MIDI Controllers and Octatrack

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hey folks!
Seeking advice on a new MIDI controller for my Octatrack.
Been working with a old MPK49 that has been very good but lacks the ability to receive clock from other devices (my Octa is my master clock) and also doesn’t receive MIDI messages back so the encoders are always out of sync as the Octa doesn’t do NRPN.

Basically I need
Faders, 8
At least 49 Keys,
Pads would be ace as I can trigger tracks and samples from them.
Encoders, vastly prefer ones that update by reading the same CC they send.

I was looking at the MPK249 because the form factor is perfect for what I want. Just the bloody lack of MIDI in! It has a port but it’s actually just a pass through for other MIDI devices!.

Thanks a bunch for your time.

#2

Would a Novation SL MKIII do the trick? It appears to be able to sync to an external clock. I haven’t owned a 49 key controller since the MPK249 (which I loved) so I don’t have firsthand experience with the SL MKIII but I have eyeballed it in the past.

1 Like
#3

Form factor wise it’s solid. It just knowing if it does the MIDI magic. The mpk49 can also sync externally on paper. Just only over usb.

#6

Changing controllers won’t really fix this unless it’s highly programmable.
Encoders will always be out of sync as soon as you change patterns.
The Octatrack can send out all of it’s MIDI parameters by sending CC# 61 to it, but it does not do this by itself.
You could use something like Bome Midi Translator(or a BomeBox) between you current controller and the Octatrack to fix this and translate between CC and NRPN, no need to buy a new one.