TODAY I decided to take the plunge! After borrowing a friends Elektron MD, I wanted to get Elektron gear. SO, since I already have a few synths and wanted a brain to tie them together, I pulled the trigger today and ordered a brand spanking new Octatrack MK II along with a Make Noise No Coast semi modular synth to get my hands dirty on how modular works. Now the real fun begins when it all arrives. I also bought the cheap Volca Drums since I did not want to spend a lot on a drum machine and I liked the Volca units that I tried out a while back for small portable beat boxes. I figure that with this gear and my software VSTs I can sample some cool stuff into the Octratrack and go wild in live events mangle sounds without dragging my laptop places. I hope that I made the right decision. I did not want to spend a fortune in buying the AR, OT and A4 together at this point.
Does anyone have good starter tips to sequence and sample the No Coast and other modular gear from the OT as well as Korg Volca Beats? I just ordered this gear and looking forward to learning the Elektron flow.
No problem to sample No Coast beers.
You need mic, preamp, press record, open the beers, make noise ! 
About the title, no you can’t sample and sequence OT with those things. 
Congratulations on your new Octatrack MkII!
I recommend that you download the full manual for the OT MkII from Elektron’s website. As well as reference descriptions of the OT’s functions, the manual also contains a step-by-step tutorial on sampling.
You should also make use of the materials already available on this forum, by using the search function for terms like “Octatrack sampling tutorial” or “Octatrack MIDI sequencing tutorial”. There are a lot of tips for beginners and experts. If you’re stuck with anything, don’t be afraid to ask specific questions here.
Hi all,
My new OT arrived today and I hooked it up to my Make Noise 0coast synth and can send/receive MIDI to/from the 0coast to the OT. BUT not able to record samples from the OT. How would I do this? I have MIDI sync working.
Not trying to be a jerk but this has been asked so many times and I just googled it and got like a dozen video results. Also there’s an entire section in the manual.
I watched those and read manual. There is still one part unclear to me however.
I can record and playback but as soon as I disconnect the synth the sample disappears as well. I saved the project.
You have to save the sample as well. That process, like all others, for better or worse, is separate from saving the project. Also the MKI videos will detail the process for MKII machines as well. The OS is identical. The only difference is the MKII has some additional direct buttons so you won’t have to memorize as many button combinations.
Welcome to the OT! Reading Merlins guide to octatrack is mandatory reading and should explain most things which videotuts might not. Combining Merlins manual and cuckoos videos should get you well on your way.
Remember not to rush learning the OT. Its a brilliant machine but can also be very frustrating at first.
Ah yes how silly of me! Cuckoo mention this for the old OT but was not sure if it changed in MK2 since layout is a bit different. I will test again tomorrow.
Well, your right you have to save the sample if you want it after power cycle… Or if you want them permanently in a project…
But he said he just disconnected the synth?
Or OP did you mean when you powered down the OT?
The OT will retain all recorder buffers in RAM while its powered on…
The problem may also be if it triggers recording continuously. Then unplugging the synth will get you exactly this: a solid recording of silence.
Yeah nice catch…
In that case one-shot recorder triggers, manual sampling using qrec for quantize, or pickup machine sampling are your friends… One-shots are the most similar so probably easiest to move to if that was the case…
Ah that is probably the case! I keep the OT powered on but after record and sampling the synth, when I power off the synth I lose the sample sounds as well! So I would need to save the sample before power off the synth and not have the trigs recording nonstop, right? I will spend time this afternoon watching Cuckoo’s videos on the OT and the manuals.
You need to not use a constant solid red recorder trig, that means it records every cycle non-stop. Or you can remove the recorder trig during a cycle and that cycle’s recording will remain as a recorded sample in ram. You can play them from ram by triggering the recorder buffer of the track recorder, or if you want to keep it after a power cycle you can save it, but you don’t have to save it to play while powered on…
Other suggestion up top for alternatives to using a constant recorder…
OT has many ways to sample…
Hi all,
Hi all,
Spent more time learning the complex OT!
I read more of the manuals and watched Cuckoo videos but many menus and settings changed in MKII Octatrack. I can set the machine type to Flex for all the tracks going to INAB and SRC3 to MAIN for all the tracks. I save new project and assign new set. I then verify I can hear playback on the Analog 4. BUT the recording for some reason does not get saved into the temporary buffer and I have free memory available. Here is a video of my setups:
Any ideas what I am doing wrong here and why I cannot access the recording in buffer to edit and save the samples? I am probably stuck on stupid here 
On the track have you selected the sample slot as its recording buffer?
I have an Mk1 so I’m not sure if mkii works the same but doesn’t look like you actually sampled anything to me. You can manually sample by pressing rec1 and track button. Or laying a trig to start sampling when your in rec setup menu, not multiple trigs in a row. Pretty sure a little symbol (+?) should pop up under your track number when recording. You are looking at the transport symbols.
Page 104 explains how to assign recorder buffers. Press up on the flex list…?
Having said that you continually say you read the manual and keep bashing on your OT. It is very very clearly stated how to sample on page 103 of the manual. Very clearly. And also you said you read the manual but don’t know what master track means or src 3 in rec setup . Both those things are very clearly explained in the manual as well. I know you don’t want to hear that.
I remember struggling with my OT at first but I got over that by re reading the manual. It’s all in there
Yeah way different the menus and setup on functions on the MKII and I have trouble follow videos from MKI version as things are different. Ok here is my recording setup:
You are correct for some reason the sample is not getting recorded for playback and editing into the temporary buffer. I am not sure why exactly as I follow the guide to record after selecting each track. I mean I setup the MIDI and can get in/out signal and playback from my Analog 4. The issue is the data is not transferred after pressing the record button and select trig. I also tried live mode and that did not work either.
I would hate to give up and have to send it back for a refund as I love my A4 and have no issues using that box. I can record and sequence it fine on the A4. But OT for some reason is not allowing me to record and save the samples.
The record button is not the same as rec 1 button. So either enter rec set up , enter grid rec mode and lay a trig on step one with proper recording length or do it manually by pressing rec 1 and the track trig. Not the rec button near the play button. For real tho it’s very hard to believe you have read the manual all that is clearly written … Sorry