Octatrack as a loop collector, like Ableton, saving as you go?

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

I have adequate Octatrack skills, recording and sequencing loops, slices and one shots in flex machines. (And I love it).

One thing I’m still finding clunky is saving loops I’ve collected from synced external gear, so they won’t disappear with power cycle, or when another loop is recorded in the same recorder. Saving, it seems to me, is always slow, with lots of manual labour on menu diving. Am I missing something?

In extremis I have a specific wish.

Is there a way to save each newly recorded wav from recorder to CF card quickly, or even automatically, in the background, when record has completed, with an auto generated filename? (Eg rec1_date_time.wav).

This would be particularly useful as a loop collector, like Ableton, saving as you go. A common use of OT for me is: build great sounds in other devices, with their synced sequencer or through live playing; then capture those as a loop in OT; then use them in an arrangement in OT, either as is or mangled.

This would be much more efficient if I could capture loops in OT without having to stop other activity to save each recorder buffer as a wav with a bunch of navigation and button taps every time.

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2

There’s always an option to “save to free static” slot, or something similar. That should do what you want. You can also save all record buffers at once, if I remember correctly. It’s all in the manual.

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3

Yes. Capturing loops is exactly what you are doing. Saving to the flash card is something else.

In settings, select save samples to project folder.
When ever you save one of your samples from the audio editor, thats where it goes. Name it if you want, I dont bother.

If you haven’t figured out all the short cuts by now, go and learn them.

It’s really not that time consuming at all. One button combo, select save, hit yes.

If you want a programme that will do everything for you, use that.

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4

For collecting samples try this:

  1. Set each recorder 1-8 up.
  2. Set record method, eg quick, quantised, rec trig or whatever. Set input etc.
  3. Record into each recorder.
  4. Hit FUNC+REC3 (mk2) or FUNC+BANK (mk1)
  5. Select save all recordings (auto named with buffer/time/date)
  6. Repeat from step 3 until session is complete.

This way you can save 8 samples at a time, by the time you have recorded all 8 and saved, the auto name should be different each time as the time will have changed.

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