I’ve read both read Merlin’s Thoughts and official manual, watching youtube videos everyday.
But when I try to build up anything I end up with only looping fart sounds. So I usually ditch everything I made or just call it a day and turn it off.
I don’t want to point out a specific issue but basically is there any tips, tricks, exercise that worked on you?
Sorry for the vague question but depending on your experiences maybe it would be nice to collect them under one thread in what point you’ve started to create better tunes out of octa.
Also would deeply appreciate if you have some kind of homework you can suggest ;p
I would suggest to load samples from freesound, from choir to preparations for Morphagene (I dig Surachai’s), slicing the interesting parts and try to make a beat from it.
Main advice is stick with one “objective” at a time. But that I mean OT can do some many things, and I found that in order learn about the system, I need to do only one objective at time (ie. rythmn with samples, live looping and fx, midi seq, … ). Eventually building up to more complex projects.
Pick a track that you like from an artist that you listen to and does the same style of music that you would like to do. Then try to rebuild the track or parts of it with your setup as close as possible. You will learn a lot about sound design, pattern programming etc. It´s not about copying someone elses music or style, see it as an educational excercise.
Slight aside, I like to use a longer song sample as groove metronome to match other tracks to the original groove. You can then mute the song sample and build from there. So copying the rhythm/groove, not the song itself.
Create a kit on your PC/MAC of 32 short samples - drums, percussion, bleeps, stabs, chords, guitar plucks, horns, bass notes, piano tinkles, Rhodes jazz etc.
Ensure there is some harmonic and genre commonality with the melodic bits.
Put them into the Flex slots in some sort of logical sequence (drummy rhythm bits 1-16, melodic bits 17-32) Kicks together, basses together etc.
Turn on Slots
Go to track one, ensure fx are subtle, envelope is open
Hit live record
Tap in a few basic bass drum and snare hits
Move onto track two
Repeat with hats and percussion
Move on to track three
Press Scale page button to use the 17-32
Start adding melody
Edit, review, tweak, plock, fx
…
From there, the world is yours (before you move on to banks, scenes and cross fading)