Just bought an octatrack. So yeah

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#65

I used to be convinced that the DT and OT would be a great combo. I’m sure it is for most but the more I use my OT and get comfortable with it the less I deem the need for anything else.

And after years of OT ownership I only just got round to using Octachainer which has been incredible and sortv of killed off what I like most about the DT - it’s ability to easily create very musical lead/bass sounds. Now I just chain up the sounds I like and away I go.

I’m almost, just about, ready to start thinking about parts next…!

#66

Man, I just bought an OT…for the FOURTH TIME! It’s going to stay for good this time. I just couldn’t resist the constant reminders in my mind on how cool OT is and got pissed at myself for never really using it to anywhere near its potential.
Truly a brilliant instrument!!! I just wish it had a huge battery in it…

4 Likes
#67

@Astromass That’s pretty impressive congrats :+1: I’ve only bought the OT twice & DT twice :man_shrugging:

#68

I think I’m on to my 5th time with it! Once owned one for all of about 6 days…:joy:

I must’ve bought and sold the AK 3 or 4 times too. Bonkers. Not returning to that one though!

1 Like
#69

After a couple months of owning my OT I sold my DT. On some levels I regret it. I prefer the envelopes in DT…super snappy. The verb was nice and the compressor was unique, though the OT compressor is more useful to me. The extra tracks were nice. But, I sold the DT to partially fund an A4mkii and have no regrets about the A4. Current rig is OT/A4/MicroMonsta/modular and I’m really happy with the setup

3 Likes
#70

Batterie inside could be a little bit difficult but outside mounted no problem at all:

#71

pray for me brothers, i just got OTmk2 , first day fresh. Never had any Elektron boxes before. Just some modular/ciat lonbarde gear…

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#72

See you in 2021 :grin:

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#73

The OT is seriously addictive. I keep coming back to it…making fresh beats. What’s awesome is that it takes awhile to learn, so there is something new to learn or a new way of routing stuff through it that makes it feel really deep. This functionality leads to new creative places that you don’t expect.

For example, I just found out (from this equally addictive forum) that you can take a synth or whatever, sequence it, then route it to a thru machine, and affect the sound with trigs locked to filter, envelope, delay parameters to completely alter the original sequence/sound. It’s was like, oh snap, I didn’t even think of that and now I’m going to run it like that all the time. Search this forum on a regular and bookmark ideas that other people use. Sort of like crowd-funding your own creativity.

Oh, and I didn’t have an extra synth to sequence that wasn’t already being used so I looked around my studio and grabbed my GR20 guitar synth. Uses midi. Haven’t really used it for a couple years but all of a sudden it’s like s totally new sound source to be sequenced, arpeggiated, sampled, and otherwise mangled.

5 Likes
#74

That’s a nice one!

#75

I love doing this with my synths. It’s one of my main modes of track variations now.

It turns your OT into an immediate remix tool!

#76

This is great. I am eyeing one too so will be excited to hear of your exploration. I’m pushing 50 so it’s starting to feel like I’m in “why the hell not” mode a lot.

I will say, I started with a Digitone Keys a month or so ago and couldn’t believe how much I appreciated the hardware workflow over buffers and plug-in validation and updates and bloated hard drives and… took me back to the 80’s and 90’s when “technology” was two MIDI cables. Ideas started flowing. So much more fun.

But it’s dangerous because once you get into the Elektron workflow, you get hooked. A DT followed a week after the Digitone! Now I’m feeling like the Analog Four is speaking to me…

7 Likes
#77

P.S. Do you miss not having Overbridge on the OT?

#78

I might like to try running my Microfreak like this, but only two inputs! My Mac is in to Octa and Mpc. Then Mpc in to Octa. So my freak has to run into kaossilator in to mpc.
Octa sends out to Scarlett having only one stereo in. I’m seeing how a mixer could improve my options, especially after I add an OP-z to the mix. Maybe in a couple months when I get the op-Lab I’ll get a Mackie. So my question is how do I contract the midi in the method you’re talking?

#79

Not a bit. But maybe that’s just me. The reason why I use hardware in the first place is to get away from the computer. I work in the field of software development and 10h a day in front of a screen is simply enough.

Having control over each minuscule detail of every track and remotely control every possible parameter may be a need when you want to become more efficient in your music making. But for me music is simply recreational.

Nevertheless: what I really like about the OT in regards to its computer integration is its simple USB drive mode. So getting stuff from and to the machine is simply copy & paste.

13 Likes
#80

Great perspective! Thanks.

#81

This, it’s really much easier to get samples onto it than the DT. I mainly use the OT for processing audio and writing rhythmic parts, so I don’t mind just recording the master outs and doing the bulk of arranging on Ableton. And when using it live there’s enough horsepower available to make things sound good in the OT alone.

1 Like
#82

Hmm, I don’t use a computer in my setup (I have one hooked up I just never turn it on to make music :wink:). Anyway, the OT has 4 mono inputs (or 2 stereo). Routing options can get complicated, and dedicated mixers allow you to bus and route things together. Basically, run your machines into the inputs of the OT (mono or stereo). Assign that input to a thru track so it’s trigs, effects, envelopes will affect the sound source. Experiment and have fun! The routing is up to you. I’ve already got a headache from figuring out how to route my gear :zonked:. I use a mixer and sacrifices are inevitable. Search this forum often. Good luck!

1 Like
#83

same. I don’t use Overbridge at all, despite having two other Elektron machines with it. I do all my writing in hardware and then record bit by bit into the computer and fine-tune the arrangement there as needed. I don’t mind using the computer for music, but only as a method of capturing a best-case arrangement of what I’ve been jamming with. a glorified tape machine, if you will. I’ll often work on music daily, but not open a DAW for weeks on end.

7 Likes
#84

Tonight, I’ve learnt to resample with rec trigs. Big “FUCK YEAAAAAH” moment here, despite the feeling of trying to operate a rocket to Mars. :sweat_smile:

BTW, a quick question regarding resampling and gain staging… I’m trying to resample track 1, holding a normalized sample, volume untouched, into recorder 2… and each time, I get a recording with a super low volume. Why oh whyyyyy?

2 Likes