People will jump at the chance to get a Monomachine or Machinedrum, yet every year the question comes up if an Octatrack is still worth it or relevant…?
It’s a stone cold classic and there’s nothing like it. I’ve only had mine for about 4 years now, so I was very late to the party but it’s been totally worth it.
The thing is, if and when it eventually gets discontinued, people will be clamouring to get it because of its ‘vintage’ sound 
100% 
you got 30 days to try it out and return if not satisfied when buying from thomann and co.
try it
From the pattern observer perspective it seems unlikely there will be an OT3. At least in the coming generation.
Dark Trinity: one sampler, drum, instrument
Digi series: one sampler, one drum, one synth (sure they gave ST basic sample playback after a while)
Model series: one sampler one drum/synth
Digi2 series: one sampler one synth/…
Tonverk class series consists thus far of a sampler
Maybe because the OT is still manufactured? After it is discontinued we’ll see folks truly appreciate what we have.
Exactly. It becomes second nature, but there’s a large amount of stuff you have to learn up front.
Imagine trying to describe how to set up a Flex track to use the track’s recording buffer to a novice. That’s a dozen+ key presses, several levels of menus (some that involve scrolling up!), several two-button presses, the sequencer changing function based on context, …. I can do that in my sleep now, but I didn’t find it intuitive.
I actually like these kind of threads; they let me fall in love with the Octa all over again.
The OT is an ok sampler… but it’s an amazing sample-workflow creation machine.
I don’t have songs stored in my Octa, I have entire workflows stored in there, each one is a unique way of working with recorded material. Some of those set ups are rather simple, and yet I know of no other machines that can replicate that.
If I could make a OT3 today, I would actually probably only fix the remaining bugs, update the fx quality and processor, and add maybe a final master effect (so as not to use up the 8th track as a master). Maybe allow MIDI to loopback, I guess. Maybe a CLK out.
That’s it though.
I can’t remember why I thought I needed an Octa in the first place, probably @mpiecora 's fault, but I know now why I want to keep mine forever: it lets me daydream about it, to think, “What if I did a setup like this?” and then actually (usually) be able to accomplish an entirely new workflow.
I feel I really have to learn more about parts to get an interesting setup collection.
Busses (evolved neighbor tracks, kinda used for send FX, see tonverk), more memory (for longer recordings, I know for most it’s not understandable why, but if you want to record a synth or 2 in a longer jam it’s easy to reach 15, 20 minutes because you first fabled in idea finding for 5-10 minutes and hit a flow/sweet spot)
Over bridge/compatibility to the new outbox.
Some tweaks for the flow here and there.
The improved polyphonic sequencing from the tonverk (so that not all notes need to start at the same time for chords)
Imho there is enough to warrant a revision.
What brings me to believe that we won’t see one is tonverk. It takes a lot of the aspects to itself
i have had all the elektrons and really they are interchangable with other gear but not the octatrack it is unique
the sound is actually what sold me on the octa. i fell in love with the kind of “plasticine”/thuddy character of the filters on hard transients. that seems to be a special elektron magic because the syntakt and especially the model:cycles has that to an even greater extent, where the cycles can sound like the transients are bursting out of that plastic enclosure. its a beautiful tone.
i love the way percussion especially sounds through it. but also gritty samples or anything with transients like field recordings with rustling/gravel/burbling water. people complain about that sound sometimes, but thats the main reason i wanted one
One day, when the OTMK2 is discontinued, it will be a wanted classic up there with EMU SP1200 and old Roland gear.
True.
And considering how much a simpler device (in terms of features) like Tonverk is plagued by bugs and lacks a clear future, there’s no way we’ll see an OT MK3 in the next few years.
What once looks dated now looks the coolest again 
It’s true, I currently have a mkI which I may or may not downsize in the near future but if word ever comes that Elektron is discontinuing the OT I would definitely buy one again and keep it as a collector’s item.
I do have OT mk2 and it’s ok for some things but tbh not worth it in 2026. I still haven’t sold it and probably never will bc it’s an old retro machine at this point, a relic from the old days Elektron that i liked a lot, design and philosophy of it; reminds me of MD and Mnm. So if you haven’t bought one already after all those years, don’t bother with it. Many modern machines that are waiting for you to buy them. Objectively speaking better and more efficient machines, more useable machines imo.
IMO only current Elektron machines that are worth buying are DT2 and DN2. For anything else id wait for something new and fresh, unless we’re talking about Mnm 2, MD 2 or OT 2.
OT runs circles around DT1/2 in many aspects still - it is 100% worth it. Instruments don’t just become obsolete. Machinedrum (in ALL of its versions) still runs circles around loads of modern drum machines.
Once it not available it will become the Holy Grail. You never realize what you miss till its no longer there.
Just look at the unique things OT can do and ask yourself whether that’s really important to you and gets your head spinning about the different ways you can make music with these features. There’s lots of videos out there by Ezbot or Ricky Tinez that show what the OT experience will be like. You will notice that it will often be hard to follow what these people are doing, even if it’s basic things you‘d expect to be straightforward. Even these experienced users will sometimes mess things up. That’s the OT experience you will also have. In my opinion, if you’re just interested in something as basic asplsying back longer samples with timestretching, it’s not worth investing the time to learn how to use an OT to the point where it’s fun and not frustrating.
It’s fast and reliable. I like how if you’re on a screen, you can switch tracks and stay on that screen. Not every UI works like that. It also functions as a small mixer. I sold mine because I wasn’t making the most of it. I’m more of an instrumentalist and gravitate towards that workflow.
But if I wanted to do a sampling workflow: For sampling hardware, I have the Nano Tangerine. On iOS I have Koala. On PC I have Serrato Sampler, Antares Auto-Tune Slice, HY Slicer 2, and UVI Falcon. These are all extremely powerful and do time stretch