The Octatrack is a sampler/sample playback box. It also has built in effects and a capable MIDI sequencer. I was messing around the other morning and wondered if the way I use the OT is typical.
So that’s my question. Assuming your OT isn’t thrown across the room in frustration, listed in a FS post somewhere, or locked away in a closet for being difficult, how do you mainly use the OT and it’s various pieces?
For me, I have never used the MIDI sequencer, never prepared or used sample chains, and from the effects section, I mostly use the filters and EQs and once in a while the Lo-Fi collection. I typically don’t do much editing of samples on the OT.
I usually run the OT slaved to my main MIDI sequencer.
I have the OT inputs in my patchbay. I typically run a cable from Aux 6 on the mixing board to one of the OT inputs. Then, whatever audio happens to be available at the board - whether it’s a DVD from the computer, a synth arpeggio, a drum machine, or the output of an effects unit - I simply turn up Aux Send 6 knob on that channel to feed the OT (running one or more track of Flex or Pickup machines). I’ll sample and mangle until I get somethnig I like and save that or else throw it away and do it again. When I’m working this way, I rarely go into the Sample Editor. I’ve become a big fan of RLEN and QREC when sampling.
Often I’ll just mute a track/sample in progress and activate another one and start fresh. When I open up a project, it’s always full of surprises when I start unmuting tracks in a pattern. Copying Patterns to other Patterns and copying Parts to other Parts and then editing the copies have also become common operations (after losing work by editing something and losing the exact combination of sample/start/len/p-locks)
You saved me the hassle of typing (again). Deserves a proper response, maybe later.
