Akai S5000/S6000 is still far superior to today’s devices.
16 outs. 2 times midi. detachable display.
A different sound on each key.
Overlays of sounds depending on the velocity etc.
I miss mine.
…Elektron has to recreate this thing and equip it with its sequencer… <3
We’re talking about pristine audio quality here, in fact. The Full Acoustic Grand piano is still one of the best ever! Not really 8 bit nintendo style 
I may sound a bit daft here, but what about an Atari ST q base for midi sequencing?
Seriously.
i was referring to the methodology - not an exact 1:1 comparison
for example - what format are the audio files in when putting them on disk for the Akai? is it a standardized format like .wav?
essentially, what im saying is that the technology for streaming audio was already in use in various clever ways even before this
41 and 48k 16bit stereo .wav,
Ah, again a guy looking at technical specs and thinking, why would I buy this when I can get more memory, faster CPU, more FX etc. with something else? Octatrack is a device with technical shortcomings, like the lack of true polyphony and kind of underwhelming FX, but at the same time it’s one of the greatest samplers or even electronic music equipment ever made. But the main thing you gotta understand is, it’s a hardware box made to work in a hardware setup, big or small. It’s not a DAW in a box, it’s not supposed to work with Ableton. It’s supposed to be used in conjuction with other hardware gear or by itself. You can kinda make it work with a computer, but it’s awkward.
If you want a hardware box with DAW integration and to work as a DAW-lite when you don’t have your computer hooked up, the Octatrack is probably not the best device available. If you want to work OTB and want a really inspiring swiss army knife of a box that can work as a mixer, multi FX, midi controller or a deep and unique sampler, get an Octatrack.
And afaik, they both get upsampled to 32 bit floating point; so you can fill up memory quick [*]
Some testing I was doing to investigate using an MPC as a DJ’ing solution.
Oh, guess what else you can do with an Octatrack?
If it fulfills a person’s production needs, the Octatrack is still worth it in 2021 or any other year in the future.
With that said, I am still trying to find a proper niche for the Octatrack MKII in the studio or live situations. The Maschine+ and MC-707 are used more often, and the present MPCs are also interesting. Nevertheless, I have zero plans to depart with the Octatrack MKII any time soon.
Chiming in - I’m a fairly new 
MKII user, about a month in and just sharing my experiences with it that I can easily list down, if it helps in any way:
Things I like:
Things I don’t like:
Might not be the best analogy, but I’ll write it down anyway - working on the OT reminds me of when I first got my fixed gear (I know I know…) and how it forced me to bond with it to be able to get to a point where I can ride it more confidently and freely. Is riding fixed better than riding a geared bike, or driving a car? I don’t think so. But is it more fun? Well depends on what your definition of fun is. 
I think that’s all I can think of right now, but I’ll try to make sure to update this message if I think of anything else.
If in case you’re wondering, I also have an MPC One I’m working with (totally different beast as well).
Hope this helps and good luck!
Oh, for performance I wouldn’t want a stylus either unless I was doing something that was specifically centered around that as a feature. I figured since we were talking about DAW style sequencing it was more about arranging and mixing. I can’t even use a touchscreen live because I’d have to look at it too much.
The nice thing about the TC1100 was that there was a stylus holder built in AND the stylus was attached to it with a lanyard, so you didn’t have to think much about wher eyou put it, it was always more or less there.
Anyhow, a decade of working mostly on an MPC2000xl made me really appreciate event lists as a sequencer format, and now something like this looks way more practical than a piano roll to me:
No. Its complete toss. And it sounds shit, Stimming said so.
Yes. Its completely brilliant, and it sounds like what you would expect from a transparent sampler, Daren said so.
Flip a coin for it.
Or- wait till 2025 when everyone wants an Octatrack because its considered “vintage”.
I learned sequencing on a Commodore64 first, a CX5m and then a Macintosh Plus with the first iteration of Performer (Before it was renamed to Digital Performer when audio recording was introduced (4 mono audio tracks!!!) , Performer was a midi sequencer first. So I can relate! I definitely use the event list (when there is one) because you have a global overview of everything that’s happenening at the same time. Not possible with a piano roll. (This is what I miss most on the Pyramid, I’m always scrolling that piano roll figure to out what’s happening a couple of octaves higher, or scrollin all the CC’s to view what’s being sent exactly at time=xxxxx).BTW, I am considering a Polyend Tracker ATM. There is something about that device I feel I can bond with.
Doesn’t Stimming use a stylus for DAW input too, or am I thinking of somebody else? Somebody talked about it in a studio tour video I watched recently.
If the features listed matter to you a lot, then Yes - buying an OT in 2021 is a mistake.
Most people here arguing what an amazing device/ instrument it is. And they are right! The OT is a wonderful instrument with its drawbacks.
But if that stuff doesn’t matter to you and especially if you’re looking into a modern device, then don’t buy an OT.
I would argue though that the sequencer of maschine+ definitely isn’t more capable than the octatrack. For starters no individual track lengths. You only get one LFO and one envelope that aren’t freely assignable. Parameter locking would be automation which isn’t easy to edit after recording it. So no parameter locking really.
Sequencer of Akai has a few drawbacks as well from what I’ve heard compared to the elektron sequencer but haven’t used it so can’t comment on it
Of course the octatrack sequencer has drawbacks as well like 4 pages max etc. So it’s really a matter of what is of importance to you personally.
Hardware wise one could argue as well that the encoders and buttons on octa mkii are superior. It depends on what you prefer. I love the clickedy clacky keyboard feel and loath the soft silicone stuff.
But yeah, it seems that you prefer vst and software integration so octatrack would probably frustrate you because of some of these things
OP can also wait for Behringer to release a 240€ “DPS Pro”, a 32 track performance sampler “largely inspired by the iconic Octratrack”, with all the bells and whistles they are currently harvesting on this forum 
I think you might be right. Maybe I’m misremembering and it’s actually Stimming I’m thinking of, or maybe they both do.
If the Maschine + sequencer is the same as the Maschine sequencer, which I think it is, then it can do different track lengths albeit at the group level.
Modulation can be recorded in real-time but it can also be recorded in Step Mode similar to parameter locks.
As well as patterns, Maschine + also supports clips that can be freely positioned and moved across the timeline of the arranger.