Resampling thread

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#41

What’s the most efficient way to resample? Here’s how my blank bank usually looks:

T1: Flex set to rec1–I record a sample into it (music, spoken word, whatever).
T2: Neighbor track because I know I’ll want more FX on this first sample.
T3: Flex set to rec3, listening to T2. I try to set up the rec settings ahead of time too, but my PLEN always ends up being different so I have to readjust anyway (any tips for this?)
T4: Flex set to rec4, listening to T3.

Once I have my recording on track 3, I’ll plop down some trigs, turn on FX and play with it and mangle it that way. Then, I record track 4 and do something similar. If I want to keep going, I go back to track 3 and tell it to listen to T4, so I can end up going back and forth, just mangling and resampling between the two tracks.

What about you guys? I took me over six months of having the Octatrack to finally realize this is a really great workflow for me. I used to open up a new bank and just kind of wing it–recording to track 1 and not knowing what to do from there. But now that I have this sort of template in place it helps out on brainpower a lot.

Tracks 5-8 are reserved for percussion if I want. Typically kick, snare, hat and perc. Idk how people use Track 8 as a master. Maybe if I kept my sessions more focused to just sound design and forget about beatmaking, but I always inevitably wanna add a kick and a hat haha. Or a drum break.

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#42

Nothing wrong with your method at all. In my project I use T8 as master, and recorder 8 is constantly sampling T8. Just incase I ever want to resample the entire mix. The very last bank in my project is a resampling bank. I can copy any sample there, set up any resampling chain I want, then copy the new sample back the pattern I was working on.

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#43

Please go into more detail! Having a bank dedicated to resampling? Huh?

#44

Before I sold my Octatrack, I’d just make sure the INT sampling source was set to CUE on any Flex track. I also had one-touch record set in settings.

That way, I could send any track to CUE, hit REC 3 to record it into any rec buffer.

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#45

I’ve been playing with cues for the first time too. If I get a drum loop going that I like (kick, snare, hat) I’ll cue up all three tracks and have a flex track record it. Let the resampling and resequencing begin…

Starting to half wish I got the mk2 though. A dedicated rec3 button would be nice, especially when having to hold any of tracks 5 to 8 and the MIDI button with one hand… Also wish I had a dedicated AED button! But I really like the aesthetic of the Mk1 a lot.

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#46

new to ot… what do you mean resample on the ot?

#47

Re-sampling happens when your recording source set in record setup menu is T1-T8 or MAIN or CUE. So when you record an internal channel of the Octatrack.

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#48

Resampling tip : make an 8 pitch (octave) sample chain in one pass. This allows to extend the +/- 1 octave limit.

A Track Recorder can record its own recording pitched up, if a Rec trig is place on the same step (no microtiming). Minimum infos, ask for more for certain points.

Assign a sample to Track 1
Trig 1 : Rate +8 (octave - 3)
Trig 2 : Rate +16 (octave - 2)
Trig 3 : Rate +32 (octave - 1)
Trig 4 : no plock (octave 0)
Trig 5 : pitch +12 (octave 1), REC trig
Trig 6 : plock Recording 1, pitch +12 (octave 2), REC trig
Trig 7 : plock Recording 1, pich +12 (octave 3), REC Trig
Trig 8 : plock Recording 1, pitch +12 (octave 4)

Record Track 1 with Recorder 2
Add slices to Recording 2, plock, modulate them

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Noob questions
Octatrack Templates
#49

I love my Mk1 but now I’ve started resampling stuff I wish I had that dedicated button too!

I enabled Quick Record to cut down on the amount of hand gymnastics but having to remember to switch to the record setup page each time is a pain.

#50

I’ve had quick record on since I got the thing. Opening up rec setup to “cut down hand gymnastics” is something I’ll have to remember.

Then it’s like…Are those two dedicated buttons worth an extra $200-$300? idk lol

#51

Heh, yeah. It’s a marginally better reason than wanting to spend it just for the pretty lights on the trig buttons though :slight_smile:

#52

I hear people say they play gigs in the dark and it’s much easier to see what trigs are what in the Mk2 context. I haven’t had that experience so I can’t say.

Since we’re already here in the resampling thread, I wanna ask if anyone knows the best way to gain stage because it completely escapes me.

All I want is my sample to play at the SAME VOLUME AS WHEN I RECORDED IT! Instead of guessing and hoping. Why is it that if, say, my track is peaking at -12dB, I then resample it to another track and make sure that in the Attr (or is it file?) settings there is no additional gain, the track is somehow quieter? I’ll run another experiment later but I’m pretty sure when I do this I have all of my page settings cleared ahead of time on the new resampled track.

I also want to avoid internal clipping.

#53

I’m sure someone more knowledgeable will correct me if I’m wrong but I remember reading here that someone said resampled tracks were sounding ‘flat’ compared to the source because it automatically added a filter as the first effect. Could that be it?

#54

When you resample, the track level of the track that plays back the recording should be at 127 instead of the default 108. You are basically just copying: any processing including track level will alter the copy.

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#55

It’s definitely not a “flatness” it’s a volume decrease. Like I said I make sure to clear all page pages for the new track. It just seems like I always get a sample that’s either quieter or louder.

This is silly…So then what if I want to resample that track? Eventually all my tracks are gonna peak out at 127?

How can I ensure I avoid internal clipping? Cause sometimes it’s hard to tell.

#56

If your leds clip red, you’re probably clipping (there’s some ballistics included so occasional reds are OK). But if you record a track that has its level set at 127 to another track, that won’t change anything, you still need to set the receiving track to 127 for 1:1 copy. Stuff becomes difficult when you’re summing several tracks, but that’s not what you’re referring to, I believe?

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#57

Beware, If you resample a track with SRC3 = T1-T8, recording level depends on VOL, not TRACK LEVEL.

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#58

Hmm now that I’ve thought some more I guess that’s fine. Usually my resample workflow is to leap frog back and forth between two tracks. So I’m thinking if both tracks are at 127 then eventually I’ll lose volume right? Because then wouldn’t I need more than 127 to get it to be the same volume?

#59

Correct, but the issue was the output volume of the resulting track…correct me if I’m wrong

#60

Jeez this makes things more complicated.

So if it’s clipping hypothetically, I would have to turn down the Vol, not the level?