Octatrack Neighbor Tracks - Series or Parallel?

Hi Guys,

Can anyone answer this one…?

I haven’t had the Octa for too long but i’m sure when i first started playing with the machines that Neighbor mode would run in series and not parallel? I have just created a large custom midi map so not sure if ive affected something internally…

When i run neighbour mode now (track 2 = source and in flex and 3/4 are neighbor) tracks 3/4 are playing in a parallel way. In turn i get phasing. I want to run straight through in series! anyone advise??

Thanks!

Are you sure they are running in parallel? I’m pretty sure neighbors just work in a chain. Did you read something in the manual that said they can run in parallel? There may be something else happening…but I could be totally wrong on this.

Are you direct monitoring the source of track 2? That would create phasing/doubling issues

Edit: and neighbours are definitely series

5 Likes

I have tracks 1-4 outputting via the Cue outs and 5-8 via master so it shouldn’t be an issue?
I can mute the source track (track 2) and still get audio via 3…!!! Definitely getting individual outs on the channels…

Absolutely stumped on this one

thanks for the reply btw

1 Like

That is normal. When you use neighbor tracks, the original track is no longer the sound output…if that makes sense. Maybe try not using cue outputs to narrow your search for problems. Maybe cue out only channel 4, or your last track in neighbor chain.

4 Likes

If you are cue outputing all the tracks in the chain, that might create some strange outcomes…which could be interesting, if you wanted to do that. Say, like if you wanted a dry signal on one out and wet on the other.

2 Likes

Hmm. Maybe it would help us help you if we know what Track 2 is doing? You said it’s a flex track, but is it a sample already loaded/saved on OT or is it using the record buffer and live sampling something on the inputs?

My OT with be in my neighbours garden in about 5 mins. Via the bedroom window.

1 Like

Ah ok… its always such a simple thing…!!!

So i had cue output up on all of the tracks from 2-3. i guess only need it on the last then.
Works differently to running out of the master?

1 Like

Ah, now it makes sense. The original intention of cue outs was to monitor tracks on headphones without your audience hearing what you’re doing. So all fixed now?

Yeah, I noticed this the other day working with CUE + neighbors. CUE works off CUE LVL and ignores mutes and neighbor chains. So you can CUE the source of a neighbor and hear it separately. Once you realize what’s happening it’s a pretty cool function I think; I was using it for aux effects and it was cool to be able to switch between pre and post neighbor.

2 Likes

It’s also possible to use a recorder and a Flex to mimic a Neighbor : record with SRC3=T1/T8.

  • serial if you set the original track level to 0, or parallel (with certain fx with dry signal off)
  • playback and amp parameters.
5 Likes

Neighbour tracks work in series when both (neighbour and source track) are routed to main outs - they work in parallel when both are routed to cue outs.
If cue level is turned down on the source track and up on the neighbour, it works in series, though.

Pretty cool, that we can have parallel fx chains when utilizing the cue outs!

2 Likes