Looking For The Right Mixer

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

If answering this is too much work, I’d appreciate any links to resources or videos out there that may help. Thanks!

Basically I’m looking to buy a mixer that will work with my current setup as well as future proof it when I eventually incorporate the Octatrack MKII.

Current Setup:
-Digitakt
-Digitone
-Mono output Synth
-Stereo output Synth
-Mono output reverb pedal

My main goal is to be able to have all 4 instruments and reverb pedal input into the Octatrack and be able to sample/loop them live on 4 different tracks and have the pedal act as a fx return/send. Since the Octatrack only has 4 inputs, I understand I will need to have a mixer combine instruments into a bus track, correct? Once I achieve this with a mixer, how does the Octatrack distinguish the different instruments in the bus channel inputting into the Octatrack and then allocate them to 4 different tracks?

Though my main question is the following. What is the smallest, cheapest mixer out there right now that you know of that would be able to accomplish this?

I’m currently looking at the Mackie ProFX12v3 12-channel Mixer. It has 1 subgroup sub channel. Would this be enough to accomplish what I’m looking for? Any other alternatives that pop in your mind that may have a smaller form factor?

I’m open to the idea that I may just need to sample one or two instruments before a live set, and play them as recordings rather than a live instrument I could manipulate on the spot - though it’s just not my current wish list at the moment.

I am still fairly new to the hardware world - any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

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#2

Ok I’ve come to realize what I’m asking for just isn’t possible LOL. I’m pretty sure I would need to blend a few instruments via a mixer which would then exist on a a single thru track and prioritize one(stereo) or two(mono) instruments on the other CD inputs on the octa for any individual track - live sampling/mangling treatment.

#3

It seems like a very complicated setup.

Why not just prepare some loops/samples from your synths beforehand and just load them into the Octatrack? And then maybe just playing/livemanipulate tenor two synths?

I think playing/controlling 6-7 synths at the same time seems almost impossible. Unless you are an octopus :slight_smile:

Kind regards

Thomas

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#4

Not too difficult actually.

Get a mixer with at least two AUX SENDS. If you really want to sample all four instruments simultaneously then you’ll need at least four AUX SENDS and you will have to sample in Mono.

  1. Assuming you DON’T want to sample all sources at once simultaneously (but still want to sample any of your instruments on the fly), do as follows:

  • Run each OUTS of your hardware devices into a separate channel on your mixer (so you’ll need a 12-channel mixer or above).

  • Run one of your mixer’s AUX SENDS into your Octatrack input (eg A & B). Now you can choose which source(s) is/are sent to your OT by turning the respective channel’s AUX SEND up. You could double your options (i.e. sample two separate sources simultaneously by using another (stereo) AUX SEND to OT Inputs C & D).

  • You could also take the OT’s CUE OUT back into the mixer with its own channels and set up another AUX SEND to your FX pedals. Then you turn the AUX SEND knob on your mixer for the channels that are receiving your OT Cue OUTs. This way you can send any track of the OT straight to your FX pedals by sending that track to cue. (Of course you could also send your synths to the same FX chain, but turning up the AUX SEND for that particular aux on the desired channel(s)).

  1. If you DO want to sample all four instruments simultaneously, you’ll have to do the following:
  • You’ll need a minimum of four separate MONO AUX SENDS on your mixer.
  • Connect all four AUX SENDS to your four Line ins of the OT. (This needs to be mono!)
  • now you have four mono AUX SENDS connected to your OT and can now send each device to one of the AUX SENDS, which would allow you to record four devices at once.

EDIT: On the OT, you’d set the incoming source for each track’s recording buffer in Recording Setup 1. So if you go with Option 1 (Two Stereo AUX SENDS), you’d set the IN in Recording Setup 1 for the track onto which you want to record to A&B (if you want to record from Inputs A&B) or to C&D (if you want to record from Inputs C&D).

If you go for Option 2 (four mono AUX SENDS), you’d set the IN in Recording Setup 1 on the OT to A (for input A), B (for input B), C (for input C) and D (for input D). You’d do this on four tracks (so e.g. Input A on Track 1, Input B on Track etc) which would then allow you to record simultaneously from the respective sources (in MONO!) onto those four tracks.

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#5

It’s quite doable actually, thanks to the brilliant Elektron sequencer :slight_smile:

Here I’m controlling four synths (Erebus, NYX, Streichfett, A4), one Digitakt and one OT (all goes into the OT) in real time, improvising and building the music on the fly:

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#6

Instead of needing two or more aux sends, could you use channel inserts on the mixer to tap the synth channels into the OT inputs?

Mackie vlz mixers allow you to put a jack in only half way in the insert to route the signal (pre-EQ and pre-fader) to another device without interrupting the normal signal for the channel.

That would then allow you to use the mixer’s send/return for the reverb pedal.

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#7

Could probably also work!

Benefit of the AUX SENDS is that you usually have a knob for each SEND on each channel, so you could decide what to route to the OT inputs on the fly. With Inserts one would have to physically plug the cables around, no? :slight_smile:

#8

Right, and make sure you only plug 'em in half way so you don’t interrupt the channel going to the main out. But if you only have four synths and four OT inputs that wouldn’t be needed.

Aux sends are definitely more flexible, but having two stereo sends (for four mono channels) and another for the reverb pedal requires a pretty expensive mixer.

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