I will take your advice to heart and do some thinking! Thanks for the ideas so far btw!
Grab a 2nd hand mk1 octatrack.
Make lots of loops and stuff on cheap iOS apps and fill it up. ( assuming you can put audio into sd card. I transfer to Mac via Dropbox and dump into sd via card adapter )
Record stuff in clean bar lengths and same tempo / keys etc.
Mangle
Mangle
Use the inputs to mangle external boxes which are also being sequenced by octatrack.
3 Likes
I would vastly prefer the Zoia + Digitakt combo over an Octatrack Mk2 for roughly the same price. Zoia takes care of any number of experimental audio mangling + looping needs I would’ve struggled to do with an Octatrack Mk2, and much more besides. Digitakt fills in duties for more standard sampling workflow and Elektron sequencer magic (get it for the external MIDI sequencing as much as anything else). Digitakt is more immediate and fun than an OT, and (blasphemy) so is Zoia if you’re willing to get into modular. Could be happy with just these two for years.
4 Likes
OT mk1 + Zoia; but I wouldn’t buy both at once or your head might explode with the possibilities
3 Likes
If you go to elektronauts and ask for gear advice there is a 90% probability the recommendation will be the octatrack.
I will recommmend the deluge, the new v3 software is in open beta now. And it is fantastic.
It easy to work with, they even have a 2 hour challenge for your first track made within 2 hours of using the the deluge for the first time.
Now that is never gonna happen with the octa 
Go to the deluge usergroup on facebook and ask the same question for advice
2 Likes
Octatrack Mk2.
Yeah. This is increasingly becoming embarrassing to see, especially since the OP has zeroed in on 4 different, compelling choices that all have some key things going for them over the OT. (And some limitations too! There’s no perfect gear.)
1 Like
MachineDrum Mark 2, bees knees; live sampling. Midi, synthesis, LFO’s all over the place.
Or…
an Octatrack…
2 Likes
Only constructive thing I may add, is the OP-1 seems overpriced ATM. Cool looking device, and I hope to procure one some day, but going to wait it out.
2 Likes
Yes, follow the eightfold path… 
(just replying to gekkonier, not pushing my religion on OP)
6 Likes
You are complete. Save $700 and go travel. Be inspired and make music. Come back home and release it.
5 Likes
Opps, miss-read the OP. I see now that you have OP-1, apologies; as you were.
1 Like
That’s true, but I think I’ll have the time and patience to learn.
1 Like
I am going to recommend holding off on getting an Octatrack. You should wait until you can afford two Octatracks! You’re gonna need one for each hand. You can connect them together through midi, audio, and consciousness. Then you can pull the old “Inter-cue-lactic transition into a different plane of existence” trick. Once you have seen the light, you’ll never see the darkness again, unless you are sleeping, or it is night time, or you just decide to close your eyes during daytime. Sunglasses too, because they can make things less light.
4 Likes
Ok now it’s getting ridiculous…
1 Like
How about I buy one of them triple stands I found on eBay for Analog Four but just mount three Octatracks on it
5 Likes
Haha! What’s embarrassing about it?!
I had a similiar desicion to make.
already owned a Analog Rytm and Analog Four but after 2.5 years it was getting a little boring - so I was looking lots of videos of synths and sampler and keyboards and etc… but nothing was really satisfying for me.
in a weak moment (it really was) I decided to go for an Octatrack BUT I was not really into getting a sampler. the offer was too good (MK2 version with dust cover for €900,- and 64 GB CF card / a NO-BRAINER)
after 2 days working with the Octatrack my creativity was boosted - older patterns on A4 were being revised - so they sound really nice right now and I have started sampling the A4 and AR into OT
to be honest: for me the Octatrack is the perfect “center” device for my setup - never regret so far.
so personally you can have a look for MK1 which can be really cheap - the difference are only more buttons, screen saver, LED screen and balanced inputs on MK2.
also was thinking about Digitakt but this doesn’t feel complete for me (inputs are not monitorable / just for sampling) the formfactor is great but for real adventures I have choosen OT.
just take your time and rethink what you are going to achieve your purchase. I don’t think getting a device for “getting a device” is just the wrong reason and you could feel not happy with purchase.
1 Like
I appreciate your comment a lot!
I was lucky buying the op-1 for about $ 725 from eBay.
Maybe I’ll have luck again
1 Like