MIDI finger drumming on OT

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi, I wonder what could be the best way to finger drumming with the Octatrack.

I´ve seen a few solutions but some of them could be dated nowadays. What I want to achieve is a way to send MIDI notes to the Octatrack, ideally recording them in the Octatrack sequencer and ideally with velocity, etc. If not, it could work if the other device has its own sequencer with a lot of resolution, to make triplets, quintuplets or whatever, I don´t know.

Basically what I want to do is Techno, but with a pad instead of a OT trig button… So, I think I won´t need a full live finger drumming setup, only is a way to introduce trigs and make loops. I´d love a way to translate the finger drumming on a table (any superfice) to MIDI, but I don´t know if this is possible.

Almost bough the Vochlea solution but I want it to work without a computer. Now I´m doing this with a Zoom H1 on the table, but of course I have to work with the mic´s sound, not with MIDI and samples, and I have to use the headphones to do it.

PadKontrol, MPC, MIDI Fighter???

Maybe I´ll need a MIDIPal (or MIDIGal), BomeBox, etc.?

#2

I’ve got several from this manufacturer, but Zendrum Zap is their most economical model.

#3

I personnaly use an akai mpd218, cheap realiable and quality pads (for my taste of course)

I use a Bome box to remap velocity to different parameters on the :elot: esp. volume and pitch.

You could use an event processor for that or a max patch etc…

#4

OMG they seem to be great, but definitely out of my budget!

#5

Some questions on this:

Is it easy to configure? The notes are recorded in the OT sequencer? How do you deal with resolution?

#6

The BBox is somewhat a special beast to configure. I had a hard time understanding input and output configuration but script and function are easy to understand and implement. Nothing you can’t break thru, if you spend a few hours with it. Support is pretty reactive and helpfull. But they are all hardcore coders ( which I am absolutely not ! )
So they’ll probably assume you know thing you actually don’t ! :slight_smile:

Event processor is more straightforwad because it does not involve usb and midi and ethernet and wifi…But more limited…Might be sufficient enough for what you are looking for though…

Regarding resolution, if you disable “quantitize live recording” option : it will keep your groove.
I think you can record everything including incoming cc in the midi sequencer but I’m not sure if the audio sequencer is able to record anything but trigs…You should try live record in chromatic mode to make a test. Tbh I ever only live recorded trigs and played over it, never tried to actually record pad performance…

@sezare56 might be of some help here ! :slight_smile:

#7

I use Akai MPD226 midi out in the DT midi in to make beats. It’s super easy to configure. I think it should be easy as well with OT.

#8

If you just want to use the 8 default track samples, you don’t need midi processing.
If you want 16 different samples, you can also use Play Free tracks, with sample locks.
You can record with a recorder.

If you want to record with the midi sequencer, you can only record one track, hence 1 sample.
In that case you may want to use slices, and you need a midi processor.
Works like a charm with Event Processor Plus and RK002 (Retrokits).

MAudio Trigger Finder Pro seems interesting too. Akai usb things + an Iconnectmidi 2 or 4.

#9

Except for velocity ?

#10

‘Event Processor Plus and RK002 (Retrokits)’
Do you mind explaining this a bit more, as I always wanted to trigger slices from the pads on my Korg Taktile …
Thanks

#11

Basic useage is to remap any midi event be it note, ccs etc…to any other…

Ex : Note to pchange or velocity to pitch…

You convert anything to anything…

#12

I have a Taktile 49 (what’s yours?), OT and I plugg those inbetween. Basically there is a script mapping note number to the OT slice parameter (CC17) and the crossfader (CC48).

Yep.

#13

Which seems to be mandatory for finger drumming IMHO !

Do you know if you can record this cc realtime in the sample sequencer ? I doubt it, I believe only midi sequencer is able to do that ?

#14

Maybe for the use I´m thinking, I could do the velocity (vol) modulation with an LFO or p-locks, only to keep it simpler for now.

#15

I could record CC17 (slices), so I guess I can record VOL for velocity.

#16

Just because I just remembered, Bome Box have a free/demo version of midi translator pro ( the software running on the bome box ) with it you can try to use your daw or any usb controller to send whatever you want to the octa ! That’s the same scripting logic as any other midi event “thing”. If you achieve what you want here you’ll be able to make exactly the same with event procesor,event processor +, retrokit rk002…But you’ll able to test it for free ! :slight_smile:

Bingo then ! :+1:

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#17

OK, thanks. I have a taktile 25, which I already use to input MIDI notes from the pads / keys, the touch pad for master filter, and use the sliders for CUE sends etc.
Which RK cable and script did you use ? Is it downloadable from somewhere or did you create it ?

#18

Rk002, “Octatrack Sample Slice Trigger”

Both! :slight_smile:
https://www.retrokits.com/rk002/exchange/

4 Likes
#19

And with Taktile 49 I use its arp synced to OT, so I can play perfectly sinced with arp’s trigger mode.

1 Like
#20

:tada:
Thank you