Octatrack Basic Question

Jacobzes · 2014-05-13T19:38:32.000Z

Hey girls and guys,

Just starting to work with the Octatrack. I got a question for you lovely people. It’s really simple, I guess.

When I load a new project and get me a sample for the flex machine on track 1, I don’t hear the pattern when I place triggers. You don’t even see the beat coming by with the yellow leds. The sample isn’t even triggered (don’t see the red light on the trig button when the pattern is playing. Still I placed the trigs. What the deal? What am I doing wrong?

Jacobzes

bryantalbot · 2014-05-13T19:59:46.000Z

Off the top of my head, the only time I can think of this happening is if you’ve set that pattern to “Per Track” (Function + Bank to access pattern settings), AND that particular track is set to “Plays Freely” which means it’s disconnected from the sequencer.

But that is not the default setting for a brand new project; you say you’re starting from scratch?

Automux · 2014-05-13T20:13:19.000Z

""Jacobzes"":

The sample isn’t even triggered (don’t see the red light on the trig button when the pattern is playing.

If you select the track (the buttons to the left and right of the screen) is the LED green or red? It could be muted. Press Function + Track button. If it is red while selected then it is unmuted, green is muted, blank is muted with the track not selected.
Also if you are not in recording mode (Rec button is not solid red) then hold function + Up arrow to select track mutes. Then the sequencer trigs will be lit based on muted and unmuted tracks. The first 8 are the sample tracks and the second 8 are MIDI tracks. LED on = not muted.

Jacobzes · 2014-05-14T09:53:25.000Z

Thanks for your reply.

I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs. Thanks guys. I’m sure I’ll be back here for another silly question.

Cheers!
Jacobzes

sicijk · 2014-05-15T06:44:22.000Z

""Jacobzes"":

Thanks for your reply.

I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs. Thanks guys. I’m sure I’ll be back here for another silly question.

Cheers!
Jacobzes

So this is you first Elektron, isn’t it ?
I’ll suggest you to stick more with the manual…especially because OT is the deepest and possibilities plenty among the Elektrons (IMO).
Many people don’t even know that they are using OT at 30% of possibilities.
Sometime Experience and this Forum help you out in many ways…but you should be aware of what is hidden under the hood…

TrabanT · 2014-05-15T08:38:12.000Z

""Jacobzes"":

Thanks for your reply.

I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs. Thanks guys. I’m sure I’ll be back here for another silly question.

Cheers!
Jacobzes

hey Jacobzes … what do you mean by that you have to trigger the pattern ? … is pacing trigs not enough? …what do you press to “trigger pattern” …this may solve my problem why I cannot hear recorded samples from CD input on Track 5 with recorder buffer 5 selected.

thanks for info

PeterHanes · 2014-05-15T10:37:32.000Z

""TrabanT"":

[quote=“Jacobzes”]I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs.

hey Jacobzes … what do you mean by that you have to trigger the pattern ? … is pacing trigs not enough? …what do you press to “trigger pattern” [/quote]
It could be that he means that he has to press Play in order to hear the pattern playing.

zeropoint · 2014-05-15T11:14:20.000Z

[quote=“” PeterHanes""]

[quote=“TrabanT”][quote=“Jacobzes”]I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs.

[/quote]

hey Jacobzes … what do you mean by that you have to trigger the pattern ? … is pacing trigs not enough? …what do you press to “trigger pattern” [/quote]
It could be that he means that he has to press Play in order to hear the pattern playing.[/quote]
or possibly that he has just grasped the relationship between track recorders, recorder buffers and playback tracks. i.e you will not hear what you have recorded on that track unless you have assigned the buffer to it for playback…

Jacobzes · 2014-05-15T12:03:00.000Z

Hey guys.

Yeah sorry for the confusion. This is my first elektron. But I bought the Analog Keys as well. So lots of homework.

Ok. I could hear my pattern I just made in REC mode. So when I press play I don’t see the sequencer running on the track where I just insert my pattern. Only when I press the first trigger on the sequencer the pattern starts playing. This is during the Octatrack is already running. If this is still confusing for the experts, let it be. I solved it already. Or maybe I’m triggering something I don’t yet understand. But give me a break man. I have an 11 week old daughter and I’m finishing my masters in Neuroscience all at once. Yeah baby.

By the way, I linked the new TR8 to the Octatrack. If you reroute the audio to a through track and give it some distortion from the filter FX 2, it sounds really nice. A great overall saturated sound for any drummachine. If you add some chorus (FX 1) the beat sounds really great. Makes it sound really wide in stereo.

Concerning the pick up machine. Not used it thus far. So not sure if I can help out man. Leave it to the experts. The real elektronauts. They know how it’s done. Ask them.

Cheers everybody!
Jacobzes

Jacobzes · 2014-05-15T12:06:43.000Z

""TrabanT"":

[quote=“Jacobzes”]Thanks for your reply.

I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs. Thanks guys. I’m sure I’ll be back here for another silly question.

Cheers!
Jacobzes

hey Jacobzes … what do you mean by that you have to trigger the pattern ? … is pacing trigs not enough? …what do you press to “trigger pattern” …this may solve my problem why I cannot hear recorded samples from CD input on Track 5 with recorder buffer 5 selected.

thanks for info[/quote]
Trabant, when I trigger my external drummachine I have to place a trigger at the start of the pattern (on the particular midi track). Otherwise the drummachine won’t play. This might work for your problem too. Not sure though. Cheers.

zeropoint · 2014-05-15T12:22:52.000Z

Lol man. You do have a lot on your plate at once ! Congratulations on both of your new babies !

Yeah bryan had it down- you have that track set to plays free and disconnected from the sequencer.

FYI the pattern settings menu is opened by pressing FUNC + Bank with grid recording switched off (toggled with REC button). Scroll to that track and uncheck plays free.

TrabanT · 2014-05-15T12:58:24.000Z

""Jacobzes"":

[quote=“TrabanT”][quote=“Jacobzes”]Thanks for your reply.

I noticed that I have to trigger the pattern I just made in REC mode. This is new to me. I’m used to hear the sample playback directly after activating the trigs. Thanks guys. I’m sure I’ll be back here for another silly question.

Cheers!
Jacobzes

hey Jacobzes … what do you mean by that you have to trigger the pattern ? … is pacing trigs not enough? …what do you press to “trigger pattern” …this may solve my problem why I cannot hear recorded samples from CD input on Track 5 with recorder buffer 5 selected.

thanks for info[/quote]
Trabant, when I trigger my external drummachine I have to place a trigger at the start of the pattern (on the particular midi track). Otherwise the drummachine won’t play. This might work for your problem too. Not sure though. Cheers.[/quote]
thanks for answer… nope, it different … still thanks!

Jacobzes · 2014-05-15T13:00:31.000Z

Thanks man!