At least for the initial setup, it needs to phone home. And if you want to install preset packs of course.
I wonder if you are still able to get a s/h Maschine+ in 2525 and use it fully…NI has a history of abandoning their support for their own hardware.
That´s indeed one aspect, that needs be thought over, when deciding which box to get.
If you look at the OT as a groove box, others might be better. But OT is not designed as a groove box. Sure, you could use it as one, but OT is way more than that. I am quite sure, those, who use the OT as MIDI-Sequencer, Drumcomputer and maybe FX unit and miss synths on the OT is the minority.
On top of that:
I am using the OT mostly for exactly that: As a groove box. Drums via samples, Synths sequenced by the MIDI Tracks and the other tracks for Mixing and FX.
I owned “them all”. Deluge, Force, Maschine+. I still own the OT. 
The Maschine+ sucks (in my opinion) as sound source, if you want more than Preset-Playback. The Interface does not let you use the Synths for Sounddesign, as you are used to. The Force is way better in this. For me personally, neither the Force Arranger nor the Maschine+ Arranger made it for me. If I wanted to create a Song on a Timeline, I always switched back to a DAW, because arranging is more, than just placing patterns behind each others. And making minor changes etc. is way too complicated on both machines.
I didn’t like the Live-Performance-Features of the Maschine+ at all. Performing a song was not possible for me in a way I like it to be. You have to constantly change screens, and use the “menu” system to get to the parameters you want to change.
Force is quite better with it, but also has some limitations.
And the moment I start to add Synths and Midi Controllers to the setup, I can do the same with the OT + all the crazy Sample stuff it is able to do.
I never missed MIDI Tracks on the OT. I never missed Audio-Tracks on the Force too (also limited to 8).
Oh, and while I don’t think that I am 100% fine with the OT-Effects and the limitations of the Reverb OR Delay per Track, I was not happy with neither the Force nor the Maschine+ Effects.
I owned some of these too, Deluge, OT, Maschine+…i am back to Ableton Live as tape machine, and not using midi sequencing at all. For sequencing purposes i rely on Elektron Digitakt, Digitone, Model Cycles. Audio manipulation either in Digitakt or Ableton.
Mixing completely ITB with RME Totalmix. Works best at the moment for me.
I found that late last night!! I can’t believe I’ve not either heard of it, or noticed the track setting before. Funny, as when I saw it and worked out what it does, I thought if you!
I’d just got another OT and was looking at other alternatives as mine turned up (new) with a problem. Plus it’s doing some odd OT thinks that make no sense. I honestly couldn’t think of anything comparable though.
No, it’s totally unique for sure. For now, tho, I’m not going back, despite knowing I’d use it very differently now and get more out of it.
I own a DT and of course I’ve been thinking about an OT for a while, especially as a live looper/resampler to be used together with my modular gear like in this video, I was wondering if there is any alternative to the OT for this specific use.
I’m so bored of all the comparisons between the OT and shit like the Live and Maschine.
OT is not really the same, as it is an OT, it does what the OT does, and does it well. Live and Maschine are DAWs, so it’s like trying to compare OT to Ableton live, which is obviously silly.
If you want a DAW in a box, you will be disappointed with the OT, because it’s not a DAW in a box.
Also, 10 year old reverbs sound great, but not as great as the 32 year old reverbs in my Quadraverb.
This is what it’s all about - approaching the OT with that in mind will never ever make you happy in the end. For me, that’s the USP and the reason I mock about with 2 of them now as my main recorders/fuck ups/arrangers.
I also do not really get the point of all this. There is a myriad of reasons why people use a device. I use my OT because I like what it does, it fits my setup and exploring it is fun for me. And, most importantly, I do not think that it is really conducive to creative ideas and ultimately happiness when we keep asking ourselves whether there is a competing device that would be better at doing certain things.
I wonder if in 10 years people will still be talking about Maschine+ and Force, and will they still be compatible with DAWs then, I suspect not.
This still blows my mind because I have an Akai S5000 from 1999 or something and it can stream to AND from disk just fine. You’d think in 2021 something that was no problem for what was essentially a modded 386 PC would be a non-issue.
Well Maschine 1 hit the market in 2009 and I think it is still compatible with DAWs.
As a long-term MPC fan, Ableton Live truthfully does everything and more to replace those machines. Many times I have purchased an MPC intending to use it alongside Live but realised there is far too much overlap.
However, there is no software which replaces what the Octatrack can do. The depth and unique results inherent to p-locking alone make any Elektron device worth owning alongside a DAW. The sheer breadth of features within the Octatrack make it the most flexible.
‘Is buying an Octatrack in 2021 a mistake’ - a short-sighted question.
For live jams the Octatrack is a breeze, thats why I missed my Octatrack and got a new black one 
I make the sequences on the 707, but from Octatrack I modulate the three performance knobs with lfo’s or play midi arps to 707! The Audio from 707 feeds into Octatrack, there I record loops that i fade together with fx. Also looong stems played from Octatrack, and a glue compresser on the ot does the rest.
I would not use it in a producing context. Perhaps to mangle samples with scenes & co.
So like, what is the best tool for the job (and if this is OT (Off Topic, not Octatrack) I can make new one) if one wants to play AND record a nuanced, polyphonic, overlapping notes, linear performance on midi controller (keyboard/grid etc) and then use that to sequence an external synth instrument? And then do it again on another track/channel. etc. And maybe do a little quantising, editing of the midi notes? I mean…is a DAW the only tool for that?
No, there is the akai force too. Or heck, the 707!
I sold the OT for a Force after learning the OT in 5 months. I was looking for structure, overview, basically DAW elements without having to look at my PC. My view:
MPC/Force/707/Deluge
Best (in hardware)? Probably one of the flagship, expensive keyboard workstations that most people (including me) seem to ignore. That’s what they’re designed to do, and they’ve always been good at it. Something like a Yamaha Genos probably runs circles around a modern MPC for sequencing. It also costs $6000, so it’s not really a fair comparison.
On the other end of the spectrum, a Raspberry Pi 4 with a touchscreen, MIDI controller and NON DAW would probably be as good as if not better than an MPC for sequencing and arranging in a lot of ways, and if you wanted to make it less computer-like you could stick it all in some kind of 3d printed box and still spend maybe half what an MPC costs (or significantly less than that if you don’t need another MIDI controller - probably well under $200 depending on MIDI interface, enclosure, and touchscreen size.
Touchscreens are kind of awful if you use your fingers but they can be pretty good for stuff like mixing and piano roll editing IF YOU USE A STYLUS.
EDIT: I guess what I’m getting at is if you really want DAW-class sequencing in a dedicated, single purpose piece of hardware and you aren’t a rich keyboardist, you should start looking at the cyberdeck community.
But hows the sound quality of the OT?
Can someone point me to a thread about that?