Octatrack Idea: FX type - ext midi controlled FX

Elektron Gear Octatrack
1

Just sanity checking if this is a good idea (in this potential era of OT updates!)

A new effect type: called say ‘Ext FX Loop’

When selected on an audio track it

  • sends the track audio out through Cue outs A, B or A+B , into an external (optionally) midi controllable FX box, back in through AB or CD to mix with the track.
  • parameter page is a number of user defined cc controls to plock/control the external device, and out level, in level/mix.

Useful?

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As someone who uses an external cue FX loop (with one MIDI controlled FX), I don’t think this offers anything above or beyond what the OT already does. In fact I think it would be very unintuitive to have any additional places for CUE routing to occur. If you want to uncue a track you’d have to check the FX blocks, not something I want to forget live. But it seems like maybe you’re looking at a more static use case scenario.

I think having the FX CC sequences on a separate MIDI track makes more sense too, as they can be independent from any particular audio track, and you know that the trigs are controlling the FX only. I’d much rather keep my FX blocks, have all tracks routable, and sacrifice a MIDI track myself. But I guess it could work for some.

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3

Why use up an audio FX slot to do a job that can already be done using no FX slot?

Assuming the FX unit in question accepts midi, control of that FX can already be done using OT midi tracks way better than the limited paramters of an FX slot.

So how useful is the proposed machine? Im not sure. Seems like its already there, you just have to configure it yourself. Like any good modular system. :slight_smile:

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Good points, particularly in terms of undesirably complicating cue routings, i guess I’ve been using the OT in a certain way and mostly audio tracks rather than midi; so an ‘integrated’ ext fx option on the fx page seemed a logical step.
However you are right, thinking about it ultimately you can get more out of sort of a top-down Cue routing approach with a midi track as the controller lane and it is simpler.

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OT definitely has enough to keep track of without hunting FX blocks for MIDI and CUE!
I already spend too much time like :neutral_face: “where the fuck is THAT coming from?”

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Yep. Midi tracks. I use them to sequence my guitar and voice fx.

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I wish we could lable CTRL1 and CTRL2 parameters…I underutilize midi CC control, because it’s hard to keep track of new mappings.

It’s great to control, p-lock and modulate effects that take modulation over midi well, tho!

It works so well on Eventide fx, even modulating reverb decay without hiccups.

Sample into OT and let it go for another run through the fx send^^

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