Hi guys,
as titled, how to arrange transition as well precisely timed modulation on parameters as part of the arangement (if possible) on Octatrack???
For example, a conventional dance/EBM/New Wave tracks would have a variation or a short mute over the last 4-8 steps / variation on certain parameter at the end of 16th bar before the next part/phrase or the addition of a new element of the song.
I still haven’t fully grasped arranger mode, but maybe that’s where we can make a variation? or we make the Pattern 1 repeat 15 times, and then create a variation of pattern 1 and then arrange it after the 15th repeat? is this the way or is there another easy way?
Pattern sequencing aside, is it possible to apply the same variation on certain parameters (for example, Filter or Reverb mix). Would you use LFO or LFO designer for this purpose??
Sorry if this has been covered. If so, please show me where I can find the relevant thread. I have tried to find a specific discussion.
Hi,
Not sure I understand everything you want to do, but I see 3 things:
For that you can use trig conditions on the last steps (ie something like Fill - that you’ll have to count bars and enter fill mode manually - or A:B - but I’m not sure how many patterns count is the maximum). It’s not related to the arranger but it should work with it.
The arranger can set scenes for each row. So you would repeat the same pattern with “empty” scenes n times. Then the last time you play that pattern, it would be a new row in the arranger, with the scenes set to change the parameters you’d like.
If you want to fade into the new parameters rather than cut to them, set scene A to an empty scene (parameters as they are in the regular pattern) and scene B to your new parameters. Make sure the fader is on the A side before the arranger enters that last row. Smoothly move the fader to B to bring the new parameters. I find that timing the transition it the way I want manually isn’t hard at all, just don’t stop the fader movement and don’t go back.
IMHO it’s worth getting to know the builtin LFO waveforms before jumping into custom shapes. Ramp and exp for example are less frequent in other gear. That said, if the builtin forms don’t do what you want, the designer is there for that. Also as an alternative (quantized to sequencer steps) you can live-record knobs movements. Or program slides but I’m less familiar with that.
Hope this helps 
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Thanks for the detailed response.
I understand the fill condition, but Octatrack’s 4 pages of sequences only equal to 4 bar, and usually dance music arrangement requires some bigger changes or at the end of the 16th bar, which I think the fill condition couldn’t be set for that long of a wait, if you follow me.
In that case, arranger should be the answer? so I would let the pattern repeat 15 times for the first 15 bar, and then have the arranger play another pattern specifically for the 16th bar for the transition to the next part of the song.
Do you do this for arranging on Octatrack?
then you’d just let the pattern run 15 times and only press the Fill button on the 16th time
or use conditional trigs, if you have a 4-bar pattern set a snare roll to only trigger on 4:4
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