Octatrack MKi vs MKii

Elektron Gear Octatrack
#1

Hi guys,
I am currently the proud owner of a Rytm, A4, and a Heat. I have been dying to perform live and finally have done so but I hated having to use Ableton and know now that the Octatrack will be the right choice.

But, now with the release of the MKii idk what I should be leaning toward. I understand all of the differences (not to many) but my main concern is because it looks like Elektron is changing the hardware aspect, (buttons, knobs) do you think if I get a MKi finding replacement parts will be harder if I need to ever fix it. Obviously the MKii has its advantages but at the same time I can get a great deal on a brand new MKi.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you all so much

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#2

Any OT mki buy in a store comes with a warranty of 3 years by Elektron so if budget is a important aspect you can safely go with an OT and have the 3 years serenity.

Therefore, it’s not only a cosmetic upgrade on the MKII. All enhancements worth the price at least for me.

#3

well budget is a factor but i can get a new OT mki for $999 and thats shipped directly no waiting (I’m kind of impatient haha) vs a new OT mkii for $1299.99 so its really only a $300 difference. If you did not own an OT would you wait? Do you think the MKii will be worth the wait? Thank you again William

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#4

It’s the first one to come. more or less End of August / Beginning of september
so yes i will wait and spend the 300$ extra for the Screen, the Inputs/Outputs enhancement quality and the new workflow direct buttons.

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#5

Thats all I needed to know! Ill be patient and just preorder it now then. Thank you Will

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#6

u welcome

#7

The inputs may be a better quality, but nobody knows, they just take hotter signals, that’s all anybody here knows iirc … there’s no advertised changes to the output side afaicr

you missed adding that the illuminated buttons contribute to the added value though :wink:

if it’s circa $300 difference new, then I suppose it’s not too much more, I think the added headroom is definitely helpful, but no show-stopper, remember, whatever the signal strength and whatever you do with it, as soon as it’s hooked in it gets a 12dB attenuation anyway

I don’t think parts availability wrt the MKi is something to worry about at all fwiw

I think the case for a new MK2 against a good value s/h MK1 is possibly a trickier proposition, either way, the announcement of a MK2 was good news all round for all OT owners imho

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MK1 vs Mk2 workflow question
#8

Right (enhancement is on input not output) :
better inputs with higher headroom

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#9

I’d be a little concerned about the crossfader, since the infiniumis already out of production as far as I can tell adn the new one has a slightly different throw and might not be a drop-in replacement (I saw somewhere an official statement from Elektron that the MKII crossfader is a MM or two shorter throw - not enough to make a playability difference but suggests that the form factor of the part could be incompatible with the MKI without some kind of modification) but only in the (very) long run since it sems to be a really robust part.

I’ve had some pretty harrowing experiences trying to source faders for vintage gear before though, minor changes in form factor can cause major hassles (try replacing a fader in a Juno 6 today).

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Octatrack crossfader can't reach end of the B position
#10

If this is a real concern for you, you might ask Elektron to send you a mk1 crossfader.
As OT are guaranteed 3 years from now, I believe they have spare parts. Should be possible to buy theses : I suggest you create a support ticket and ask them :slight_smile:

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#11

I’m pretty gentle with the fader, I doubt mine will be a problem.

#12

as someone who owned an mk1 and is in debate between another or an mk2, how many button/menu dives are required on the mk1 to do stuff thats now a feature with the new mk2 buttons?

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#13

i don’t know, but the amount of subtle benefits of the mkII would make it a clear winner.

The master volume l.e.d. indicators are the winning feature imho.

the 3rd record-arm button quick access to the internal resampling parameters is also a cool feature.

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#14

The only way to tell at this point is to have a look at the mk2 unfortunately. To be honest I dont really think that anything on the mk1 is too deeply hidden. Its by no means an instant gratification device but im sure it can get very close with practice. I think people expecting this update to turn OT into a digitakt are gonna be dissapointed, it really cant be that different running the same OS. I’d say if you work in dark club environments the greatest new features are the screen and backlit buttons but even so the mark 1s are workable. Im seeing 1300 for mark 2s and 800 for used mark 1s, whether the 500 gap is worth the latest and greatest is up to you but its the same box really

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#15

It’s a tough call to me. I picked up my first OT for £550 a few years ago. Was one of the old paint job models (which I prefer). I could get two at that price and have change rather than go for a Mk2! Of course that was a one off but I do wonder how much the Mk2 will change the “flow”.

I probably still have enough muscle memory to be able to do the bulk of stuff on the OT. And like @jb says, I don’t think the additional buttons will suddenly open the device up to complete noobs but that isn’t to say they aren’t useful or not welcome additions. Gut feel is that they just aren’t worth the outlay vs the pretty good 2nd hand prices on Mk1’s just now.

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#16

550?! 5 5 0?! Id buy another 2 at that price!

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#17

After researching and posting for awhile about what box to pair the OT with (I use only an OT + stringed instruments, pedals, vocal/instrument mic). I decided that the only box I want is another OT! (mkII).

I use pickup machines a lot, and having studied the new button layout, factoring in the higher headroom inputs, and the general improvement in build quality (the OT mkI is great in this regard, btw), the mkII is clearly a good investment for me. I probably won’t perform with two OTs (very much) but then I’ll have a backup of the machine I love the most.

For most people, a used OT mkI is a better deal, but since it’s the only complex machine that I perform with, it makes sense to upgrade at some point.

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#18

i think the buttons on the OTmkII will be slightly deeper and therefore make even slightly more typewriter sound than before.

the workflow of the buttons seems to be great and the 3rd resampling quick access is super sensible.

backlit buttons with orange led’s will be a new experience to work with.

#19

I am waiting and will get the MKII version for the better screen and updates.

#20

Oled screen vs the eventual burn screen… that is a pretty big one…

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