the champion.

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#43

Standalone only, though it can import Ableton Live sets.

8 audio tracks, way too many midi tracks (midi is via usb or din) and tons of drum or multi sample programs.

Plus crossfader to change between different values (though not as easy or deep as the OT), pad scenes and envelope follower, which I still haven’t even tried.
And a basic looper.
It is deep though and can be frustrating if you just try to do all at once and it feels clunky sometimes.
My personal workflow is fantastic for my needs but took me a while to find my personal feel.

Now I start recording a synth to a clip, then a few variations or just chop that to a drum program.
Then create a few more clips, adding effects. Resampling is a one-button process.
Filters are not considered an effect as they are on the OT.
Then I add a drum program, usually I use these as ‘construction’ kits so they also have basses and synths/effects apart from drum sounds.
At this stage I almost have a song.
The linear sequencer is not the best but you can loop and overwrite sections to get your transitions right.
I do not play intricate midi parts so I don’t edit midi on screen, I just re record or use the step sequencer but I feel I would be annoyed working on midi notes on the screen.
My only actual gripe with the Force is that when it comes to sequencing it is not ‘Swedish’ enough, but there are plenty of requests in the official forum so maybe they will listen…

The main thing for me is that it is a standalone unit. I never managed to finish a song with the OT only, I did better with the Live, I’m doing even better on the Force.
But I didn’t like it too much at the beginning, I had to find my flow first.

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#44

It very depends on what you want to do with the new sampler … in other words … workflow is important.

Having both, an OT and a MPC X I would say in short … IMO …

OT has an advantage if:

  • we like to mangle samples very creatively including creative re-sampling
  • we like to experiment with all its features, which are plenty
  • working with a step sequencer is our thing, which is easy to operate and has very deep features
  • the performance features and quick options to change events are needed (like live re-programming a pattern quickly, or smoothly fade between various “scenes”)

MPC has an advantage if:

  • we are okay with standard sound design features for samples
  • long samples have to be sliced without automatic slicing options efficiently
  • we like to drum on pads and play drums or melodic content manually
  • we like to create harmonies and chord progressions quickly, with the help of some sophisticated features
  • we like creating sample instruments by using an automatic approach, as an example, having the MPC autosample a connected synth to a multisample instrument, which can be used directly in the project or in other projects later
  • we want to control Ableton with the MPC, and/or want to create ideas on the MPC and change horses later and finish the track in Ableton.

There are more differences, but this would take much more text … didn’t I say “short” :thinking:

Best would be, you could have some hours with both and decide, which calls more.

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#45

I have an OT mk2 and an MPC Live 2.

My super quick summary;

MPC- best for a musical/melodic approach to music.

OT- best for a technical/scientific/less-melodic approach to creating music.

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#47

If I may chime in on this:
If you have the option to get the OT from your friend, ask him if you can try it out for a few days.

Imo the main difference between devices like the AKAIs and the OT is the workflow. I don’t own an MPC, but a friend of mine does, and to me it feels more like working in a DAW, but on a smaller screen and with the controls right there, instead of a separated MIDI controller.
The OT is much more orientated around the sequencer in its workflow in addition to a lot of simple menus and key combinations.

Regarding sampling records; the MPC Live II is advertised to have 2GB of RAM, whereas the OT only has around 80MG of usable RAM for all in-memory stored and actively recorded samples combined. In any case I recommend you a little mixer with phono input for either devices.

I think the biggest and determining difference is the workflow and you won’t know if you like it until you’ve tried… :wink:
Try the OT for a few days, going through the manual, don’t get discouraged in the beginning. At one point it all comes together a little and it’s a lot of fun!
If not, you can happily go with an MPC :ok_hand:

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#48

For me it’s OT or a DAW with a good controller. An MPC … meh. It’s just a computer with less power and tiny screen. I would go maschine mkIII or something like that instead.

#49

i have both machines. im partial to the OT. i just love the elektron sequencer and the flexibility of the sampling in the OT. i do think the mpc’s sound engine is better. my brain just works with the step sequencer. the ease of making microtiming shifts, p-locks and probability just puts it over the top.

i like having both…and the analog rytm. all different tools in the box

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#50

Not if you split the profit with him.

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#51

Plan on owning both at some point and grab the one that’s right in front of you. If you don’t gel with the OT offer to resell to your friend at the same price. If he declines then sell it for a profit.

And don’t listen to the DAW in a box nonsense. You’ll hear the MPC is a computer with a screen bashing as much as the OT is the closest thing to a DAW bragging. They are equally awesome.

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#52

I have the Digitone Keys, so in a way or another i can do that.

#53

Would recommend giving each a thorough try out as they’re very different. The MPC is a much better machine in my opinion but the Octa has plenty of fans too.

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#54

agree 100%, as long as your music production doesn’t need tempo changes, time signature changes, exploding tracks, midi merge, auto sampling, sample freeze per pad, Ableton Live export, and too much more to mention.

#55

May I suggest a third possibility ?

I had both an Octatrack and a MPC Live (similar to the one) and now I have a Blackbox and certainly not going back.

And it’s not that the OT is hard to learn, it’s more that depending on what you want to do it can be enlightening or frustrating.

There’s no wrong choice here anyway.

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#56

the Looper on the mpc is an often overlooked feature… but it’s an extremely useful feature. Check out these two clips and think of how you could apply these techniques to your own music.

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#57

The MPC is a desk
The OT is a pile of wood and a set of woodworking tools.

With the MPC you have a desk you can use from day one.
With the OT you have to learn how to use the tools, make a project, build a desk.

With the OT you can build your dream desk, but you have to work hard to learn how to use its tools in depth, and you have to be creative to max its power.

I have the OT from day one, I use it as a powerful midi sequencer 99% of the time.
If I don’t use the OT for a couple of months, I have to open the user manual.

I have the mpc1000 and mpc live II, almost never opened the manual after the first few days.

OT, like the other elektrons, are nice because of their sequencer, parameter lock, and workflow in general. Most of the time you can get nice melodies and beats, just randomly inserting notes and parameters locks. They are very inspiring.
I often copy midi patterns from OT to the MPC.

If you have a melody in mind and you want to record to the sequencer, the OT is very limited in respect of the MPC.

With an MPC one and a DN you have the elektron sequencer, a powerful FM synth (bass, melody and drums) and one of the best sampler in the world, for the price of an OT.

This is my experience.

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#58

As many have suggested above workflow is subjective so it will really depend on how you gel with each machine, plus what sort of music you want to make.

I have both the OT and the MPC X so have experience with both. I think the OT is a great machine on many levels but for me the new MPC is the better option for use as an overall centrepiece, midi sequencing and particularly for sampling and sample management. The ease and simplicity of sampling on the MPC is one if it’s key strengths.

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#59

Would think you have arrived at an answer, however, I’d say take the plunge at a deal and sell it for the mpc if it doesn’t fit. I started with the smaller Digitakt which made the OT MKII easier to pick up as where you will be starting from scratch. It’s not difficult to learn so long as your not cramming to much at yourself at once. It’s a very modular device so it’s just kind of learn what you need as you go and go down the rabbit holes as you dare.

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#60

I have an OT and a MPC Live.

I use the OT to turn samples from one thing into another. The ‘nother’ goes into the computer to make songs, tracks, etc.

I use the MPC to jam out tracks, live.

OT is more connected to my computer beat making than my MPC

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#61

I would get the Octatrack purely because of the great deal you have available to you. If you don’t like it you can always sell it for a profit and kick back some of that profit to your friend as someone suggested. It’s definitely got a learning curve but you already have an idea of what that looks like cause you own a Digitone. Worst case scenario is you sell it for a profit and try an MPC One next.

If I had to clarify the difference between the two I’d say that the Octatrack is an instrument with a ton of ways to play it, while an MPC One is workstation that best fits a studio setting. Neither can be better than the other because they specialize differently.

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#62

Got both. MPC gets used much more. Using the OT just feels like a hassle unless it’s the centrepiece of your set up… and even then it’s not ideal and I end up using other stuff too.

If you like to work with just a few bits or with headphones and one box on your lap don’t underestimate the Live 2 with the sound bar built in. As a stand-alone box nothing else comes close for me.

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