Interfacing Octatrack with Sherman Filterbank

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi,
I’m seriously considering picking up a Sherman Filterbank to use with my OT. Now, the Sherman has just one mono input and one mono output. Been pondering the best way to use it with the OT. The out from the Sherman to the OT seems easy to handle, just choose a+b/c+d on the OT to handle the mono input. But what’s the best way to get the stereo OT signal into the Sherman’s mono input? Do I really need to be thinking of panning OT tracks hard left/right? Or is there a better way?

Suggestions welcome!
Cheers. :slight_smile:

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#2

Hello,
There’s a secondary input on FB2, so I think you can input stereo signal in it. OT can solve your problem.

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#3

Really? I never knew that. Thank you!
Depending on price and what I can find I might pick up an FB1 though. I’m sure I’ll figure it out, but just wondering what other people do,
Cheers. :slight_smile:

#4

I’d hook it up to the cue outs and set it up so that cueing mutes a track.

#5

It’s definitely going to be in the cue outs. Too much of freaky box to have in the mains. :slight_smile:

#6

If you want a tamed Sherman look into the rodeo restyler. You can scream with it but it has more sweet spots. Perfect for vinyl heads who like to tweak that loop before going in the sampler / daw. But with the filter bank 2 you can slice up that bass loop on the octa send it to the fb2 and synthesize it into a nasty lead or sub bass sound.

#7

I must correct my post.
There’s only one input but two output (main and one for filter one).
I think that can be use to chain several FB.
Sorry for having give you a false good news
:unamused:

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#8

Been reading the manual and it seems the FB doesn’t have a second input, but it does have a second output, so it can do pseudo stereo. Still wondering the best way to go from OT cue outs to FB mono in.

#9

Ah, you beat me to it. :slight_smile:

#10

Have had a look at the Restyler, but I quite like an occasional bit of craziness. :slight_smile:

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#11

Just take a single one of the two cue outs. Unless you’re panning aggressively it should be fine. Bonus is that you get another cue output for another FX box. Currently doing this to process signals through the ms20 and it’s been working great.

3 Likes
#12

Great, thank you, will try that when the Sherman arrives. Cheers.

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#13

I agree with everyone’s comments so far. The Octatrack Cue mix to Sherman input and live monitor the return (AB/CD).

I have a slightly different approach. I use the headphone output and connect that to the FB input. In the mixer page I pan the headphone mix to just Cue. In settings I assign Cue to mute the track. The headphone volume knob is now a physical gain for the signal into the FB.

Don’t forget the Octatrack’s Clock and CC outputs (via P-Lock trig less midi events) are very complimentary with the FB.

5 Likes
#14

Thank you, I’ll surely try all that, and definitely looking to get into some OT->FB midi control experimentation.

Cheers! :slight_smile:

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#15

Great tip about the headphone out, especially since it goes unused in most studio situations. Thanks!

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#16

You’re welcome! Works great as a way to incorporate pedals and other external fx units.

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#17

And presumably the headphone out can work as 2 separate outs if you pan hard L/R and use a 1/4" balanced to 2 x unbalanced cable. Nice. :+1:

#18

Of course ! Brilliant ! And now this volume knobs gets some use !!!
Thank you mate :slight_smile:

#19

I have both and use them a lot. Just pan the cue hard left or right, I also use another audio track panned the other way to eg trigger FM or Envelope follower. I actually think the FB is easier to control in some respects as the Restyler can easy go really loud with the amplitude modulation. What I would say is using the Octa audio inputs aren’t amazing, to me they seem to flatten things off quite a bit, compared with my RME and the FB has so much detail and character, it’s such a great piece of gear I reckon.

#20

I’ve compared the OT inputs to my little old Canford 6 channel ex-BBC mixer and the OT does suffer in comparison. Which means I’m going to be lugging a mixer to gigs instead of using the OT mixer. :frowning: Still, a separate mixer does give you more hands-on control. Cheers!

OT throughput mixer audio quality?