Octatrack Feature Requests [closed]

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi Elektronauts!

This is my first post in the forum so please be gentle :slight_smile:

I’ve been producing and releasing music professionally for about 8 years now and recently purchased an OT so as to move away from looking at a computer screen all day and move my productions into a live setting collaborating with other live musicians.

Ive been a total fan of Elektron since the first day I received my machinedrum over 10 years ago…so it’s with utter respect for their work that I make these requests…

I’m not very programming minded so excuse me if my requests are perhaps inapplicable on the OT but here goes…

  1. regarding the RETRIGGER function: I feel this is a very under developed feature and I would point the guys at Elektron to look at the Yamaha RM1X and it’s fantastic MIDI DELAY function for inspiration.

For those who are not familiar with it here is what it does:

Using an on-screen parameter window and ONE knob the MIDI DELAY allowed for repeating notes entered in the step sequencer to be repeated at quantized intervals with controls for amount of retriggers but, and here is the icing, also control over where the repeated notes would play on a chromatic scale. Meaning that with a drum kit loaded on a track (or a drum chain on the OT) you could create complex drum patterns by imputing say just one kick on the first step of the sequencer and using the MIDI DELAY to repeat other sounds in the kit (or chain). Live recording the knob movements and overdubbing one could create complex rhythms using just the MIDI DELAY. The knob simply controlled the volume or velocity for the repeats: 0 no repeat, 100, repeat at same velocity and 127 repeat at a slightly higher velocity.

(Failing this simply a control for the velocity of the retriggers would be great)

The same could be applied to melodic instruments enabling you to create complex melodies and arpeggios from just ONE note in the step sequencer.

(I know that the OT is not polyphonic so one simple work around where repeats fall on the same step could be to give priority to the last note entered.)

  1. Regarding triggering patterns: Again looking at the RM1X for inspiration,
    It would be great to be able to trigger pattern on the fly, meaning having your intro, chorus, verse etc… layed on on the 16 pads and trigger each on the fly simply by pressing the corresponding pad and not having to wait for the pattern to run it’s full length.

For me personally this would take the OT to another level!

  1. And one more thing…a dedicate filter section so as not to use up an effect slot! Delay and Reverb please!!! :slight_smile:

Thanks for taking the time to read this, your feedback is more than welcome!

Small OS tweaks
OT Feature Requests Thread (active)
#2

I used to own the RM1X and later the RS7000. The MIDI delay function was great, though you could crash the RM1x by useing extreme settings :slight_smile: I don’t think it would suit the OT’s audio tracks because of monophony and the very limited pitch settings but as a MIDI sequencer function it is what I miss the most from the Yamahas. They also had a great “grid edit” (forgot the exact name) page where you could assign per step offsets for velocity, pitch, gate time and swing.

For the pattern switches on the OT you can choose how it’s quantised, p 91 of the pdf manual.

1 Like
#3

Hey JSZ!

Thanks for your reply…

You may be right about the limited pitch range but I still think it would make the retrigger function much more dynamic with a release type control for the repeats.

And as far as the pattern triggers I’m going to look at the manual right away!

Thanks!

#4

Yep, checked the manual and thats exactly it! That gets rid of request 2) Great!! :slight_smile:

1 Like
#5

my feature request…

Being able to set the main track sample and current slice via midi.

You could do really crazy things with an external keyboard and a midipal device. (=full blown instrument sampler stuff)

Or, going the simpler route, implement a polyphonic sampler machine. (guess that will never happen though)

#6

Yes indeed… I love the OT I just think for the money, and compared to other hardware/software samplers there are some major omissions…

I appreciate that limitations induce creativity but…

Why no polyphony?
Why no dedicated master out and effects?
Why not 4 stereo/8 mono outputs?
Resampling is poorly implemented IMO, why use up an extra track?
Some of the effects are a little thin (phaser for example)

And whats the point of a volume knob you never use?

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#7

I would love to develop some effects for the Octatrack, but there is no SDK or way that I can see to develop software for it.

#8

Hey wny,

I was wondering about something on similar lines… whether it was possible to “hack” the OS in the same fashion as was done with the MPC…

Allowing for users to install custom operating systems and adding new functions as it were…

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#9

probably not unless someone defects against elektron. the supposed story of JJOS is that he’s ex alai and it’s not strictly legal.
at this point, i just hope they back port functionality from the analog4. multi trig copy, decent browser (i’d love a scene browser), patten change options, etc, etc, etc! i know it’s policy not to comment on upcoming features …

#10

I don’t necessarily want to hack the OS, just develop some effects for it.

#11

Sure… I’m with you guys, certainly not encouraging any defecting, was just a thought :slight_smile:

#12

Dont know if it is posted,
but PLEASE make a settings item you can choose wether the samples on each track are global, or saved with the pattern.

I have to lock every sample per pattern because the samples are locked to the tracks and not to the patterns, which would be more logical.

It doesnt feel ‘natural’, it’s extra work and you tend to forget to lock stuff so when you listen to an older pattern its screwed up because you changed the track sample.

Really, give us an option in the menu for this elektron :slight_smile:

This would make me very happy :smiley:

.R

#13

I’d like to have a way to go into and exit out of live record mode remotely.

This could be via a midi foot switch, or something similar. I’m triggering a Nord Drum with Roland pads, and using the OT as a midi looper (kind of like you would do with a pickup machine for audio looping). It works really well, and depending on the length of each midi track, I can have quantization on the 1/16th note, 1/32nd note, etc. I just wish I didn’t have to reach over to press and hold record then press play to enter live recording mode. Ideally, I would be playing a groove, hit a foot switch, then loop away!

Thanks!
Patrick

1 Like
#14

We can copy and paste tracks but why the fuck can’t we save and reload them?

I dream of a library of tracks where samples/thru machines are stored with their envelopes, LFO, FX and recorder settings.

And same for parts please!!!

Superfuckin please!

#15

Don’t you mean eight stereo, sixteen mono? At least I thought each audio track was in stereo.
Also, how is copy and paste different from reload?

What I want right now is midi slice mode per cc.

#16

Why can’t you use a midi foot pedal. It will definitely work in pickup machines. Can’t see why it wouldn’t work for what you need.

#17

When you say ‘lock’ what do you mean? I’m still learning. Don’t track samples get saved per part?

#18

Why can’t you use a midi foot pedal. It will definitely work in pickup machines. Can’t see why it wouldn’t work for what you need.[/quote]
there is no midi command to enable live recording of midi tracks (or audio ones for that matter) !

For what little good posting here does, i’d really like to see the MIDI implementation extended, so it covers more than present and approaches the level of support offered in the A4, it’s be so much more performance friendly to help with the rather dense UI on the OT, but i’d go further and allow some ‘virtual’ button pressing commands, so you could press a midi footpedal to mimic holding Function e.g. - then you could do certain button combo tasks one handed or one fingered :slight_smile:

#19

Oh, ok. Sorry. That’s pretty strange.

#20

I second the request for a pattern launch ‘legato’ mode ala Abelton - so basically being able to set the next pattern’s launch to a quantised value of either full pattern length, a division (16th etc), or immediate.