Noob questions

[1ticio]

Thank you! After watching so many videos over the past 10 years, I think I finally ‘get it’.
Looks like the perfect box with an iPad+AUM/apeMatrix for sample fodder.

[disco]

Did you unplug the USB cable?

Is the headphone out also noisy?

Maybe try a different power socket?

I don’t use the Octa with USB plugged on because somehow it makes it freeze often. I tried the headphone, but the output is a lot lower than the master out and i could not put the sound high enough to really notice the noise.

Will try a different power socket, it’s the only thing i did not try yet.

The big problem is on the mastered version : i’m getting about -57db of noise floor on it. Is this really an issue or am i becoming too paranoid ?

[Schnork]

Does it bother you? I mean not the fact that you know it is there (it obviously does), but the actual noisefloor in your tracks.

[disco]

Only in tracks that start more smooth, like a solo pad ; in these cases the noise is pretty noticeable.

[sezare56]

Master = +63 may increase the noise floor by +12db.
Once again I’d check gain staging of your tracks to make them louder with Master = 0.

[Schnork]

Only in tracks that start more smooth, like a solo pad ; in these cases the noise is pretty noticeable

Seems like a problem with your gainstaging imho.

Here are two threads about gainstaging on OT.

Gainstaging help

Preamble: I’ve read around the forum about this and suggestions seem to be varied, which makes me think it’s possibly a matter of personal preference… Situation: After jamming for 6 months through the headphone output (into headphones). I then went to record my first track from the Main Outs and hit the “oh no it’s all distorted” problem. I sorted it out by basically lowering the individual track levels right down to less than 60. I kept the overall Master Volume at 0, and Master Track 8 at …

Gain aGain

This is a follow up post which perhaps questions a few of the assumptions made in a thread from a few years back … some of the statements have been taken to be a statement of fact (not least because of what is stated in the manual and in terms of how evaluations were thought through originally) I’ve revisited this afresh in a new thread in light of the general frustration with managing levels throughout the OT, particularly for capturing Live (and especially now we know the inputs are easily pu…

My OT is part drum machine, part fx processor/mixer and midi sequencer for my gear.
I have Master Volume set to 0, I use track levels for mixing (usually no track is going above 100, sometimes the bass drum track is set to 105ish), amp volume is used for p-locking.

When recording, I’ll usually mix itb, all four outputs used (headroom), but I’ve also done many tracks recording straight from OTs stereo out as well as using main out for drums and cue out for other stuff + external gear with mixing mostly done in OT.

[sezare56]

MAIN +63
CUE +0
DIR 0
DIR 0
GAIN AB +0
GAIN CD +0

Noise without anything plugged?
I confirm Main increases noise floor.
What about Thru tracks, compressor(s), other fx increasing volume?
What about your input levels/leds?

Did you try OT Noise Gate(s)?

[disco]

Noise without anything plugged?
I confirm Main increases noise floor.
What about Thru tracks, compressor(s), other fx increasing volume?
What about your input levels/leds?

Did you try OT Noise Gate(s)?

Indeed my gain stage was not so good, that’s why i needed to put the MAIN +63. But now i’ve improved this and all my external gear are with optimal volume settings. But still, i have considerable noise floor coming from the Octatrack itself, even with all THRU machines off.

With the new settings, all THRU machines off and MAIN +32, i 'm getting about -71db of noise floor, which i think is pretty high in this situation, don’t you think ?

The noise gate won’t help in this situation, as the noise is coming also from the Octa, not only from my external gear.

It’s a mistery… maybe my Octa’s soundcard is deffective ?

[sezare56]

Checking with OT headphones output, do you have noise with a new project, default settings, nothing plugged, Master 0 ?
I barely hear noise with max headphones volume and Master +63.

[disco]

On the headphone i also barely can hear the noise, but to really diagnose it you need to record from the Main out in a DAW. In my case even with no THRU machines and the Octa stopped, i get about -79 db of noise floor. The MIX > Main has little influence on it ; with Main on 0 and Main on +63, i get only about +2db of noise.

I tested with a new project and the noise floor is the same. This isn’t really an issue for live use, but it is annoying for recording a mixdown to release a track…

[sezare56]

record from the Main out in a DAW

Any mixer?
What the noise if you record with your DAW without the OT plugged? (same inputs, same conditions)

[disco]

Any mixer?
What the noise if you record with your DAW without the OT plugged? (same inputs, same conditions)

Yes, i tested with the two interfaces i have : StudioLive 16.0.2 and Analog Heat Mk2 (with Overbridge, 100% dry). Bot have similar results, same noise floor…

[Hosanna]

Did you try a different wall outlet ? Maybe grounding issue ?

[disco]

This is the only thing i did not tried yet, because all my gear is mounted in a hardcase and will be a pain to take off all PSU to test. One thing i noticed today is , in the same case i have 4 Elektron machines (Octa, Rytm, Digitone and Heat) and all PSUs are very close to each other. Could this be an issue ?

[Open_Mike]

You on OT mkII or mkI?
MKI has unbalanced inputs and one time I resolved a buzz/noise issue by moving power cables away from my TS cables going into OT’s inputs. For MKII using balanced TRS cables it shouldn’t be an issue…

I haven’t read all the posts about the noise but I will say that very often it’s just gain staging of not only OT but all equipment in the signal chain and can be worked out, for reference I have no discernible noise coming from my OT. Also sometimes fx and things just make noise and its part of the drill, every electric guitar ever I imagine has a lot higher noise floor than what your experiencing, but that hasn’t stopped people from liking the countless famous recordings. It gets lost in the mix and noise gates, etc. can be used…

[disco]

I’m on MK2.

I did everything possible in the gain stage area. Actually my Octa has a constang noise of about -80db even STOPPED. Nothing is playing, but the noise is still constant.

Using balanced or non balanced cables on the main audio makes any difference ?

[sezare56]

On the headphone i also barely can hear the noise

[Kuro]

Some quick questions for you guys:

• I’m trying to emulate pitchbend in a bassline done with a single cycle waveform. I could use a lfo for this, but my note has a 4 steps duration and I want the bend to start on the third. What’s the best method to delay the bend and hit precisely the right note easily? Lfo designer? A lfo locked on a trigless trig? Tried to go from a note to another with slide trigs but the slide was immediate.

• can’t copy and paste several trigs at the same time, right?

• I’m trying to resample an 8 bar loop with rec trig and get a perfect loop but you can’t input a specific value beyond 64 in RLEN. What do? For now, I set it on max, put a one shot rec trig, rec mode in one2, a blank bar after my 8 bars, then trim the silence in the editor but that kinda defeats the point.

• is there an easy way to copy all the settings of one track + its trigs to another one? I often fall in the trap of trying many things all over my tracks and then go “eh I could use a neighbor machine here…”.

Thx guys!

[sezare56]

• it works with a trigless and slide on the same step
• no
• set QREC to 64, ONE2 rec buttons, wait for 8 bars
• Func+Track = Copy Track, in grid rec mode

[Kuro]

Sezare to the rescue!

• so, I gather you can slide from trigless to trigless values? If that’s the case, that’s awesome because hitting the right pitch with an lfo gets old faaaaast.
• ah, dammit.
• just checked QREC in the manual. Rec trigs already blew my mind, but this is another level of mindblowing.
• dunno why I didn’t try it, makes sense.

Thx Sezare!